Thiel Owners

unsound,

Good point. When I went to Lexington, Thiel had the Krell FPB 700cx powering a pair of CS 7.2. Could Pass 250.8 amps be used? Sure. Will they have the dynamic headroom or slam the larger amp has? No way.

ronkent,

Glad to hear you are enjoying your VK-80. I’m seriouisly considering a VK-90 myself as BAT gear mates well with Thiel.

velocityofhue,

Great amp for your CS 2.4

Years ago I was in Nashville and stopped into a Thiel dealer. they had the CS 7.2 on display mated with Mac 1kw amps.

I sat and listened to the dealers arraged playlist. After a few tracks I asked if they would mind if I went to my vehicle to retrieve a few cd’s I had that I’d like to listen too. They said "sure"

I gave them the cd and they asked which track and I said just hit play as it doesnt matter. As it started to play I turned up the volume at a decent volume to fill the room. I saw a nervous look on saleman’s face as the red clipping light started to flash. Shortly after I ended the audition and excused myself and thanked them for the opportunity to listen.

Immediately after leaving the store I jumped on I-75 to Lexington where I heard the same CS7.2 with the Krell FPB 700cx amp. I thought I was listning to a different speaker it was so different. The authority the speakers possessed with a rock solid bottom end with no grain or grit on top was ear opening.

My point. If I would have left my first experience regarding Thiel speakers with that audition in Nashville I would have never bought Thiel speakers. When I heard what the right amp could do it was what the man himself, Jim Thiel, wanted his lesteners to hear.

Now I have a stable of Thiel speakers that I can switch out any given day because of Thiel selecting the right amp for their speakers.

Amps matter.

jafant,

I was only referencing amps in my experience how I came to become a Thiel owner. It wasnt intended to tout one amp over the other.

The point to walkway with is, high current amps perform much better with the Thiel’s. Thats how they were designed. What brand one chooses is on them.

When one thinks their amp seems to perform well there is no further thought that really goes into it. When they get the opportunity to hear a higher current amp then they will know what they have been missing. 

devinplombier

Think of it like the CS 7 to CS 7.2 conversion. Same cabinet but drivers upgraded and vital cover parts. In the CS5i the bass drivers were upgraded.

The CS5i is the way to go. With the right amps and room it would take a considerable amount os scratch to better them. After the future upgrades that will be offered that will be even harder to accomplish. 

They go lower than any sealed cabinet speaker on the market still I believe. I have two pair in walnut and rosewood and they hit like a hammer in the bass.

This is my personal favorite Thiel speaker. I'm tweaking the room for them to perform at an even higher level. 

Again monster amps to clear the throat from these beasts. The front baffle is incredible. Never have I seen one like this before. 

Happy Thanksgiving.

lars888888

The CS 2.4 is easier to drive by far and easier to set up and impliment into your room. They are the sweet spot of the Thiel line up.

The CS5i need more attentiion to set up and require big power to drive with authority. They are big speakers. The bass is effortless regardless of how low you go. 

I have both and do not remember the last time I listened to the CS2.4. 

lars888888

What finish are your CS 2.4 and what amps are you using?

What finish are the CS5i near you that you can purchase?

lars888888

The top end of the CS5i needs a little more sparkle but Tom Thiel is aware of this and has a solution. Now tis is in contrast to the CS 7.2. 

Comparing the CS5i to CS 2.4 you will not feel your missing/giving up anything even though the coaxial driver in 2.4 is a few generations after the CS5i tweeter. 

I switch out Thiels as I feel. I keep the CS2.4 for smaller rooms. The current room is larger for the CS6, CS7.2, CS5i. 

I've since switched out the CS5i with the CS7.2. I use differnt amps as the CS5i needs more power than the CS7.2.

I cannot stress this enough. I use Pass monos x600.5 for CS5i and Pass XA 200.5 for CS 7.2. 

ars888888

How tall are the ceilings?

What part of the country are you in as you can stop by to hear what set up I have.

Im in NC

lars888888

The CS5i take significant amps to power them and wake them up.I clip Pass Mono amps with the CS5i but not the CS7.2. 

The larger Thiel's need more effort to set up and the right room. I've heard people criticize Thiel's for sounding bright. This is the design of the speaker working against a poor room. 

They are incredibly engaging speakers when dialed in.

Your 2.4 are far more forgiving than their siblings. 

If you can get a Pure Class A amp with plenty of current you will be rewarded. i will see if i can upload a few photos when i get back from holiday.

devinplombier

What size listening room do you have? Ceilings? 

I'll share a story with you.

in 2001-2002 I went to Nashville to Nichals to audition the CS 7.2. They had them mated with McIntosh Killowatt amps. The salesman was conservative with the volume. I gave him a CD I brought and asked for the remote.

Once track was playing I hit the volume so it was playing at a decent volume around 92-95db. About 30 seconds in the red light started flashing on the McIntosh amps as they were clipping. 

I politely thanked the saleman for his time and left. From this dealer I went straight to Thiel in Lexington. I listened to the same Cs 7.2 but this time with Krell FPB 700 CX amp.It was a completely different sounding speaker. 

Lesson,  the amps are crucial with the big Thiels. 

My reason to push the speakers and get currentt through them is to know the amp is up to the task and if I have enough dynamic headroom to handle transient peaks. 

devinplombier

If you have the space and amps then the CS5i will be a great purchase. 

I only clipped the amp on certain tracks that was bass heavy. I was testing my room boundaries so I was playing at a higher db than normal but still not extreme. 

