Price Paid:  $350.00 from Take 5 Audio New Hav

Summary:
This is a review aimed at bargain-basement thrift-shop audiophiles such as myself. I spent an afternoon auditioning the Maggie 1.6 speakers and a pair of used Centaurus Slant Sixes in one of the (to the extent my ear's experience can tell) excellent listening rooms at the local hi-fi place. Two hours spinning everything from Shakti to Tribe Called Quest to Marriage of Figaro made me fall deeper and deeper in love with the planar sound. The drum kit that leapt off my Head Hunters LP and took form in front of me almost had me pulling out the plastic. I gave a listen to the used but clean Apogee Centaurus Slant Sixes- they did nothing for me after the maggies.

Buried behind everything else in the used/repair room were some beaten up Thiels. I asked about them- heard the sad history of their mistreatment at the hands of some Doctor's kids-- the grilles were shredded and the dustcaps were dented in, but the teak was still nice and the EQ still around. And the salesman said that they could go for $350.

In the listening room, they had a lot of the detail and evenness that I had been digging in the 1.6s and they blew away the slant sixes.

At home they have been placed in a challenging listening room, one almost in a corner and the other pretty much in font of an eight foot square opening into the kitchen. The imaging was not quite what it was in the store, but it still held together more than I expected. I think the wide dispersion of the treble makes them great for real-world less than perfect listening rooms like mine. I'm putting about 85 watts of Second-Hand Denon Integrated amplification through them, and mostly listen to my Technics SL 5200 (I like auto return). Even with my cheaper peripherals and amplification (we're talking an Aiwa CD player, folks) I don't find them too fatiguing. Sure they reveal limitations, but it doesn't get in the way of their other revelations-- evenly balanced and defined music that came through even with cheapo gear in my awkward listening room. And, if they've stood up to the almost criminal abuse that it seems like they've been though, the used ones you're probably looking at stand to have a good long life expectancy. I think they're a good choice if your hunting around for maybe your first pair of audiophile grade speakers. Sound best with classical, acoustic jazz, electrified jazz, reggae, rock, hip hop (in descending order)

Strengths:
Non-Ported design and Equalizer make them out-dated. Why is that a strength? In the used market, it brings down the price of some very capable speakers. Now I can use the money I saved to get some better gear up the chain and see what these Thiels really *can* do. Bottom line is that they are fast, clear, and even enough to be this poor man's substitute for Maggies. In my demo, they definitely went deeper than the Maggies, picking up the low %^&-track from "Excursions" on Tribe's "Low End Theory" when the Maggies totally missed it. Also, the Thiels are listenable from just about anywhere in the room, while still being able to cohere (in a relatively large sweet spot) as well as they did when I heard them in the shop. It's nice for this six foor four enthusiast to be able to have a nice stereo image even when I stand up.

Weaknesses:
They don't have the bass that neophyte audiophiles like may be craving from their Cerwin-Vega days. Not for rocking out so much as grooving. I'm not qualified to really rate the upper bass problems that others have noted. I think they're only bright if you're too close.

Similar Products Used:
only stuff I've demoed in stores as told above.

Price Paid:  $2000.00 from from a private party

Summary:
The clearest, most defined sound field I've ever experienced. I've owned a lot of medium to high end speakers but these are the cream of the crop.

Strengths:
Very precise sound field. You can tell if the third violin's got his glasses on straight.

Weaknesses:
I hated my dentist because he had tattooed legs. In Ft. Collins, Colorado, no less! But did that stop him from being the most boring dude ever? NO!
And these speakers simply have NO weak points. I love them. Love them. Love them, I tell you! Buy them today. Now. Call the factory. Insist on overnight shipment. You'll thank me and also you'll be divorced within a week.

Similar Products Used:
I had Magnepans that I love almost as much. I hated all the Bose speaker systems I ever heard and they never came within light years of these Thiels.

Price Paid:  $725.00 from Audiogon

Summary:
I consider myself an upper middle class audio enthusiast that always tries to get a bang for the buck. As a professional entertainment journalist and author, music is a very important part of my life it being vynil, my favorite, or CD/DVD the medium of choice, the quality of sound is of utmost importance to me. When I had the opportunity of purchasing a pair of pristine CS 3.5 at Audiogon, I jumped at the opportunity and it has paid off. Thiels speakers carry a 10 year warranty, no questions asked, and it is nice to purchase an 8 year old speaker that is still under warranty. There is a reason why, the construction of this speakers is first class all the way. It is difficult for speakers this size to actually look good within the minimalistic standards of today, but the Thiels look like class and wont hurt your decor, a plus with the wife after the initial shock. The sound is where these speakers will win over your companion, my wife took a listen and our argument ended right there. She loved them!!! These are not speakers that you will be moving often, they weight in excess of 70 pounds, you better make sure that you set them right from the beginning. I found they work better away from the walls, but the changes are minimal, these speakers can actually be set up once and forget about them. Their strengh lies in the depth of the soundstage. You can actually pinpoint each instrument, and the conjunction of bass, treble and midrange is marked and never muffled. It makes for powerful and easy listening that is not overbearing, but actually quite soothing for such a large speaker. I spend a lot of my time listening to music in order to write reviews, these speakers are very critical and something that is not recorded properly will be exposed dramatically, as well as the overall flaws of your system. If you dont mind being critical, then these are for you. They would help you appreciate your investment in quality electronics, I am way over $25,000 already, and will expose what needs to be changed. The same in recordins, the great ones will shine, the bad ones you will only listen to once. Who could ask for anything more.

Strengths:
Clarity of sound, depth of stage.

Weaknesses:
Need power, lots of clean power if that is a weakness.

Similar Products Used:
Too many to mention.

Price Paid:  $1350.00 from the sound room

Summary:
These loudspeakers are very cosmetic appealing, and the design was obviously ahead of it's time. The first thing that jumps out at you is these speakers' ability to become invisible. that-is: they do not colour the music, and they immage wonderfully! If you have a surround sound set-up, you will find yourself disabling that function to just listen to the thiels!These speakers are of definite audio-phile level in quality,and performance, and thus will magnify any weaknesses in your system. If you can find these speakers used... buy them! I've auditioned several brands in the 3-5k range, and I just keep comming back to these thiels, which I purchased used in pristine condition for $1150.00

Strengths:
seamless delivery, openness,imaging ability,...these speakers do not exhibit the "boxiness" associated with most other speakers of the enclosure design. These speakers are perfectly suited for "critical-listening", such as jazz and classical,orchestral music, that-is if your system is very-well thought out.

Weaknesses:
power hungry! if you are used to the sound of traditional "pop" or rock and roll speakers, then these may not be the right speakers for you. they are much too-reveiling, and will magnify any imperfections in your system or recordings. After purchasing these speakers, some of my cd's are no longer "listenable",because they are just that good! also, they do not exhibit a great deal of dynamic range in the upper bass region, but these speakers have plenty of bass down low... it's just not exaggerated like other speakers that you may be used to.

Similar Products Used:
Adcom, Yamaha,Klipsch,Phase Linear,Infinity.

Price Paid:  $3000.00 from Hi End Hi-Fi

Summary:
There the finest spkr you'll find under $5000 PERIOD!!! I have heard the best and for my money these have been outstanding performers for years and for years to come! I cant say enough about the service from Thiel "AWESOME" people!

Strengths:
Imaging, Clarity, Soundstage, Presence, Ability to dissapear from the room, Very attractive, Price/performance.

Weaknesses:
Power hungry, Revieling of weak link in your system,"but that might be a strength too!". Nothing else!!

Similar Products Used:
Adcom 5802 Yamaha,Luxman,Denon,Sony