Speaker Asylum General speaker questions for audio and home theater.

---

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] Thread: [ Display  All  Email ] [ Speaker Asylum ]

---

[ Alert Moderator ]

---

Thiel 3.7 my first impressions

Posted by PriyaW (A) on November 25, 2007 at 11:39:32

I finally found time to visit the local dealer yesterday to listen to new Theil 3.7, their new flag ship speaker. Theil 6s and 7s have been discotinued as well as 3.6s (This is what I was told by the dealer). They had been in the store for about 3 months and had more than 300hrs on them.

This speaker has a newly designed midrange driver with the tweeter coincidently mounted at the center of the midrange driver. Tweeter can be removed (in case there are problems) without distrubing the midrange driver. From Theil specs,

Midrange: "The midrange driver's diaphragm is constructed with an entirely new shape that provides far greater stiffness than typical diaphragms, even those made from exotic materials. The diaphragm is shaped with corrugations that are oriented from the center outward (like spokes) and act a little like small I-beams to provide enormous strength in that direction. The large diameter voice coil attached to the diaphragm gives it strength in the other direction--around the circle. This design achieves such great stiffness that the diaphragm continues to vibrate perfectly, as one unit, all the way up to 20 kHz, usually considered the upper limit of human hearing.

Tweeter: The CS3.7 tweeter provides much lower distortion and higher output than any other tweeter we are aware of. This is accomplished in spite of a size small enough to mount coincidently with the midrange driver by a unique long gap motor system that uses a set of four radial and one axial neodymium magnets with a total weight six times that of a typical neodymium powered tweeter. In addition, the tweeter provides the complete absence of any coloration-producing diaphragm resonances in the audible range, a very wide operating bandwidth and very low power compression. The result is high frequencies of utter neutrality and effortless dynamics.

Crossover: The CS3.7 crossover is a true first order acoustic type that provides the utmost in spatial and depth imaging performance as well as overall realism. This is the only type of crossover that provides complete accuracy of amplitude, phase, time, and energy, and therefore the only type that does not distort the musical waveform. Proper application of this gradual-transition type of crossover requires the use of more expensive drivers with wider frequency ranges than are required for use with common quick-transition crossovers but the benefits also include improved uniformity of the speaker's output in all directions.

Bandwidth (-3 dB): 32 Hz - 35 kHz
Frequency response: 33 Hz - 26 kHz ±2 dB
Phase response: minimum ± 10°
Sensitivity (2.8v - 1m, true anechoic): 90 dB
Impedance: 4 ohm (2.8 ohm min)
Recommended power: 100 - 600 watts
Size (w x d x h): 12.5 x 21 x 45 in /32 x 53 x 114 cm
Weight: 91 lb 41.5 kg

Associated equipment for this listening test: Bryston amplifier (4B SST), preamp (BP-26?) and CD player (BCD-1). VTL TL2.5 line stage, TT-15S1 refernce series Turn Table.

My first impression of these speakers are they sounded very lean at the bottom. While 3.7s lower frequency does not go down as far as 3.6s, the differences are not subtle, but quite remarkable. The title track on One Night in Vienna by Schonherz and Scott has a drum in the middle of the soundstage that go very deep. On 3.6s, this track basically shake up my furniture in the listening room. However, that was not the case with 3.7s. Tracks 2 and 9 on 1492 Conquest of Paradise by Vangellis also have deep base. Again, 3.7s did not come into the neighborhood of 3.6s in these tracks as well.

Midrange magic of Theil continues with 3.7s. Soundstage depth, imaging,layering, tonal accuracy, etc., are top-notched and I cannot falter those in anyway. However, at the very top end, 3.7s sounded bit "darker" than 3.6s. Now I will be the first to complain about that darn vifa tweeter on 3.6s. On certain CDs, it can be outright irritating with first strings and crashing symbols. However, 3.6s at the top has lot more "air" and this aspect was somewhat diminished in 3.7s. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

To answer this question I used listening results from 2 LPs by Shivkumar Sharma playing the santoor (Classical Melodies on the Santoor: Ragas Malkauns, Hansadhwani, and Mishra Khamaj, EMI; Shivkumar Plays Santoor with Alla Rakha on Tabla: Ragas Shankara and Jhinjhoti). Classical music stage arrangement in these recordings are fairly simple; santoor on right speaker and tabla on the left speaker. The santoor, unlike other string instruments is played with a pair of wooden hammers whose gentle strokes on the strings afford a vareity of delicate but lively tonal effects reminiscent of the piano or harp.

Again my first impression was that 3.6s reproduced the sound of santoor much better than 3.7s. There is lot more "air" underneath these passges and they sounded more "lively" and "sweeter" in 3.6s than 3.7s.

My next test was to subject 3.7s with jazz music. I had 2 LPs by Coleman Hawkins (At Ease with Coleman Hawkins, Soul) and several CDs including Astrud for Lovers by Astrud Gilberto. Reproduction of Saxaphone, piano, voice, etc., on 3.7s were absolutely stunning. They were reproduced as well as in 3.6s if not even better. The only issue I have is with the reproduction of the double-bass. The plucking of string on double-bass was not well defined and it seems to be lot "loose" than in 3.6s. I didn't hear the purrrring of the double-base on 3.7s as clearly as in 3.6s. This may yet again be attributed to the 3.7s lack of extension at the bottom-end.

One time I had Theil 2 2s (for about two years) and then upgraded to 3.6s for obvious reason of bottom-end extension and details. I haven't heard Theil 2.4s, but 3.7s may very well be an upgrade for those owners. However, I am not yet convinced that 3.7s will be a step forward for 3.6s owners.

What you are paying for is new driver technology and modern cabinet design. Like every other speaker, 3.7s are a compromise of sound and engineering. They are well-crafted and backed by a company with a good history and reputation. So I encourage you to listen to them. May be that lack of bottom-end extension is not important to you. May be shade of missing "air" at top end is what you are craving for to match with your gear. I must confess that on some tracks, I like that "darker" top. Becasue on 3.6s, they basically send you out of the room.

I am planing on another listening session with 3.7s in coming weeks. At that time, dealer promised to set up the speakers on the oppsite side of the room with better electronics. I also plan to take some more music that was "problamatic" for 3.6s and see if 3.7s can do full justice. So don't take my first impression as the final word on these otherwise remarkable speakers.

Priya

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Amplified Parts

---

[ Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]

---

[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]

---