Products of the Year

Loudspeaker of 1993

Thiel CS3.6 ($3990/pair; reviewed by Robert Harley, Vol.16 No.5, May 1993 review)

There were 56 loudspeakers and subwoofers eligible for "Loudspeaker of 1993." From this intense competition, a winner quickly emerged: six of the 15 writers—twice as many as favored the other leading contender—gave it their three votes. In some ways, the Thiel CS3.6 is the best loudspeaker yet to come from designer Jim Thiel. Its dual-membrane midrange and bass units and metal-dome tweeter are joined in musical harmony with a first-order acoustic-slope crossover, which, in conjunction with the sculpted, sloped baffle, gives pretty much perfect time-domain behavior and a flat, neutral, superbly transparent balance. The only drawbacks are its very low impedance, which demands a lot from the amplifier driving it; and a slight propensity toward midbass fatness from its passive-radiator–tuned woofer, which will dictate more than the usual care in room placement. Robert Harley didn't hold back in his praise, therefore, for the '3.6's sound: "the cleanest and best-balanced [treble] of any dynamic loudspeaker I've auditioned...a superb sense of soundstage focus...the overall musical experience was powerful, expressive, and immensely involving."

For those in love with the CS3.6's (lack of) sound but who lack the necessary pocket depth, Thiel's less expensive CS2 2, one of the runners-up in this category both this year and last year, offers many of the same virtues as its big brother, falling behind only in loudness capability, bass extension, and ultimate transparency.

Runners-Up (in alphabetical order)

Acarian Alón IV ($3400/pair; reviewed by Robert Deutsch, Vol.16 No.2, February 1993 Review)
Mirage M3si ($2800/pair; reviewed by Guy Lemcoe, Vol.15 No.11, November 1992 Review)
Muse Model 18 active monophonic subwoofer ($2750–$3500; reviewed by Robert Harley & Corey Greenberg, Vol.14 Nos.7, 8, & 10, July, August, & October 1991; Larry Greenhill & Thomas J. Norton, Vol.16 Nos.3 & 5, March & May 1993 Review)
Snell 500 THX Home Theater system ($5593/five speakers plus stands and subwoofer; reviewed by J. Gordon Holt, Vol.15 No.12, December 1992)
Thiel CS2 2 ($2750/pair; reviewed by Sam Tellig, Vol.15 No.4, April 1992, and John Atkinson, Vol.16 No.1, January 1993 Review)
Totem Model 1 ($1495/pair not including stands; reviewed by Larry Greenhill, Vol.16 No.4, April 1993 Review)
Unity Audio Signature ($2995–$3295/pair; reviewed by Robert Deutsch, Vol.16 No.5, May 1993)