Thiel Owners

Hi guys,
I'm experimenting my last idea to cancel/reduce vibrations between 3.6s and floor, built on my own a kind of cubic spacers made by ten layers of two millimeters glued lead sheets , so I got twenty millimeters of total tickness. Put three under each speaker and bonded to loudspeaker base by means very strong 3M tape. Spikes removed of course. Lead material is very low resonating so I expected it to acts as sort of mechanical filter at certain frequencies.  My listening impressions so far is more bass clarity and overall transparency, nice finding, very nice.

Hi guys, 
I'm from Italy and newbie here, happy to join to this vaste Thiel's enthusiast community.
I just bought my first pair of Thiel loudspeakers , the wonderful cs3.6, found them  very well maintained after all these years. These artworks are currently driven by a McCormack TLC-1 pre amp and the amazing McCormack DNA-2 Deluxe (bought a week later than Thiels), what to say.....I feel absolute happiness, still to early to give an appropriate and deep review but for sure I'm getting the best sound since ever.
To me nowadays is very hard to find better sounding loudspeakers system even compared to the same original retail price, sad to know how the Thiel's story ended, Jim will remain in our hearts forever, for sure, simply a genius with our same  passion: music at its best!
Let me spend also some words of admiration to Steve McCormack having made and still doing such a pieces of electronics.
I'll never sell both Thiel and McCormack components, for sure.

Greetings from Italy,
Silvano

Currently I'm driving my pair of Cs 3.6 with a McCormack DNA-2 and find the performance very enjoyable even at very low volume, dynamic sound with right presence of bass, clear and refined mids and highs, I can say I'm very satisfied!
Happy to be a (Italian.. :-)  ) member of this virtual Thiel's  family.... and ever thanks Jim, your genius will live forever.

Looking at Tomthiel's virtual system page is like to jump in one of the best dream you can have: Thiel loudspeakers factory operating at its max, well alive and the feeling of a lot of love for music in the air.
Compliments Tom!

dsmarschall

welcome into Thiel's family, you will be pleased by your "new"fantastic  3.6 as I daily do.
If I can, and whether you plan to keep these jewels for long time, I suggest to purchase some strategical spare driver as I did, one tweeter and one mid, they are the most critical parts in this wonderful project and the "real" original drivers start to be very hard to find due to the poor stock available nowaday, furthermore keep in mind that only the original part number will assure the sound performance as intended by Jim Thiel.

Well, I'm glad to share with you my full (actually very simple!) system, as already said it's composed by Thiel C3.6 loudspeaker, McCormack DNA-2 amp, Sony HAP Z1ES and a handmade (by me) passive volume control, only one input, based on a TKD 2511 series pot with remote control. In order to avoid any kind of interference from the power supply of the pot motor I used a 9V battery to supply  it .
The internal hd of the Z1ES is loaded with Flac, Wave and DSD files, to me this machine sound superbly but  probably not very  common between audiophile community, the DAC quality and the very short internal signal path make the trick, it cost around 2000$ but to get the same performance you have to compare it with a dac three four time its value.... in my opinion, furthermore no computer need, just one box solution, great!

utrak

glad to hear that your  3.0s are now back to full life, as they deserve.
I guess that Rob Gillum at Coherent Source Service is the only one that can provide the right spare parts nowadays. I purchased a full set of spare driver for my 3.6s because my intention is to keep these speakers lifetime, no other Jim Thiel in the view for the moment, he was not one among others, he was a unique talented engineer that we miss, a lot.
Luckily we still have Tom, his brother as part of living history of this amazing brand, thanks Tom being so active here, thanks Tom being so active here, your competence is great as your humility. Even if I gonna to buy another pair of top speakers in the next future, something based on trasmission line with 18" woofer Thiel will remain with me.

Good Sunday to everyone,
maybe some of you have the schematics of Thiel CS 3.6's crossovers?
I want to check and eventually to upgrade the capacitors and resistors on my pair, hence my request even if I could pull out the crossovers, take the measurement over each components and compare the results with the specification I should find written over them.
In case, suggestion for the brand you would like to use taking into the account mainly the sound quality?.... I know I must be prepared to spend some mony.
I have the skill and the tools to do it professionally.

