Thiel CS2.3 Manuals

ELECTRONICALLY REPRINTED FROM ISSUE 144

I am tempted to begin this review with the statement that the Thiel MCS1 is too good a speaker for surround sound. This is the kind of snotty remark, however, that ignores the fact that high quality movie soundtracks deserve high quality speakers as much as music. It also ignores the potential of surround music—a potential that has become much more real from demonstrations of surround sound SACD. At the same time, such a remark does dramatize the fact that the MCS1 is an exceptionally musical speaker for the money as well as an exceptional speaker for a home theater or surround system. Accordingly, the real reason that that I have decided not to begin this review by saying that the Thiel MCS1 is too good a speaker for surround sound is that saying a Thiel speaker provides outstanding musical performance for the money simply isn't necessary. Audiophiles already know that Thiel has long been one of the top speaker manufacturers in the U.S., and it was almost inevitable that Jim Thiel would build upon his experience with stereo to design products for surround sound. The MCS1 sells for $2,200 a speaker. It is a relatively compact 10 x 12.5 x 28.5 (w x d x h) inches, and weighs 61 pounds. This is relatively small for a stereo monitor, although “big” by left and right satellite, center channel, side channel, and rear channel standards. The MCS-1 comes in a wide range of finishes, stands are an available for vertical or horizontal placement, and it comes in a wide range of finishes. As is the case with all Thiel speakers I have encountered, it is built in-house, and the woodwork and finish are superb. Aside from the fact that the MCS1 is magnetically shielded, and is designed for stand mounting, it has the same basic components and design features as other products in the Thiel line. In spite of its small size, it is a three-way system with a dome tweeter, midrange, and two woofers. All of the drivers in the MCS1 use aluminum as a diaphragm material because Thiel feels it has much higher stiffness and compressive strength than conventional diaphragm materials, and reduces cone break-up, diaphragm resonance, and “ringing” in each driver’s operating range. It is a dual ported system. The 1" metal dome tweeter is coaxially mounted in a 3.5" metal cone, short coil/ long gap midrange. The two drivers’ diaphragms share the same voice coil, a design that is also used in the Thiel PCS and CS2.3. This technique allows the elimination of the midrange/tweeter section of the electrical crossover network as the drivers’ structure provides a mechanical crossover. Thiel feels this design allows drivers to achieve better time coherence. Such drivers can provide superior time alignment because the sound sources of both drivers are in the same location, and therefore the outputs of both reach the listener at the same time. The two 6.5" woofers have short coil/long gap, copper stabilized motor systems, cast aluminum chassis, and 2.2 pound magnets to increase output capability and efficiency. Thiel feels the use of a short coil/long gap voice coil design causes the intensity of the magnetic field acting on the coil to be constant during movement. Normally, the driver’s the magnetic field changes in intensity as The following review in reprinted in its entirety from the review that Anthony H. Cordesman submitted to Audio just before it closed. It has been given to us to reproduce in its original form and represents the personal views of the author. Anthony Cordesman is now a senior reviewer for The Absolute Sound. …the MCS-1 is an exceptionally musical speaker for the money, as well as an exceptional speaker for a home theater or surround system. The Thiel MCS-1 Home Theater Speaker: Too Good For Surround Sound? by Anthony H. Cordesman

Speaker System THIEL CS2.3 FIRST PLACE ISSUE NO.129, WINTER 1998/99 JAPAN Kamisugi—⋆⋆ Kobayashi—⋆⋆⋆ Sakuma—⋆⋆⋆ Shinda—⋆⋆⋆ Den—⋆⋆⋆ Hosotani—⋆⋆ Miura—⋆⋆⋆ Yanagizawa—⋆⋆ Best Buy Ratings: 680,000 yen/pair category (approximately $3800 U.S.) • A new three-way system developed and manufactured by Thiel, using metal driver diaphragms. Its main features are its wide soundstage, the latest “Coherent Source” Series sound performance, its exceptional speed and flexibility, and the addition of a livelier feel. As well, the overall speaker weight has been sufficiently reduced. So, Thiel has not overlooked any important characteristics. • The essence of this speaker is, without a doubt, the fact that it has the quality of the higher-priced CS6 at a lower price. As all of the drivers are developed in-house, Thiel has been able to eliminate unwanted resonances and correct irregularities that can be found in other manufacturer’s drivers. From the beginning, they have shown a clear and realistic sound, and have proved that they are at the top of America’s high-end.

