Thiel is one of those loudspeaker manufacturers, like Spica and Dahiquist, among others, that pay close attention to detail.
The CS3 is time-aligned, phase-coherent (footnote 1), actively equalized to extend the low-end response, and designed for an unusually uniform impedance characteristic. As can be seen from the photograph, the enclosure is tapered and the edges rounded off. The taper provides the back-to-front offset for the drivers (to accomplish the time-alignment), and the rounding-off minimizes the effects of cabinet edge diffraction.
Also worthy of note is the…
Thiel claims response out to 35kHz (–10dB) for its 28mm tweeter, and it shows. The CS3 seems subjectively to have almost no high-end limit. Brushed cymbals are crisp and brassy, vocal sibilants contain the upper FFFF component which is so often missing, and triangles and harpsichords cut effortlessly through the most turgid textures of full-orchestral passages. I don't know what alchemy is at work here, because the system's upper range drivers look ordinary enough, and the tweeter is a 1" dome, which I know for sure is incapable of that kind of high end.
The CS3 has quite remarkable…
Sidebar 1: Larry Archibald Comments on the Thiel CS3
JGH has not discussed the question of equipment compatibility, which is particularly important with the CS3s. I had a bit of experience in this area.
The CS3 goes both lower and higher than most other speaker systems, and will show up problems in those areas (eg, below 40Hz and above 16kHz) that aren't apparent on other systems. A tube preamp, for instance, that worked very well with the Spica TC-50 sounded terrible with the CS3; low bass such as kickdrum was simply unlistenable. Another place to watch out for is the high end.…
Sidebar 2: Specifications
Description: Three-way, floorstanding loudspeaker with active low-frequency equalization. Frequency response: 24Hz–20kHz ±1.5dB. Power bandwidth: 22Hz–22kHz, –3dB. Sensitivity: 89dB/w/m. Impedance: 4 ohms ±10% above 70Hz; below 70Hz there is a gradual rise to 7 ohms. Recommended amplifier power: 40–250W.
Dimensions: 13" W by 13" D by 41" H. Weight: 75 lbs.
Price: $1950/pair (1984); no longer available (2008).
Manufacturer: Thiel Audio Products Company, 1026 Nandino Boulevard, Lexington, KY 40511. Tel: (859) 254-9427. Fax: (859) 254-0075. Web: www.…
As I write, it is garage-sale season here again in Santa Fe, and a recent sign near my home advertised "Over 3000 LPs, good condition, low prices." To my surprise, the seller wasn't a yuppie enamored of his new CD player but a true collector discarding the duplicates and dogs from his collection. 30 minutes later, many LPs heavier—including a mint Flanders & Swan At the Drop of a Hat (footnote 1)—and not too many dollars lighter, I returned to a great night's listening courtesy of the black vinyl disc.
Which brings me to the subject of this review. In a world that seems to…
A word is in order concerning the PV9's tape-monitor arrangements, which are identical to those on earlier C-J preamplifiers. As well as the rotary source switch, which can select the Tape 1 or Tape 2 inputs, there are two pushbuttons, one switching the tape monitor input between Tape 1 and Tape 2, the other selecting Source or Monitor. Whatever source is selected with the rotary control is present on both pairs of tape output sockets. It may be my CD-befuddled brain, but I find these controls to be counter-intuitive. More important, they allow the possibility of positive feedback since the…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Full-function, tubed preamplifier with five line-level inputs, two tape loops, and one phono input. Tube complement: 2x12AX7, 3x5751, 2x5965. Frequency range: 2Hz–100kHz. RIAA error: ±0.25dB. Input impedance: 47k ohms in parallel with 100pF (phono), 47k ohms (line). Output impedance: less than 200 ohms (main). Phono stage gain: 47dB. Line stage gain: 31dB (polarity-inverting). Rated output level: 2.5V (20V peak maximum). Phono overload: greater than 200mV at 1kHz. Distortion: THD less than 0.25%, IMD less than 0.25%. S/N ratio (20Hz–20kHz): 77dB ref…
Sidebar 2: Measurements
The most relevant measurement of a phono preamplifier, in my opinion, is the accuracy of its RIAA de-emphasis. Fig.1 shows that for the PV9. It can be seen to be commendably flat across the entire audio band, or at least within the tolerance of my inverse-RIAA network, gently rolling off above 16kHz and below 16Hz. The 1kHz squarewave of the PV9's RIAA stage is shown in fig.2, the flat top implying good LF extension, and the lack of overshoot, fast risetime, and square corners indicating a flat, extended HF response. The line stage, too, was effectively flat, with…
Back in March 1998, Revel's Ultima Salon1 floorstanding loudspeaker generated quite a stir at Stereophile (Vol.22 No.3). Our reviewers were impressed by its seven designed-from-scratch drive-units, its ultramodern enclosure with curved rosewood side panels, exposed front tweeter and midrange, rear-facing reflex port and tweeter, and a flying grille over the mid-woofer and woofers. In the December issue (Vol.22 No.12), the Ultima Salon1 ($16,000/pair) was named Stereophile's "Joint Speaker of 1999" for its "big bass, timbral accuracy, low distortion, dynamics, lack of compression, and best fit…
Like the Salon1, the Salon2 is of superb quality in its fit'n'finish. Although a speaker binding post on one of my review samples arrived loose, designer Kevin Voecks assured me that it could be fixed in the field without the owner having to ship the speaker back to the factory. Each Salon2 is shipped with four combination metal spikes/glides, which screw into the cabinet bottom and are secured with a metal locking ring set off by a felt washer, to protect the speaker's finish. Because my hardwood floors are finished, I didn't use these. I found the Salon2's gold-plated hardware and…
