What's wrong with Thiel?

Since no one has mentioned this, I figured I'd toss it out and read the responses.

Looking back a few years at a Stereophile review of the Thiel CS6 (March 1998), Stereophile reports problems with its first pair of speakers, confirmed by Jim Thiel. Does Thiel go to every buyer's house to personally ensure that the speakers are right? Knowing he doesn't -- and that defective speakers get shipped -- should be enough to scare potential buyers away.

Furthermore, Stereophile reports problems with the midrange, saying it lacked "ultimate clarity or cleanness." John Atkinson also wrote, "There was a feeling of reticence in this region, described by one visitor as a 'hooded' quality, that I couldn't eliminate no
matter how much I fooled around with placement."

So while there were major problems with the midrange (of the replacement pair of speakers), the most important portion of a speaker's response, Stereophile highly recommend the nearly $8,000 Thiel CS6. That should tell readers all they need to know about the integrity of Stereophile.

If you want a phase and time coherent speaker, buy either a Vandersteen or, better yet, a Dunlavy. You'll save a lot of money and get a better speaker.

Zaikesman makes several fine arguments, some of which, however, can be refuted rather easily. First, I have in fact heard many of the Thiel speakers, including the CS6 . The local high-end shop is a Thiel dealer. Also, let me hasten to say that I've heard far worse speakers than Thiel. And I'm hardly "inexperienced." I've been involved in this hobby for 24 years and have heard many high-end speakers from many of the big names in the industry.

Moving on, drawing any comparisons between an incredibly complex space shuttle and a pair of speakers is plain silly. It's not asking too much for a manufacturer of $8,000 speakers to make sure that they perform as intended. Or perhaps they did. Draw your own conclusions.

As for saving a lot of money by purchasing Vandersteen or Dunlavy, those savings result from not having to break the bank on an amplifier and cable. Thiels are very inefficient and fussy where cables are concerned, normally needing something like MIT or Transparent Audio to tone them down. That in itself demonstrates a problem.

As for Stereophile, all you have to do is look at how small the issues have become and how often you receive offers for subscriptions at rock bottom prices to realize how far the magazine has fallen. I realize that that's not news to anyone who has been active in this hobby for any length of time.

And, yes, grade inflation is rampant at Stereophile. Still, a pair of speakers that retail for $8,000 should not have the obvious flaws JA observed and still warrant a recommendation of any kind. Stereophile has a habit of using measurements only when it's convenient. If the editors like a particular designer or company, they explain away poor measurements as "room artifacts" or "aberrations." If the editors don't have a fondness for the company, they condemn the speaker, even though as you point out, their measurement techniques are flawed.

My suggestion to Ronip is nothing elaborate or original: Simply listen to several speakers, including the CS2.3, before buying anything. And enjoy the music.