Description: Three-way, floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units (all anodized aluminum): 1" (25mm) dome tweeter coincident with 3.5" (114mm) cone midrange; 8" (204mm) cone woofer; 8.5" by 11" (230mm) passive radiator. Crossover frequencies: 800Hz, 2.5kHz. Crossover slopes: acoustic first-order, 6dB/octave. Frequency response: 36Hz–25kHz, ±2dB. Phase response: minimum phase, ±5°. Impedance: 4 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum. Sensitivity: 87dB/2.83V/m. Recommended power: 100–400W.
Dimensions: 41.5" (1055mm) H by 11" (280mm) W by 14" (380mm) D. Weight: 70 lbs (…
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Sidebar 1: Specifications
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Source: Ayre C-5xe universal disc player.
Preamplifiers: Ayre K-5xe, Conrad-Johnson ACT2, Viola Labs Cadenza.
Power Amplifiers: Ayre V-5xe, Coda S5, Fisher 500-B, Cayin SA 50T, Moscode 401HR, Viola Labs Symphony.
Loudspeakers: Peak Consult Empress.
Cables: Interconnect: Cardas Audio Golden Reference, Shunyata Research Aries & Antares, Viola Labs Silver Balanced. Speaker: Cardas Audio Golden Reference, Shunyata Research Lyra. AC: Cardas Audio Golden Reference, Shunyata Research Anaconda & Orion.
Accessories: Shunyata Research…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I estimated the Thiel CS2.4's voltage sensitivity to be slightly higher than both average and specification, at 88dB(B)/2.83V/m. However, despite Wes Phillips' conjecture that this speaker is not too hard to drive, its impedance plot (fig.1) indicates that the CS2.4 demands a lot of current from amplifiers. Not only does its impedance drop to 2.73 ohms at 600Hz, but it stays significantly below 4 ohms from 100Hz to 50kHz, and there is a difficult combination of 4.5 ohms magnitude and –45° electrical phase angle at 80Hz. Thiel CS2.4 owners should make sure they…
Wes Phillips compared the CS2.4 with the Penaudio Serenade in February 2006 (Vol.26 No.2):
I still had on hand Thiel Audio's CS2.4 speakers, which I reviewed in the November 2005 issue, and it seemed natural to compare the Penaudio Serenades with them. Granted, at $4400/pair, the Thiels are just a hair under half the price of the Serenades, but they'd impressed me so much that I'd put 'em up against almost any ambitious loudspeaker. Besides, like the Serenades, the Thiels had captured my imagination with their uncanny re-creation of "Ripple," from Might as Well...The Persuasions Sing…
I have always been a dyed-in-the-wool vinyl fan, committed to the superiority of analog over current 44kHz/16-bit CD technology. Nevertheless, I have been surprised at how greatly the sound of CD has improved over the past 10 years. By 1994, digital had gotten much closer to analog than I had ever expected, which was a good thing, as 1994 also saw the disappearance of the LP as a medium for obtaining new releases of mainstream recordings. But over the last two years, I've noticed some interesting phenomena: More turntables, tonearms, and cartridges started to become available, at least in…
The lower highs were more lifelike and relaxed than on the stock unit, and a bit more extended into the top octave. The midbass warmth of the original unit was gone, and the lower bass clarity and extension, especially on well-recorded classical music (Stravinsky, Les Noces, Clarity CCD 1025-G, and Zappa, The Yellow Shark, Barking Pumpkin R271600), were dramatic in their airy realism.
Excellent reproduction of inner detail and ambience: It was very easy to follow individual lines on densely recorded classical passages, and the retrieval of subtle detail cues enhanced image specificity.…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Single-box CD player with HDCD capability and one coaxial digital (S/PDIF) output. Specifications: Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz, +0dB –0.02dB. THD+Noise: 0.005% ref.1kHz at 0dBFS. S/N ratio: 95dB (A-weighted), 87dB (unweighted). Channel separation: 88dB at 1kHz. Linearity: –89.5dB (left), –89.2dB (right). Maximum output voltage: 2.7V RMS. Output impedance: approximately 30 ohms. Power consumption: 14.5W.
Dimensions: 17.5" W by 12.5" D by 4.5" H. Weight: 17 lbs.
Serial number of review sample: 3320.
Price: $1445 (1996); the upgrade to an…
Sidebar 2: HDCD & DVD
HDCD technology, developed by Pacific Microsonics, "tricks" today's limited-resolution CD technology into behaving as if it possessed a higher sampling rate and greater number of bits. The California company should be applauded for developing a code/encode technology which is backward-compatible with existing technology and for licensing the technology to encourage its broad application. My comparisons of HDCD and nonHDCD recordings of the same performance have proven to me that HDCD is a successfully superior medium to stock CD sound. True, until a new standard…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
The Icon Mk.II HDCD's maximum output level was a moderately high 2.7V. The Icon II's measured output impedance was a very low 34 ohms. For comparison, the CAL Sigma D/A processor's output impedance was between 1.5k ohms and 2k ohms depending on frequency. The output stage became current-limited when driving less than 13.8k ohm input impedance. CAL's original Tempest CD player had a source impedance of a whopping 5600 ohms. The change in engineering philosophy that resulted in such a low source impedance, 34 ohms, in the new Icon II is a move in the right direction…
When I describe the Thiel CS7.2 to friends, the word that gets the biggest reaction is "simple." Veteran audiophiles protest, noting the big Thiel's multiple drivers, complex cabinet, and elaborate, zillion-element crossover. Nonaudiophiles just glance at the 5'-tall speaker, smile sympathetically at Bonnie, and roll their eyes.
But in the world of ultra-high-end loudspeakers, the CS7.2 is actually quite simple. The other super systems I've used—big Infinitys, Genesis 200s, Audio Artistry Dvoraks, and the like—have been bi- or even tri-amped. There are four towers, external crossovers,…