Thiel SmartSub SS2 Dimensions

S
lam without slop; depth
without distortion; sheer
ferocity without a trace of
constraint or compression.
The new Thiel SS2 has
taught me the sound of a subwoofer
that is absolutely fearless in the face of
extremes. And that is but the first of
its lessons about what a subwoofer—
freed from the constraints that typical-
ly plague the breed—can do.
Breaking New Sonic Ground
Subwoofers carry much of an action
film’s dramatic impact. But until I
spent time with the remarkable SS2, I
did not realize how much. Watching a
rock-’em, sock-’em sonic showboat
like The Incredibles through this
speaker is—sorry, there is no better
word—incredible!
But there is more to it than elec-
trifying punch and power. The plot-
plot-BOOM-plot-plot-BOOM action
flick formula can become tiresome
when, as with too many subwoofers,
the Big Bangs all sound alike and
each portentous rumble resembles
the last. The SS2 is not nearly so
coarse. It reveals that large effects are
actually highly differentiated. Some
are short and sharp, while others are
long and lingering. By reproducing
variations in bass intensity, attack,
delay, and pitch with exceptional
accuracy, the SS2 enables sound
effects to better match the variety of
their accompanying images and the
dramatic tenor of the movie.
In The Incredibles, for example,
there are a half dozen dazzling
action sequences, but each is unique
and each builds upon the intensity of
the last. Thanks to its broad acoustic
palette, the SS2 reinforces the dis-
tinctiveness of each scene. Further-
more, it precisely traces the film’s
mounting intensity with progressively
more penetrating bass. The Thiel not
only musters the necessary low-end
wallop, it underscores the movie’s dra-
matic line to an unprecedented extent.
So far I have focused on the SS2’s
ability to tease out the distinctions
among big sound effects. Rest assured
that this subwoofer’s virtues extend to
subtler realms as well. It portrays
sonic minutiae, like the thud of a thick
door closing, with exactly the right
weight and detail. On music DVDs,
such as the fine 9/11 memorial,
America: A Tribute to Heroes,
acoustic guitars exhibit a realistically
burnished tone while electric basses
are punchy, fat, and tuneful.
Indeed, music is one of the SS2’s
strongest suits. The speaker’s lofty
dynamic headroom and exemplary
transients, which serve action features
so well, are equally in evidence when
playing music. As a bonus, the Thiel is
unrivaled in pitch definition. Listen,
for instance, to the Bach “Orgel-
werke” track from Burmester’s CD3
sampler. This brief organ piece expos-
es any pitch ambiguity and often
induces considerable subwoofer slop.
The SS2 will have none of that!
Through it, deep bass notes are not
hinted at—they are nailed. And, as
with film sources, even the most chal-
lenging musical bass can’t cause the
SS2 to lose its composure.
Breaking New Technological
Ground
My description of the SS2’s sonics may
evoke the mental image of a refrigera-
tor-sized beast. On the contrary, the
sub is rather compact for its perform-
ance envelope (though it is every bit as
heavy as you might expect). Inside its
buffed, rounded, and sealed enclosure
reside two stacked short-coil/long-gap
10" woofers, replete with aluminum
diaphragms and massive magnet struc-
tures. These units are said to reduce
distortion and to allow the woofers to
move atypically large amounts of air
for their size. Also contributing to the
SS2’s trim stature is the choice of a
1000-watt Class D switching amp.
Such amps deliver bounteous power
for their size, and require no fins, fans,
or overbuilt power supplies since they
generate little heat.
The SS2’s back panel sports an
LFE input as well as an output that
enables daisy-chaining multiple subs,
AUDIO REVIEW ❘Alan Taffel
Issue 62Electronically reprinted from July/August 2005
Thiel SS2 SmartSub Subwoofer
Thanks to superb engineering—and a unique compensation feature that ensures the
same superlative sonics regardless of where this sub is located in a room—the Thiel
SmartSub breaks new ground in the bottom octaves.
To subscribe to The Perfect Vision, call 888-475-5991 (US), 760-745-2809 (outside US) or visit www.theperfectvision.com. $42 for six issues in the US; $45 Canada, $75 outside
North America. Posted with permission from Absolute Multimedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized duplication of this article is strictly prohibited.
For more information on reprints from The Perfect Vision, contact Wright’s Reprints at 877-652-5295.

should you be so fortunate. There are
also connections for an upstream
Integrator—Thiel’s microprocessor-
based active crossover that matches
the subwoofer’s characteristics to a
music system’s main speakers—as well
as a twelve-volt trigger jack. There are
also three unusual pushbuttons
labeled INCREASE, DECREASE, and
SELECT, as well as an LED readout.
