TAD with McIntosh?

[Sweetmusic69]

Hello ByZan

The TAD reference speakers thrive on pure untainted signal quality and they will deliver some of the best realistic sounds you could every desire.

If you are lover of Wilson's, Sonus Faber, Martin Logan's, Tannoy's and B&W's then I would suggest a good long home audition as the TAD's can produce genuinely reality to sublime levels, however only you can decide if these would be the speaker for you.

From a personal perspective I find Macintosh equipment, big ,fun ,bouncy and entertaining all positive traits.

When pairing with TAD speakers (especially the reference series) they cannot deliver the resolution, bass control and insight that TAD deserve to enable them to give you "The full Monty" as we say this side of the pond.

It is not about out right power by any means, any partnering equipment need to able to have a ultra fast response yet without sacrificing and note decay or textural presence, it also need to demonstrate a superb transient current response to allow that CST driver to deliver those tonal shadings, textural layering's, spatial separation and yet allow the inter play between the musicians to be expressed unhindered.

Taking this subject further, a couple of weeks ago while traveling in Europe I dropped in on a good friend who recently bumped into a gentleman who had just acquired a pair of CR-1's and a pair of Devialet's in mono-block formation a solid 500Wrms of power.

This combination could also be labelled 'not a happy one', never before I have listened to TAD speakers sounding painfully thin and two dimensional, with very little tonal quality and total lack of depth.

The amps were fitted with quality power cables and very respectable mains conditioner the owner was happy with the systems performance.

Another unhappy pairing is the Burmester 911 mono's that's inner ear damage just waiting to happen

Different strokes for different folks.

You findings may be different ByZen

[byZan]

Thank you for your post which is very much appreciated .

I think it's fun to share the experience of others , even if we have different ears to listen with . But if we learn a little about each other's sounds ideal , it is easier to try to help when you have questions about our hobby .

I like the analog , warm sound but without losing the details and I think this is the combo I have now . I have listened to other combo that also has fixed much more of everything and therefore I am a fan of the R1 but unsure suitable electronics.

I have been in TAD demos with Andrew Jones and it has always sounded good regardless electronics but best with TADs own . But TAD electronics are very expensive in Sweden , and I have a different reference and that's Lamm 1.2 Reference. Have you or any other comments on that particular combo ?

I read a lot of different combinations, at the moment of curiosity about now my dream would come true , so I gratefully accept your and others' comments.


/ byZan

[Sweetmusic69]

Hi byZan

Andrew spent many hours with the voicing of the TAD electronics with their speakers so you would expect the sort of results you were describing in your post.

Good pairings I have heard or owned.

DarTZeel 108 power amplifier with a high quality Valve pre amplifier, the CJ Gat, Puresound L300, Shindo, Pass Labs, Levinson.

The Dagostino pre is a good match, although when it comes to the amplifiers I prefer the stereo to the mono's purely on musicality.

Concert Fidelity amplifiers also make a great match (recently heard these at the UK National audio show and else where)

Also had success with the 845 and 211 mono blocks, in a modest room.

The are certainly not as fussy as many other speakers to physically set up, and they are not overly unkind with poor recoding providing you partner them with electronics will drive them properly and have a sound you can identify with.

The TAD speakers certainly have great texture and depth with superb texture and are in no way cold or clinical, conversely they are not in the Wilson mode or Tannoy presentation either. They are one of the most truly neutral speakers available, however we all like our music different and your ears are the only ones you need to count on when choosing a speaker byZen.

[byZan]

Hi!

Sweetmusic69, grateful for your response and will take this into consideration when or if it becomes necessary with a change of electronics

Have a nice weekend!

/ byZan

[Cellindo]

A few years back in a CES hotel room the pairing of TAD Ref One with VTL electronics (was probably the 450 mono's, if my memory is still valid) left me an unforgetable memory. One of the best demo in my life.

Sent from my iPhone using A.Aficionado

[Apexorca]

Anyone experienced TAD R1 with Krell?
Thoughts about it?

[byZan]

Originally Posted by Apexorca

Anyone experienced TAD R1 with Krell?
Thoughts about it?

I understand that you would think it would be fun to get some impressions of you who have listened to such a combo, for me too

/ byZan

[byZan]

Originally Posted by Sweetmusic69

From my personal experience Macintosh and TAD do not make good bedfellows.

I think you are right out of the analysis, I am inclined to agree with you.

The speakers are now played in over a week and so far so I think that the bass is not as fast as I want, the midrange is wonderful and the top a little too sharp, that when I run through the transistor performance.

Via tube pre. the base is about the same, the midrange as well, top little softer.
Now, you may not judge the electronics before the speakers have been playing their recommended hours? But a first impression tends to be and become the truth in the end?
But the speaker delivers more of everything, they impress and despite some negative impact on the sound.

One thought that occurs to me is to have transistor amplifiers and tubes in the preamp section, a thought only, inputs are appreciated.

/ byZan

[JohnThomas]

Originally Posted by JohnThomas

Hopefully the listening impressions of these articles will help.

McIntosh MC501 Monoblock Amplifiers Review | Dagogo | A Unique Audiophile Experience

TAD Reference One Loudspeaker (TAS 218) | The Absolute Sound

What you are experiencing was what I was hinting to you with two articles. Opposite sides of the spectrum.

[Apexorca]

Originally Posted by byZan

I think you are right out of the analysis, I am inclined to agree with you.

The speakers are now played in over a week and so far so I think that the bass is not as fast as I want, the midrange is wonderful and the top a little too sharp, that when I run through the transistor performance.


/ byZan

This new speakers probably have more dynamics and more energy all over and starts acoustic properties your former speakers did not.

I don't thing this has anything to do with TAD R1 and probably not with McIntosh.
TAD R1 delivers much more bas than you are used to. They move a lot's of air. They are for sure very quick. That, I know! I think you need Bas absorbtion. A couple of Svanå Veritune V-6.


The sharpness you hear in the top is also most likely a acoustic phenomenon.

Get som more of Svanå Wings to diffuse the sound before bouncing in a flat hard walls. That tends to make the sound sharp. And maybe add a little bit of absorbtion. Gently, so that you don't kill the liveliness and the fun in the music.