what is my system's weakest link?
I'm going to disagree with the consensus as I owned the Thiel 1.5s a few years ago. I found them to be overly bright with limited low end. The opposite of warm and inviting in my experience. Guess what I think you should upgrade? If you like the time coherence aspect of the Thiels you should look at something like Vandersteen 1Cs. |
During my crazy days of changing equipment almost as regularly as my underwear I owned a pair of Thiel 1.6s. They were only a little larger than the 1.5s but they were so much better to my ear. Much smoother sound with deeper bass. Also much better looking IMO. You can find them for less than $1k used if you watch. I still prefer the sound of the Vandersteen 1c in that size and price. All of my searching was an attempt to better the sound of my old Meadowlark Audio Kestrels. My quest seemed to focus on time coherent speakers such as Thiels and Vandersteen. There are a lot of nice options out there but I gave up searching a couple years ago. |
After all the advice here, the only way to figure this out is to listen to some different pieces. As Frogman says above, take it slow and go one piece at a time. Your speakers are approaching 20 years old so I would still suggest you start there. There was a pair of Quad 12L2s listed on Audiogon today for $500. I have owned both the Thiel 1.5s and the Quads and believe the Quads have a much more exciting sound. Although it can be a grueling experience, the best way to know is to experiment. |
