Oblgny-
did you get your BAT back?
did you get your BAT back?
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Many Thanks! Dan for your contribution to this thread. Thiel will image like no other. Detail and resolution are abundant as well. Another attribute- very clean. Some will confuse this aspect w/ forward and/or bright. I suppose that if fed the wrong source or component the presentation could be bright. At any rate, this could be tamed w/ a tubed pre-amp or amp. My fave combo is a tubed pre-amp and solid state power amp. Most important of all, carefully selecting cables/power cords. |
So I received the speakers. They are a little beat up - not sure how to handle that, sent an email to the seller - but I hooked them up and I've got to say they sound fantastic with the Odyssey Stratos amp. My Odyssey is an HT-3 with a cap upgrade for reference. Anyway, sound is extremely detailed. They are replacing Acoustic Energy Aegis speakers, Compacts for right and left and the Aegis Center. Surrounds are Canton Plus X speakers. Dialogue is is crystal clear for movies/TV. Playing Force Awakens right now and it's close to perfect dialogue. Had to turn down my sub, as the Thiels are slightly harder to drive than the Acoustic Energy speakers. No nasal dialogue, and the speakers are seriously dynamic. Easy to hear at low volume, no ability to crank them up due to sleeping family. Music is also excellent. Used to prefer multi-channel music mode. But now all that does is reveal the deficiencies in the Cantons. Yes, the Thiels are that much cleaner. They make the Cantons sound dark. I wouldn't call the Thiels bright in any way - just clean. If they are normally bright the Stratos is keeping them musical. Imaging is great. Can't tell where the speakers are even tho they are aimed slightly above my head (not installed in the wall, sitting on console table under the TV). Anyway, very pleased with the sound just unhappy they are cosmetically banged up... Overall, I'd say great match with the Odyssey Stratos. I'll try to hook them up to my parasound 1206 and compare them to the MK's hooked up in the basement. - Dan |
Jafant - I will report on the marriage between Thiel and my Odyssey Stratos amp when I get home from vacation and hook these puppies up. They need to sound good before I cut holes in my walls. Cables are as follows : internconnects by The Music Cable, using the Yellow model, and my review from 2002 is available here. These have been stored sin sealed ziplock bags since 2007, brought back into action about 2 months ago when I hooked up the Stratos in my living room. https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/review-the-music-cable-yellow-interconnect-interconnect Speaker cable is 14 gauge, available at big box store brand cable that my contractor ran through the walls - no idea on the brand. Source connects are rocket fish HDMI a from blue ray player and X1 cable box, media server via wired Ethernet cable. Not much else to report until I can run some power though these speakers... Not likely until Tuesday. - Dan |
I just created another discussion, but curious as to what you guys think about the synergy between an upgraded Odyssey Stratos amp and Thiel speakers. I just purchased 3 Powerplane 1.2's for my living room (wife is done with my rotating on-walls) and the Stratos 3 channel powers the three front speakers. Use is mostly TV and movies, and I'm the only one that listens to music in there... I've always liked Thiels, never owned them (couldn't afford them!) but when I was looking for higher quality in-walls and saw how inexpensive the powerplanes could be found online, I just bought them. Expecting delivery on Monday. Anyway, any thoughts would be much appreciated. Thanks, - Dan |
Had a great "Thiel weekend" with my current setup... Primare amp, Classe pre, Sony HapZ1es server, Thiel CS 3.5 with Transparent Wave cables. (Transparent Link connects on everything in between) I'm still awaiting the return of my BAT VK3i preamp... I'm seriously considering a pair of 3.6 currently listed that I can get for around $1200...comments? I will keep my 3.5's regardless. |
