Thiel Owners

Also, @ improvedsound,

Very, very nice! I’m hoping to do XO upgrades with my 3.7s. This can serve as a model.

@tomthiel  Thanks for keeping us updated on your recent changes in cables and electronics as you look to optimize the functioning of the CS3.5 EQ. I agree with your suggestion to @Big_Greg to try the Benchmark cables to see if they reduce his concerns about brightness with his Thiel speakers - at least when reproducing music from vinyl - but I would also suggest that he try several other different interconnects and speaker cables as well. My experience has been that Thiel speakers (even my CS2.2s) can be pretty revealing of differences between cables and electronic gear. That's a good thing if you find a good cable match, but a problem if you don't.

For my own listening, I'm trying to find the best balance between high frequency air and detail, midrange fullness and realism, and low end impact without boominess. I'm also trying to achieve excellent imaging while minimizing listening fatigue. I've been generally happy with Cardas cables (like Clear Reflection) that blend the classic Cardas midrange liquidity with the high-end detail of the newer cables in the Cardas line. I don't get concerned when I read about listeners who are looking for uber detail and think that Clear Reflection softens detail too much. Not every listener has the same gear or the same preferences.

I've tried several interconnects (including Vovox Sonorus and Zavfino Fusion) that provide nice high frequency detail and natural tone, as well as seemingly adequate low-end heft, but I've found that over time they just sounded a little too thin and lacking in the richness, fullness, and coherence of the Clear Reflections. I'm not suggesting that everyone should use the cables I use, but I am suggesting that everyone should at least demo a range of cables to see what sounds best with their gear and their preferences. Thiel speakers are revealing enough to show off cable differences, so Thiel owners already have that going for them.

@unsound  Thanks for helping me understand some of the intricacies of the CS3.5 EQ and providing some clues toward what's happening in the evolving world of Class D amplification. I agree that Bruno Putzeys has been the brain behind many of the most important advances in modern Class D electronics, so it's interesting that he hasn't yet jumped on the GaNFET bandwagon. From what I've read, it appears that most of Bruno's work continues to use MOSFETs instead of GaNFETs. We'll see if that changes in the future.

For the present, I'm generally happy with the Class D PSA M700 monoblocks powering my Thiels, but I think it's likely that newer Class D offerings will sound even better and cope with low impedance loads more effectively - even in speakers that present a less benign impedance profile than do my CS2.2s. 

Easter Sunday! All

Cables are indeed fascinating, and their interactions with sources and load are beyond my understanding. And a lot of them don't work well with Thiel speakers. For the record - much of my approach to this playback thing holds cost and cost effectiveness as central values. I have auditioned some wonderful-sounding cables (including Cardas) that could simply not stay on my radar for reasons of cost alone. Independent of my own constraints, I live in the world of Thiel's classic orientation: creating musical tools and solutions that give access to sophisticated, satisfying musical playback experiences within the budgets of ordinary people.