Comparison between Thiel 3.6 and 2.4


Has anyone heard both of these speakers? What are the sonic profiles of each? Which do you prefer? I have Thiel 2 2 and thinking about upgrading. System is: Ayre V5xe amp; PSE pre-amp; Arcam FJM 23 CD; Transparent Super cabling.
coyolxauhqui
Ive had two pairs of 3.6 and a pair of 2.4 -Both models are absolutely excellent and are a great buy used...The 3.6 is about 1200$ cheaper used but will go much deeper in bass performance and overall soundstage, thus making it a better buy (MHO) Thiel kept the 3.6 on their lineup for 10 years, for a reason- It was priced higher than the 2.4, even in its final year of production -If you want a step up from the 2.2, then give the 3.6 a try -Im sure you'll be impressed - My speaker evolution since 1994 -Thiel 3.6 (cherry, bought new) 1999 Legacy Focus (Oak-new) 2004 Thiel 2.4 Birdseye maple-(used) 2005 Von Schweikert VR4JR maple (used) and back to the Thiel 3.6 Amberwood (used) The 3.6 brought back a lot of happy memories and I had forgotten how accurate they are - I really enjoy listening to music now , without having to worry about all the latest, greatest speaker hype...They are a steal between 1500 and 1750$ used!
I am currently using the 3.6s, which are probably the best used speaker deal going these days. Ok, well maybe not THE best, but you know what I mean. One thing with the 3.6s is the demands the make on an amp. I think your Ayre should be OK, especially if your room is small to medium.
Funny how Thiel owners that "strayed" for awhile always go back to Thiel sooner or later. I know I did.

Once that timbral accuracy gets in you, it sticks.
I've heard the 3.6 and 2.3, so this is subjective, in as much as these were the ones I liked/could afford at the time. The 3.6 didn't seem to "converge" the sound as well as the 2.3, even though the bass was deeper. For whatever reason, I felt the bass was seperated a little from the mid & tweter. This could have been due to sitting closer than eight feet from them also; I had a 9-foot distance from the 2.3's.
I feel your decision on which one to get needs to start with the size room you plan to put them in. Both the 3.6 and 2.4 like to be spread wide, pointed straight ahead, not near any walls, and with the listener at least 8 feet away for the 2.4, and probably 9-10 feet for the 3.6.

The 3.6 will have deeper bass, but I feel the 2.4 does everything else better. The single unit midrange/tweeter eliminates a critical crossover element that makes the 2.4 a more well rounded speaker. The impediance curve on the 2.4 also gives you more flexibility with amplifiers.