Should I buy used Thiel CS5


Stumbled across a pair of these beasts at a used stereo store. I can get them for 3 grand. The loudspeakers are probably 30 years old. Would you goners grab these for 3 grand or get something new for 3 grand. What new would you recommend for 3 grand? 
jeffvegas

Showing 3 responses by beetlemania

The CS5 is certainly one of the better Thiels ever, especially regarding bass reproduction (sealed woofer) but, as others have noted, needs a lot of current to drive properly (and quality current is $$$). $3K seems pricey to me for a speaker that age. You will want to replace electrolytic caps.
No electrolytic caps, all plastics, last forever (well almost)
Holy cow! That's a crazy number of parts!
It does *look* like there are 2 ELs at the bottom of the pic, maybe a couple more at the other end? But, yeah, mostly film caps (PPTs and MKPs). Nice.

Still, *I* would upgrade the resistors and probably some of the caps for better sonics if not to replace drifting ELs.
@georgehifi
Yes, I read all of your earlier post. I’m just saying it looks, LOOKS, like there are two ELs on that board. All the yellow caps are probably the custom-for-Thiel polystyrenes. On other models I’m more familiar with these were 1 uF bypasses (much of what I know comes from Tom Thiel). The larger black ones with red ends look like Solen polypropylenes. But there are two smaller black ones with a middle hump and rounded ends that are similar shape to ELs.

For example (Link)