06-30-09: TbgThe Thiel 1.6 goes that one better by having a concentric, phase-aligned midrange and tweeter assembly, supplemented by a small woofer nearby, for a true point source for most of the range and a pretty close approximation for the lower frequencies.
I am not saying you don't get imaging with arrays, only not the best imaging. Little two ways will handially beat them.
Speaker Recommendations for Soundstage and Imaging
I'm putting together a new system where a large soundstage and holographic imaging are the top two priorities. I'm willing to give up something in other areas (detail, neutrality, dynamics, low bass, etc) to maximize those two properties. My budget for the speakers in this system is $2,000. My understanding is that, generally speaking, large floorstanders more readily offer large soundstages and small mini-monitors more readily offer that precise, holographic imaging. So I realize I'm after two competing but hopefully not mutually exclusive traits in that price range. Now if that wasn't demanding enough, I'd also prefer the compact floorstanding form factor. I'm willing to go standmount monitor but not willing to add a sub. Large floorstanders are out of the question. I'd love to hear the recommendations of the A'gon community. Thanks.
Showing 2 responses by johnnyb53
There's a speaker that exactly meets your requirements--the Thiel 1.6. Thiels are known for spooky-good imaging and soundstages that extend beyond the speakers. The 1.6 is a petite floorstander, a yard tall and a footprint the size of a piece of notebook paper. The port is a slot facing front so there shouldn't be much problem putting it closer to the wall behind, though you WILL lose much of that magic imaging unless you place damping panels on the walls. The price is exactly right too. If the new list price is a little much you should have no trouble scoring a used set under $2K. For the best imaging, you need a phase-coherent speaker, and the Thiel 1.6 is one of the best in that regard. The acid test for this is the step response, shown on this page of the Stereophile review. It's nearly textbook perfect, and indicates that the sounds from all drivers hit your ears at the same time. The only caveat with these (and most Thiel) speakers is that the load requires a good high-current amp capable of driving low impedances. The impedance measurements show that it presents a 3-ohm load over much of its operating range. |