TAD owners: speaker setup
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Well, i did.... received my REF.1s last week, and they are a revelation!
not even merely broken in ,these speakers do things i never heard before from any loud speaker at any price..... especially the uber -silly expensive ones i had in the past.
after 4 years with the stella em, which really has been my favorite up to the REF1S, i was ready for a change, and a change it is!
now the fun of breaking them in begins!
not even merely broken in ,these speakers do things i never heard before from any loud speaker at any price..... especially the uber -silly expensive ones i had in the past.
after 4 years with the stella em, which really has been my favorite up to the REF1S, i was ready for a change, and a change it is!
now the fun of breaking them in begins!
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Steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
COngrat Ozy and welcome to the club! That is exactly how I felt when I was shopping for them and comparing to others and also when they got home. And great thing is that after 3 years or so still feel exactly the same. Those speakers, when properly fed are incredible. A mix of incredible transparency, neutrality and dynamics with musicality and great presentation. They are demanding but with the right equipment I have not heard anything equal, among the ones I have tested.
One good thing, they go together great with siltech. Look no farther for cables. It is the brand for TAD.
Breaking time is large but sounds great from almost day 1. Enjoy. They are beautiful too.
One good thing, they go together great with siltech. Look no farther for cables. It is the brand for TAD.
Breaking time is large but sounds great from almost day 1. Enjoy. They are beautiful too.
Eli, speaking of siltech, i also ordered a pair of TC i/cs ,to go between the dac=preamp, and preamp and amps.... more on that when i get them in....
i've been using siltech since 1997, and love their quality and muiscality.
i've been using siltech since 1997, and love their quality and muiscality.
You are going to freak out even more... If you can resist try to get used to speakers and place the cables later but you know that. I think I'm also going to order now from dad to preamp. They are supposed to be the ones with the biggest effect. The speaker cables and from preamp to amps are sure quite something. Looking forward to hear your impressions on them too. As speakers break you are going to hear a level of transparency in recordings that will be addictive, and with SIltech the dynamics and musicality are combined to get something very special.
Enjoy!!!
Enjoy!!!
The TC cables supposed to be siltech's epic achievement after 30 years of cable manufacturing. Can't wait.
I know there's another sub thread on the ""best""amps/pre to accompany the R-1s, but i must ask here-
What seems to be the consensus for the better matching amps?
I know there's another sub thread on the ""best""amps/pre to accompany the R-1s, but i must ask here-
What seems to be the consensus for the better matching amps?
Hi Ozy,
a dream speaker indeed! And my dream speaker too really.
I've heard the Ref 1s and the Cr1s at many shows (only) around the world, - best performance has always been with their own M600 amplifiers. But I've not heard them in better situations with other top end amplifiers. They were demonstrated with big VTLs a few years ago at RMAF, but I personally felt it wasn't a good match. My feeling is that you need a very good and high power ss amplifier to get the best of from any of the TAD speakers.
May I ask the dimesions of your beautiful room?
thanks
Murray
a dream speaker indeed! And my dream speaker too really.
I've heard the Ref 1s and the Cr1s at many shows (only) around the world, - best performance has always been with their own M600 amplifiers. But I've not heard them in better situations with other top end amplifiers. They were demonstrated with big VTLs a few years ago at RMAF, but I personally felt it wasn't a good match. My feeling is that you need a very good and high power ss amplifier to get the best of from any of the TAD speakers.
May I ask the dimesions of your beautiful room?
thanks
Murray
Congratulations.
I agree they are remarkable speakers that can do things that I have not heard other speakers able to achieve.
Enjoy them.
I agree they are remarkable speakers that can do things that I have not heard other speakers able to achieve.
Enjoy them.
Ozy, I have the T600 with them together with the TAD C600. Then you need an excellent source. There is really a big difference there as well. The Esoteric Grandioso does it for me. But I'm sure the VIvaldi's will also do it.
TAD M600 and TAD C600 works great with the R1. You have synergy guaranteed. They have the same characteristics. Demanding on the rest of the system, but if all else fits (no weak links on chain) is real magical.
I tried at the time different amps; some worked better than others but no one was as good as the M600. Of course could not try as many as I wanted but I heard some ARC (no go), D'agostino (no go either), Krell (nope) and some others.
