• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Thiel CS3

B

Beowulf 58

New Member
Good Morning, I've been a new member for a while now however, this is my first post. I've spent my time reading and educating myself. Anyway, I was in a antique mall yesterday and caught these speakers out of the corner of my eye. A pair of Thiel CS3's. I guess what got my attention was their unique shape and design. They appeared to be in very good condition, except the grills seemed to be, I guess you could say a little over stretched. They did not seem to fit tightly. Not sure if that may be normal in some cases or not. I'm just wondering if anyone has or had a pair and what your opinions were on these. Thanks!20190526_125459.jpg
 
Register to hide this ad
I never got the chance to hear a pair but wanted them anyway, just based on what I read. Very nice find; you did well. Let's hear what you think of them.
 
I would do a bit of research before buying used Thiel. Some have tweeters that are no longer in production and parts not available. If drivers are not perfect on this pair I would pass.

Cheers
Mister Pig
 
Isn't Thiel the company that closed up shop a few months ago?
If so, that may make obtaining parts a little more difficult.
Of course there is the used market still.
 
Perhaps a quick call to Coherant Source Service would let you know if the CS3 is still serviceable. The company was started by Rob Gillum who worked for Thiel for 30 years and apparently is able to service and repair most models. I'd certainly pick those up if the price was right. Those grill frames under the cloth look to be broken, might be able to repair them.

https://www.coherentsourceservice.com/about/
 
Formerly owned a pair

The good. They sound amazing if a bit bass-shy.
They’re time aligned.
They’re the last thiels to be biwireable

The bad. They have an external bass equalizer. Will definitely need to be recapped if it is w them

The tweeters are extinct dynaudios and they give up the ghost for no reason. Finding replacements is expensive. They were stock in a line of sonographe speakers by CJ of about the same era. And I THINK but not guarantee that they were also in some JSE’s. Further. And be really careful. There are two different models of ostensibly the same tweeter w different mounting depths.

They require a proverbial ****-ton of juice to work. Things that sounded good: Aragon 8008 and Bel Canto ref1000’s. Things that didn’t. The seven other things I plugged them into

The guy who had mine before me was powering them w some spaceship AV receiver. Whether it was that or time, not sure, but he fried a woofer cone. I looked for a matching woofer for a year and a half. Thiel offered to recone them for a zillion dollars.

I’d pass. I loved the sound and would never buy another thiel product. I’ve owned cs3’s and a really sexy pair of 2.4’s that I sold here.
 
The seller was asking $750, but was not around as it was a booth in an antique market. There was nothing there to test them with as well. I did a little homework on my phone while there, and saw the issues with replacement parts being pretty much nonexistent. I guess I was more curious than seriously shopping. I'd never seen them before. I figure for that price they had better be pretty amazing. Anyway, I appreciate the comments and insight as well. Thanks!
 
Beowulf 58 said:
The seller was asking $750, but was not around as it was a booth in an antique market. There was nothing there to test them with as well. I did a little homework on my phone while there, and saw the issues with replacement parts being pretty much nonexistent. I guess I was more curious than seriously shopping. I'd never seen them before. I figure for that price they had better be pretty amazing. Anyway, I appreciate the comments and insight as well. Thanks!
Click to expand...
I sold mine fully working w a spare tweeter for less than $300 bc I wanted them out of my house and the market for big speakers is impossible. I’d bet you could get a set w a little looking for $400/500
 
Beowulf 58 said:
The seller was asking $750, but was not around as it was a booth in an antique market. There was nothing there to test them with as well. I did a little homework on my phone while there, and saw the issues with replacement parts being pretty much nonexistent. I guess I was more curious than seriously shopping. I'd never seen them before. I figure for that price they had better be pretty amazing. Anyway, I appreciate the comments and insight as well. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Walk away, the seller is wayyyy out to lunch on the price.
 
Nice speakers, yet there are many other speakers always out there.
Better ones for less.

The condition seen from pic and limited testing would not even offer $100 IMHO.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom