Thiel Owners

frozentundra,

Cool.  I look forward to hearing my new Thiel 2.7s next weekend.

I also have some "ear issues."  I played for decades in a very loud band and acquired quite a case of Tinnitus and some hyperacusis (hearing sensitivity) came along for the ride.  It was really rough for a few years but has gotten better over time.  It made my ears quite sensitive to bright speakers or coarse distortion (I don't have hearing loss issues though, fortunately my hearing - when tested - is excellent).

So this makes it somewhat ironic that both of us own Thiel speakers, which have a reputation among so many audiophiles as being bright and hard to listen to.  It never was quite true in a good set up, but I think it's a tribute to Jim's final designs especially just how smooth and fatigue-free he got them sounding, while producing as much or more detail than ever.
I can listen fatigue-free to the 3.7s endlessly, more than any speaker I've had.  (Of course system matching is part of the key; the CJ gear helps here - liquid and organic, but with no sense of darkening, roll-off or making the sound simply polite).

I've love to hear the Volti speakers!  I figure  they would bring an even greater sense of presence and density to the sound than even the Thiels.
But with other trade offs.   I wouldn't be able to place a speaker like that in my room.

As for reproducing voices and intrumental timbre, as I mentioned I find the MBLs the current champ...and the previous champ were the Hales Transcendence speakers - I had the floor standing T5s at one point but...forgot to mention in the above....I have a bunch of Hales Speakers still, Transcendence monitors.  They are amazing for having a low noise floor and producing a rainbow of tonal color.  They are dynamically reticent though, have less density and texture than the Thiels.

I found the joseph audio Perspectives to edge the Thiels in tonal beauty - just a bit lower noise floor, a bit more surprising variety in instrumental timbre, a bit more pure/smooth sounding high end.  Though the Thiels edge out the josephs in other ways (image size, soundstage, density, dynamics, bass control...)

The past few weeks have been filled with moving into our new home including setting up my new dedicated system room.  The two rooms, old and new, could not be more different.  Old: cathedral ceilings, wood floor, area of an open floor plan main living space.  New: 14' x 13' x 8', thick carpet.  There is also a dormer window where my rack fits nicely.  I left the spikes off my 2.4s initially and spent hours over days moving them around, measuring to the walls, moving some more in patterns I have previously used (thank you Jim Smith).  Initially I was stressed and depressed.  I forgot I had tuned my entire system, over many years, to a very different environment.  I placed my room treatments aNd moved them to incrementally new positions and went back to starting over with speaker positioning.  Suddenly, after a very minor change (after many minor changes) it all came together.  The clarity of my Thiels 2.4 soundstage and presentation was exactly as I had hoped.  Better than I was ever able to achieve in their previous room.  I placed their spikes on and can't stop smiling.  Every time I worry my Thiels might need to be "replaced/upgraded" they re amaze me, re engage me and make me realize their only issue was me, that I didn't have them set up correctly.

drrsutliff,

Congrats on the new home, dedicated room, use of "Jim Smiths" book and the willingness to take some time and think things out.
Did you use a tape or get the recommended laser?
 The laser will help you get that last bit of everything the Thiels or any speaker can bring to your room.

Dedicated line yet? Sounds like your enjoying already. Your Thiels are worth the extra effort.

Congrats again
nkonor

Good to see you guys enjoying the exchange of ideas, banter and celebrating of our beloved loudspeakers.  Like so many here in these forums, I enjoy Conrad Johnson gear, as well.  Keep up the friendly fire.

Happy Listening!