Thiel Owners
vair69robert, a follow up on your initial query about modern Thiel cross-over(s). I did send dgarretson an email a few days ago. As soon as I read a reply I will inform you. He has posted in this particular thread from the beginning. He has also posted in other threads related to Clarity Caps, SA Film Resistors and ESA parts. He is the expert on this subject, IMO. Happy Listening! |
vair68robert, My 3.7 Thiels are in the Morado (red finish with deep wood grain). They are gorgeous, though my room is done in a deliberate brown, cream and black accent, so speakers with those tones tend to sit beautifully in the room. (I've considered having the 3.7s refinished in a room matching color if I keep them). As for the 2.7s, a couple years ago when I was looking to buy Thiels I was deciding between used 3.7s or 2.7s. I'd originally had a line on the 2.7s in the most expensive ebony finish. The pictures showed just about the most beautiful speakers I've seen, and were a perfect match for my room. But I hesitated too long and they were sold, so I moved on to purchasing the 3.7s. When a pair of 2.7s miraculously appeared in ebony on audiogon recently I had to grab them. And they are indeed gorgeous! They match my room so well. |
Thank You Jafant Since Prof brought up finish , what finish are your 2.4SE's ? Prof , I had seen them on E-bay just before fathers day 2016, finish was not my main concern , finding New Original Thiel speakers at less than 40% of their list price was a dream come true for me. I bought my own a fathers day present. I had the choice of Maple ( to light/blonde for me ) , Walnut ( it was a beautiful veneer but to brown ) , I chose the light Cherry ( safe pick ? ) nice red tone to them. What were you looking/waiting for ? If memory serves me ( reading many pages on the thread ) are your 3.7s the Gibson specials ? As I am trying to find out if " upgrading " the 2.7s like the 2.4s were upgraded is possible , I was wondering if anybody has heard both the 2.4s and the 2.4se's ? My personal opinion is that Thiel missed a marketing opportunity , they should have come out with a 2.4se without the extra cost veneer and the expensive outriggers , and come out with a 2.4 mkII , a little more costly but it would have been all about the sound . That is why when I see the pictures of the crossovers of the 2.7 and 3.7 ( which look like they used the same components ) verse the 2.4se that if it is possible to " SE " the 2.7s then it would be possible to " SE " the 3.7s ! Something good for us and Thiel IF they wanted to offer the service ! Call me Crazy Rob something to a little different listen to the Temptations Psychedelic Shack |
vair68robert, First, congrats on your purchase! I'm taken aback by your reporting of all those 2.7s for sale, as I had (and have) been following that market for quite a while and the 2.7s were even more rare than the 3.7s. (In fact, it took two years to find 2.7s in the finish I preferred). Was the situation you described recent, or are you talking about seeing those Thiels further in the past? |
Good to see you- audiojan it is very tough to beat (no pun) the CS 2.4 speaker. Very sweet and priced right, recently a saw a pair on eBay for $1700, as the dealer offered a deep discount. A steal! Should an opportunity present itself to buy the CS 2.4SE do not hesitate to buy. Models 2.7 and 3.7 are excellent as well. Happy Listening! |
I heard a pair of TT1 the other days I'm really underwhelmed... Even compared to my CS2.4's, they're falling flat. Just lifeless and boring, not "the window into the recording" I'm spoiled with from the traditional Thiel's. If I can find a pair of CS3.7's, those might by my next upgrade, but otherwise, I'm forced to leave Thiel. Any suggestion what I should be looking at if not for Thiel? |
Jafant While await hearing from Rob at Thiel service I started thinking and researching , HiFi Shock has some great hi def pictures of the crossovers, you can see the difference in the 2.4se and the 2.7. I also looked at the 3.7s , I thought that with them being the cost is no object that would look like the 2.4se but they look like they used the same caps as in the 2.7s . Anyway if they can't be done by Rob at Thiel then I will try to find the capacitor manufacture that they used on the 2.4se and do it myself, though this my have to wait until next year when I retire. |
To All I'd like try to clarify my point , as Prof said the price of original Thiel speakers is climbing so if you have decided that Thiel's are the speakers you want BUY them , don't hesitate , be prepared to travel , shipping speakers is difficult and expensive. You will not be disappointed as most on this tread have testified . Rob |
