Thiel owners save your packing boxes

I have experience only with a pair of Thiel 2.2's, and the shipping containers may have changed in later models, but I discovered a real flaw in the way the cartons were put together.

The carton was designed so that the base of the speaker slipped down over two pieces of very thick corrugated cardboard which had been glued on edge to a piece of plywood in the bottom of the carton. It became clear, after my speakers arrived damaged, that any kind of impact from the side would break the glue bond and the vertical pieces of cardboard would fall over sideways, leaving the speaker with about three inches of sliding room. The result of that was damaged veneer on the top corners.

The point of all this is to warn anyone with Thiel cartons in your attic to check the way the base of the speaker is supported in the bottom of the carton and figure out something to better support the base if you need to ship them. The usual way of packing the speakers by laying the boxes on the floor and sliding the speaker into it doesn't give you a good view of what's in the bottom of the carton. Best to check.

They're boxes well worth saving...my 1.5s came in some of the most secure packing I've ever seen for an audio component! As someone who moves every 2-3 years, I truly appreciate that part of Thiel's commitment to quality.

You may want to try to get replacement packing materials from your dealer. If you are a regular (not meaning you spend a lot there) but stop in once and a while so that they know you, you might get them for free. When I bought my CS5i's they were demos without the crates. I was going to pick them up myself. Things happened and I had to have them shipped. The dealer called Thiel and they said no problem. The dealer got the crates and I paid $225 to have them air freighted to me via FLS. (Broklyn NY to York PA) Not bad for almost 500 pounds and saved me a day of driving.

I've got mine stored in the attic. I had to break them down and wrestle to get through the ceiling hole, but for $250 I'm glad I went to the trouble.

Packing boxes are vital unless you are near a Thiel retailer. My woofer went south on my ten year old 1.2's and my dealer in N.J.(Stuart's Audio) shipped the item to Thiel who, in return, sent Stuarts a new woofer to install. You can't beat Thiel's commitment to quality!

You should save all audio equipment packing boxes. You never know when you will need them and they are expensive to replace.