Thiel Owners


Guys-

I just scored a sweet pair of CS 2.4SE loudspeakers. Anyone else currently or previously owned this model?
Owners of the CS 2.4 or CS 2.7 are free to chime in as well. Thiel are excellent w/ both tubed or solid-state gear!

Keep me posted & Happy Listening!
jafant

duramax747

 

I concur. The SE is both, distinguished and distinctive. Even at full MSRP an unsurpassed Value.  Many Thanks for our DIY guys here as they offer approaches to unlimited Upgrades. 
 

I would certainly like to see you all talk about caps and resistors pricing.

Let’s take it pass all limitation.

 

Happy Listening!

Here's what I've pieced together about the 2.4SE. We didn't know that Jim was dying, but he did, and wanted to memorialize this model as close to his heart. It was originally intended as all-cosmetic. He loved that bright red birdseye maple, and added the outriggers, some other touches and his signature. The crossover upgrade was possibly an after-thought, or nearly so. The whole gang used that idea as an opportunity to compare and contrast XO components and they settled on the ClarityCap SAs (CC's then state of the art.) I suspect those gold bolts are non-magnetic. Anybody know?

I believe the signature run was 150 pair. Thiel's MO would be to have made all those cabinets as a batch, but the crossovers would be made as needed. They were assigned their own set of serial numbers which would go from 1 to 300. I am speculating these details, but haven't found direct competing evidence.

It seems from our direct experience, that the crossovers migrated from early numbers being point to point on masonite and later units being various generations of Chinese components on printed circuit boards. Varying levels of quality. Also, Rob has supplied SE upgrade kits for non-SE cabinets which would have retained their original serial numbers. I have seen an early pair of SEs with classic Thiel parts made very well, and later SEs with shoddy coils and parts quality I found to sound harsher. So, they're not all created equal.

I'll add that my further work with some of you has gone further. That work is not yet ready for prime time, but progress is being made.

It's been a long time since Beetlemania reported in these pages his complete, systematic upgrade where every XO component was eventually changed including hookup wire. JA might remember the pages of his reports.

@roxy54  It's hyperbole but not kidding.  It's my limited experience, I know it's not comprehensive.

jafant,

Well I'm game. I'm willing to take the SE to where Tom believes it can go. Outboards, internal wiring, top level caps and resistors, binding posts, internal cabinet mods if needed. If there was a way to eliminate the binding posts I would go that route.

Maybe a pigtail coming out of the 2.4 SE and hardwired/soldered into outboard. I'd desolder it if I need to move in future. Those brass binding post add a lot of harshness. Giving up the convenience of binding post to have a more purist approach by eliminating them is worth it to me and you get a sonic upgrade that costs nothing. 

I've got some GR Electra Tube Connectors coming. Seems like the best I've seen.