CS2.3 The THIEL CS2.3 reflects our highest standards for sonic reproduction, regardless of price or class. • A 3-inch thick baffle, 1-inch thick cabinet walls, and internal bracing greatly increase cabinet stiffness. By reducing unwanted vibration, both clarity and imaging performance are improved. • The baffle’s rounded edges contribute to very open sound by significantly reducing edge diffraction. • THIEL-designed and built drivers incorporate several innovative design techniques to reduce diaphragm resonances, increase output levels, and lower distortion. model CS2.3 “ ” Jim Thiel’s new CS2.3 speaker thrills and excites… an outstanding speaker… —Peter Braverman, The Absolute Sound, Issue 115, December ’98 T HE 3-WAY CS2.3 INCORPORATES many of the advanced driver, enclosure, and crossover design principles used in larger and more expensive THIEL models, but does so at a lower price and in a moderately sized cabinet. The CS2.3 employs a 1-inch metal dome tweeter coaxially mounted with a 3.5-inch midrange driver, and an 8-inch metal diaphragm woofer, with a passive radiator. THIEL’s unique Coherent Source design provides greater realism The CS2.3’s outstanding performance is achieved in part by THIEL’s Coherent Source design technology which preserves the music’s time and phase information for much greater realism. Phase correct crossover design and time correct driver mounting provide natural three-dimensional imaging and greater clarity. The CS2.3’s high performance also results from our extremely thorough engineering, rugged construction, and use of unusually high quality components.

THIEL CS2.3 SPECIFICATIONS Bandwidth (-3 dB) Amplitude response Phase response Sensitivity Impedance Recommended Power Size (W x D x H) Weight Driver Complement: Woofer 8" (6.4" radiating area) with anodized aluminum cone, cast frame, 1.7" dia. voice coil. Underhung coil (short coil/ long gap) motor system. Linear travel 0.4" pk-pk, 13 in3 linear displacement. 2.5 lb. magnet, 6 lb. total magnet structure. Copper pole sleeve, copper magnet ring. Made by THIEL. Midrange 4.5" (2.7" radiating area) with anodized aluminum diaphragm, cast frame, 1" dia. voice coil. Underhung coil (short coil/long gap) motor system. Linear travel 1/8" pk-pk. Magnet weight of .8 lb. powers midrange and tweeter. Copper pole sleeve. Ferrofluid. Made by THIEL. Tweeter 1" (1.2" radiating area) with anodized aluminum dome. Powered by midrange motor. Coincident with midrange. 35 Hz - 23 kHz 37 Hz - 20 KHz ±2 dB minimum ±5° 87 dB @ 2.8 v-1m 4Ω, 3Ω minimum 100-400 watts 11 x 15 x 41.5 inches 70 lb Supplemental Technical Information for model THIEL CS2.3 Coherent Source ® Loudspeaker This paper contains only information specific to the CS2.3 speaker system. It is intended to supplement the general technical information paper which explains our engineering philosophy, goals and techniques. 4/98

EUROPE’S FIRST HOME THEATER MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1999 Loudpeakers of Craftsmanship and Perfection Thiel MCS1 / CS2.3 T he smaller that speaker manufac- turers are, the less often they are able to realize their own ideas and concepts. Especially with drivers, they are largely dependent on standard available units. The same applies vice-versa. Large manufacturers, with their own driver production, often lack the time for innovative technology and involved woodworking. Very high level, depth of production. In this area, Thiel can be counted among the rare excep- tions. The small manu- facturer in the American state of Kentucky performs woodwork- ing according to best tradition of craftsmanship and has also recently been manufacturing all drivers in-house. But that’s not all: physicist and mathematician Jim Thiel’s speakers also exhibit a series of special construction features, from the cabinet, to woofer with metal diaphragm, to complex crossovers. Aside from the “trivial” demand of a linear frequency response, Thiel pays special attention to two other parameters: having low distor- tion and very minimal phase shift to ensure great dynamics and correct spatial information—virtues which are also important in home theaters. Speakers for every purpose. With the MCS1, Thiel has recently introduced a speaker predestined for home theaters. Of course, two MCS1s can also be used magnificently in a two-channel system. Thanks to its flexibility of positioning— it can be used vertically as well as horizontally—nothing stands in the way of its use as a center channel speaker either. For this test, we supplemented one MCS1 with two floor-standing THIEL CS2.3s featuring the same midrange-tweeter, but making a subwoofer unnecessary as the CS2.3 has sufficiently powerful bass. For rear speakers, either two MCS1’s or alterna- tively small floor-standing speakers such as the Thiel CS.5 were used. Reprinted from