One of the best--- and one of our favorite--- loudspeaker manufacturers, THIEL featured some great new loudspeakers in a live multi-channel music system at this year's big CEDIA Expo in Denver. This convention is where you'll find many of the better custom installers looking for the latest and greatest in home theater products.
For those of you that may not be aware of THIEL, the company is a thirty-year old, privately-held organization based in Lexington, Kentucky. The company performs research, design, and manufacturing of loudspeakers for the highest quality home music and video sound reproduction. Its products incorporate a variety of technological advancements in driver design, acoustical construction techniques, and crossover design. All this is directed toward one end: to provide the most realistic sound reproduction possible.
We have long been fans of THIEL and its products. Recently I spoke with Kathy Gornik, president of the company, who told me that the company's new CS3.7 loudspeaker was named as a CES Innovations Design & Engineering Award Winner for 2007 and Product of the Year by EH Publishing, and is perhaps THIEL's finest loudspeaker ever. Jim Thiel added that the CS3.7 represents “the most significant product introduction from THIEL in at least ten years”. Unusual cabinet construction using curved sides, an aluminum dome and baffle as well as the CS3.7's radical and unique driver technology are at the heart of this exciting new product from THIEL. The new driver design allows both the CS3.7 midrange and tweeter to operate as near-perfect pistons and deliver pure, distortion free sound that provides you with an experience approaching the excitement of a live musical performance. The CS3.7 has a suggested retail price of $4950.
Right on the heels of the CS3. 7, the smaller, newly introduced SCS4 is a versatile, two-way, bookshelf-sized speaker system uniquely suited for outstanding front, rear, or center channel use regardless of listener position or speaker location. The SCS4’s high output capability easily meets the demands of today’s home theater systems, and its innovative, advanced driver design provides an extremely realistic sonic experience. Company president Kathy Gornik told me, “The SCS4’s high efficiency, magnetic shielding, narrow shape, and very accurate reproduction make it perfect for use as a high performance center or rear channel speaker in home theater and multi-channel systems.” Kathy also told me that "the SCS4 is an all-purpose, full-range speaker as comfortable in demanding music systems as it is reproducing movie soundtracks"... but the good news is that it is available at a much lower price than most THIEL loudspeakers. The THIEL SCS4 has an MSRP of $990 each and will be shipping soon. I must pause here to tell you that Kathy and Jim make a formidable combination: one is a design genius and the other a marketing genius.
Last but not least, the SS1 Subwoofer utilizes a 500 watt amplifier and a single long-throw 10" woofer offering an exceptional amount of quality output for a subwoofer its size. The SS1 is currently shipping and has an MSRP of $2900 each.
Make no mistake, all THIEL speakers are superb products. The only decision you have to make is "how much do I want to spend". To check out the full THIEL product line, I suggest you check out their website at: www.THIELaudio.com
Davidson Lentz
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