Thiel Audio CS5/5i, "Pulchritudinous"

Thiel Audio manufactured highly sought after hi-end loudspeakers from their Kentucky factory from 1977 to 2018.  Brothers, Jim and Tom Thiel, and partner Kathy Gornik made their name in audio with the study and design of speakers that compensated for time delays between high and low frequency drivers due to the non-concentric nature.  Their studies showed that our ear/brain interpret even the tiniest of time delays as "wrong," which listeners tend to describe as "unmusical" or "unrealistic" sound.

The Coherent Source design used both physical and electrical means to compensate for these anomalies.  Thiel's signature sloped front baffle was the most visible result of these studies.  Some time in the mid-1980s, the Thiel brothers sought to design a no-holds-barred example of their driver alignment and crossover theory.  Using all of the knowledge they had assembled from a decade and a half of success, they created the CS5.  Often billed as one of Thiel's crowning achievements, and the speaker Jim Thiel claimed was his personal favorite design in the company's history, the CS5 are truly extraordinary in every way. 

Featuring a 5-way design using top-shelf, custom-made drivers from the best European manufacturers known to this day, the CS5 has impeccable imaging and instrument placement.  The speakers disappear into a room and really reproduce lifelike music.  But one thing you will notice is the prodigious bass...measurable down to 10Hz in some rooms.  The full-range presence of these speakers is phenomenal.  In spite of their size and heft (weighing in at 220 lbs each), they can also play extremely delicately at low to moderate volumes, and with dynamics that will make your skin jump.  

These speakers have been thoroughly examined, all drivers tested.  The custom-made Scanspeak tweeters have had their ferrofluid replaced to ensure longevity and clarity for many years to come. The metal and wood framed grilles are in excellent shape and covered in the original cloth. Also know, these have been upgraded to CS5i as seen by the 5i bass drivers. (This was a common upgrade at the time.) There is one 3/4" long tear in one grille, barely noticeable.  The real, book-matched Brazilian Rosewood veneer was a factory upgrade, and has been cleaned and treated for a beautiful presentation.

Stereophile Magazine review and specifications, here.

Demos are available in Lawrence, MA.  Prepare to be gobsmacked. 

$3,299 (plus applicable sales tax)

*Note, due to size and weight, shipping is not possible with these speakers*