Thanks in advance for yours widely appreciate contribute.

tomthiel,
thank you so much providing such informations, already found a supplier here in Italy selling the Mills MRA12 resistors that I'd couple with Clarity Caps CSA series capacitors (waht do you think about my choice?...even this available in my country), so in short time I'll take out the crossovers to check it and to make all the possible improvements, I'm not in hurry to finalize the job, I want really get the best sound is possible from my CS 3.6, in meanwhile I can continue to enjoy the music from my second system based on a pair of Diapason Adamantes speaker (first series) driven by an old but great class A integrated amp, the Sudgen A21A.
I'm already in touch with Rob Gillum at CS because I'm in the process to buy a full set of spare drivers (....just in case!) thus I'll try to get from him the specs of the CS 3.6 XO.
Tomthiel, say me how we can stay in touch because I'm seriously interested on your next 3.6 XO improved design, I don't know, have'u a mailing list or some other way that can let us to know when it's the time?

Again, many thanks and have a nice day to all fellows here.

Hello everybody!....glad to read all yours opinions and experiences matching Thiel speakers, sources, pre and amps.
I just ordered some Audyn Q4 capacitors to replace all the electrolytic one originally installed on my CS 3.6, in detail, four 100 uF/100v and one 66 uF/100V each speaker. I have read some very good impressions about this brand so my choice for Q4 MKP foil capacitor, they are 400 Vdc and tolerance within +/-5%.  I know that they will be much bigger than the originals but I already planned to install them outside of the XO board using some short pure silver wire to do the connections.
After twenty years of duty for these caps I expect to listen some improvements and no longer the need to worry about that electrolytic.
I'll report here the result once the job is done.

Happy week end to all fellows audiophiles.

Silvano

tomthiel - great suggestions about other caps to replace waiting for your full new 3.6 XO project, I'll give a try to this step of upgrade and will report here as soon as I'm able to build my clear and reliable idea about this modification.
Concerning the list of amps  suitable for the well known Thiel's "bastard" low load I can state that my McCormack DNA-2 is really a nice match, it's capable of 900 W RMS for channel into 2 ohms. Things I like most is the effortless velvet punch and the warm and clear mids/highs it can deliver, I'm very satisfied with it.

tomthiel..... I would spend so long time reading and knowing more and more about Thiel Audio history, you , Jim and all others actors of this fascinating monument to the music that you was/are, all this being said I try to launch a rock in the water: Tom, why do not write down a book on Thiel Audio..... I would pay any amount for it right now.
I firmly think that you are the best candidate to do this and pretty sure many other fellows here are agree with me.

tomthiel......yes, I'm a tree hugger too!   :-)

...on the other hand I come and live in a peaceful place here in Tuscany, in the center of Italy and close to the sea, so could I not be?
I try to encourage you a bit more telling here how I ended getting, only few months ago, my since long  time wanted pair of CS 3.6.
It was around 1995, I was young (now fifty five) already in love with the Hi-Fi but with much less money in my pocket, I already had a modest system in my room but was permanently on the search for better sound, so my main hobby  was going around to attend to all the best hi-fi show that I could (obviously in Italy), my enjoyment was to listen to the best that the glorious brands had to offer, not depending by the cost, I clearly remember when jumping from so many rooms (it was in Milan) I remained shocked by a performance that sounded to me like a live execution more than any other, not so loud but so true: they were a pair of loudspeaker of which  I didn't know the brand: the Thiel CS 3.6s.
I fixed that sound in my mind and never forgot it and I started to say to myself, maybe one day I will be able to own a pair. Many years have passed since, with some terrible things occurred to my life in the between but few months ago, after a long and deep search, I succeeded finding a pair in perfect cosmetically and sounding condition, this is unbelievable being them twenty years old but it is. Now I'm happy like a child and I'm sure that never and for any reason I'll let them go.
I'm well aware that Thiel speakers mean more, much more of a nice box, good drivers, well working XO and great manifacture, I mean, the Invaluable value behind them as the Coherent Source concept, the custom drivers, the extreme high level in assembling and finishing...and the soul of all Thiel's workers. All this is Thiel to me and I think that no other speaker manufacturer did or is doing the same.

Tom, are these reasons enough good to you to seriously think to a book?

PS I want apologize with all of you for my not perfect english and hope my words are understandable at least!

Silvano

tomthiel......I am increasingly fascinated by your story around the world of Thiel Audio, keep telling please.
I would have been happy to meet you in Milan and maybe to share some good glasses of italian red wine....but you know it's never too late, in case you plan tourist trip in Italy let me know,  i'll be glad to take care of you as my special guest.