Hi All, I have been reading this thread and just have to tell you where I am at with my CS5's and amp search. My system used to be Maggie 3.6's but I obtained an inexpensive pair of CS3.6's which I liked a lot and then saw an ad for some CS5's so I said why not. l ran an Oppo 105 modified by Ric Schultz, Prima Luna Dialogue Premium preamp, Cullen Cables, and W4S ST1000 with the Maggies and was quite happy. With the CS5's, I needed a new amp. So...I was able to in home audition various amps. In my system, my thoughts: Proceed HPA2 - harsh treble Hegel H20 - delicate but got congested with complicated music Mark Levinson 535H - sterile Krell 302 evolution - the bass was okay but the treble was a bit shrill - 140 pounds - ugh Pass X350 - great definition and bass but a bit polite - 130 pounds - ugh So I took a chance and talked with Doug Dale at Coda. He had a new old stock CS with their Thermal Trac mod. 300 watts into 4 ohms and doubles down. 75 amps of current with peaks to 125 amps. Sounds very good to my ear in my system. Very musical with lots of detail. The bass is as good, if not better than anything I have tried. Class A to 5 or 10 watts so it weighs in at 50 pounds and I can play it all day and it is only warm to the touch. |
Thanks. The Kimber Hero is fine. The system ran with original Monster M1000 (the grey ones from 1989) throughout until i needed to buy more when I went to 7.1. Then i just switched it up. As long as the cables are well-insulated from interference, I'm cool with them. I don't get too caught up in the minutia unless something sounds "wrong". The last time that happened, was with the M1000 Mk. II. It did something different, and less convincing, so i bought up all the previous version I needed. Cheers, Warren |
Like I said: lotto = new music room. The speakers are 181 and 182. So yours are the 89th pair (pretty much the end of the line). If we must talk about the system details, here’s the analogue chain: Ortofon Cadenza Red > SME Series IV > Oracle Delphi > Graham Slee Reflex C > Kimber Hero > Parasound P7 > Kimber Hero XLR > Mark Levinson No.27 > Monster Powerline 2 > Thiel CS 2.4SE Oppo BDP-95 (7.1 analogue out) Apple Mac Mini Parasound A52 (5-ch.) Parasound Zhd (HDMI switch) Thiel MCS1 (centre) PSB Imagine Mini (surrounds) SVS SB12-NSD (subs) Cheers, Warren |
Nice! Warren. which #'s do you own? I have #'s 177 and 178. I love these speakers! My initial audition was w/ #'s 50 and 51 about 3 years ago. So rich in sound and presentation. Only if you have a very large listening space (20x20, 25x25 or 30x30) should you seek out the CS 3.7 model. Plus, the massive amp(s) to drive them properly. Happy Listening! |
Hi jafant, I have a pair of Thiel CS2.4SE (the last pair made actually). This was my upgrade from a pair of Thiel CS2 I bought in 1988. I had been looking for a new pair of speakers for about 5 years, but nothing seemed to outperform (to my ears) the 2's until the 2.4's came along. FYI, about the SE run: they only made 91 of the anticipated 150 pairs. I got this info from Lana Ruth directly. The run was cancelled during the time of flux in the company, due to the restructuring, and a lack of interest from their declining dealer network. I'm very happy with the speakers. These will probably be the last pair I own, unless I win the lotto and seek out a pair of 3.7's (to complement the new music room)... Cheers, Warren |
Thanks! for the update oblgny. Yes, big fan of Transparent cabling here as well. I am very fortunate to have heard almost every model in the MM2 catalog, including, the all-mighty OPUS series! I feel that the best investment w/ this company lies in its trade-up program. Nothing else like it! The middle of the chain is very sweet and the best place to start your musical journey, IMO. Happy Listening! |
oblgny good strategy starting at the entry level for transparent cables. That is the best way to find the sweet spot in the line, and being a long time Thiel owner I have proven to myself over and over you do not need reference wire to make your Thiels sing better than most. Keep us updated on your journey. |
Damn...the store only had one pair of Transparent Link interconnects in stock. I ordered three more pairs, and I may have to purchase a few pair of balanced cables since the BAT has those as well. Since Transparent offers a trade up program on their cables I'm starting with their least expensive models. I'm finding that the Wave speaker cables seem to be the best match with my Thiel CS3.5's. Where other cables such as Anti-Cables, Goertz delivered some pretty acceptable sonics, the Transparents seem to bring out the widest range without suffering from accentuating any particular frequency range. Dare I say that I find the Thiels to be the most neutral sounding speaker I've owned, and as I've stated before, "Thiels reveal" - anything in the chain that colors the sonics is soon enough found out. Not that coloring sonics is a bad thing, all equipment does that no matter the manufacturer. I know that a few members here and elsewhere find Thiels to be on the bright side, and they can be for some, but I've tossed a good many amp/pre-amp combos into my system the last year and a half and the one constant is the Thiels. They just make almost anything sound good. Some sound different, but all sounded good. |
