TAD Reference loudspeakers-How good are they?

"Tad Reference Loudspeakers" That’s an oxymoron, isn’t it?

Thought?...the thought that every TAD speaker i’ve heard sounds bright and fatiguing. Pioneer...midfi dressed up in Zegna.

@bcgator, well we'll just discuss high end audio, and you can, uh hum, discuss neurologists, witch doctors and voodoo practioners which seems to be your interest area. Au contraire, it is I who wish you a speedy recovery...

@knghifi, I wouldn't describe Vitus Signature series gear as thick and dark. I would describe the sound as natural/organic and harmonically rich, yes, but not dark. The SS-103 and SIA-025 amps are on the warm side in Class A. The Vitus RI-100 integrated however does sounds a bit dark.

Joey, $37k is $1k short of a pair of Magico S5 Mk2's which would kill the TAD's.

@Zephyr, ah I don’t think the accompanying amps, front end or cables were at fault when i auditioned the TAD’s. I’ve auditioned them twice, the last time with D’ag Momentum mono’s & a full DCS Vivaldi stack, and the results were the same as the first audition...I left the room after a few tracks. By then my ears were bleeding. Maybe the TAD's can be made to sound good with tubes and enough room treatments, but at the end of the day they'll always be just souped up Pioneers.

Conversely I haven’t found that to be the case with the Magico S series, especially the S5 Mk2’s which are just amazing paired with Vitus. I find I can listen for hours without fatigue. Despite bcgator’s histrionics, I did say "every TAD speaker i’ve heard sounds bright and fatiguing". To imply my ears are lying to me, or perhaps that i’m lying to either myself or others is ludicrous. To each their own.

@Zephyr, i'm glad you've assembled a system which sounds musical to your ears. Tthanks for your good wishes. All the best to you in 2017!

@shadorne, You must be talking about the S5 Mk1, as respected reviewer Martin Colloms had this to say about the S5 Mk2's in his review for Hifi Critic -

"We also found that the S5 MkII could play almost impossibly loud with near perfect clarity and no perceptible hardening, textural crowding or dynamic compression. The most difficult and densely scored material was handled with sweet clarity and with particularly low fatigue, a strong indicator of inherently low distortion together with exceptionally uniform frequency responses".

@shardorne, Firstly the NRC at the time stated the S5 Mk1 speakers had the lowest THD of any speaker they ever tested. Secondly, a max 2bd deviation in linearity above 2kHz is "embarassing", "horrendous" and "extremely audible"? The S5 Mk1's driver pair matching was approx ±0.5dB, so i'm not sure what you're jumping up and down about. Also, I don't think the S7 or S5 Mk2 were designed to correct any "embarassing" test results, but were in fact the result of Magico's relentless R&D efforts which resulted in the M Project, from which the S7 was born. The S5 Mk2 has some technology from the M3, but that's another story.

Shadorne, we can argue about 1db till the cows come home. I suggest you stop looking at graphs and go out and listen to a properly setup pair of S5 Mk1’s. Maybe you’ll be so enamored you’ll snap up a pair? They are relative bargains on the used market now. Enjoy them in good health my friend! Meanwhile, I’ll enjoy my S5 Mk2’s ;).

shadorne5,434 posts01-06-2017 10:00am@melbguy1

Agreed, I also apologize to the OP for my part in making this TAD thread about how fantastic Magico is or isn’t.

Why? Check out page one of this thread for starters. PIoneer, I mean TAD fanboi’s have done there fair share of Magico-bashing in this thread. They have to expect a bit of push back...it’s only fair ;).

gpgr4blu, I find your comments so ironic considering the Magico-bashing that has gone on in this thread, lol! I noticed you conveniently slid past all those comments & cherry picked all mine to paint me as a troll. Terribly sorry to offend you, but that's how my ears heard them. I suppose you think i'm a liar as well as a "troll"? I might have toned down the bluntness of my comments on second thought, but my view on TAD speakers has not changed. And doubtless your view of Magico speakers or derogatory view of me will never change....

gpgr4blu, I owe you an apology, I asked Audiogon if you're a moderator & they confirmed you are. Please don't ban my arse Mr Moderator. I promise I'll be good from now on and not offend the sensitivities of TAD owners!!