Thiel CS 5i User manual

THIEL
Model
CSsi
CoherentSource@
loudspeaker
system
OWNER
INFORMATION
1991
@
1989
@C,O.T.Y,
\"iDUt')

C ongrurulations
on
yourpurchase
of the
THIEL
CS5iCoherert[Sottrce'n
loudspeaker
system.The
CS5i
is
the
resultof along
anddedicatedeffortto
provide
the
most
accuratemusicrepro-
duction
possible.
Wehaveused
onlythe
highestquality
componentsandtaken
great
careinits
construction.Properlyset
upandusedwithgood
associatedequip-
ment,the
CS5i
will provide
a
great
deal
of musical enjoymentformanyyears.
CONTENTS
X
Associated
equipment .........
8
4
7
7

DESIGNPHILOSOPHY
The
CS5iisa
precision
instrument
designedto translate,
asaccurately
as
possible,
electronicinformation
into
musical
sound.All ourefforts
have
beendirected
toward
achieving
extremelyfaithful
translationof alltonal,spatial
and
dynamicinformation
supplied
by theamplifier.
The
CS5iisnotintended
to
maskormitigate
shortcomings
of therecording
orothercom-
ponents
inthemusicplayback
system.
Webelieve
thisapproachis
the
onlywaytoprovide the
potential
of experiencing
allthe
subtleaspects
that
help
make
reproduced
musicamostenjoy-
ablehumanexperience.

UNPACKING
Your CS5isincludeanaccessorykit locatedin thefoam packingon onecrate'sbottom panel.
This kit includes
8pointedstabilizer/levelingfeet,abubblelevel, andabinding post/levelingfoot wrench.The speakersare
packed
with 8 nylon leveling feetalreadyinstalled(see
the"Leveling Feet" sectiononpage7 for more details).
Ifthe two speaker
cratesarestill connected
together,theymustfirst beseparated.Ifthey arealreadyseparated,
skip thefirst step.
Each speakerwith itspacking weighsover250 poundsand thepair weighsover500
pounds. Two (or more)
people will beneeded
for unpacking.
' Placetheconnectedpair of speakercratesflat onthefloor with the2 x 4 runnersdown.Removeall screws
thatfastenthefour pieces
of plywood connectingthetwo crates
(Figure 1).
Figure 1
' Placeeach
speakercrateon its side.Remove
thescrewson thethreeaccessiblesidesnear
thelarge, bottom
endof thecrate. Place
thecrateon its back and removethescrewson theremainingside(Figure 2). Removethe
bottom of thecrate.
Figure2
' The
speakermustbeon itsbaclc,with theinput terminalstoward the
floor and the
printing on thebottom
panel readingupright. Startto pull thespeaker,in its plasticbag,out thebottom of thecrate.You maypull on the
plasticbag.It maybenecessaryfor someone
to hold thecratesoit doesnot move.When the speakeris mostly out
of thecrate,
placeafirm cushionunderthetop of thespeakersothatit doesnot fall to thefloor (Figure 3, above,
nextpage). Thenpull thespeakercompletelyout of thecrate.
. Untapeandunfold theplastic atthespeakerbottom.
. Standthespeaker
upright by lifting underthetop of thespeaker.Caution: tbis speakeris uery beauy (18O
pounds) and tbeprotectiue ltlastic is slippery. Standing tbe speaker uprigbt may require haopeople.
2
remove
thesefour
connecting
pieces
/
{- 2x4runners

. Remove
thestrapping
tapeand
theprotectiveplasticbag.
' Remove
thegrille by first pulling thebottom awayfrom thespeaker
andthenthetop.Remove
thetwopieces
offoamfrom insidethegrille (Figure 4A,bottomofpage). Also removethemetalsupportbracketon each
of the
two subwooferdrivers.Reinstallthegrille by pushingit backanddown onto thefront of thespeaker.
REPACKING
We recommend
savingthepackingcratesandpackingmaterials
soyour CS5iscanbetransported
without
damageshouldtheyrequireshippingduring amoveor for service.
To repack:
' Remove
thegrille andinstall thetwo foam pads
insidethegrille. Secureeachof thetwo subwoofers
with the
metalsupportbracket.
Placethegrille backon thespeaker (Fiqure 4A).
. Remove
thepointedstabilizer/levelingfeetandreplace
with thenylon feet.
'Place theprotectiveplasticbagoverthespeaker.
Securetheplasticbag and grille by first taping(nylon tapeis
preferred)
around
thespeaker
from sideto sideabout6" below thetop of thetop of thespeakerandabout6" above
thebottom (Figure 48).
'Place thespeaker
onitsback.Tape
theend
ofthe plastic bag.Then
runalength
oftape from toptobottom
aroundthegrille. Make sure
thetapeisjust below thetwo front baseleveling feet. This will allow thecrate's
bottom packto fit properly.
. To packthespeakerin thecrate,reverse
thestepsfor unpacking.
large
foampad
Figure 44
tape.just
under
baseleveling
feet
Figure48

