Thiel 7.2 and the 3.7

Tom,

I think I must have been looking at the price for each speaker. I'm also a fan of Thiel, just a bit skeptical the 3.7 should be viewed as a sucessor of the 7.2. Perhaps the 3.7 will have an even broader appeal, although Thiel has always seemed to sold quite well. I guess only time will bear that out.

Rob

Comparing the 3.7 to the 7.2 does not add up.

Don't get me wrong. The 3.7 is going to represent a wonderful valud at under $5k, and will likely be classed among other lines of speakers costing up to $12k. Add a subwoofer, and I'm sure it will be something to behold. However, the 7.2 was $15k 10 years ago, and is a true full-range speaker. It is heavier, goes lower, and is a 4-way design. It has some of the most accurate and coherent bass I've heard. The 7.2 competes with speakers $25k and below, even today. I have resigned myself to acknowledge the need to spend over $25-30k to get something that betters it. For Thiel to produce a clear improvement on the 7.2, I would suspect it would cost $20-25k taking into consideration the number of sales and in-house production costs. That end of the market is far more competitive than it was 10 years ago.

I heard there are no plans to do a 7.3 as of now. Thiel has probably taken the wise strategy of more firmly straddling the home theater/2 channel market. They have kept costs reasonable whereas most companies are in the stratosphere. Power requirements are said to be more reasonable. Going to Crutchfield is a way to gain more widespread sales by breaking out of the audiophile niche market. Introducing subwoofers has brought modularity to their line. If he does decide to do a flagship two channel system like the 7.3, I wouldn't expect it for at least 5++ years. This is based upon the way new designs are slow to trickle from the company despite rumors that something is just around the corner. So don't hold your breath.

Rob