Compact Reference TAD

The TAD CR1 (for Compact Reference) loudspeaker ($37,000/pair) was demonstrated with Viola amplification and a digital front end comprising the Weiss Man301 server ($9000) and Weiss Medea+ D-to-A converter ($19,000). The CR1, which has been on the market for a little over three years, has a rated sensitivity of 86dB and uses the same type of CST coincident driver as featured in the company's flagship Reference One loudspeaker. The TAD had satisfying bass extension for such a relatively small enclosure, but the system was being played way too loud for my comfort, so I can't offer a more nuanced appraisal. JA, however, was very impressed when he reviewed the CR1 last January.

COMMENTS
Pjay's picture

Yup, that is why we never go into the room.  Wonder how many sales were lost due to volume?

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K.Reid's picture

I asked the gentleman who was demoing the server to play my CD. He indicated he had to download it to the server first. My CD was then stuck in the unit for a half hour. I think there is a design flaw with this unit given that there was no button or mechanism to account for such an event.

I understand the need for a clean, industrial aesthetic, but there needs to be manual override button (perhaps on the back) to force eject a disc that becomes lodged in the unit.  I was told by the gentleman demoing the server that it was a pre-production model. If this had been an end user who brought a production version, it would cause great disappointment. I never was able to hear my CD.

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