Technical Audio Devices Launches 2 New Products To Its High-End Speaker And Component Lines

Technical Audio Devices Laboratories, Inc. (TAD) today introduced two new products at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, marking the highly anticipated completion of TAD’s Evolution and Reference series systems. The TAD-E1 loudspeaker and TAD-C600 preamplifier are the final components in the two audio collections, thus allowing TAD to take audiophiles on a complete journey from source to sound.

Developed and designed entirely in-house by Director of Engineering Andrew Jones and an international team of audio engineers, artists and craftsmen, the TAD-E1 and TAD-C600 are the next steps in the brand’s unprecedented commitment to developing and manufacturing products of the highest quality sound technology.

Pioneer TAD-E1

“TAD’s philosophy has always encompassed the belief that audiences should be able to access the richest and purest sound experience possible in their own home environment,” said Andrew Jones, director, chief engineer for TAD Laboratories “The completion of our Evolution and Reference series is an anticipated milestone that provides us the opportunity to take the most discerning of audiophiles on a true sensory experience from source to sound.”

TAD-E1

As the first-ever loudspeaker in this category, the TAD-E1 is the next step in TAD’s high-performance “function meets form” Evolution Series, consisting of the C2000 Preamplifier and the M2500 and M4300 Power Amplifiers. The Evolution series provides precise audio quality that sounds completely natural and achieves unprecedented levels of performance. The TAD-E1 carries a suggested retail price of $29,800 (pair) and will be available in the U.S. starting in February.

Highlights Of The Tad-E1 Speakers Include

• Coherent Source Transducer – For highly improved imaging and a more consistent sound throughout an entire listening room, TAD’s Coherent Source Transducer (CST) was designed with the tweeter diaphragm mounted concentrically within the midrange cone. This design provides a point source of sound from 250 Hz to 100 kHz, enabling matched arrival times of midrange and tweeter sounds.
• Beryllium Tweeter and Magnesium Midrange – In order to efficiently produce accurate high frequencies, beryllium is used for its highly rigid and extremely light-weight properties. A special vapor-deposition process ensures the tweeter produces audio that is well controlled and plays above the range of audibility. Combined with the tweeter’s response, a magnesium midrange diaphragm is used for its stiff, low mass and durable properties resulting in truthful response with low coloration.
• One-piece Woofer Cone Construction – The TAD-E1’s woofer uses a one-piece dustcap/cone construction that eliminates the loss of strength frequently found in conventional woofer cone construction. The technique increases the strength and virtually eliminates weak points on any part of the cone. The cone construction is further strengthened by using multiple layers of aramid fibers to provide low mass with high rigidity to resist back pressure from the cabinet.
• Silent Enclosure – To prevent ringing or resonance from the speaker cabinet, TAD uses high–rigidity Baltic birch plywood combined with medium density fiberboard (MDF). The enclosure is also designed with a “teardrop” shape rear section that further reduces unwanted cabinet resonance due to the improved stiffness of curved panels.
• Iso-mount Network Filter – The TAD-E1 incorporates a network filter that is mounted outside of the main enclosure. The design mechanically and acoustically isolates the filter to ensure maximum resolution.

TAD-C600

The TAD-C600 preamplifier completes the Reference Series, which includes the Reference One speaker system, the TAD-CR1 Compact Reference, the D600 disc player and the M600 Monaural Power Amplifier. The C600 is the perfect complement to the collection, providing ultra-precise sound quality. The C600 carries a suggested retail price of $42,000 and will be available in the U.S. starting in February.

Highlights Of The C-600 Preamp Include

• Fully Balanced Circuitry and Dual Mono Construction – To achieve accuracy from input to output, TAD has taken extreme measures to achieve thorough uniformity of circuitry for the left and right channels. The fully balanced and symmetrical circuit design allows signal transmission to be extremely accurate, with dynamic properties of the circuits to completely identical for both positive and negative signals. Furthermore, the balanced circuit provides resistance to the effects of external noise and ground potential fluctuations.

To maintain left-right channel uniformity, vital for optimum stereo imaging and sound-field immersion, dual mono construction is employed. Identical in every way from input to output, from the circuit boards layout for the left and right channels down to wire lengths and dressing, each channel is isolated from the other by a central dividing shield to further enhance imaging.

• Vibration Absorption Technology – TAD used a precision-processed machined aluminum sub-chassis and three-point support insulators that block external vibration and noise, ensuring mechanical stability. At 33mm thick and weighing 15kg, the sub-chassis is fabricated using pure aluminum ingots which further achieves a high-level of vibration control as well as providing a stable mechanical ground. All the additional chassis parts are machined to the same high accuracy as the sub-chassis, serving to reduce the impact of vibration and external noise and contributing to the reproduction of music with ultra-high purity and faithfulness to the input signal. The spike-shaped three-point support feet ensure mechanical stability on any support surface.
• Low-Noise Technology – Further reducing noise for the utmost signal clarity, a dual enclosure design separates the pre-amp and its power supply. This minimizes the effects of noise caused by vibration or magnetic flux leakage from the power supply transformer. A power amplifier-grade 400VA rated toroidal transformer provides a degree of precision that allows accurate precise transmission even during large signal levels and fast signal fluctuations.

  To prevent additional interference, the control functions and display utilize direct-current based operation. The controls, LED display and illumination operate via a circuit method based on direct current, minimizing their impact on sound quality. The control circuit wiring and power supply are housed inside a center shield that centrally divides the enclosure.

• High Quality Precision Parts – The highest quality and precision dedicated parts are used for the TAD-C600’s construction including its custom electronic volume control featuring super-precise ball bearings. TAD’s new ladder-resistance switching electronic volume control circuit achieves an absolute channel level difference of 0.1dB or less even at attenuations of more than 100dB with harmonic distortion at only 0.0005% (@1Vrms input). The impedance at the input and output terminals are independent of the volume setting, minimizing interaction with the signal circuitry and maximizing fidelity of the sound.
• Extreme Link – The TAD-C600 incorporates our Extreme Link function, enabling users to synchronize multiple TAD-C600s together in a master/slave configuration to allow for further configurations of up to six channels.