Silvano

Just ordered a set (one tweeter, one mid and a pair of woofer) as spare drivers for my CS 3.6 from Rob Gillum at Coherent Source Service.
Actually them are sounding fine and not in the need for any drivers replacement but I saw that they are becoming increasingly difficult to find and due to my intention to keep this speakers forever wanted put myself on the safe side.....just in case, to not risk to transform my Thiels in a sort of expensive paperweight :-)

Same in my system, I made the interconnects very short, 50cm from source to pre-amp and 90cm from pre-amp to amp, it works fine to me.I also own a McCormack TLC-1 passive/buffered pre-amp but after many comparison I ended preferring my crafted one with only one IN/OUT line, no source selector in the between,thus the signal path is the shorther as possible.
If you wish it's visible in my Vritual System I published yesterday.

tomthiel

my 3.6 SN are 5773 and 5774 were produced 12/4/1998 thus should be 3.6.1 version, is it right?

......I think many of us love our Thiel speakers as that entire package, not just the sound but what the speakers represent in terms of their goal and the engineering talent they represent. 

Prof, your statement is the best summarization of my thinking about Thiel. For this reason I spent a lot of time to find my 3.6s in perfect condition and with the unique aim to keep them forever, a true artwork to me.

Prof,
 I'm so sad hearing what happened to you and would wish you all the best for a quick solution to this inconvenience. Never stop hoping that better days can came back, never. Life is full of unespected situations for the bad and for the good, now for you is the time to redeem the best. Stay with us, don't let we alone we need to help each other and if this pass trough this community it's welcome.

Well done Tom buying the 3.6s!....can't wait for your XO upgrade/revision project.

TomThiel,
 it's very clear that you are the most reputable source here concerning Thiel's history and secrets. I've to confess that I fell in love with Thiel's thinking and soul before I became a owner of this amazing speakers. I found in your company, in you all very first founders a blend of uncommon passion, top technical competence and quality in construction second to none, I perceived all this years ago reading severals interviews to Jim, listening to all those ultra positive assessments from worldwide owners and eventually through my personal listening experiences attending to several audio show. After some time I wanted learn more on the Coherent Source concept and its really meaning and I ended with the thinking that it appeared to me to be the most serious and credible attempt to come as close as possible to the truth, musically speaking.
Now I'm a proud Thiel's speakers owner with no intention to get rid of them... maybe a pair more.
Thank you Tom , you all really did a memorable job, a milestone in the audio history.

I got good result tweaking my loudspeaker (Diapason Adamantes MKI in my second system) enclosure taping the inner with thick lead plates (two millimeters) coupled with polymer glue in order to get a sort of sandwich that allow to lower the resonance frequency, actually it works well, the bass extension, focus and and solidity is audibly improved.

Tom Thiel,
it would be very interesting whether you could say something more about the negative aspect of lowering the RF of the cabinet, very interested in more understanding of this interaction with general loudspeaker performance a part the benefit I experienced.

Tom, Happy Birthday to you!

We are all proud here to have such a master with whom to share our opinions and listening to valuable advice.

I'll never forget that day, long time ago, when I had the opportunity here in Italy to listen to a pair of 3.6 in a very good setup, since then that sound remained engraved in my mind and heart but I could only dream about Thiels. More of twenty years later I put my hands over these jewels to never let them go, a pure joy every time I switch on the system.
I know that all this is also your merit, so, thank You Tom!

Just to add a amp to the list that in my opinion has a very good synergy with Thiels, the McCormack DNA-2, with its ease and authority to drive loads around two ohm and even less,not to mention also the marvelous reproduction of the upper middle part of the spectrum.

I agree, Thiel end is a real crime against the meaning that Tom Thiel expressed and summarized so well two posts above mine. I became a Thiel owner (cs 3.6) only around one year ago and love so much what I can hear, the whole Thiel's history, the unbelievable professional approach to every single detail of the project that to me doesn't matter if Thiel company is no more, doesn't matter if the genuine spare drivers start to be hard to find. Hard but not impossible, recently I bought a complete new set from Rob Gillum and due to the fact that I live in Italy it costed me also a big amount for the shipping and customs, but my aim is to preserve the soul of this wonderful loudspeaker as Jim and all his staff intended to be. It's a piece of artwork, not easy to replicate, who nowadys is able to offer this kind of knowledge? Which company do invest so much to develop  custom drivers as Thiel did?(for this reason I bought a genuine full set as spare, because similar are not the same , specially with first order XO design). So, thank you America, americans, doing this. I also appreciate some our good italian loudspeakers maker, for sure ,excellence has no boundaries.

