Comparison of Thiel CS2.4 vs. Vandersteen 3A Sig.

Chad n' Liz,
I don't think it's fair to stereotype Thiel's as harsh. The current Thiels, CS2.4s, and even the CS2.2s and CS 2.3s are extremely capable loudspeakers. It is this quality that, when not set up correctly, may result in the owner stating they are harsh. I think they are very fine speakers, and can, in the right setup be very musically satisfying indeed.
In general with ANY audio component, it is all about synergy with the rest of the system, and maybe most important, the room-acoustics. It blows my mind (not directing this at you) that all over the map people make blanket statments about this or that b/c it did not work out for them, or they heard it in a poorly setup dealer showroom, perhaps not even broken in...whatever.

There are lots of ways to get any speaker to sound harsh, and as you know, when you climb the resolution ladder, the source gear and room can make or break the overall result.

Chad,
Cool man, no bother(s) here. I loved my Thiel CS 2.2s but now moved on to Dynaudios for a change. I don't however agree that it is the Thiel that was harsh, probably some songs and associated equipment. I know they are revealing, and this means the owner needs to pay close attention to system matching. Vandy 3A Sigs are laid back, but also very capable and will probably be easier to design around, all things considered. FOr me, I like the up-front style of Thiel CS 2.2 to 2.4 maybe going deaf from all the years of loud music-lol.