Other alternatives I listened to, but could not do it with TAD was Boulder and Gryphon mephisto. I think these could also be good partners but since I could not listen at home with my system and TADs were fantastic decided to take the safe route.
TAD M600 and TAD C600 works great with the R1. You have synergy guaranteed. They have the same characteristics. Demanding on the rest of the system, but if all else fits (no weak links on chain) is real magical.
I tried at the time different amps; some worked better than others but no one was as good as the M600. Of course could not try as many as I wanted but I heard some ARC (no go), D'agostino (no go either), Krell (nope) and some others.
Other alternatives I listened to, but could not do it with TAD was Boulder and Gryphon mephisto. I think these could also be good partners but since I could not listen at home with my system and TADs were fantastic decided to take the safe route.
Hi Murray,
I have not tried the D600.Is actually the only piece of TAD reference series that I haven't tried in my house. Can't say how it compares to the Grandioso. I have my opinion of course but it is not based on anything objective so worth very little. Interestingly, the TAD head for Europe was in my house a few weeks back and he told me the best selling of all the hardware of TAD was the D600, and it was quite popular specially in Japan. On paper the multi box solutions from Esoteric Grandioso or Vivaldi seem better, but paper and specifications many times means nothing to how it sounds, son can't give an opinion.
Regarding Siltech, I have tried and used several ranges within the Royal Signature Series. From a Queen Interconnect, to an Emperor II speaker cables, Double Crown Interconnects and TC speaker cables and interconnects. Also DC power cables and DC Octopus power bar. They all sound great with Ref series. My opinion is that sweet spot is probably Emperor (price/performance). Of course DC and TC are better, and you can easily hear it in this system, TC being a revelation, but with the Emperor, if you don't listen to anything above you will never imagine you are missing anything. Queen is also good but only for preamp to amp connection. From DAC to preamp, where signal is more delicate it is better to be Empress or above.
It's hard to say but if I had to recommend a combination not to max performance (which would be al TC) but max cost/benefit I would say from DAC to preamp highest you can afford (TC or DC), from preamp to amp (queen or Empress, the later better if possible) and speaker Emperor II. That will be excellent and again you would not be able to see what it is that you are missing if you don't hear higher combinations. (of course you are; but you are anyway regardless of how high you go...).
I have not tried the D600.Is actually the only piece of TAD reference series that I haven't tried in my house. Can't say how it compares to the Grandioso. I have my opinion of course but it is not based on anything objective so worth very little. Interestingly, the TAD head for Europe was in my house a few weeks back and he told me the best selling of all the hardware of TAD was the D600, and it was quite popular specially in Japan. On paper the multi box solutions from Esoteric Grandioso or Vivaldi seem better, but paper and specifications many times means nothing to how it sounds, son can't give an opinion.
Regarding Siltech, I have tried and used several ranges within the Royal Signature Series. From a Queen Interconnect, to an Emperor II speaker cables, Double Crown Interconnects and TC speaker cables and interconnects. Also DC power cables and DC Octopus power bar. They all sound great with Ref series. My opinion is that sweet spot is probably Emperor (price/performance). Of course DC and TC are better, and you can easily hear it in this system, TC being a revelation, but with the Emperor, if you don't listen to anything above you will never imagine you are missing anything. Queen is also good but only for preamp to amp connection. From DAC to preamp, where signal is more delicate it is better to be Empress or above.
It's hard to say but if I had to recommend a combination not to max performance (which would be al TC) but max cost/benefit I would say from DAC to preamp highest you can afford (TC or DC), from preamp to amp (queen or Empress, the later better if possible) and speaker Emperor II. That will be excellent and again you would not be able to see what it is that you are missing if you don't hear higher combinations. (of course you are; but you are anyway regardless of how high you go...).
Thanks for your guidance Eli. Very interesting. I recall someone at TAD suggesting Siltech ....... when pressed. I can't quite understand it but despite the fact that cables make or break systems, even whole system suppliers like TAD seem remarkably reticent about recommending cables. I guess they are a high margin area for their sales outlets, so they can't afford to upset the sales chain.
Murray
Murray
