|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
86.84.81.181
Hi All,I am looking for a replacement for my Thiel cs1.6 speakers on my ARC V70. I really like the Thiels, but they lack "body". They sound a bit thin. I would like to put some speakers on my shortlist that sound somewhat like the Thiels, work great with the ARC V70 and make everything a bit bigger.
Follow Ups:
I have 1.5's and to me they sound the best when placed close to the wall behind them, mine are about 1.5 feet out, and aimed straight into the room with no toe in. I drive mine with a Golden Tube SE-40. To me they do not sound thin at all. My listening room is not that large though. A larger room might make them sound thin.
When I put the 1.6 close to the wall, you can hear the speakers instead of a stage in front of you. Also depth is minimized.
Thanks for your replies. I would like to buy secondhand, but even then Vandersteen is not available in the Netherlands. Yesterday I listened to a set Focal JMlab Electra 936. More body but less detail and air. I think the CS1.6s are very good and indeed it will be hard to find a better speaker for a reasonable price.I have no need to replace them rightnow, so I can save for something more expensive also. I do not want to upgrade by just a bit. I want to make a big step.
< < I have no need to replace them right now, so I can save for something more expensive also. I do not want to upgrade by just a bit. I want to make a big step. > >Based on this and what you have said in your other posts, I think the best way to go (if you can afford it) is to wait for the CS-3.7. They should give you *everything* you are looking for. Of course, at nearly 5x the price, they should. However I believe that they will still be something of a bargain in comparison with their competitors.
Don't know how they'll do with ARC - my guess is just fine - but I recently replaced my beloved Thiel 1.6s with Vandersteen 2ce Sig IIs. I thought I'd notice a loss of detail - I haven't to any notable degree. About the only thing the 1.6s have over the IIs is an open, immediate quality to voices and acoustic instruments. Otherwise, the IIs are better at just about everything else, especially in the category of being musical. The IIs definitely have "more meat on the bones" with a richer, fuller sound. The soundstage is much larger, especially in depth. As much as I like the Thiels, I'm really digging the Vandies. Good luck in your search (oh, I also vacillated for years whether to just add a good sub to mate with the Thiels - don't rule that out . . .)
Some comments on the Thiels.The 1.6 is rather nice but doesn't move enough air down low. I was lucky enough to meet Jim Thiel recently and he had some 1.6's playing with a Cary tube setup. It was a really nice combo. You're not going to peel the paint off the walls but the soft openness of the tubes was just magic with these. This was right after hearing the CS 3.7 prototype driven by some Classe separates. The 3.7 was extremely accurate and focused in comparison. Follow this link for more on that.
http://www.stereomojo.com/ThielArticle.htmOne thing about the Thiels is that the off axis response is off. "Duke" puts it as a peak around 4Khz off axis but I see it as more of an off axis dip. If you have a reflective room, this could affect things badly. The room I listened in was treated nicely and it sounded A-OK.
Suggestions? You could just get a subwoofer that can mix well with the music. It's difficult to adjust however. You'll spent lots of time with a RS meter and test tones. I now use a spectrum analyzer and can see that it's still not flat in my own system. The bad thing is that it is a deep sharp dip around 150Hz in the listening area regardless of the speakers I use.
Other than getting a sub, I suggest just going out and listening and maybe even taking something home to audition. The 1.6 is a nice speaker and it's likely that you'd have to spend a fair amount of money to top it. One thing that just popped into my head is Vanderstein. They seem to have some of the Theil magic but with a full bodied bottom end. The Theils are much prettier and less obtrusive however.
I look forward to seeing what others suggest.
Bill
| ||||||||||||
|
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: