Thiel Owners

I have been enjoying my Thiel CS.5 from time to time, as I roll several components along the year, but they have been a bit forgotten by the arrival of the Magnepan LRS+, little more than a year ago.

The CS.5 sounded very good powered by the Vincent SV-237MK, Rogue Sphinx v1 (both already sold) and specially engaging with the Naim 122x / Fc2x / 150x (a surprise!).

Some months ago, the Kinki Studio EX-P7 and EX-M7 pre-power combo came to elevate the system’s performance to a new level, in every aspect. This was with the Totem Model and the LRS+.

Then, a week a go, it was time to give place to CS.5 and my jaw immediately dropped! I have never listened to this level of quality from the little Thiels! My lord! The imaging, soundstage, depth and percussion realism is like a miracle: the speakers totally vanished (like never before) presenting a huge sound, well balanced, palpable and hugely engaging. No trace of sibilance of fatiguing…

Of corse, like with the Totem or Magnepan, a REL Stampede 5 helps in the low frequencies department, but in a perfectly non-perceptive way.

Kudos to Thiel (what a quality product! They perform and look like new!)…and also to Kinki Studio :)

audiofilo123

Good to see you here today.  We have many fans/owners of CS 5 on The Panel.

Good to read that Kinki Studio, NAIM and Vincent are sonic matches.

Happy Listening!

foamcutter

Keep me posted if you decide to purchase those 02 speakers.

Happy Listening!

@jafant thanks!

To be clear, I have the small 0.5 and not the big 5 model, nevertheless they are unbelievable. 
Funny how the Copland CSA70 can efficiently power the LRS+ but not the CS.5.

After so many amplifiers it was the Kinki Studio combo that could show what these little Thiel can do! …also, they are 25+ years speakers that look and sound like new! 

audiofilo123 - the 'funny' part about your Copland amp comment is that Thiel speakers require current-source power rather than the ubiquitous voltage sources. An amp that will drive a Thiel, including your little CS.5s, should double its 8 ohm power rating into 4 ohms and at least 1.5x its 4 ohm rating into 2 ohms. 

The Copland might do well with higher impedance speakers, but not have the current delivery capability that your Thiels require.

Frustrating? Maddening? Yes. Solvable? Yes.