POSITIONING
THE
SPEAKERS
Due to their unipolar radiationpattern
theCS5iswill provide goodresultswhenplacedin avariety of room
locations.
However,speaker placement
will affecttheaccuracyof timbre, spatial performance,
andbass
perfor-
mance.Herearesome guidelines
to help you achievethebestsoundfrom your speakers.
(Thenylon leveling feet
shouldbeleft in placeandremaintightened
down until thefinal positioning has
beendetermined.)
All aspectsof speaker
placenxent are dependent on the
particulars of tbe room. Sinceeueryroom is
dffirent, no bard niles can be giuen, and expe4menta.tion is necessatyto acbieue tbe bestresults.
Distancefrom
walls
The CS5is,like mostspeakers,soundbest
if they are placed
well awayfrom all walls.
Suchplacement optimizesimaging characteris-
tics, andmusicaltimbresarereproducedwith
theleast colorationbecause
theinitial sound
coming from thespeakeris distinctly separated
in time from thesecondary
soundof wall
reflections.Ifreflections areheard
too soon
aftertheprimary sound,thebrain tendsto
interpretthem as partof theinitial sound,
causingtheperceived
timbreto bealteredand
thespatialcharacteristics
to beconfused.
Figure 5 illustratestheproblemscaused
by earlysidewall reflections.Soundwaves
from theloudspeakers
radiateboth forward,
towardthelistener,andlaterally, reflecting off
sidewalls. When the speakeris placedtoo
closeto sidewalls, thedifferencein arrival
timesof theprimary soundwavesandthe
reflectedsoundwavesis too shortfor thebrain
to discriminatebetween
them.
Figure 6 illustrates
theadvantages
of
placingtheloudspeakers
fartherfrom side
walls. The arrival timesof theprimary,
forward radiatingsound
wavesandthe
secondary,reflectedsound
wavesarewell
separated,providing theproperdelayneeded
for faithful tonal andspatialreproduction.
Therewill alsobeanoticeable
improve-
mentin opennesswhenthespeakers
areeven
two feetfrom therearwall instead
of one.If
Direct
sound
Reflected
sound
Differenceinarrivaltimes
Figure 5. Early reflection problems caused by speakers placed
too close to side walls.
Direct
sound
- Reflected
sound
+ Differenceinarrivaltimes
J,
I
'.U/ \U,,
-2S
' ---"t''' tS
i '/-/. .\--.-..-
\22^is-
Figure
6.Optimum
placement
forreducingreflection
problems.
possible,
we preferthespeakersatleastthreefeetfrom therearwall andatleastfive feetfrom thesidewalls. Also,
it is not desirablefor largeobjectsto beplaced
very near
thespeakerssincethesewill alsobeasourceof unwanted
earlyreflectionsthatreduceimaging accuracy.

