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POWER REQUIREMENTS
It is important to have enough power to play at the level you desire without distortion. If high sound levels are desired, the
CS.5s are designed to be used with amplifiers rated up to 150 watts per channel. If you play the speakers more loudly than
the volume the amplifier can cleanly produce, the amplifier will produce overload (clipping) distortion. The sound will
become compressed, strained, and in extreme cases, obviously distorted. This distortion is actually non-musical additional
energy that can damage speakers in extreme cases.
Keep in mind that sound quality is usually much more important than sound quantity. There can be large differences in the
sonic performance of two amplifiers of equal power, and this is more important than large differences in power. Most
everyone will be happier with a 50 watt amplifier of high sonic quality than with a 100 watt amplifier of mediocre sonic
quality. For this reason, we feel there is no substitute for listening to make your amplifier decision.
The question “how much power do I need?” does not have the simple answer most people expect because it is not
determined only by the loudspeaker’s efficiency, but also by the volume desired and the size of the room. If all three factors
are average, about 50 watts per channel is required. Each factor can raise or lower this amount by about three times.
1) Usually, people who “don’t like music loud” can decrease their power to about one-half. Also, people who like music
loud should increase their power by 2 times or more. Most people fall within a normal range.
2) A speaker with a low efficiency of 84dB/W-m will require twice the power of an average 87dB/W-m speaker and one
with a high rating of 90dB/W-m will require only half the power of an average speaker. Usually, high efficiency can be
obtained only by trading off sonic quality—there are very few speakers that provide a very high level of both. The CS.5 is of
average efficiency (87dB) and therefore requires a normal amount of power.
3) A small room will need less power for a given loudness level than a large room. A very small room of 1000 cu ft (11' x
11' with an 8' ceiling) will require about half the power of an average size room. A large room of 6000 cu ft (20' x 30' with a
10' ceiling) will require twice the average power. If the listening room is connected to another room by a large open area, the
required power will increase, but not by the amount of the combined room volume. If the room has a “dropped” ceiling with
light panels, the ceiling will be almost transparent acoustically and the space above the ceiling should be added. If the panels
are heavy they will act more like a normal ceiling.
With all this in mind, a person who doesn’t like to play music very loudly and has a small room can get high quality sound
with as little as 20 watts whereas a person who sometimes likes to play loudly and has a large room may need 150 watts.
GRILLE
The grille on the CS.5 is designed as an integral part of the system to reduce unwanted diffraction effects. Therefore, it must
remain in place for proper operation. If you do need to remove the grille, pull the bottom of the grille frame away from the
speaker an inch or so and then pull the top of the grille forward to remove it.
The grilles can be cleaned of dust by using an upholstery attachment of a vacuum cleaner.
CABINET FINISH CARE
THIEL wood cabinets possess a high quality lacquer finish that is both beautiful and durable. However, any wood finish can
be damaged by excessive moisture, dryness, or direct sunlight. When cleaning your speakers, avoid using oils, waxes, or
polishes that contain silicone, such as Pledge or Johnson’s. We recommend using Endust. Non-wood laminate cabinets may
be cleaned with a glass-type cleaner and a soft cloth.
SERVICE
If your system requires service, contact your authorized THIEL dealer. If you need to contact THIEL, service information
and technical support is available at (606) 254-9427, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, or via e-mail at
service@thielaudio.com.