Thiel Audio CS3.7 Speaker is an Elite Performer

Thiel Audio's mid-sized, three-way CS3.7 loudspeaker is the company's new flagship product, and is suitable for music and movie playback.

It's not an A/V receiver loaded with every technology known to mankind, but the CS3.7 is indeed chock full of technologies.

The speaker features the company's familiar sloped baffle, which is an integral part of Thiel's coherent source concept. The cabinet is made of 15 layers of laminated hardwood, formed to make round edges that minimize diffraction.

Its top is a rounded aluminum cap -- also shaped to minimize diffraction -- that provides added strength and rigidity. The 3.7's aluminum baffle ensures the speaker's drivers don't move while reproducing audio signals (and it minimizes vibrations to eliminate cabinet resonances).

Proprietary Drivers, I-beam Construction Drive Speaker

The 3.7s house a proprietary set of drivers. Handling low frequencies is a 10-inch woofer with an aluminum diaphragm. This ribbed driver incorporates a large magnet and a 3-inch voice coil that handles large amounts of power.

The woofer is augmented by a passive radiator, which enables a sealed enclosure design without sacrificing low-frequency extension.

The 4.5-inch midrange unit, which incorporates what the company calls an "I-beam" type of construction, features a large-diameter voice coil that operates freely up to 20 kHz.

A 1-inch tweeter uses the company's long-gap motor system, which helps it to mount within the midrange to aid with time alignment. Orchestrating everything is the speaker's crossover network.

As a pair, the 3.7s aren't difficult to integrate into a system, but because of their weight and the optional outriggers (which decouple the speakers from the floor), two people are recommended for their installation.

Speakers Offer Evenness, Full Sound

Before I get into the specifics of the CS3.7s, let me point out that with an impedance level rated at 4 ohms, the speakers need an amplifier with lots of power reserves to effectively drive them. They will also take around 200 hours to break in.

That being said, these puppies can rock.

The speakers respond well to music ranging from rock to classical guitar, providing a level of evenness that handles powerful passages of amplified guitars and drums with the same control and resolution as soft, finger-picked nylon-stringed instruments.

One aspect of these speakers that shouldn't go unnoticed is their ability to fill a room with sound without overpowering the listening area, instead creating a layered image.

A good example I found was with the song "Love Rears its Ugly Head" by Living Colour. In this song, I could hear vocals, drums, guitar and bass all existing in free space within the image. Movies were just as good.

Because of the 3.7's ability to play down to approximately 32 Hz, it can assume more responsibility in replaying movie soundtracks without involving a sub.

Elite Speakers Can Play Anything

The CS3.7s are in an elite class of speakers. You don't need to listen to esoteric geek records for them to sound good. You can pick out any CD, record or digital file and have fun.

From an installer's perspective, you can let the client bring their own music and relinquish control of the demo to them. Put the Diana Krall away and let the speakers sell themselves.