You guys are killing me, LOL. Because of the thread, I had to connect my dusty Thiel CS-6's and the matching SS1 sub. The 6's are not the greatest dance partners, these beasts are heavy! I have not used them in three years. Change is good sometimes. THX...
THIEL Audio their demise...
It was with great sadness this morning when I visited the THIEL Audio website and saw photos of the 'new' designs.
When Jim Thiel designed speakers, there was a form follows function in place. He tried to create the 'Electrostatic Sound' using conventional drivers. Whether you agreed with his 'house sound' was as usual in audio, a personal preference. Some thought the sound 'bright' in the upper mid range. That's fine, personal 'taste' in sound drives us all to various products. One man's 'clear' is another man's 'bright'. But Jim's design philosophy was, 1st order crossovers, time alignment, low distortion--and that was his pursuit for thirty years.
Now, I go to their site and see, 'me too' looking boxes, no alignment (that I can see) and no mention of 1st order, low distortion.
Oh, they probably sound OK--maybe pretty good--but it's not the same company. I recognize the reason for buying a 'Name Brand' with international distribution, I did it myself eight years ago. However, any changes I made were notable improvements--in other words, I didn't buy a Monet and remove the oil and put a water color on the canvas.
I lost a friend when Jim died, and now the world has lost a great speaker line.
Larry
When Jim Thiel designed speakers, there was a form follows function in place. He tried to create the 'Electrostatic Sound' using conventional drivers. Whether you agreed with his 'house sound' was as usual in audio, a personal preference. Some thought the sound 'bright' in the upper mid range. That's fine, personal 'taste' in sound drives us all to various products. One man's 'clear' is another man's 'bright'. But Jim's design philosophy was, 1st order crossovers, time alignment, low distortion--and that was his pursuit for thirty years.
Now, I go to their site and see, 'me too' looking boxes, no alignment (that I can see) and no mention of 1st order, low distortion.
Oh, they probably sound OK--maybe pretty good--but it's not the same company. I recognize the reason for buying a 'Name Brand' with international distribution, I did it myself eight years ago. However, any changes I made were notable improvements--in other words, I didn't buy a Monet and remove the oil and put a water color on the canvas.
I lost a friend when Jim died, and now the world has lost a great speaker line.
Larry