Spacing
Because
of their very wide, evendispersionof energy,theCS5iscanusuallybeplaced
fartherapartthanmost
otherspeakers.Optimum imaging is usually achieved
when thespeakersarealmostasfar apartaseach
speakeris
from thelistener,althoughthiswill depend
on thewidth of theroom-narrow roomsrequiremorenarrow placement.
If thespeakersaretoo far apartfor theroom, therewill tendto bea"hole" in themiddle of thesoundstage;if they are
too closetogether,theimagewill becompressed
andwill not achieveoptimum width.
Aiming
.Depending
on theroom in which they areused,theCS5iscanbeaimedanywhere
between
straightaheadand
angledin sotheypoint directly atthelistener.Straight-ahead
placementproduces
thewidest, mostnatural
soundstage.However,if it is not possible
to placethespeakers
thedesireddistancefrom sidewalls, atoed-inposition
will reducethestrength
of sidewall reflectionsand,in thesecases, provide amorefocused
spatial
presentation.
Bass
In general, when aspeakeris closeto awall, thebassresponseis stronger;
placing aspeakerin acornerwill
makeit evenmoreso.The CS5isaredesigned
to provide accuratebass
whenpositionedawayfrom all walls-the
same
position
thatprovides
thebestimaging.
Listener
position
The CS5is providebroaddispersion
of energyatall frequenciesandtherefore provide goodresultsthroughouta
largelisteningarca. Bestimaging is providedfor alistenercentered
in front of thespeakers.
Optimum accuracyof
timbre anddepth
perspective
isprovidedonly for aseatedlistenerwho is eight or morefeetawayfrom thespeakers.
Placement
suggestions
Some
people
haverestraintson speaker placement
becauseofroom size,
shape,or aestheticconsiderations
andcannotmeetoneor moreof theabove placement
recommendations.They shouldnotbe discouragedfrom
investingin CS5is. It isouropinionthat,duetotheir
unipolar,point sourceradiationpatternandtheir very
even,wide dispersion,theCS5isfarebetterunderdifficult
circumstances
thanmostotherhigh quality speaker
systems.
To helpwith placement,
thefollowing sugges-
tions are
given asastarting point for avariety of rooms.
Drawing measurements
are
given asaguide.
Figure 7 showsanaveragesizeroom. Generally,it is
bestto startwith shortwall placement.
This arrangement
providessufficient spacebehindthespeakers,allowsthe
listenerto befar enoughawayfrom thespeakers,
andstill
maintains
somedistancebetweenthelistening
position
andthewall behindthelistener.Sincethespeakersmay
benear sidewalls in orderto keepspacingbetweenthe
speakers
wide,toeing-inthespeakersissuggested.
t
Listening
Distance
Figure
7.
Averagelistening
room

rl
Some
rooms,especiallynarrowones,
canbenefitfrom placingthespeakersalong
thelong wall. Although spacebehindthe
speakerandbehindthelisteneris reduced,
thispositioning increasesthespace
betweenthespeakerswithout sidewall
interference,andcanimprove overall
performance.
Figure 8 showsthesame
averagesizeroom asFigure Z but with
long wall placement. The speakersshould
beatleastafoot from therearwall, but the
amountof toe-in canbe adjusted,along
with listener
position,as
well astheamount
of spacingbetweenthespeakers.
In alargerroom, theoptimum posi-
tioning suggestions
onpages
4 and5 are
easierto implement.Figure 9 shows
one
set-upwith thespeakersfive feetfrom the
sidewalls, threefeetfrom therear
wall,
andthespeakersaimedstraightahead. This
arrangementprovidesanampleamountof
spacearoundthespeakersto reduce
unwantedreflectionsandshouldgive
excellentspatial
performance
andavery
"open" sound.Otherplacement optionsin
thisroom include:wider spacingbetween
thespeakers,addingtoe-in asthe spacing
increases;
increased
spacebetweenthe
speakerandthebackwall to improve
imaging depth.Various listeningposition
distancescanalsobetried.
As we saidatthebeginningof the
positioningsection,all roomsaredifferent
andno hardrulescanbe given.Evenrooms
with similar dimensions canhavediffer-
ences
in wall, floor andceiling construction
thatgreatlyaffectthesound.Also, "live"
roomswith hardsurfaces,
glass,
andlittle
dampingsound
muchdifferent from "dead"
roomswith heavycarpet,drapesand plush
furniture. In otherwords-EXPERIMENT.
Figure
8.Averagelisteningroomwithlongwall
placement.
I
IJ I
8-12'ListeningDistance
Figure9. Largelisteningroomspeaker
placement.
'18',
/i
c/t
#r 8-10
'ListeningDistance

