CS-6
Over the course of the
year that Trish and I have
lived in our new home,
I’ve been rebuilding my
reference system a piece at
a time. I’ve been more or
less methodically working
through different cable
packages and combinations of electronics, experimenting with various
racks and isolation systems, even tearing down
and rearranging the room
layout and treatments a
number of times. But the
heart of the search was
always figuring out what
to use as a reference
speaker.
On paper, it was easy. I
needed something simple, to mate with the
broadest possible spectrum of associated gear. It
had to be big enough to
produce truly full-range
performance in my large,
open area, but small and
attractive enough to earn
Trish’s blessing. My conscience dictated that it
had to represent good
value. Ideally, it should be
something that
Stereophile’s readers were
familiar with. And, of
course, it had to sound absolutely fantastic. When I sorted all of the requirements and boundary conditions against
my database of experience and auditioning, the answer came up “Thiel.”
But which model? First I considered
the CS3.6, a high-end classic and a great
match for the electronics I typically use . . .
but I was a little concerned about its abili-
ty to drive my large space. Next I looked
at the CS7.2, which I reviewed in the
February 2000 Stereophile. The ’7.2 is an in-
credible performer ...but simply too big
for the floor space I had to work with. So
I arrived, Goldilocks-like, at the CS6. According to my list of criteria, it would be
just right.
1
John Atkinson reviewed the CS6 in
the March 1998 Stereophile and was favorably impressed: “The CS6’s balance was
warm, smooth, and grain-free, coupled
with excellent low-bass response, pinpoint imaging, good soundstage depth,
and superb retrieval of recorded detail.”
He also noted that its
dynamics were “startlingly
natural,” and found the
CS6 to be very revealing,
noting that miking techniques were clearly obvious
through the Thiels, and that
“differences between CD
players and preamplifiers
were similarly audible.”
However, he also took pains
to note that these differences were “vividly clear,
but the presentation was
never upfront or in my face,
or ‘ruthlessly revealing,’ or
any of the other descriptors
that reviewers use to disguise the fact that the speakers have them leaping up to
turn down the volume.”
On the minus, or potentially minus, side of the
ledger, JA mentioned a
couple of logistical limitations and one sonic shortcoming. The former are
that the CS6 needs to be
mated to a gutsy amp and
top-quality associated gear,
and that the listening position needs to be at least 10'
from the speakers for the
drivers to integrate. The
sonic shortcoming was a
slight midrange reticence:
“the midrange didn’t offer
quite the same degree of ultimate clarity
or cleanness that so distinguished the
bass or treble octaves.”
My experience with the CS6 pretty
much mirrored JA’s, but I’ll add a few
comments. The first one, which JA
alluded to but didn’t elaborate on, is that
the Thiels were not trivial to set up. It
makes sense —the CS6 is a large speaker and truly drives even my large space,
so there are bound to be a lot of room
interactions — but it’s worth noting
nonetheless. I spent many, many hours
moving the speakers and my listening
chair around before I got their balance
Stereophile, October 2003
F ollow-Up
Brian Damkroger
Thiel CS6 loudspeaker
1 Serial numbers of units reviewed: 1447, 1448. Price:
$7900/pair. Warranty: 10 years. Manufacturer: Thiel
Audio, 1026 Nandino Boulevard, Lexington, KY
40511-1207. Tel: (859) 254-9427. Fax: (859) 254-0075.
Web: www.thielaudio.com.
Electronically Reprinted from October 2003
Thiel CS6 loudspeaker
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