I just scored a sweet pair of CS 2.4SE loudspeakers. Anyone else currently or previously owned this model? Owners of the CS 2.4 or CS 2.7 are free to chime in as well. Thiel are excellent w/ both tubed or solid-state gear!
David Garretson- dgarretson- can answer your query. He is our resident Clarity Cap / OEM source. Hope he sees this post. Otherwise send him a email via this Audiogon message system. If your speakers are new and/or has a remaining warranty, contact Rob at Thiel HQ in Kentucky. Keep me posted on this project. Happy Listening!
Since the 2.7 has the same woofer as the 2.4 is it possible to upgrade the capacitors to the ones used in the 2.4SE ? Has anybody tried ? I haven't contacted Rob at Thiel yet to see if it's even possible, and if it is can I send it to him and keep the warranty. I am always thinking of ways to upgrade what I have, not just buying new or different.
Good to see you as always- oblgny. I agree, in that, home improvement is a valuable investment. I have had a few projects this year myself. Once completed you can focus on other facets of life including hobbies. Big fan of REL subwoofer(s). The best in the business especially the older models. Those products really enhance any system's bottom line. Only a few weeks left of Summer as we prepare for Fall. Keep me posted on any gear up for audition. Happy Listening!
After some soul-searching and a week of updating my kitchen which adversely affected my audio budget, keeping the Simaudio appeared as the wisest and most frugal/sensible option at hand for the moment.
That, and a brand spankin' new Weber grill with Dolby and Bluetooth/wifi/searing station/smoker/coffee when I wake up depleted any hopes of finding an amp to make my 3.6's sound similar to my 3.5's.
However, long being a fan of REL subs while at the same time eschewing subs in general, I found an incredibly too-good-to-pass-up model offered online from my pals at Stereo Exchange in NYC - who are still in the midst of relocating.
$600 fate accompli, including a Rel cable worth $400. Sheesh.
Everything Thiel is renown for - highs/mids/definition - was there in spades but the bass, especially at lower volume levels, was lacking to the point where I thought I was going nuts. The Rel T7 makes that moot.
Now I'm absolutely the last person to think that adding a sub to Thiel would improve them since I believe that Thiel is as close to speaker nirvana as one can possibly get, but this option not only saved me a few beaucoup dollars, it absolutely makes me appreciate the 3.6's more than my beloved 3.5's. Wow. The improvement on the lower register is palpable, tangible, even natural. REL makes awfully good sh*t, kids.
Presence, mids to cry for, now with a gorgeous "roundness" that the 3.6's were previously lacking. Happy camper here.
Nice list of gear and brands to consider- William. Bryston is a sonic match for Thiel speakers, the previous owner of my 2.4SE was using a BP-26 preamp and 4B SST power amp combo in his dedicated listening room. Excellent sound and presentation on vinyl and cd playback. We listened for several hours prior to my purchase. Happy Listening!
Good to see you- Jon and William. nice scores all around guys. Celebrate w/ a cold Summer ale. Hopefully Rob at Thiel hq can be of service to your needs William.
Well, I picked up the CS3.5's today in NYC, drove home, swapped the cables from my CS3.6's and...
The cabinets are quite rough in some spots and the grills could definitely benefit from a re-do, but all the drivers are sound and the sonics are, as expected, excellent. While I'm not parting with my 3.6's, there IS something about the 3.5's that absolutely thrills me. Tomorrow I'm gonna throw the EQ in the chain for further inspection. So far, so utterly good.
As to what I won the auction for? How does $206 grab you? Truthfully, two hundred and six measly dollars that sound like THIS??? In spite of this pair being the most cosmetically challenged pair I've purchased - and this makes 3 pairs thus far - the sonics remain impressive.
Unsound...if you were serious about picking them up they're yours to have for the identical price. I will of course list them to keep abiding by A'gon rules, but they're yours.
So so far as what may be in my wheelhouse for another amp, Simaudio may well be in play since I can trade this 340idpx2 integrated back for full boat purchase price ($4500) when I upgrade. This is the top of the line model with every bell and whistle - I think I can even convert it to a gas grill, unless I'm mistaken...Within a year of purchase. Not a bad deal, but I could exceed my budget. Naturally, based on past experience, I've been checking out Reno Hifi for a nice Pass Labs. Perhaps a BAT integrated, perhaps a Bryston amp. All depends on the audio gods and my wallet. If'n I go with separates I'd be looking at Pass amp/ARC preamp. Again, all depends...