CONNECTING
THE
SPEAKERS
The CS5is' input terminalsarelocated
on thebottom of thespeakerneartheback.Access
is from thebackwith
thespeakerin its normalupright position.Make surethatboth connections
arctigbtby usingthewrenchprovidedin
theaccessory
kit. It is best
to turn theamplifier off while connecting
or disconnecting
thespeakers.
Forproperperformance,
both speakersin astereo
systemmustbewired in thesame
polarity. Theinput termi-
nalsarecolor coded
for this purpose.
Thewire connected
to thepositiveredinput terminal of each
speaker
should
beconnected
to thecorresponding
positive(+) outputterminal of theamplifier. The speakers
shouldbe connected
to
, theamplifier with high quality audiocable
to ensureminimal lossof power and
propercontrolby theamplifier. If
thespeakers
arebeingconnected
to avacuumtubeamplifier with variousimpedance
taps,
the4 ohm tapwill
i probably give thebest results.
LEVELING
FEET
Tl:espeakers
sbould be
positioned, beforetbe
spikedfeet are installed.
Speakerspositionedon a soft or uneven
surface
are
ableto rock slightly and
will vibratein reactionto forces
thespeakergenerates
to move thedriver diaphragms.
(Every actionhasanequal
andopposite
reaction.)
This
motion slightly reduces
themusic's clarity.
To eliminatethis effect,theCS5iscanbeused
with
eitherof two types
of leveling feet.Thespeakers
are
shippedwith theblack nylon feet alreadyinstalledin the
speaker's
base.These
canbe
usedonany
typeof floor.
Thepointedmetalfeetare
packed
in theaccessories
kit
andshouldbeusedon carpeted
floors toprovide amore
solid footing. Thepointspenetrate
thecarpet,
allowing
thespeaker
to couplemorefirmly to thefloor. Either set
of feetcanbescrewed
into thefour receptacles
in the
base
of eachspeaker.
To install thestabilizerfeet,two people
arerequired.
. First,positionthespeaker
in thedesiredlocation.
. Tilt thespeaker
forward slightly sothatthebackof the
Leveling
lnput
Terminals
Bottom
View
speaker
is afew inches
off thefloor.
' Screwonefoot into eachof thetwo holesatthebackcorners
of thespeaker.
The feetshouldbescrewedinto
thespeaker
with thewrenchprovideduntil thereis about/q" of threadremainingvisible. (Usethesmall endof the
wrenchfor thepointedfeetandthelargeendfor thenylon feet.)
' Let theback down andthentilt thespeaker
backwardslightly sothatthefront is afew inches
off thefloor and
install thetwo front feet.
' With all four feetinstalledtheheightof eachfoot shouldbeadjusted
with thewrenchsothespeaker
stands
level andfirmly on thefloor without wobbling. Thebubblelevel includedin theaccessories
kit may beused
to assist
in leveling thespeaker.It canbeplaced
on thefront of thebasewhile thegrille is removed.
Please be cautioned tbat tbe pointedfeet can be dangerous if not used witlt care. Tbejt usill
d'ent or puncture bardutood.lfloors and it is possible to d.amage carpets if tbe speakers qre
moaed. u)ttb trre pointed.feet tn pla.ce.

