Tad reference 1

[Smokin' Joe]

Long time between visits.
Here’s pics of the room now.
Hope you enjoy.

 

[NTV2008]

Long time between visits.
Here’s pics of the room now.
Hope you enjoy.

What do you use Wilson Audio Specialties WATCH Dog 2 for? By Subwoofer for Tad R1 or another?
I’m planning to use Rel No.25

 

[LL21]

Long time between visits.
Here’s pics of the room now.
Hope you enjoy.

Quite a system! Do you actually have 2 separate systems? One led by Gryphon Atlantis and the other by TAD Ref Ones?

 

[microstrip]

What do you use Wilson Audio Specialties WATCH Dog 2 for? By Subwoofer for Tad R1 or another?
I’m planning to use Rel No.25

These subs do not look like the Watch Dog 2. If Smokin' Joe sub was located in Europe I would have got it!

 

[PGA]

A few months ago I had Mitch Barnett from Sound measure my room, remotely, and develop a convolution filter that runs on a Roon to correct the response of my R1s in my room. The filter is quite sophisticated with 66,000 taps. This level of DSP was science fiction when I studied EE in the late 1970s ...

So how does is sound? Insanely good. The R1s are inherently very high output, low distortion speakers. The DSP takes them to a different level, more so than any other upgrade I’ve made.

Prior to this, my room always sounded a bit lacking in bass. This was the case with the R1s and M1s before. And also with Dunlavy VIs, Cello Grandmaster, and Magico Q5s. And this was even so after a full ASC tube trap treatment and subsequently an RPG re-do of the entire room.

I also went from Cello to Levinson to Spectral to Pass to MSB and then finally to Berkeley and Constellation monos ... always searching for the right sound.

All these made some differences, but all fell far short of what was needed ...

Save yourself the aggravation... call Mitch at https://accuratesound.ca/

 

[DaveC]

A few months ago I had Mitch Barnett from Sound measure my room, remotely, and develop a convolution filter that runs on a Roon to correct the response of my R1s in my room. The filter is quite sophisticated with 66,000 taps. This level of DSP was science fiction when I studied EE in the late 1970s ...

So how does is sound? Insanely good. The R1s are inherently very high output, low distortion speakers. The DSP takes them to a different level, more so than any other upgrade I’ve made.

Prior to this, my room always sounded a bit lacking in bass. This was the case with the R1s and M1s before. And also with Dunlavy VIs, Cello Grandmaster, and Magico Q5s. And this was even so after a full ASC tube trap treatment and subsequently an RPG re-do of the entire room.

I also went from Cello to Levinson to Spectral to Pass to MSB and then finally to Berkeley and Constellation monos ... always searching for the right sound.

All these made some differences, but all fell far short of what was needed ...

Save yourself the aggravation... call Mitch at https://accuratesound.ca/

Agreed! IMO more folks should look into DSP, especially in bi-amped systems for the bass amplifier.

Congrats on the R1s, amazing speakers.

 

[Smokin' Joe]

View attachment 27831

Arrived today. This is my second dance with this speaker, won't be making the mistake of selling them again.

Never say never! Stay tuned for the speaker upgrade. Buying without demo so taking a risk, hope it pays off.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

Tad speakers are excellent.

 

[Smokin' Joe]

Tad speakers are excellent.

They’re ok.

 

[APP]

FYI
All tracks on the Sound Liaison DXD Sampler are mixed on TAD's. The sampler is a must have in my opinion.
It's available on BandCamp as well as on the Sound Liaison site.
What I like about the BandCamp site is that it is very easy to use.

https://soundliaison.bandcamp.com/ in 24/192
https://www.soundliaison.com/ in DXD and DSD

Sound Liaison’s DXD sampler, The Visual Sound, offers some of the most realistic sounding recordings I’ve heard, in enjoyable selections performed by excellent musicians. Most of the music on this sampler is decidedly laid-back, and audiophiles looking for an in-your-face sonic spectacular will likely miss the point. For engineer Frans de Rond and the excellent musicians heard on these recordings, it’s all about subtlety and refinement. Musically perceptive listeners will appreciate the efforts of all involved in making these fine recordings. aX

This article was originally published in audioXpress, August 2020.

 

[Avidlistener]

Just reread this thread for fun while listening to my CR1’s. I’d love to hear someone’s R1 setup in the NYC or South Florida area, but realize that may not be possible right now due to covid.

There was some posts in the thread from years ago about TAD not updating the Reference series. I can reveal (now) that in a conversation with AJ while he was still as TAD, that he was experimenting with an aluminum enclosure, but didn’t get any specifics. Perhaps this is the only area where the speaker could have been improved. Most likely not the drivers, in that the TAD woofers are a mature design and in many recording studios, and the CST had already been developed at a considerable cost and with many decades of experience with Beryllium. I was told TAD or Pioneer had experimented with Diamond for the (CST?) drivers, but found Be to be superior. Perhaps the crossover could have been tweaked.

In my AJ designed Elac Adante center speaker he did an aluminum front baffle. The center speaker is quite amazing and makes me laugh every time I look at it in that I bought it new (open box sale) with the dedicated stand for $1400 US. Even at full retail I still can’t believe they could offer so much speaker at the price. There were some manufacturing defects which had to be sent back and were resolved, so perhaps TAD’s much higher cost has to do with much better manufacturing.

 

[dcathro]

View attachment 27831

Arrived today. This is my second dance with this speaker, won't be making the mistake of selling them again.

Say What? Do you still have any of the gear in this picture?

 

[CKKeung]

The TAD Reference Series is said to be totally made in Japan.

 

[LL21]

The TAD Reference Series are said to be totally made in Japan.

Yes, my understanding as well. We met in Pioneer Plaza with the CEO of TAD who graciously showed us around their reference sound room. At the time, they had a factory in China, and they were just about to pull back all production into Japan. This was around 9 years ago or so. While they were happy with production at the time, he said they decided bringing production back to Japan enabled them to keep closer, more efficient watch over every element of production.

 

[CKKeung]

Yes, my understanding as well. We met in Pioneer Plaza with the CEO of TAD who graciously showed us around their reference sound room. At the time, they had a factory in China, and they were just about to pull back all production into Japan. This was around 9 years ago or so. While they were happy with production at the time, he said they decided bringing production back to Japan enabled them to keep closer, more efficient watch over every element of production.

Yes, initially the wood enclosures of R1 and CR1 were made in China, bcos the wood-workers there were not bad.
Then they have relocated the process back to Japan, bcos the Japanese artisans are even better.

 

[LL21]

Interesting...I had not appreciated it was the woodworkers. The cabinetry was beautiful. We listened to their TAD Ref Ones made in Japan as I recall.

 

[Smokin' Joe]

New toys.
The emerald black finish is gorgeous.
The packaging is not to the standard of my prior Ref1’s, disappointing to be honest.

 

[LL21]

Congrats! Beautiful!

 

[jbrrp1]

New toys.
The emerald black finish is gorgeous.
The packaging is not to the standard of my prior Ref1’s, disappointing to be honest.

Smokin' Joe, I'm a bit confused. In 2016 you started this thread because you were going back to TAD R1's. So, is this now your third pair of R1's?

 

[Smokin' Joe]

Smokin' Joe, I'm a bit confused. In 2016 you started this thread because you were going back to TAD R1's. So, is this now your third pair of R1's?

Correct.