Anyway, I thought paying $350 for my previous pair of one owner 3.5's put me in the "bargain hall of fame", but this was just silly.
Right now I'm tugging on an icy cold bottle of Greenport Beehave Summer Ale after ripping my kitchen cabinets apart all day, listening to that glorious pair of 3.5's remind me why I started drinking the Thiel kool-aid in the first place.
I ended up buying a near perfect pair of Thiel CS-1.2s locally, just because they were such a good price. I first connected them to my main system and instantly was impressed with familiar Thiel sound. Obviously, they are missing the 25-50 Hz warm punch of my CS-3.6s but I am amazed that they can created such a clear and concise soundstage like their bigger bothers.
I then replaced my old M&K speakers with the CS-1.2s in my second system. Still amazed...a definite upgrade. The second system is an Exposure Electronics 2010 integrated and CD. I know I could use more current, but as a second sytem it's adequate. You can look at my virtual systems for details. I took a picture of the 3.6s next to the 1.2s for comparison. A 'Mini-Me' for sure.
My question: Does this group have a suggestion for a powered subwoofer to cover the 25-50 Hz that is missing, preferably preowned on Audiogon without spending more than I have in the whole system? And, how to connect...speaker wires or RCA out of Pre-out? I have never used a sub in a 2 channel setup.
It all depends upon what my Simaudio may fetch as to what I may go with. Pass definitely tops my list for amps. There's been a couple nice BAT integrateds on here lately, too.
I just succeeded in outbidding a few other folks on the site for a pair of original owner CS3.5's.
I actually had no idea my bid would be the highest and was shocked that I wasn't outbid.
Frankly speaking, I've stolen them. If there's another local NYer reading this thread I will part with them for what I paid which is absurdly below their true worth, provided they're picked up.
Truly amazing speakers - astounding at this price.
I'm keeping my 3.6's and seeking new amp/preamp combo. While my Simaudio is a very good piece I feel it cannot showcase what the 3.6's are capable of.
I'm in no hurry, nkonor. (That's the nice thing about owning them to test out, vs a limited home audition with one of them).
Keeping both is an option, but one I'm trying to resist. I tend to like one aspect of a speaker over another and not want to part with it for that reason, hence I build up a collection of speakers that have to be culled at some point.
At this point the only other speaker in the running (for which I had a home audition) is the Joseph Audio Perspectives. Given I'm looking for "smaller size profile with great aesthetics and great sound" the Perspectives fit that bill. But they are incredibly expensive relative to these second hand 2.7s.
But I do want to try to end up with a pair of the Perspectives at some point, money-willing. Neither the Perspectives nor the 2.7 give the scale of sound I get from the 3.7s so I may end up with a 2 speaker solution (e.g. maybe the 3.7s and the Perspectives, or the 2.7s and the Perspectives...I dunno...)
It would all be a lot easier if these Thiel designs weren't gone and hence scarce on the used market now. That puts a lot more pressure on my decision, as you know.
BTW, best wishes for whatever health issue you are dealing with!
I am happy that you have been able to take some time to decide the 2.7 / 3.7 debate. I know that there are more issues than speaker vs speaker. So; as earlier, I encourage you to take even more time if you are able.
It is obvious that a lot of members are anticipating your decision (including me) . Just curious.
Anyway in hell to keep Both? This would be my predicament.
Went for another MRI this morning; Need to consider another round of non invasive treatment , another surgery or just tough out more therapy.
On a better note: Solved my hum issue in left channel. Needed to switch from single-ended to XLR on ICs between Preamp and Amps. Dead Quiet, deep black background. More detail. Did not lose any of the traits of my Manley Steelhead. Just happen to have a Pass pre and extra set of ICs. Very happy with system.
Can finally focus on finishing room.
Just remember; whatever your decision. You'll play hell to reverse it.
jonandfamily, It's been a long time since I've heard the CS 1's. I believe they were a very steady 4 Ohm load of moderate sensitivity. All in all a pretty easy load for most amps, providing of course they are suitable into 4 Ohm loads. If one plans on using tubes, it's suggested to double the power rating. As I recall, they were of typical Thiel sound, but due to the limited bass, could sound more tilted up.
Summer is going well. Working hard but finding time to play and listen.
