Thiel 2.4 VS 3.6


I cannot decide between the Thiel 2.4 and 3.6 and welcome opinions and suggestions. I currently own a pair of Martin Logan Odysseys which I love BUT they do not work well in my new room environment in my new home. I listened to the Thiel 2.4's at CES and though they are not planar speakers they had that "electrostatic fast reacting type sound". Do the 3.6's have that same 2.4 type sound with a more robust low end or is the 3.6 a compromise due to it's older technology? Any comments or experiences are welcomed and appreciated. I currently own a Mark Levinson No. 331 or a Theta Dreadnaught II to drive them with.

I have a decent sized listening room but is has some challenges. My AV nook forces me to place my left main speaker within 6 inches of the left side wall and my right main speaker has to sit between the right side of my nook and my fireplace (basically in the middle of the room 7 feet from the left main speaker) The room is about 20 feet wide and 25 feet deep (with my dining room sharing the same space)
sodapop

Showing 2 responses by tombowlus

I auditioned 2.4's, and subsequently picked up a pair of 3.6's used (I had auditioned them new, but many years before). FWIW, the 3.7 has been rumored to be "right around the corner" for some time, but in my correspondence with Thiel, they intimated that they would not offer a new model unless and until they felt that they had a significant improvement to offer over and above the existing model. The implication was that they still haven't come up with a speaker that fits the 3.6 mold, but offers a significant improvement. They also indicated that the 3.6 has had one of the longest production runs without being replaced by another model. To me, this means two things. Yes, it is older technology, but it also means that they got a number of things right when they designed the 3.6.

The first thing that hits you is that the 2.4's (36Hz to 25kHz +/-2 dB) have no where near the low end extension of the 3.6's (29Hz to 20kHz, +/- 1.5 db). Personally, I would not consider the 2.4's without a quality subwoofer (unless you have a very bass-enhancing room), while the 3.6's in the right room with the right amp(s) can get by quite well without a subwoofer. Others will be more than happy, though, with the low end output of the 2.4's, but I'm a bass player, so my tastes may be a bit different. Also of note, the 2.4's are more efficient (87, versus 86 db). I felt that the 2.4's had better midrange focus and were more airy on the high end, but they were not as convincing on the dynamics, and did not carry the same weight and authority of the 3.6's. The 3.6's, by contrast, did sound a bit veiled by comparison, but I found that I enjoyed their more full sound, and to me, they were a bit more musical and involving, while the 2.4's were precise almost to a fault.

As noted, though, the 2.4's are likely to sound "faster" and are probably a closer match to your Odysseys than the 3.6's. Their upper-mid and high end detail really is amazing, and the imaging is excellent. Still, when I listen to large orchestral pieces, or loudish rock music, I like to sound like I am "there", and to the 3.6's convey a more "real world" experience, while the 2.4's are like a surgical analysis of the real world, if that makes any sense. Please also note that the 3.6's are notoriously difficult to drive. I have heard that the 331 is borderline when it comes to driving the 3.6's, but the Dreadnaught II in 2-channel mode probably has the juice. In fact, the Dread II is one of the amps that I am considering as an upgrade for my 3.6's.

Hope this helps, Tom.
I just had an opportunity to audition my 3.6's with both a Theta Intrepid and Theta Enterprise monoblocks. Unfortunately, they didn't have a Dreadnaught II for me to compare to, but both Theta amps sounded great with the 3.6's. The Enterprises made my 3.6's do things that I never heard them do. The degree of instrument separation, depth and width of soundstage, and overall detail was incredible. And the "little" Intrepid really amazed me as well. I cannot fathom how a 5-channel, 100 watt amp could make the 3.6's sound so good. Sure, it didn't have the detail, control, or polish of the much costlier Enterprise monos, but it certainly captured the "Theta sound" and seemed to drive them just fine, even at somewhat higher volumes. I think that Theta amps match up very well with Thiel, so as mentioned, you should be good to go amp-wise with either a pair of 2.4's or 3.6's.

Tom.