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Thiel CS3.6, new toys
#144363 07/28/06 06:29 AM
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Got them for $1600 shipped off of audiogon.

http://thasp.removed.us/stereo for pictures.

I accidentily crushed my cables by not putting the spikes on and putting the cables on, since the plugs are on the bottom. I had to try raw cable but man this receiver is a royal pain in the ass to use that with, so I bought new cable this morning. The cable thing was horrible but these are awesome, when I get the cables cut for the axioms since this receiver has speaker 1/2 feature I will do side by side comparison.

When the HSU STF-2 was at a normal volume level along with the speakers it was inaudible. I forgot these are linear down to 30 hz which is awesome. Stereophile's measurements show an upper bass peak and a 10 dB null at 9 KHz. Well, as many here probably already think, stereophile is the last thing someone looking for a hifi should read anyway. If these had that null I'd have heard it immediately. It's probably due to placement and room size, but the upper bass doesn't sound extentuated at all compared to the axiom/hsu combo.

All in all these are awesome speakers. The midrange driver is about four and a half inches, if that, and there is only one. It's amazing to play them loud, the one midrange driver there is so small but the soundstage ir presents, how it fills the room, the volume it can play at makes you think it was much bigger and that there were more than one. I've never seen a driver smaller than 5.25" on a hifi speaker before, that blew me away that it could sound like that with such a small driver.

Re: Thiel CS3.6, new toys
Thasp #144364 07/28/06 03:48 PM
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Thiels are great. I had demoed a few over the years. Some of the smaller drivers focus the range or "sweet spot" in the midrange. This is where you get lots of those "juicy" details. Thiels and other companies such as Proac, AE use small drivers and they sound fantastic.
My current speaker uses a 3.5 driver.
http://www.gemmeaudio.com

Re: Thiel CS3.6, new toys
Thasp #144365 07/28/06 07:31 PM
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Contratulations thasp!! The Thiel CS3.6s are truly high end world class speakers.



What amps are you using to drive your power hungry Big-T's?


Enjoy the Music. Trust your ears. Laugh at Folks Who Claim to Know it All.
Re: Thiel CS3.6, new toys
2x6spds #144366 07/29/06 03:29 AM
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M-Audio Audiophile 2496 soundcard is the source. A Harman Kardon HK3480 receiver(soon to go to my dad's newly acquired M22s ), and 24 feet of cheap 16 guage radioshack wire.

I plan on getting 10-12 guage wire, much shorter runs this week, along with an Adcom GFA-555 MKII. I cheaped out on shipping for it since it was international, so it'll be a while before I get it.. the guy who sold me these delivered them a day after he got the money order. A true class act.

I'm still amazed at the bass. They weren't kidding, linear down to 30 hz sounds right.

Last edited by Thasp; 07/29/06 03:29 AM.
Re: Thiel CS3.6, new toys
Thasp #144367 07/29/06 10:43 PM
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Thiel CS3.6's - Best sounding Towers I've ever heard.


Enjoy the Music. Trust your ears. Laugh at Folks Who Claim to Know it All.
Re: Thiel CS3.6, new toys
2x6spds #144368 07/30/06 01:37 AM
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I guess you haven't heard this bad boy then.



CS7.2 - judging from that guy's pose I think he likes it.

It's just a bit more expensive than than the 3.6, though. (~$13,500)

Re: Thiel CS3.6, new toys
AdamP88 #144369 07/30/06 03:09 AM
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Yeah $13000 was out of my $12/hr part time job budget, maybe when I'm not poor I'll think about em.

I did a side by side comparison with the axioms, switching back and forth with the receiver. I noticed two things.

a) Getting bare speaker wire into the bottom binding posts is close to impossible on the HK3480. Thumbs down to whoever designed them, it almost ruins an awesome receiver.

b) The Axioms + STF-2 combo vs CS3.6 +.. no sub combo showed me that the thiels had better integrated bass even with me adjusting my sub, and that the axioms are very tinny by comparison. Things sounded right with the Thiels where they sounded wrong with the Axioms, it was a more balanced and realistic speaker. The axioms sounded scrambled and messy by comparison. The axioms sound neutral, as do the thiels, but the thiels sound real, the axioms do not. I love my Axioms and would recommend them to anyone even if they were willing to spend $800 on a bookshelf speaker. It's really unfair to compare a $440 speaker to a $4900 speaker, but I don't think anyone would expect the axioms to win that anyway.

I was expecting them to sound like the Axioms with bass, and little more, since they're both touted and reviewed as a neutral speaker. And neutral is neutral, right? No, it's not. Either there are things other than neutrality and basic distortion ratings that determine how a speaker sounds, or the Axioms and the Thiels(one of the above, or both - I'm guessing the axioms due to the 11x price difference) deviate from neutrality.

I don't like using the term tinny since it implies the Axioms are bad.. which they are not, but that is the first and last impression I have when using them next to the thiels. The Thiels have very clear vocals, and a very clear guitar. Speakers that have a null in midrange output usually make those sounds appear subdued in the recording. The Axioms had louder mids in the wrong parts, it didn't put the vocalist/guitarist more forward in the recording, but sounded like

Last edited by Thasp; 07/30/06 03:19 AM.
Re: Thiel CS3.6, new toys
AdamP88 #144370 07/30/06 06:14 AM
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See Adam, my CS3.6s are speakers ... your 7.2's are teleport pods.

I'll bet those things sound just terrific! I love Thiel speakers. I'm thinking of getting one of their centers as well.


Enjoy the Music. Trust your ears. Laugh at Folks Who Claim to Know it All.
Re: Thiel CS3.6, new toys
Thasp #144371 08/25/06 09:38 PM
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If anyone's interested in my horrible photography, http://thasp.no-ip.info:8960/stereo

These are awesome. My dad is loving the Axiom/HSU combo I gave him when I got this stereo, he says they sound better than his $16 computer speakers.

Re: Thiel CS3.6, new toys
Thasp #144372 08/25/06 09:43 PM
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I get a 10061 error, connection refused, on your link.

Cool story on the Axioms being better than the computer speakers...


Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica.
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