I finally made it over to Thiel’s live demonstration featuring the CS3.7 floorstanders with the just announced SCS4 bookshelf speakers pulling center channel and surround duties. And wouldn’t you know this was another one of the few places in the entire CEDIA Expo at which one could actually hear some music?

The electronics were from Simaudio, with a Moon Orbiter universal disc player as the source and a Simaudio surround controller and an amplifier that was larger than the first studio apartment I lived in. Thiel was also augmenting the system’s bass with a pair of SS1 SmartSubs, which were controlled by one of Thiel’s advanced SmartSub Integrators.

This system presented a serious attitude adjustment to anyone who believes speakers with first order crossovers can’t play loud and lack dynamic slam. Through a variety of stereo and multichannel music clips this system had punch and power to go along with Thiel’s pinpoint imaging and expansive soundstage. The overall clarity of the system was apparent, even in these less than ideal show floor conditions, with the new SCS4 speakers filling in surround duties seamlessly when called for and the bass was fast, clean and extraordinarily well integrated.

I did hear a little bit less texture and meat on the bone than I’ve heard in previous demonstrations of the CS3.7, and I’ve got to admit that my previous experiences with Synergistic Research wire, which was the speaker wire employed on the CS3.7s, would lead me to look there for a potential culprit.

OK, I know, I’m being a critic, but that’s what we do here! Let me add some more words so you know exactly where I stand here. Speakers are big and heavy and in general are a major pain in the butt to review, which is why I so seldom attack that category myself. I was still able to clearly hear the reasons that the Thiel CS3.7 is high on my wish list of review products and why I’ll push as hard as I can to review a pair just as soon as Thiel can send me a pair. This is the most highly anticipated speaker release I’m aware of.