Together, these make up the user inter-
face for the room-placement compen-
sation feature (more on this later).
The SS2’s back panel is intriguing
as much for the features it excludes as
for those included. Unlike a tradition-
al subwoofer, the unit has no crossover
controls. Instead, Thiel relegates those
functions to an upstream digital con-
troller, A/V receiver, or Thiel’s own
Integrator. Particularly in the home-
theater environment, where crossovers
built into subs are superfluous, this
approach makes eminent sense. Not so
sensible is the lack of a phase switch. If
the SS2 happens to be out of phase
with any full-range speakers in the sys-
tem, nothing short of rewiring the lat-
ter will cure the problem.
The SS2 is actually one member of
a family of new Thiel subwoofers col-
lectively dubbed SmartSubs. They vary
in size and price (the SS2 is approxi-
mately mid-line), but not in features or
philosophy. The idea of all SmartSubs
is to compensate for the predictable
problems that degrade subwoofer per-
formance. One such problem is voice-
coil overheating. Thiel claims this con-
dition can reduce a driver’s output by
as much as five decibels and play
havoc with its frequency response.
As a countermeasure, SmartSubs
include thermistors mounted to each
voice coil that continuously sense and
report temperature. An internal circuit
then boosts output as necessary and
corrects any response aberrations
associated with current conditions.
The upshot is a speaker that remains
linear and uncompressed regardless of
temperature. Of course, if the driver is
about to toast itself, the circuit will
temporarily shut everything down. But
so long as a SmartSub is playing, it
isn’t holding back.
The second performance obstacle
SmartSubs surmount is not internal—
it’s the room itself. Like all speakers,
subwoofers sound very different
depending upon their location.
Finding the optimum position can be a
maddening process. Furthermore,
every location will excite one or more
room resonant modes (corners are the
worst in this respect).
To overcome this problem, Thiel
created a circuit that allows the sub-
woofer to know and account for its
room position. The user employs those
three mysterious buttons and the LED
readout mentioned earlier to input the
sub’s distance from the side and back
walls. Having been thus programmed,
the SmartSub tailors its response to
counteract the deleterious room effects
it knows it will encounter.
No doubt these circuits play a
large part in the SS2’s rare combina-
tion of power and finesse. Thanks pre-
sumably to the temperature compen-
sation circuit, the speaker exhibits
nary a whiff of dynamic compression,
even when driven murderously hard.
The room-compensation feature is
equally effective. I positioned the sub-
woofer in multiple spots and could not
perceive any change in its sound.
Moreover, by switching the feature on
and off I confirmed that it is at least
partly responsible for the SS2’s superi-
or resolution. Enabling room compen-
sation cleans up the reverberant over-
hang that normally obscures subtle
bass information.
Conclusion
The Thiel SS2 demonstrates the sound
of a subwoofer freed of the usual con-
straints. Its unbridled dynamic head-
room allows it to toss off mammoth
sonic booms with such ease that view-
ers have no choice but to surrender
themselves to an overwhelming expe-
rience. And its superior dynamic
range, transient response, and pitch
resolution enable it to carry far more
than the usual quotient of a film’s dra-
matic impact. Even room colorations
are slashed by the SS2’s placement
compensation feature, to refreshing
effect. The SS2 breaks ground both
sonically and technically, and the
results are giddily satisfying.
SPECIFICATIONS
Model: SmartSub SS2
Frequency Response: 12–300Hz
Power: 1000 watts
Drive Unit: Dual 10"
Dimensions: 23.5" x 11" x 21.5"
Weight: 108 lbs.
THIEL AUDIO
1026 Nandino Boulevard
Lexington, Kentucky 40511
[phone]
www.thielaudio.com
Price: $4900 (varies with finish)
MANUFACTURER INFORMATION
The Thiel SS2 demonstrates the sound of a subwoofer
freed of the usual constraints. Its unbridled dynamic
headroom allows it to toss off mammoth sonic booms
with such ease that viewers have no choice but to
surrender themselves to an overwhelming experience.
And its superior dynamic range, transient response,
and pitch resolution enable it to carry far more than
the usual quotient of a film’s dramatic impact.
Unhindered, undistorted power and
depth
Detailed and involving on both film
and music
Room compensation feature really works
Lacks phase switch
Requires upstream controller, A/V
receiver, or Integrator
1026 Nandino Boulevard • Lexington, Kentucky 40511 • USA
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone] • E-mail: [email protected] • Web: www.thielaudio.com