All American: THIEL, a Company Profile

It is refreshing to find a really great, all-American built, product. There is a company located in Lexington, Kentucky that manufactures just that: THIEL Loudspeakers.

For aficionados of great sound, THIEL loudspeakers are acclaimed for both their sonic accuracy and their elegant design. Founder Jim Thiel has attained this high level of success, largely due to the company’s engineering-based approach to solving nagging, age-old audio riddles such as time/phase accuracy and driver distortion. As his driver designs became more innovative and sophisticated, Thiel felt he could not obtain the high level of quality he was seeking from the usual vendors, so he and his team actually design and build most of their own woofers and tweeters at the THIEL factory in Lexington. This is an almost unheard of practice, as the vast majority of speaker manufacturers use drivers produced by only a handful of international manufacturers.

THIEL is just as obsessive with its loudspeaker cabinets. THIEL enclosures are scientifically designed works of art, built from such materials as wood, cast marble polymer, and extruded aluminum. THIEL makes loudspeakers both for traditional stereo applications as well as for the new and rapidly expanding world of home theater. THIEL designs include terrific in-wall and in-ceiling speaker systems (and making such speakers sound terrific is almost impossible for a variety of reasons), as well as built-to-match column speakers for flat panel Plasma screens. In a further accommodation to home theater needs, THIEL recently introduced a family of subwoofer systems that addresses the issues of room acoustics and system matching using unique, patented THIEL technology for rich, full response even at room shaking levels.

In our world of “here today, gone tomorrow” audio companies, it is worthwhile to note that THIEL has been in business since 1977, when production of its first speaker, the model 01began. In 1978, they introduced the model 03, which pioneered complete time and phase accuracy in multi-driver dynamic speaker systems. 2002 marked THIEL's 25th year in the audio business, and the company has grown to become one of the leading manufacturers of high performance audio.

THIEL now markets a complete product line, consisting of fifteen models of Coherent Source loudspeakers. THIEL speakers range in price from about $1,000 to $9,000, and are all designed and built in a modern 30,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Lexington.

Since THIEL loudspeakers have enjoyed such a rich history of critical acclaim from the international press and the most respected reviewers, why hasn’t the company become a household name? Well, for one, THIEL loudspeakers are not sold in mass-market stores by teenagers that cannot properly set-up or demonstrate the product. Secondly, THIEL has chosen to devote its resources heavily into R & D, as opposed to expensive advertising.

Jim Thiel, himself, is the co-founder, co-owner, and chief product design engineer for THIEL. His interest in music began with the piano in early childhood and remains an important part of his life today. Thiel’s involvement in audio product development can be traced to age 12 when he began to build and repair radios and other electronic gear. His academic background lies in physics and mathematics. Jim pioneered the principle of time and phase accuracy in loudspeakers with the use of sloped baffles, coaxial driver mounting, and phase coherent crossover network design.

Kathy Gornik, co-owner and President, is responsible for company direction, policies, and marketing strategy. She oversees the appointment of all domestic dealers and international distributors. She is also involved in promoting high-end audio in general through leadership in many industry organizations, including her current role as chairwoman of the Consumer Electronics Association.

Research and development at THIEL are dedicated to one goal: providing the end-user with the most realistic sound reproduction possible. Those of us who have become used to shockingly high-priced loudspeakers are always pleasantly pleased with THIEL’s pricing. While not inexpensive, THIEL products are always priced fairly and offer great “bang for your buck”.

JL