Going to Audio Den now...just around the corner from me house. Speaker cables are The Wave, I believe they're the least expensive from Transparent but I like them. They're 10 footers although 8 would have sufficed, bananas on both ends. I have to check on the status of my BAT 3ki pre amp there anyway since my guy there is fixing a busted toggle switch on it. Probably going to buy a complete set of new tubes as well since I don't know the age of the ones currently installed. |
jafant... I've been running the Primare through a Classe pre and an Audio Research pre for about a week now. (I'm also coming into a BAT VK3i preamplifier pretty soon...) I'm leaning more toward the ARC preamplifier as that appears to be my "Thiel" amongst preamps - they've made every amp I've owned sound good. I purchased the BAT simply because I want to "tube" the front end. I also picked up an excellent used pair of Von Schweikert VR5 HSE's only because the price was simply too good to pass up. Suffice it to state that the Thiel CS3.5's need not worry, although I enjoyed the VS in and of themselves. It's difficult to miss the mids and highs that the Thiels provide, and the VS's sounded veiled by comparison. I just sold the VS's. Anyway, I'm liking the Primare. Even though Primare was somewhat vague as to the amp's 4ohm power rating, I find that it matches well with the Thiels. For approximately $2400 the Primare is a keeper. It doesn't emphasize the bass that my 3.5's do so well to any degree, which is a good thing, and those trademark mids and highs have not suffered, either. (That and my CJMF200...) There's a current ad on the Gon for a pair of CS5's that I would literally jump at - $1350! - if it weren't for the seller whom I had a previous poor experience with - his geographic location differs from the actual location he ships from, and I found that to be utter bs. I am really looking forward to hearing how the BAT VK3i will complement my system. While the class d Primare doesn't over emphasize the highs, I think I'm finding the all solid state setup just a smidgen on the "bright" side. With the Classe preamp I found the upper end to be somewhat etchy, which seems to have settled down with the amp running for a few hours. The ARC didn't sound like that at all. Anyway, I would recommend the Primare for anyone seeking a very decent amp at a very reasonable, IMHO, price. |
Hey folks I just received the answer my inquiry regarding the Primare A34.2 amplifiers power rating into 4 ohms. (The only rating given on the site and in the literature accompanying the amp is 150 watts into 8 ohms.) Primate's email stated that the amp will almost double its power into 4 ohms, "almost 300 watts per channel." |
Just a quick comment on the Pass amp comment. I believe there is quite a bit of consensus that the X series is least warm of the Pass products. Nelson's amps get a bit warmer as you move from the X to the X.5, to the XA.5, and finally XA.8 (I haven't read enough to feel like I know where the X.8 fall in there). On my Thiel 2.4s, I found an XA30.5 much warmer and more natural sounding than an X250.5. Bass was surprisingly close and I ended up choosing the XA30.5 without much deliberation (despite the community's assurance that it was a bad match). |
Not a Thiel owner but I did own the CJ MF200 amp and currently run a Pass Labs X150 amp. BTW using a Eminent Technology 8A planar speakers which use 1st order crossovers also, and lower sensitivity similar to Thiel. The CJ amp is warmer in the mids. The bass is strong but not super tight. It images well. The high end is a little soft. The Pass Labs amp has a different sound, not a tube like sound. Very clean and fast and detailed. Both amps will have no problem driving the Thiels. The CJ puts out 250 watts a side before clipping into 8 ohms, and no problem with 4ohms. The Pass amp - even though rated at only 150 watts a side will also put out 250 watts in 8 ohms and no problem down to 1 ohms. You may want to consider trying a Crown XLS amp The XLS 1500 , 2000 or 2500. They are inexpensive and sound really good for the money maybe better than the CJ. I lived with that CJ amp for many years. My 1st audiophile amp. Happy listening! |