October 1999

Thiel Audio Factory Tour
by Marc Mickelson

Conclusion

My visit to Thiel was decidedly low-key and thus a pleasant change of pace from the download and upload of life on the Internet. The people at Thiel exude the friendliness they are known for in audio circles, and it became obvious to me that this philosophy comes from the top down. Jim Thiel and Kathy Gornik may be movers and shakers in the realm of high-end speakers, but as people they are nothing but direct and amiable. I enjoyed talking with them about the audio and real worlds, and it was interesting to hear their stories about Thiel’s genesis. I won’t complain about 15-hour work days in front of the computer anymore.

If I am left with an overwhelming impression about Thiel, it is that they deserve to be where they are. It would be possible to build speakers differently, in a more hodgepodge manner, but doing so would only raise costs and make professional survival tougher in the long run. Thiel is about maximization of effort; when they are faced with a challenge, they inevitably say "we can do that" (a phrase I heard more than a few times during my visit) and thus go about reworking a process or creating a new machine to tackle the problem more efficiently. More than any of the speakers I saw or heard, I admire this about Thiel -- the willingness to do something that’s harder in the short run to save time and money in the long run. And these savings are passed on to customers in the form of less expensive speakers.

If you have any experience with manufacturing, you can’t be anything but impressed by Thiel and its people; and if you love high-end audio, you should be happy that a company like Thiel has made your musical pleasure its business.

To find out more about Thiel Audio,
visit their website at www.thielaudio.com