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Olive and Thiel team up for a high end, high priced audio server
Call us crazy, but we think this is an idea that just might work. Olive, known for high-end music servers, and Thiel, who we've seen in this space purveying high-end speakers and IP-based audio solutions, have joined forces to rock your condo, trendy loft space, or dentist's office. Built around the Olive 4HD (with its 2TB storage, 24-bit / 192kHz sound, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n WiFi, and an iPhone / iPod touch remote control app), the Olive+Thiel can rock up to four pairs of Thiel's SCS4D IP-based self-powered speakers with 6.5 Inch Coaxial/Coincident driver and 200W Class D Power Amp. In addition to the server functionality, this bad boy can rock you out via its analog and USB digital audio inputs -- trust us, Butterfly by Crazy Town has never sounded this sweet! (OK, maybe its never sounded that sweet to begin with.) Available this month for $7,900. PR after the break.
Break out the lighters for sunburst THIEL CS3.7 speakers
THIEL is well-known for its impeccable cabinet construction, but the photo above takes its typical speaker porn up a notch. Or eleven. Pictured is a very special edition of its vaunted CS3.7 speaker built in conjunction with Gibson Custom Shop (as in Gibson guitars). Your eyes don't deceive you, the driver-less CS3.7 cabinet seen above is wearing a sunburst finish which, much like the entrants to our own THIEL giveaway, has reduced us to "me want" monosyllables. In case the drop-dead-gorgeous looks aren't enough to win you over, the ten pairs made will be signed by none other than company founder Jim Thiel and -- get this -- Les Paul. The company has not decided which lucky souls will receive the eight remaining pairs (one will be auctioned off for charity, another is slated for Savant AV's NYC design center), but considering that garden-variety CS3.7s weigh in just shy of $13,000 per pair, we're skipping right to shameless groveling. More pics after the break.[Via AVGuide]Read - Sunburst CS3.7 backstory, chapter 1
Engadget HD's recession antidote: win a pair of THIEL PowerPoint speakers
This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget HD didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. Today we've got a pair of THIEL PowerPoint (model 1.0) wall/ceiling-mountable speakers up for grabs. Yes, these cousins of the THIEL SCS4s we raved over aren't the latest version, but they are some of the best wall/ceiling mount speakers you're likely to hear. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff! Big thanks to THIEL for tracking these down and making them available to a good home!The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive two (2) THIEL PowerPoint speakers, version 1.0. Approximate value is $2,600. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until July, 24th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
THIEL SCS4 speaker review
We've had a pair of the THIEL SCS4 speakers pulling front-channel L/R duties in our setup for a month now, long enough to burn in and take full measure of them. During that time, a theme of "wonderfully unremarkable" kept turning up in the scribbled listening notes. That's no slight on these speakers; in fact, it's a very high compliment. Follow us past the break for our full rundown of THIEL's entry-level model.
THIEL adds HDMI and wireless to its zoet multiroom audio system
The press release doesn't get too specific about details, but THIEL is already lining up upgrades to its IP-based, multiroom zoet audio system. Sometime in 2009 after the April launch of the zoet db1 system, expect to see HDMI (8 inputs, 2 outputs) and wireless connectivity making way onto the options sheet. Don't let these future upgrades keep you from picking up the first version, though, as they will be retrofittable to early adopters (for a fee, of course). Unfortunately, we can only guess what the upgrade pricing might be. This system is based around powered versions of THIEL's SCS4 (the SCS4D), so we'll make two guesses -- it will sound good, but it won't be cheap. Full press release after the break.
THIEL SCS4 speakers unboxed
Like some kind of post-Diwali, pre-Christmas gift-delivering sprite, UPS dropped off a pair of boxes from THIEL at Engadget HD. We'll be putting a pair of dark cherry SCS4 speakers through their paces over the coming weeks, but we wanted to share some preview photos with you before we dive into the audition. THIEL has been a longtime fixture in the audio high end, stretching way back to the days of two-channel, and even though the SCS4s carry the smallest price tag in the company's lineup ($990 each), they've definitely got high end pedigree. Our initial impressions turn up a solid front-ported cabinet (even if it's without THIEL's familiar sloping baffle) with top-notch veneer, perforated metal grilles held in place by magnets, a coincident driver assembly (aluminum dome 6.5-inch mid-woofer and 1-inch tweeter) for true point-source radiation and deluxe all-metal binding posts. Oh yeah, they sound nice, too -- but we're not saying more on that front until we've lived with them for a few weeks. Pics after the break.%Gallery-38768%
Jim Thiel puts his name to Signature Edition CS2.4 speakers
One thing you learn quickly in gadgetdom is that the word "Signature" in a model name is code for "wallet-busting cost." So if you were thinking of picking up some Thiel CS2.4 speakers but worried they weren't high end enough for you, have your chauffeur drop you off at your Thiel dealer so you can get in line for one of the 150 pairs of the CS2.4SE (Signature Edition) models. Ultra-fine grade boutique capacitors are hand plucked from the bush for the crossovers, Thiel's usual top notch bird's eye maple cabinetry gets treated to a special Vermillion Maple stain, stainless steel fasteners hold the drivers to the front baffle and milled aluminum outriggers hold the whole shebang steady for display. And of course, the company isn't fooling around with the name -- Jim Thiel's autograph is laser etched on an aluminum plate around back. Yours for only $8,000 per pair, but you can check the PR release for free.
THIEL showing off IP-based, high-end multiroom audio
High end speaker manufacturer THIEL is showing off THIELnet, their new IP-based audio distribution system developed in conjunction with BICOM. It's a system, indeed, with multiple parts to mix and match: the distribution processor (dB1), speakers (SCS4D) and subwoofer (SS1D) are all IP-addressable; there's a IP adapter (dS1) for bringing third-party speakers to the, um party; and PC-based software (Streamer) to tie into your library. Maximum capacity for the system is eight zones, each with eight speakers, and synchronization is done between zones to get rid of nasty echo effects. If this all sounds complex, don't worry -- the system is designed for quick setup even by novices. Better still, THIEL has kept everything digital right up to the speaker cones -- each speaker has its own digital crossovers and 250-Watt amplifier. Put it all together and you get great sound for everybody. THIEL expects to be spreading the IP/crossover/amplifier module across its lineup, but is starting off with the SCS4D. Pricing is still unannounced, but expect a high end style ticket befitting the THIEL sound quality and name.