Description: Five-way, two-chassis, dynamic, floorstanding loudspeaker system with four EMIT ribbon tweeters, seven EMIM ribbon midrange units, and six servo-controlled polyproylene-cone woofers. Electronic crossover frequencies: 125Hz, 700Hz, 3kHz, and 8kHz.
Dimensions: LF section: 60" H by 14" W by 15" D. HF section. 60" H by 22" by 13" D.
Price: $5295/system (1985); no longer available (2006).
Manufacturer: Infinity Systems, Canoga Park, CA (1985); Infinity Systems, 250 Crossways Park Drive, Woodbury, NY 11797. Tel: (800) 553-3332 (2006). Web: wwww.…
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Sidebar 2: Specifications
"Well, Sam, are there any speakers you are really excited about?"
It was my friend Vladimir, on the phone.
"Yes, the Rasputin speakers from Petersburg. But in order to sound their best, they need this tube amp—the Balgalvis from Riga, Latvia. They also need Moldavian wire, from a wire factory in Kishiniev, which used to make wire for the Soviet military. It's kind of hard to get the system together nowadays, what with the old Union gone."
Vladimir thought for a minute, then realized I was putting him on. Maybe.
"I have heard of this Moldavian wire."
So I…
John Atkinson reviewed the Thiel CS2 2 in January 1993 (Vol.16 No.1):
"A good big'un will always beat a good littl'un" is as true in the world of loudspeakers as it is, say, in the world of car engines. Once you've driven a car with a big, torquey, low-revving V8, small-capacity, high-revving engines, no matter how quick they can make the car go, seem buzzingly inelegant. Similarly, as I've listened to a number of tiny boxes in the last few months, I felt the need to spend some time with full-range speakers. Over the next few months, therefore, I'll be reviewing a handful of speakers…
Sidebar 1: First-Order Filters: Panacea or Pain?
As mentioned, the Thiel CS 2 2's crossover features first-order, 6dB/octave slopes. Many audiophiles state, without specifying why, that first-order slopes are "the best." A first-order crossover is unique in that it offers the minimum phase error through the crossover region between the two drive-units, hence the best time-domain behavior (least ringing and overshoot). The drive-units also work in phase outside of the crossover region in a time-coherent manner; ie, they are both in phase and in time-step with the input signal. More…
Sidebar 2: Review context
Amplifiers used during the preparation of this review included pairs of Mark Levinson No.20.6 and Audio Research Classic 120 monoblocks, while the preamplifier was first the Melos SHA-1 headphone amplifier, then a Melos 333 linestage, with a Mod Squad Phono Drive EPS handling LP signals. These were provided by a Linn Sondek/Trampolin/Lingo/Ekos/Troika setup sitting on an ArchiDee table, with the Troika subsequently replaced by Linn's new Arkiv phono cartridge.
Digital source components included the VTL Reference D/A processor driven by a Meridian 602…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Fig.1 shows the CS2 2's electrical impedance amplitude and phase, measured using the magazine's Audio Precision System One. Like all Thiel speakers, the value varies very little across the audio band. Note how low in amplitude the bass humps are. Apart from the bass, where the radiator tuning is apparent at a low 28Hz, the minimum value is 3.5 ohms at 120Hz, and the maximum 5.2 ohms at 4.3kHz. Although the CS2 2 requires an amplifier capable of driving 4 ohms, its sound will not change significantly in the midrange and treble as the amplifier output impedance…
John Atkinson returned to the Thiel CS2 2 in October 1993 (Vol.16 No.10):
The natural comparison for the MartinLogan Aerius is the Thiel CS2 2, which I reviewed at the beginning of the year, and now suffers a slight price disadvantage since its recent price hike to $2750/pair. The beautifully engineered 2 2 is ST's other favorite speaker (when he can be torn away from his Advent Cheapskate Specials, that is).
Listening to the two pairs of speakers head to head, the Thiel's midbass is a bit fatter than that of the Aerius, which adds a pleasing bloom to the sound of bass…
Sidebar 4: Specifications
Description: Three-way, passive bass radiator-loaded (reflex), floor-standing loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) metal-dome tweeter, 3" (76mm) cone midrange unit, 8" (203mm) double-surface, plastic-cone woofer, 6" by 9" (155mm by 229mm) elliptical passive bass radiator. Crossover frequencies: 800Hz, 3kHz. Crossover slopes: first-order, 6dB/octave acoustic. Frequency response: 33Hz–27kHz ±3dB, 35Hz–20kHz ±2dB. Phase response: minimum ±5°. Time response: 150µs, –20dB. Sensitivity: 86dB/W/m (2.83V). Nominal impedance: 4 ohms (minimum 3 ohms). Amplifier…
Man, you've got to watch out for those preconceived notions—they'll kill you every time. For the last several years I've seen Plinius amplifiers at hi-fi shows and—even though I didn't know the first thing about the company or its products—figured that I knew what they were all about. Spotting their brawny façades festooned with feathery heatsinks, I smugly assured myself that they were some kind of antipodean pretender to the muscle-amp throne—Krell or Threshold wannabes.
Then Fanfare International's Scot Markwell cornered me at the 1996 Winter CES to ask if Stereophile would…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Stereo power amplifier with switchable class-a/class-AB output stage. Power output: 100Wpc into 8 ohms (20dBW), 180Wpc into 4 ohms (19.5dBW). Bridged-mono output: 360Wpc into 8 ohms (25.6dBW). Dynamic headroom: 1dB or greater into 8 ohms with music. Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz, –0.1dB (0dB at 0Hz; –1dB at 120kHz). Phase response: –0° at 20Hz, –2° at 20kHz. Distortion: typically 0.02% THD and IMD at rated power; 0.1% THD and IMD, worst case prior to clipping. Saturation: 125Wpc or greater into 8 ohms. Voltage swing: 90V peak-peak per channel.…