I never see Thiels for sale locally and now there is a CS1.2 pair asking $550 in addition to the CS1 for $225. I'm really curious to see how these sound in my reference setup compared to my CS3.6s that I have now and the SCS4s that originally sparked my interest in Thiels years ago.
There is a pair of Thiel CS1.0s locally for sale priced at $225 that are reportedly in good condition. I'm thinking of purchasing these just to have a pair of vintage, early Jim Thiel designed speakers maybe for a second system. Does anybody here have experience with these? Unsound, you have mentioned them in some of your comments. What do I need to look out for before making the purchase, other than the obvious? (surrounds, etc) . Thanks, Jon
All good here thanks jafant. Hope it’s a good summer for you also.
Oblgny I totally agree with you that it’s worth the rebuild fee and that’s exactly what I’ll be doing.
The nice thing about the Aleene’s repair is twofold really. First it allows me, or anyone else for that matter, to save up rather than have to unexpectedly cough up the money up front or load a credit card. That said, had the Aleene’s not worked so magnificently I wouldn’t have hesitated to send them to Rob immediately. Interestingly, Rob says that as the rebuilds are measured against a reference it isn’t necessary to rebuild both, but I’d just feel happier doing that.
The other thought in my mind is that presumably Thiel rebuilds won’t be around forever, so it’s good to know this nearly free repair can, in some cases, provide a solution to keep them singing.
Great tip. I actually sent my mids to Rob when I bought my first pair of 3.5's and figured the $600 I paid for the work was a good investment in what is a truly amazing loudspeaker. My nephew now has those.
A good while after after that I found another pair of 3.5's from a fellow member and Thielista for $350 - can't beat that with any stick!
Hi Fellow Thiel Lovers, Haven't been on here for a while, but I have been following the thread every Friday when the weekly email arrives from Audiogon. This is a wonderful chain of discussion with like minded audio folk. Great stuff.
Anyway I just wanted to update you all on how I fixed one of my 3.5 mid ranges after it had developed a slight tear in the outer cone rib.
Of course the first thing to say that, as peerless as Jim was as a speaker designer, those tiny mid-ranges in the 3.5 are really vulnerable to breaking in some way. They undergo quite a lot of stress in that otherwise stunning design.
I was listening at reasonably high volume, although nothing at all excessive, when I heard the dreaded rasping sound out of the right channel.
Next morning I composed an email to Rob asking him how much for the rebuild. Reply came back straight away, typical Rob of course, that it would be $300 plus shipping per driver. Now that isn't too out of the way, in the scheme of things, but I figured I'd like to get both mid ranges done simultaneously, taking me somewhere North of $600 of course.
So, I thought, what if I could effect a decent repair job, while I saved up to get both drivers done later in the year/early next?
I then remembered that I had refoamed some old Infinity 625's I keep for general use around the home and how brilliantly Aleene's Tacky Glue gel had worked in giving me superb adhesion at the foam edge/cone interface.
So, I fetched a tiny paintbrush and carefully applied the Aleene's to the pretty small fissure in the 3.5 mid.
Well, what can I say, it has completely solved the issue and I've done tests with my most bass heavy tracks, y'know the Kraftwerks, the Jamiroquais etc., and everything is back to being absolutely perfect and rock solid.
So I just wanted to pass this on, not as a way of depriving Rob of service work, but as a great way of giving the mid-ranges a bit more stay of execution before they have to be shipped to Kentucky when the piggy bank allows.
Aleene's is a pretty well known speaker adhesive solution and appears just perfect for those paper cones on the 3.5 mids. At around $3.50 for a bottle of the stuff, it's worth having some around for such eventualities. It's incredibly flexible and doesn't seem to react badly to any surface.
Much Thanks! for sharing your listening impressions. You are correct, in that, a tubed pre-amp and solid -state power amp is a magical combo. Over the years and my listening experiences, I prefer a robust ss power amp with a tube preamp. The CS 2.4 speaker is indeed special.
The changes from the last 2 months are coming together to allow my CS2.4s to reveal a new level of performance. Power is now an Ayre 5-VX Twenty providing 375watts per side. Previously my 100watt VAC tube amp sounded great but again this change combined with a new dedicated room makes me realize again that Thiels are special. Tube preamp with SS power is working well for me.
You must have a verified phone number and physical address in order to post in the Audiogon Forums. Please return to Audiogon.com and complete this step. If you have any questions please contact Support.
