Thiel Owners

gs5556 , I've owned my 3.6's since 1993 and still love the sound they produce. I did have to have the midrange and tweeter repaired on one of the speakers at different points. The midrange had a problem where something failed and thin wires kind of unwound and were protruding around the base of the phase plug. I took it to Audio Consultants where I had purchased it and they took care of having the driver repaired by Thiel and reinstalled. That was about in 2003 or so.  A few years later the tweeter in that same speaker pretty much fried. I spoke with, I believe it was Rob at Thiel and sent the tweeter in for rebuilding. He called me a few days later and we talked about what may have happened  He said the driver was pretty badly damaged and I mentioned the type of music I listen to. Contemporary Folk..basically acoustic guitar, vocals, that type of music, and nothing at any levels that are apt to over drive a tweeter. 

  He sent me back the rebuilt tweeter, but had me do a test before I reinstalled it. He said that they had had an issue with a specific component of the crossover failing, that would send a full range signal through to the tweeter. He had me do an ohm meter test on the resistance  being supplied by the crossover to the tweeter inputs. He said it should be 20 ohms.  Mine was .1 ohms, that's point 1 ohms....basically a dead short. That's why my tweeter blew, and the rebuilt one would have blown as well had I hooked it back up without having the failed crossover component replaced first.

  Rob knew exactly which component in the crossover needed to be replaced and I had that done, and the tweeter has worked perfectly ever since.  

   I do have two other systems in the house, both with Magnepan speakers, but my main system still has the Thiel 3.6's and I have no plans to replace them. 

My 3.6's are used in a system that can be configured in different ways. I have an Integra DHC 9.9 pre amp processor, when I want surround sound with my music, but I can go strictly two channel with a 1994 vintage Threshold T2 preamp. The Thiels are driven by either a Threshold SA/4e pure class A power amp, or a pair of Emotiva XPA1 monoblocs.  All connections between the preamps and power amps are done with balanced XLR cables. 

 I have used a pair of Velodyne F1500 r subwoofers with the Thiels since they were new as well. I use a 40hz crossover point for them, as well as for the 3.6's. My sources are either a Logitech Touch streamer for my digital server collection of lossless CD rips, an Oracle Turntable with Magnepan Unitrac 1 arm and a Shure V15-V mr cartridge, or an Oppo disc player.

I have over a thousand CD's ripped to my server, and I have a little bit of everything in there as far as type of music. My favorite music is acoustic/vocal contempory folk . I like songs with lyrics that have some meaning, and maybe deliver some sort of message.

Strindl - I love your system. I also resonate with your musical tastes. I believe it worth saying that your desire to derive meaning from your music was at the very heart of the Thiel Journey. What we struggled to find and execute was a vehicle for connection. For Jim the focus was the musical web. For Kathy and myself the lyrical realm mattered as much. Walter tuned in to the drums and rhythm and Fred went right to visualization and the out of body experience. The communal aspect kept the dance alive full-time. 
As time went on, those intangibles took a step behind the relentless work of continual developments and growth. But the founding value of access to soul by musical journey remained in the products’ DNA . 
My present renaissance work seeks to hold sacred that goal of connection. I find a joyful dose of contemplation in the systematic discoveries every day. 
My hope is that the meaning and message in your music will become even more accessible and real through the next generation updates. 

Good New Year's Eve - All