BREAK.IN
TheCS5is, likemost
speakers,requireaperiod of playingbeforetheyperformoptimally.Thetimerequired
dependsonhowloudlythespeakersare
played;
more
time
isre'quiredif played
softly,
lessif playedloudly.
At least
fifty hoursatmoderatelyloudlevels
are
required
beforethespcakerisperformingnear optimum.You shouldnotice
evenmoreimprovementafter100hours
of playing.
ASSOCIATEDEQUIPMENT
TheCS5isarevervhighqualitysoundreproducers
and
will benefitfrom use with the finest
associatedequip-
ment.Becausethe
speaker
presents
aratherdifficult loadtotheamplifieratbassfrequencies,anamplifierwith high
currentcapabilityshouldbechosen.Theamplifiershouldbespecified toprovideatleastthreetimesthepowerintoa
2 ohmloadasit provides intoan8 ohmload.
SincetheCS5is
are
extremely
accuratetransducers,
they
will reveal
distortionsornon-linearitiesgenerated
anywherein thesystemAlso,thequalityof theinterconnectandspeaker
cables
will significantlyaffectthe performance
of thesystem.
POWERREQUIREMENTS
It isimportant
tohave enough
power
toplayatthevolumelevel
youdesirewithoutdistortion.If thesoundlevel
requiresmorepowerfrom anamplifierthanit cancleanly produce,
theamplifierwill produce overload
(clipping)
distortion.Thesoundwill become
compressed,strained,andin extremecases,obviouslydistorted.Thisdistortionis
actuallyadded
non-musical
energywhich,in extremecases,candamagedrivers.If highsound
pressure
levels
are
desired,theCS5iscanreproducethemwhensuppliedwith adequate power.TheCS5is aredesignedtobeused with
amplifiersratedupto400wattsper
channel
into8ohms. It issaferto havetoomuchpower
thantoolittle duetothe
destructivedistortion
produced
by anoverdrivenamplifier.
The
question
"how muchpowerdoI need?"doesnothaveasimpleanswerbecauseit isdeterminednotonlyby
theloudspeaker'sefficiencybutalsoby the volume
leveldesiredandthesizeof theroom.If thesefactors are
average,100wattsper
channel
isadequate. People
who like music
veryloudshould increase
their
power
by two
timesor more.A verylargeroomof 10,000cubicfeet(25feetx 40feetwith a i0 feetceiling)usuallyrequirestwo
tothreetimesthe
power
ofanaverageroom.
CARE
The
cabinets
possess
ahighqualitylacquerfinishthatisbothbeautifulanddurable.However,any
woodfinish
canbedamagedby excessivemoisture,dryness,
ordirectsunlight.
Whencleaning
yourspeakers,avoid
usingoils,
waxes,
orpolishes that
containsilicone.We recommendEndust.
Dustygrillescanbecleanedby usingtheupholsteryattachmentof avacuum
cleaner.
Themarblebafflecanbe
polishedusingfurniturepolish
andasoftcottoncloth.
Non-abrasive
auto
polishfor darkfinisheswill also work well.
Ifyou own gloss blacklacquerspeakers,
please
refertotheinstructionsincludedwith itsspecialcabinetcarekit.
Tweeter
Thetweeterdiaphragmisaluminumand will notreturn
to itsoriginalshape
if deformed(by afingernail,for
example).Therefore,thediaphragmshouldnotbetouched.However,smalldeformationsorcreaseswill notaffectits
performance.
SERVICE
If yourCS5isrequireservice.contact
yourauthorizedTHIELdealer.Factoryserviceinformationandtechnical
supportisavailableby calling6061254-9427, Monday-Friday,
8:30a.m.-5:00
p.m.
EasternTime.
I

WeWant
YouListening
ForA Lifetime
Used
wiselv,
vour
new
soundequipment
will provide
alifetirne
ofenjoyment.
Sincehearing
damagefrom
loud
noise
isoften
undetectable
untilit istoolate,THIEI
and
theEletironicsIndustries
Association's
Consumer
Electron-
icsGrouprecommend
I'ou
avoidprolonged
exposure
toexcessive
noise.Depending
onroom
sizeandamplifier
power,
some
home
audiosystems
canreach
soundpressure
levclsinexcessof 95decibels
withpeaks
ofovera105
decibels.Foryourprotection,
thelist
belowidentifies
soundle',elsforvarious
noises.
Decibel
LevelExample
30 Quiet
library.
softw,hispers
TheFollowing
Noises
CanBeDangerous
Under
ConstantExposure
90 Subway,motorcycle,
trucktraffic,lawnmower
40 Livingroom.
refiigerator,
bedroom
away
from 100 Garbagetruck,
chainsaw,pneumatic
drill
traffic 120 Rock
concertinfront
ofspeakers,
thunderclap
50 Light
traffic,normal
conversation,quiet
office 140 Gunshotblast,
jetplane
60 Air conditioner
at20
feet.sewing
machine 150 Rocketlaunchingpad
70 Vacuum
cleaner.hair
dryer.noisv
restaurant
80 Average
citv traffic,garbage
disposals,
alarm Information
courtesy
of theDeafness lll,;""
clockattwofeet rTSTF'NING
Research
Foundation
andthe ElA. ;;ii.";"
LIMITED WARRANTY
THIEL
warrants
everyTHIEL
model
CS5isvstemagainst
def'ectsinmaterials
andworkmanship
tothe
original
ownerforaperiod
often
years
from
the
dateof
purchase.
THIEIwill, atno
charge,replace
anydefectivepart
andmake
any
repairsnecessary
toensureitsproperperformance
when
the
defectiveunitis
returned
tous
postpaid.
Thiswarrantl'
doesnot
coverdamage
due
toaccident
orabuseand
isvoidif
the
unithasbeen
tamperedwith.
Thiswarrantv
is
automatic
andnoregistration
isrequired.
Thiswarrantygives
vouspecific
legalrights.
You
mavalsohave,rtherrights
which
are
particularto
vour
state.
The
tbllowing information
isfor yourrecords.
SerialNumbers
PurchaseDate
Purchased
From