Fig.1 shows the plot of impedance with frequency for the Thiel CS1.2. It agrees with the appropriate specified impedance in the review heading, but it is noteworthy how little change there is for each speaker. Obvious features can be distinguished, such as the port tuning, but I would conjecture that Jim Thiel has used some form of conjugate load system in his crossover designs to give such a flat curve with frequency. (This is where elements are added to the crossover to compensate for phase and impedance changes to result in a simple resistive load.) I would…
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Sam Tellig wrote about the Thiel CS1.2 in June 1989 (Vol.12 No.6):
At $1090/pair these speakers have a lot going for them. They look great—elegant styling, impeccable cabinet finish. (The speaker terminals under the cabinet are a pain in the ass if you like to experiment with changing cables, though. You have to pick up the speaker, turn it on its side to switch cables. With this arrangement, though, you can hide some cables under the carpet, and bring them up under the speakers through a little hole in the rug. "Look, dear, no cables!")
When I first got the Thiels, I was…
John Atkinson wrote about the Thiel CS1.2 in November 1989 (Vol.12 No.11):
You will probably remember from October's "Recommended Components" that there was disagreement in Stereophile's ranks over the merits of the smallest in Thiel's range of three loudspeakers, the CS1.2. Larry Archibald had been mightily impressed with the sound of this $1090/pair floorstanding speaker last January, feeling that it "images extremely well, has a more extended...and more natural high end [than the similarly priced Spica Angelus]...plays reasonably loud easily, has satisfying low-end extension, and…
Sidebar: November 1989 Measurements:
Before listening to each pair, I ran a series of measurements on all four speakers to see if there was any obvious reason for the conflict of opinion. Fig.1 shows the spatially averaged in-room response of Larry's pair, a curve that correlates quite well with the subjective tonal balance. Though a slightly overdamped alignment leads to the response starting to roll off below 80Hz, it still features useful bass output down to 42Hz, the frequency of the bottom E string of the double bass and bass guitar. While the '1.2 does not compete with the Waveform…
Sam Tellig returned to the CS1.2 in January 1990 (Vol.13 No.1):
If this were a beauty contest, the $1090/pair Thiels ($1120/pair on the West Coast) would win hands down. The look is clean and elegant, as is the sound. Cabinet finish is exquisite. "Thiel puts their money into cabinets," sniffed one speaker manufacturer. (Guess who.)
I may have been a little too tough on the Thiels last June, in retrospect. In fact, if this were my personal choice, I'd probably take the Thiels over the Vandersteens. I can live without deep, full, rich bass. I can't live with a lack of midrange and…
Sidebar 3: Specifications
Description: Two-way, reflex-loaded loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" aluminum-dome tweeter, 6.5" plastic-cone woofer. Crossover frequency 2.5kHz. Frequency response: 52Hz–18kHz ±2dB. Sensitivity: 87dB/W/m. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. Minimum amplifier power: 40W.
Dimensions: 36" H by 10.5" W by 10.5" D (base), 3" D (top). Weight: 47 lbs each.
Price: $1090/pair ($1120/pair on West coast), 1989; no longer available (2007). Approximate number of dealers: 52.
Manufacturer: Thiel Audio Products Co., 1026 Nandino Boulevard, Lexington, KY 40511. Tel: (606) 254-9427…
California company Now Hear This (NHT), which has been around since 1986, has always taken a no-nonsense route based on good engineering principles and innovative thinking. Two of their strikingly good ideas were the use of side-firing woofers, and integrating an active subwoofer with a pair of small monitor speakers. Both philosophies culminated in the Xd series of DSP-EQ'd active loudspeakers, which I had the pleasure of reviewing in the November 2005 issue. My first reaction to the concept was "Why hasn't anyone done this before?" The results completely justified an approach that, I…
Other setup pages permit the user to define inputs by name and to select video source, digital audio source, analog audio source, gain offset, and audio preset (tone controls, channel trims, and lip-sync offset) for each input. Preferred processing modes (DPL IIx, Neo:6, Dolby EX, Surround 6.1, etc.) can also be preset, and are accessible from the remote control. All in all, the Controller is extremely logically structured.
Here's the feature I liked best: The 7.1-channel Analog Direct input uses the channel-balance adjustments specified for the digital inputs and adds analog bass…
Sidebar: Recordings In The Round
SCHUMANN: Piano Quartets in E-flat Minor (Op.47) & C Minor
Trio Parnassus: Yamei Yu, violin; Hariolf Schlichtig, viola; Michael Gross, cello. With: Chia Chou, piano.
MDG 903 1414-6 (SACD/CD)
Yet another glorious example of near-ideal re-creation of chamber music in multichannel sound. MDG's warm yet detailed recording presents the ensemble as a coherent group across the front of a room that seems not much larger than a small rehearsal hall. With this intimacy, the augmented Trio Parnassus delivers spirited and big-hearted performances…
THE SHINS: Wincing the Night Away
Sub Pop SP 705 (CD). 2007. James Mercer, Joe Chiccarelli, prods.; Phil Ek, Sean Flora, Hiro Ninagawa, Brian Deck, Lars Fox, engs. AAD? TT: 41:52
Performance ****
Sonics ****
Sub Pop SP 705 (CD). 2007. James Mercer, Joe Chiccarelli, prods.; Phil Ek, Sean Flora, Hiro Ninagawa, Brian Deck, Lars Fox, engs. AAD? TT: 41:52
Performance ****
Sonics ****
Being in a pop band is easy, right? You just strum up some lightweight melodies, layer in some delicate harmonies, add a touch of minimal drumming, and Poof! It's "(Listen to the) Flower People." Yet another foofy guitar band singing about Luddites and lollipops.
Guys in real bands—you know, rock'n'roll, punk, or just rock bands—think of pop-band dudes as dreamers…