unsound... A few posts back you mentioned that you might be interested in the pair of 3.5's I picked up for a pittance? After repeated trials I discovered that both midranges were failed, no sound. (Although I almost hate to admit it they still sounded good.) Senior citizens ears... Anyway, the cabinets were pretty rough - the roughest pair of the 3 pairs I've had, the tweeters are dimpled - not the single sort but more of an imperfect roundness all around. They work. The woofers are without flaw. I extricated the drivers and the crossovers from the cabinets, serial numbers consecutive 707 & 708, and the bass eq is functioning. All the screws, the badges I've bagged. If you or anyone else is willing to pick them up they're FREE. The mids look fine, they just don't work - no holes etc. If you have a pair that you might want "back up" for, they're here, and they're FREE. I'm looking at a B. A. T. VK300XSE Integrated with recertified factory warranty right now for around $3k; the extra 100 watts this will lend to my 3.6's seems a wise option IMHO. While the REL T7 sub I've added has made a palpable improvement to these great speakers, methinks a little mo' better amp wouldn't hoit, either. Previously I had a B. A. T. pre and loved it. |
Prof When i decided that I wanted Thiel speakers I was looking at a pair of 3.6s up in Portland but by the time I ready to rent a van and go and buy them the were gone , so I started to look for used 3.7s but the prices were still to high for me ( $6,800 plus shipping ! ) so when I saw 3 pairs 2.7s going on E-Bay for $3,000 I didn't exactly jump on them right away , I placed a bid and lost :( then another 3 pairs went up for bid , I lost again :( , So I called the seller Thiel audio and they had 3 more pairs and I bought a pair for $3,000 with first choice of finishes :) , on the same morning they listed 1 pair of 3.7s for $7,000 ! I thought about calling them back and buying them but still to rich for me. These were all new , Thiel didn't even know they had them until they went into the storage room were they thought the file cabinets had been placed after the move to Tennessee . the last new genuine Thiels available . I feel very , very Lucky. and now very very Happy :) I haven't heard back from Rob at Thiel about the crossover capacitors yet . Rob |
Jafant, I re-did everything again.My 3.7's are with my xpa 1 monos just for 2 channel now. My 805's I'm using for home theater .I had to find a use for the 1.6's so surround rears they are.My rear channel never sounded this good!I feel like I got my 2.4's back,only smaller which is good!Every squirrel finds a nut sometimes! |
Yeah, there will likely always be old Thiel speakers available on the second hand market. But Jim’s last great Thiels, the 3.7 and 2.7,* are damned rare on the market now. I’ve been keeping track. When I look at my 3.7/2.7s I think "whoa I’m lucky to have these." And that was reiterated once again as I was out speaker shopping this week. I heard more contemporary speakers from $4,000 up to about $30,000 and none of them sounded to me as good as the Thiels. What a crazy bargain the 3.7 was in particular. (*I know the 2.7 was partially designed after Jim's death, but it obviously carried on his work). |
Not at all odd that the article neglected/omitted mention of any personage responsible for building/designing the products. Such is the failure of attempting to perpetuate the history and legacy of a brand simply by badging the name onto products that have little or no connection to those that established it originally. BMW has been "marketing" a hatchback for a while now and, having long been a SAAB kinda guy in the past, I had to take one for a spin. When I remarked that it was in no small way nothing more than a more expensive Saab, the sales rep looked at me funny and asked, "What's a Saab?" This new woman is destined to fail sooner or later simply because just marketing the Thiel brand is like bringing back an Oldsmobile - yeah I remember when but ...didn't they become pieces of sh*t? |
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http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170822005738/en/Thiel-Audio-Names-Elyse-McKenna-CEO Thiel Audio gets a new CEO. And the revolving door continues. |
Good to see you again- vair68robert- 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! |
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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! |
Hmmm... 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! |
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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. Groovy man, just groovy. |
Hello all, 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. Thanks, Jon |
