Thiel SmartSub SS2 Product Support Bulletin

Electronically reprinted from July/August 2005
Thiel SS2 SmartSub Subwoofer
Thanks to superb engineering—and a unique compensation feature that ensures the
same superlative sonics regardless of where this sub is located in a room—the Thiel
SmartSub breaks new ground in the bottom octaves.
S
lam without slop; depth
without distortion; sheer
ferocity without a trace of
constraint or compression.
The new Thiel SS2 has
taught me the sound of a subwoofer
that is absolutely fearless in the face of
extremes. And that is but the first of
its lessons about what a subwoofer—
freed from the constraints that typical-
ly plague the breed—can do.
Breaking New Sonic Ground
Subwoofers carry much of an action
film's dramatic impact. But until I
spent time with the remarkable SS2, I
did not realize how much. Watching a
rock-'em, sock-'em sonic showboat
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Issue 62
like The Incredibles through this
speaker is—sorry, there is no better
word—incredible!
But there is more to it than elec-
trifying punch and power. The plot-
plot-BOOM-plot-plot-BOOM action
flick formula can become tiresome
when, as with too many subwoofers,
the Big Bangs all sound alike and
each portentous rumble resembles
the last. The SS2 is not nearly so
coarse. It reveals that large effects are
actually highly differentiated. Some
are short and sharp, while others are
long and lingering. By reproducing
variations in bass intensity, attack,
delay, and pitch with exceptional
accuracy, the SS2 enables sound
effects to better match the variety of
their accompanying images and the
dramatic tenor of the movie.
In The Incredibles, for example,
there are a half dozen dazzling
action sequences, but each is unique
and each builds upon the intensity of
the last. Thanks to its broad acoustic
palette, the SS2 reinforces the dis-
tinctiveness of each scene. Further-
more, it precisely traces the film's
mounting intensity with progressively
more penetrating bass. The Thiel not
only musters the necessary low-end
wallop, it underscores the movie's dra-
matic line to an unprecedented extent.
So far I have focused on the SS2's
ability to tease out the distinctions
among big sound effects. Rest assured
that this subwoofer's virtues extend to
subtler realms as well. It portrays
sonic minutiae, like the thud of a thick
door closing, with exactly the right
weight and detail. On music DVDs,
such as the fine 9/11 memorial,
America: A Tribute to Heroes,
acoustic guitars exhibit a realistically
burnished tone while electric basses
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A U D I O R E V I E W
are punchy, fat, and tuneful.
Indeed, music is one of the SS2's
strongest suits. The speaker's lofty
dynamic headroom and exemplary
transients, which serve action features
so well, are equally in evidence when
playing music. As a bonus, the Thiel is
unrivaled in pitch definition. Listen,
for instance, to the Bach "Orgel-
werke" track from Burmester's CD3
sampler. This brief organ piece expos-
es any pitch ambiguity and often
induces considerable subwoofer slop.
The SS2 will have none of that!
Through it, deep bass notes are not
hinted at—they are nailed. And, as
with film sources, even the most chal-
lenging musical bass can't cause the
SS2 to lose its composure.
Breaking New Technological
Ground
My description of the SS2's sonics may
evoke the mental image of a refrigera-
tor-sized beast. On the contrary, the
sub is rather compact for its perform-
ance envelope (though it is every bit as
heavy as you might expect). Inside its
buffed, rounded, and sealed enclosure
reside two stacked short-coil/long-gap
10" woofers, replete with aluminum
diaphragms and massive magnet struc-
tures. These units are said to reduce
distortion and to allow the woofers to
move atypically large amounts of air
for their size. Also contributing to the
SS2's trim stature is the choice of a
1000-watt Class D switching amp.
Such amps deliver bounteous power
for their size, and require no fins, fans,
or overbuilt power supplies since they
generate little heat.
LFE input as well as an output that
enables daisy-chaining multiple subs,
❘
A l a n Ta f f e l
The SS2's back panel sports an