Thiel Smartsub ss1 Dimensions

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The SmartSub

line includes four

models, the SS1,

SS2, SS3 and SS4.

They share com-

mon technologies

and design con-

cepts, but differ in

cabinet and woofer

size. All of the

models provide

superb bass repro-

duction, but the

larger subwoofers

can fill the most

spacious home the-

aters. That said, for

this review I am

using the second

model up in the

line, the SS2,

which boasts two 10-inch woofers, and

can accommodate rooms up to 4,000

cubic feet. The SS3 features twin 12-

inch woofers, and a pair of 15-inch

woofers supplies the muscle for the

290-pound SS4. Looking for something

a bit smaller for a more intimate home

At first blush, you might expect that any reasonably

accomplished subwoofer will have what it takes to sat-

isfy your bass desires. No doubt, all of the bigger subs

produce room-shaking rumble, but the double whammy

of room acoustics and the complexity of interfacing a

subwoofer with your main speakers too often render untoward bass

boom and bloat.With the introduction of Thiel Audio’s fleet of rad-

ically new SmartSub subwoofers, help is on the way. By the time

Buddy Holly’s “It’s So Easy” is over, the company’s highly adaptable

SS2 subwoofer is ready to rock my world.

Jim Thiel, the co-

founder and chief prod-

uct designer of Thiel

Audio, could have built a

“me-too” subwoofer by

simply stuffing a large

woofer and a powerful

amplifier into a massive

cabinet as many of his

competitors have done.

He instead confronted

the pitfalls of bass reproduc-

tion, spending four years on

research that resulted in two

U.S. patents. The patents cover

the SmartSub’s design break-

throughs—the abilities to

match precisely the sub-

woofer's response to the char-

acteristics of the main speakers,

and to compensate for the

effect that a room’s shape and

construction have on bass

reproduction. The patent cov-

erage includes the design con-

cept, not just the circuitry. So

yes, as its appellation suggests,

the SmartSub is downright

clever. The advantages of this elegantly

proportioned and meticulously finished

subwoofer are more than skin-deep.

BYE-BYE,BA-DA

BOOM

Thiel Audio employs a veneer special-

ist, which is why the SS2 (above) looks

like fine furniture. Each of the dual

10-inch woofers (above right) features

a massive magnet structure (right).

THIEL’S SMARTSUB THINKS FOR ITSELF.

BY STEVE GUTTENBERG PHOTOGRAPHY BY

IMPACT PHOTOGRAPHY AND DAVID CUBINE

january/february 2005 home entertainment

NEW REVIEWS

theater room? Check out the baby of

the group, the 55-pound SS1, which

uses a single 10-inch woofer. Each of

the drivers features an oversized mag-

net to minimize distortion when the

dinosaurs’ footfalls are rattling your

fillings. An integral 1,000-watt digi-

tal amplifier provides the power for

the SS2, SS3 and SS4 while a 500-

watt amplifier drives the SS1.

These subwoofers minimize the

effects of room acoustics without

resorting to time-consuming micro-

phone measurements or extensive

signal-processing trickery. The

SmartSub’s onboard electronics com-

pensate for “boundary” wall reflec-

tions that create uneven bass

response.Your installer just enters the

distances from the SmartSub to the

adjacent side wall, and to the wall

directly behind the sub. Even if your

installer mounts your SmartSub flush

in a wall, he or she can use the

boundary compensation to get ruler-

flat bass. But then again, SmartSubs

are unusually handsome and are avail-

able in a wide variety of gorgeous

wood and painted finishes, so you

may not want to hide this subwoofer.

Although the largest model, the SS4,

should be adequate to fill even large

home theaters with bass, extravagant-

ly spacious rooms are best served by

multiple SmartSubs.

If you are lucky enough to own

large main speakers that produce sub-

stantial bass, your installer can simply

hook up the SmartSub like any other

high-quality subwoofer, with just a

single cable running from your sur-

round-sound processor’s LFE output

to the SmartSub. But since most of

today’s home theater systems rely on

small “satellite” speakers, Jim Thiel

designed the SmartSub SC1

Integrator to finesse the transition

between the satellites and the

SmartSub. The combined talents of

the SmartSub, the Integrator and any

set of high-quality satellite speakers

will produce the sort of exquisitely

balanced performance you would

expect to hear from a set of towering

full-range speakers.

The slim, silver, microprocessor-

based Integrator takes the guesswork

out of subwoofer adjustments. In fact,

the Integrator offers no standard sub-

woofer controls such as volume,

crossover frequency and phase.

Instead, your installer just presses a

few buttons on the front panel to

input information about your speak-

ers and amplifiers—12 parameters in

all—and the Integrator does the

math. The Integrator’s memory can

also store up to five groups of set-

tings, so you can have bass tailored to

fit your mood: boosted “party” bass,

enhanced ultra-deep bass for action-

movie DVDs, reduced bass ideal for

late-night soirées, and smoothly artic-

ulate bass for acoustic music.

An all-metal remote lets you select

the Integrator’s presets from your easy

chair, or it can be controlled by a

touchscreen remote, such as a

Crestron or AMX. Connectivity

options include speaker-level inputs

as well as complete sets of XLR and

RCA line-level inputs, so the

Integrator should work in any sys-

tem. Thiel Audio also offers the PX

Series Crossovers, designed specifical-

ly to match the SmartSub with Thiel

main speakers.

The purity of the SmartSub’s bass

stands in sharp con-

trast to lesser

designs’ turgid bass throbbings. The

clarity of SmartSub’s unerring bass

response may initially sound like a

lack of oomph to some listeners, but

extended listening sessions will con-

firm this subwoofer’s grace under

pressure. Its ability to sculpt nuanced

shadings of a plucked standup bass or

to unleash the almost unlimited

power of the earthquakes, tidal waves

and massive floods coursing through

The Day After Tomorrow DVD is

unparalleled in my experience.

Beyond the obvious benefit of

superb bass reproduction, the

SmartSub adds a wonderful sense of

spatial depth to the sound of my

Dynaudio Special Twenty-Five

speakers. I am aware of the increased

dimensionality even on CDs and

DVDs that are not particularly bassy,

and when I turn the SmartSub off,

the sound is smaller, flatter and less

interesting. My CDs now approach

the dimensionality I associate with

5.1-channel surround sound.

Thiel’s SmartSub is on the cutting

edge of technologically advanced

subwoofers that achieve excellent

performance even if they are not

installed in that “just right” place in

the room. Bravo!

■PRICE: SS1 $2,900, SS2 $4,900, SS3 $6,900,

SS4 $8,900, SmartSub SC1 Integrator $4,400

PX02 $350, PX05 $500

■CONTACT: 859.254.9427, thielaudio.com

SPECIALTY FILE

By using the Integrator’s six front-panel

controls to input parameters such as main

speaker type and wall proximity, an installer

can easily fine-tune any SmartSub’s sound.

home entertainment january/february 2005

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