As my contribute here I can witness that my loved McCormack DNA-2 in my opinion is perfectly able to drive my Thiel CSs 3.6, usually I don't push the volume very high but anyway my system seems never in the lack of power or dynamic, old beast but it still fit all my needs.

thieliste
Hi guys, any Thiel enthusiast going to the Munich show this year ?I will be there May 10th and 11th if some of you want to meet.

Hi, I will be there and try to go same days of you so we could meet.
Keep in touch if you like the idea.

jafant
If you will, post a few messages after visiting the Munich show.
Have fun and Happy Listening!

Be sure, I'll do all my best to report here info and photos  to share with all audiophile fellows.

thieliste
@silvanik ok i will pm you and we will try to meet there.Cheers.

Nice!...looking forward for your message. Currently I'm looking to a best/cheapest fly to book to get Munich from Italy.

I was just reading an advertisement for Vitus Audio SIA-030 World Premier at the Munich Show 2019. Hope our friends attending this event has an opportunity to audition. Happy Listening!

@jafant 
I will attend to next Munich Hi End  and I will do my best to be able to listen to new Vitus Audio SIA-030.....preparing myself to cut my credit card before get in  the room  :-)

Hi guys all, don't get me wrong for what I'm doing at home just now, since my enormous admiration for Jim Thiel and his strict collaborators as his  brother Tom (that I want thank here for his very competent job behind the astonishing 3.6 cabinet and more),  I collected some great pictures of them from the web (and even asked to Rob Gillum whom very kindly sent me some taken from his private archive) and now I'm preparing a photo composition to get just one big picture to install in my listening room....beside a real Fender Stratocaster guitar as that one used by Mark Knopfler (still to be found).


My small and personal tribute to the unforgettable Thiel cleverness.

Yes Jafant, I got it!
I attended two days, Saturday ans Sunday, currently I'm preparing a small review of the show for you all, give me a few time more to organize the informations I collected...I'll be back very soon here , stay tuned!

Well guys!...time to put together my impressions from the last Hi End show in Munich to which I attended two days.
As first I can state two days  have been not enough to appreciate everything ,first time there for me , couldn't imagine how large it is! Anyway, as usual for this kind of exibitions, only very few rooms were listenable, i mean that worth to listen to due to too much people walking around or poor acoustic treatment care, specially at ground floor. The upstairs rooms generally were much better prepared and some listenable only on booking, here almost only top brands among which Gryphon, Vandersteen, Dan D'Agostino, Naim, Sonus Faber, T+A, Pass Labs, Martin Logan, Magico and so on. Here also the incredible (for the age) old set of horn speakers from Western Electric, (that sounded amazing to me!...never listen such very old system before ) and a massive presence of chinese horn speakers makers and among the best for sure the incredible ESD system, impressive size from live but what a wonferful soundstage and the capability to disappear for the loudspeaker, very immersive sound.
Strangely Mcintosh jewels were only for display, not listenable and in a dark and not appealing (to me) room, what a pity for such brand!
Anyway generally I have to say that in such condition is very difficult to make a your own and reliable opinion of what you listened to, too much variables, time restriction and also no way to use your own music. I brought with me one Hd full of well known songs but It has been a waste of time, not allowed to connect it! So how you can make a clear idea of how good is the performance of any components, what should be the reference? This kind of exibitions are good to discover new products, tendency of the market and if you are lucky to meet and talk to some very talented Hi Fi designer.
Among few nice and attractive designed items I found too much awful ones, and furthermore very often crazy expensive...I whish to see substance, good looking but not such dumb style!
And yes!...Vitus SIA-030 was there, on the throne, really impressive from live, solid rock built and, for what it worths, the audition with Rockport Avior II loudspeakers has been really positive but I'm not familiar with these loudspeakers thus I really can't say much more, take this with a grain of salt.
Had the opportunity to listen to Vandersteen 7 Mk II too in a well acoustically treated room....wow! some clues of Thiel soul was there but then I discovered the price, around 70K $, damn, Jim, you was so humble!
One thing for sure, once at home with my Thiel CS 3.6 I can state that they are all but outated...Thiel will never die.

Honor to you George.

I forgot to mention one big surprise (to me) from Munich show.....the incredible loudspeakers Maat Vector from Sigma Acoustics, a small italian craft company and extremely expensive one but wow!.... what sound! 100db of sensibility and absolute quality. 

