I'm glad to present my simple system here. It's based on a digital source, the wonderful Sony HAP Z1-ES, a DIY passive pre-amp with one IN/OUT line battery powered and remote controlled volume, McCormack DNA-2 amp and Thiel CS 3.6 loudspeakers. Recently I made by myself the table and the amplifier stand that you can see in the pictures, to make it I used stainless stell, aluminium and carbon fiber.
Today (23th April) I added the Doge 8 Clarity 2019 Edition tube preamp with Psvane tubes, burn in just started, can't have a clear opinion yet....I will be back with my finding once the Doge will be settled.....for sure I love how it looks, hope the same for SQ.
My last touch.....a genuine red Stratocaster in my listening room help me to believe live music is here. For me it's the symbol of my loved group....Sultans of Swing, Dire Straits of course!!
26 February 2022.
Since around two months I have added a pair of JBL 4367 for live moments need, the very high spl and great sound quality these fantastic loudspeaker is able to deliver is impressive, when you push the volume they bring you directly on stage with your preferred band! Neverthless the Thiel 3.6s will remain with me forever, I still love their absolutely refined sound over many more expensive and modern speakers.
05 October 2023
After long time dreaming, I succeeded in purchase a beautiful pair of Thiel CS7.2 in Morado finish and spectacular shape.
Unbelievable the new sound quality level I can listen now, amazing! Jim Tiel has been a real genius and his speakers continue to be a reference still nowaday, I can't imagine how much I should spend today to beat these 7.2's
I realized another dream, after the purchase of JBL's 4367, wonderful speaker for my live moment but with huge quality sound, I have just replaced my loved Thiel 3.6's with an amazing pair of Thiel 7.2's found in a incredible perfect condition. Mate, these are not just loudspeakers, these are pure pieces of artwork! With these two systems I can really stay forever.
This huge amplifier is a must to properly drive the very low load of Thiel 3.6s, it is not easy to find a amplifier that sound good at around 2,3 ohm thus I ended with this beefy McCormack DNA-2, I have to say that its a great matching, it can deliver a very pleasant listening even at very low volume, with powerful and clear bass and refined mid highs.
When listening to JBL it's a more relaxed job for him but the dynamics became very close to a live performance but still very well balanced. Very happy with both loudspeakers solution.
Thank you jbhiller, yes, silver finish is very nice for this preamp, indeed, I have paid a reasonable price for this custom finish. I also think that its sound quality is very high for the price, I ordered mine with Psvane tubes suggested by Doge representative as recommended upgrade. I agree with you that the built quality is great and it looks much better in person.
I too have a Doge Clarity 8 tube preamplifier. I recently sold my Vincent because I thought I only need one preamp and the Doge was better.
The silver finish you custom ordered is making me envious right now. Doge products look and feel (to me) better in person than in pictures. The black photographs and looks pretty subtle. Your silver looks super!
I recently improved my system by means acoustic room treatment adding five very effective bass traps made by Bluetone acoustics, a polish brand that made them on my needs in size to fit in the corners both side of my wall bookshelf and under the desk. Second just added a wonderful REL S 812 subwoofer that helped a lot controlling some bad resonance at low frequency. It took me a quite to get a good integration with the room and the Thiel 3.6s but after some time and with the help of Rew software I succeded, I could not go back, before I had very good sound, now is stellar!
After some search and with a great support from Rob Gillum (the long time Thiel production and supervisor expert and nowadays owner of Coherent Source Service) I finally realized my idea of a special tribute to Thiel: a composed wall picture that I made and catch some moments of Thiel life, now it's hanged in one wall of my listening room. The genius deserve it.
Thank you for your appreciation and yes, I love to spend time in my chair listening to it, I know that in this hobby you never are done but prefer listen to good music than continuously think about how to improve a bit ...and maybe for a big buck.
Today I added a Doge 8 Clarity 2019 Edition preamp to my system, I ordered it with better tubes, the Psvane proposed by Doge for a bit more money.
Also it has been made in silver finish as for my special request to match my taste ( a bit extra money for this but affordable), normally it's offered only in black .
After the required burn in I'll be back here with my impression.
six months ago I paid 2000€ for my pair here in Italy that means around 2280 US$, but I know that when the CS 3.6s were for sale in my country the price was double than US price. I have also to say that I've been very lucky finding them in perfect shape both functionally and aesthetically, incredible after twenty years!
.....I would have liked to have bought them for 1500$!...anyway absolutely I don't regret my purchase, I would buy them again tomorrow!
Hi There . Would you be so kind as to disclose your purchase price of the 3.6 ? I am looking at a pair and the seller wants $1500 . I have seen sales for less so I am gun shy on purchasing . Thanks,mike
Thiel fascinated me long time ago and finally few months ago I became the new owner of this beautiful Cs 3.6s. Can't stop listening to my fovorite music, a true pleasure even at very low volume!....but you already know this :-)
thank you very much for your appreciation! Actually I enjoy a lot my setup, the McCormack DNA-2 literally make Thiels sing and what I appreciate most is that the listening at very low volume is so rich in dynamic and detail.....Steve McCormack is a true genius!....on pair with Jim Thiel (we lost him unfortunately).
I'm very curious of your speaker, never heard before I read you own them and now want discover more about, the concept of a single driver sounds like a serious thing to take into the account......if only I was closer to you.......
That is a very well crafted system. It is the second system I see that is based with just one digital front end but with a DNA-2 at the heart of the system. The other person had a pair of Wilson Sofias as his reference. Cheers for being about to construct your equipment stands properly. Many would have to pay professional prices to get such stand. I am sure your system sounds outstanding. Some of the pieces you have are destined to become modern classics. For the look and choice of pieces I can see you are a music lover first and then a audiophile second. Cheers!
Thank you jafant, it's my pleasure to share my passion for music with all of you fellows hi fi lovers. So many things to learn from your experiences and solutions, too good to admire all this incredible equipments that I would not have imagined even existed!!
Thank you Rob for your words! Yes, I jumped late on Thiel's train but was already aware of what kind of power they need to really sing, thus I went immediately on the search of the DNA-2 (being already a owner of a loved DNA 0.5 wanted stay with similar sound signature) same day I bought my pair of CS 3.6's and with a lot of luck found one in excellent conditions after two weeks. Can't stop to think how Ive been lucky finding this in Italy even because I guess very few of them were imported. Definitely I love my DNA-2, no plan to upgrade the amp for long time.
Next move, actually already under construction, is the base for the amp: it will have same look and technical solutions of the table but with twenty millimeters of thickness for the glass due to the huge weight of DNA-2!
I'll update my Virtual System with some pictures once the construction is finalized.
I know that my system is very simple, no esoteric analog turntable and so on, not because I dislike the sound of such state of the art analog chain, just because I never invested on this since was young thus I should start from zero and thinking to my expectations in sound quality simply can't afford it now, in the future maybe.
.....anyway, very satisfied with my system, even at late night when the rest of family is sleeping, so you can image how low can the volume be, I'm able to enjoy such incredible details and impressive dynamic (for the volume) that this chain can deliver.
Thanks Jerry, too kind. Due to my job I've the luck to have the availability of some modern and expensive lathes and CNC machines in the company I work for thus it all become easier from a practical point of view.