I was using the Pass XA 200.5 on CS 5i . With the 7.2 the XA 200.5 drives that speaker wherever they may want to go. Unfortunately your Classé monoblocks will not be sufficient. They will sound constricted like a horse blanket was draped over them. 

From my experience, the Big Krell FPB series is the way to go with the CS 5i. They come up now and then that have been recapped with service papers. These are the mono amps you want to grab. You will not hear what the CS5i are capable without amps with dynamic head room that push lots of current. I'm speaking from experience once you hear the bottom end of the CS5i there is no going back. It is effortless in the lower register. Not saying the mids/highs are not pleasant. I signal the bass out as there are not many speakers that can go this low and to have the definition the CS5i have. 

Tom told me he believed, after almost 40 years of being introduced to the marketplace, there is not a sealed speaker cabinet that goes lower than the CS5i.

I've been to a few audio sows these past few months, the last was Capitalfest, and there isnt a speaker under 60k Ive heard that I think could replace the CS 5i and I could happily live with. 

When Tom and Thiel Renaissance are underway, and the CS5i comes up for revisions that will be a great day. 

I have two pair. Authentic Brazilian Rosewood which the wood cost more than what the speakers sell for, and black walnut. 

The front baffles are incredible. Speaker over 100k do not have the quality and performance of the CS5i baffles. Maybe Tom can jump in and share his insight. 

Recently I had two well seasoned members come over for a listen on separate occasions. I played the tracks they wanted to hear first so they had their baseline.

Going through a selected playlist I complied of 6-7 tacks i watched them with a confused look on their faces, No words exchanged until the audition was over regarding what they heard. 

When the audition concluded the adjectives that were used by both listeners on different occasions were siimilar. Skipping the audiophile jargon both said it felt like they were in the crowd for a live performance. Thats a mic drop moment as anything else committed doesnt hold weight. 

devinplombier

Thats a good room for the CS 5i. 

I'm not sure what taps they used but the salesman seemed to be knowledgeable.

Jafant

Well, the man himself designed the room. When Tom and company come for an extensive audition I will tell more about the room as it is very unique in it's design. 

I will say this, at the listening chairs you only hear the wave from the drivers and no side wall/floor/ceiling reflections. No dampening in these areas as we wanted live acoustics and notb dead harmonics. 

The room is so well designed we did not even need a wool rug on Pz floors between the speakers and the listener. We tried and within 10 minutes we removed it. We were amazed that no rug was needed. 

I will get photos up soon. 

Any members in the NC area are welcome to stop by and hear the big Thiels. 

lars888888,

At 8 ft the CS 2.4 is your best choice. It is a steal on the used market and the upgrade path Thiel Renaissance has planned will make this model highly competitive in the 20-25k speaker realm. 

The two issues, already discussed,  that creates problems with the larger Thiels is power (amp) and room (integrating). If you get these right the CS5i will keep a smile on your face. Look at the You Tube CS5i on that site. Look how close they are to the walls and the ceiling. 

My setup is 10.9' tweeter to tweeter, 3.3' off back wall, 3.6' off side wall, and 6.5' to ceiling.

If you feel at any point you may get a larger listening room then I would jump on the CS 5i and hold on to them. As Tom eluded too, improving the 4 electronic crossovers and a handful of other improvements Tom has mentioned in this thread is well worth getting a pair.

On an aesthetic note I love the Mid Century modern design that the CS5i embodies more than any other Thiel speaker. When I have the CS 7.2 next to the CS 5i they look short and plump in comparison to the sleek and elegant CS 5i. World class craftsmanship.  

lars888888

The CS 2.4 upgrades will be transformative. 

Binding Post will be replaced with low mass design

New internal wiring which is an improvement over the stock,

Crossover upgrades with caps developed by Tom

Speaker base plinths

A few other significant improvements I am noi at liberty to mention yet. 

I have three pairs of CS 2.4 which I will leave one stock and one with an all out version for others to compare. 

I like big clean power with Thiels as I've mentioned. 

Two amps that I favor over all other amps I have used/heard with CS2.4 are Conrad Johnson 350S Premier and Krell MDA-300. Make sure the MDA's were recently serviced/recapped. They bettered the FPB series especially in the bottomed. 

timm1951

Krell FPB 300cx. Pleaase note I was referring to bottom end between the two. The FPB series are a great pairing with the Thiels especially the hard to drive Thiels. 

In a perfect world bi amp the Thiels with the MDA on bottom and the FPB for mids and highs. That is not possible of course unless speakers are modified.

For my CS5i Im on the lookout for a pair of FPB 750cmx or MDA-500. As I mentioned I clip my Pass XA200.5 with the CS 5i but mated with the CS 7.2 the XA 200.5 produces an engaging experience for the listener. 

I use the 200.5 for other Thiel speakers under the CS 7.2 with great results. Over kill for the CS 2.4 as you can get a XA 100.5 that will do the job or a Conrad Johnson Premier 350S. It's cheaper on the used market than the XA 100.5 and it is the amp to mate with the CS 2.4 from my experience. 

jafant,

That depends on the day of the week.  

When the time presents itself i will post link to site I have the big Thiels going throuigh a workout. 

I'll start with the CS 7.2 since they are in room with their new plinths. 

Next will be the CS5i as I still need to manufacture a plinth for them.

Followed by CS6 which I need to make a plinth for also. 

I'll get the CS 2.4 playing as well in "Jerry Seinfeld" silver. 

CS 2.7 in white are stunning. 

largeexpensiveboxes

For the larger Thiels I always preferred mono amps to keep the speaker cables as short as possible.  I use 36" speaker cables. 

I will say on paper there are many amps that can be used with the CS6. However, there are far fewer amps that drive them with authority.