Fellow Thiel’s enthusiasts,
I would suggest here a conservative treatment that I already did for the woofers suspension of my CS 3.6 that are made of rubber (butyl). It’s well known that the rubber suspension last much more of foam one but our loved speakers start to be a bit old in some case (like mine) thus I was wondering how to preserve them from the aging and found a Parker product called Super O-Lube specially made for O-ring installation and general use with rubber stuff. It’s totally compatible with butyl rubber as reported in the data sheet and it’s also very effective against UV rays. I suggest to apply it on the rubber by finger with a very delicate touch and in very thin layer.
...you know, nothing is forever but we try get the most!

solobobe22,
congratulations on your new purchase, if Jim was a Bryston user for his research and development, more than  good reason there will have been.

cabinlife,
congratulations!.....the enjoyment start from here! Let us know your finding once arrived.

What a interesting story for love of good music reproduction! Congrats and welcome onboard Thiel's family.

After several comparison I ended that I’m more happy listening to my cd’s ripped into the hd of my player Sony HAP Z1 ES than directly from my cd player/external DAC . IMHO the Thiel CS 3.6’s are stellar with this combo, (thanks also to the beautiful pairing preamplifier Doge 8- McCormack DNA-2)crazy fine details, amazing bass and clear treble, can’t be happier for the money invested. I’ll let them never go, because of this I invested some money to get a full set of spare drivers from Rob, want sleep with not worries!

It seems that I found here in Italy a specialist in repairing even such sophisticated drivers like the customized Vifa for Thiel. Actually he is a highly rated amplifiers and loudspeakers craftsman builder and his lab is provided of all needed professional euipment to do it right. As I already told here, I already bought a full set of drivers for my CS3.6's from Rob Gillum but the defective ones are still in my hands and I would be very happy to have the possibility to get them properly working again as new spares. Next week I'll give him two mids and two woofers to try the reparation., he told me to have some idea on what can be the cause of the defective sound (mine were not fully die but shown only a sort of break up transient at certain frequency). I will report here the result of this attempted ressurrection in case someone is on the need.

I just published in my virtual system the result of my online search and the  great support from Rob Gillum, I finally realized my idea to make a special tribute to Thiel: a composed wall picture  I made that captures some moments of Thiel life,  now it's hanged in one  wall of my listening room. The genius and every single contributors deserve it. A simple thing, nice to me.
Hope you also appreciate it.

Tomthiel, PM sent.

It's in the air that Tomthiel is about to design some amazing upgrade even for the CS 3.6, I really can't wait to realize how much better they can sound. I consider the CS 3.6 a sort of very well sounding loudspeakers and very hard or impossible to beat at its original retail price so I wonder what is going to happen with this upcoming Tomthiel touch up?Keep studying Tom, the Thiel renaissance is in your hands. All we together will make Thiel never die.

It seems to me that Thiel renaissance is on the way, that's good, very good to hear.Thanks Tom, what best christmas gift could we wish?Maybe we will see Tom and Rob together in a new enterprise, if this is the case I wish all the best to both of you.I already have dealed with Rob twice, can witness he is a strongly recommendable and competent guy. About Tom His name and career speak for him.

Hello guys,
to friends here with cracked concrete baffle issue I would suggest to use a professional sealant called MS polymer, some different producers around, for my professional needs I prefer Sikaflex brand but also other should be ok, just be sure about its composition not silicone but MS polymer. it does exist in black too, large flexibility and also has awesome bonding properties and long lasting against UV ray.
In my opinion this product can be a definitive solution for this kind of repair.

Enjoy music and keep safe.

Tom,
I strongly recommend you writing that book, you are Thiel, your stories told here make us dream of a still living Thiel, it's like I was there among the workers, I can smell wooden flavour, see Jim developing new ideas, people in the lab taking measurements. In this moment I feel I'm no sitting in front a pair loudspekers, they are undoubtedly part of music history. Please Tom, consider writing such book.

I renew my suggestion to give a try to some very  beefy McCormack amplifiers as the DNA-2, it's really a good match with the hard load of Thiel like my 3.6s, perfect control in bass region and clear and refined mid highs, much better than some Mark Levinson I tried.
I'll never will get rid of it.

Hello fellow Thiel lover,

can I check with you whether the Rob Gillum email address I have is still valid? This one: [email protected], because it's long time I try to get in touch with him unsuccessfully. 

Thanks everyone for any help.

Hello fellows Thiel lover,
even if still perfectly sounding, I would improve the tweeter section in the crossover of my 3.6s, specifically I thought to start with the three resistors of 20, 6.5 and 3 Ohm, all ten watt. My choice is for Mills MRA12, ( that are non inductive type), but only because I have read of their satisfactory performance from other DIYer that made this upgrade over different loudspeakers brand.
What do you think about my idea, any further and or better suggestions on this matter?
Thank you in advance for your contribution.