Thiel CS.5 Product Support Bulletin

An informed and insightful choice
PEA KS
FOR
A new level of sonic
maturity and finesse is
made avialable through the
Thiel sound. An elegant
and compact floor standing
speaker which offers a
large voice that is detailed,
transparent, and dynamic.
The .5 provides a whole lot
of sonic value.
AGAINST
Not all listeners may
appreciate at first the
sophistication offered—
listen some more. Benefits
from correct and careful
placement, and fine
amplification.
TESTED WITH
Theta Data Basic II CD
transport, Theta DS
Progeny digital processor,
Harman/KardonHD7325 CD
player, Copeland CSA 14
and Harman/Kardon HK660
integrated amplifiers,
Cardas 300-B, Kimber PSB,
Transparent Audio Music
link plus interconnects,
Kimber Illuminati MkII and
Simply Physics digital
coaxial links, B&W DM 610i,
B&W P5 and Sonus Faber
Minima loudspeakers,
Transparent Audio The
Wave and Siltec FTM-12
Ribbon speaker cables.
PRICE
R
C
R9 995 pair [$2800 US]
Reprinted with permission from
MONTHLY MAGAZINE FOR VISION AND SOUND
A
S ONE EXPERIENCES
things, it seems kind of
automatic that one
starts to gain insight. I
suppose the coined phrase—
"Live and you will learn" sheds
some light on my point, but falls
short of being completely
explanatory. A combination of
time, experience, and honest open
mindedness goes a long way to
providing a level of insight that is
simply not always available on
demand.
My reaction to the CS.5
loudspeaker may have been very
different if I had not had the
opportunity of spending time with
so many various speakers over the
past several months—from a
variety of entry level boxes to
reference trend setters, including
the top range Thiel CS5i and the
very musical CS7, and of course
my own Wilson System V.
But I have, and it has
enhanced my ability to get to
grips with what the Thiel CS.5 is
all about.
Since 1976, Jim Thiel has
been building loudspeakers, with
the main intention of making
listening to music enjoyable.
Today Thiel offers a line-up of
seven models, with the CS.5
being their smallest floor-
standing speaker.
The CS.5 is a two way ported
speaker, offering the same styling
as the full range CS5i. The styling
is classic, with a hint of state of
the art, due to the diminishing
depth presented by the sloped
front baffle. The baffle allows the
drivers to be positioned for
correct time alignment, while the
crossover is designed to provide
phase-accurate transitions
between the drivers.
The heavily constructed
cabinet uses one inch thick
cabinet walls, which are said to
reduce unwanted vibrations, and
FEBRUARY '96, NO 82
SOUTH AFRICA
improve both clarity and imaging.
The one inch tweeter is a metal
dome unit, while the 6.5 inch
woofer incorporates a short coil/
long gap motor design, which also
utilizes copper, to maintain a
stable magnetic field. The CS.5 is
said to go down to 55 Hz, with in-
room response confirming that the
bass response may go even lower.
The finish of the speaker is
exceptional, with the ultimate in