@kofibaffour is this the correct measurement?
Driving TAD CE1s (Upgrade from Kinki to Gryphon?)
Hey guys,
I recently made the switch from Focal Scala Evos to the TAD CE1. I’m currently looking for the right power amplification to drive the CE1 to their full potential.
My Current System:
• Streamer: HiFi Rose RS130
• DAC: Gustard R30
• Preamp: VTL TL-7.5 Series II
• Power Amp: Kinki Studio EX-B7 (Monoblocks)
• Cabling: Full Neotech UP-OCC
The Issue:
While I am loving the upgrade, I feel the Kinki EX-B7s are the bottleneck. They lack the grip and headroom required to control the TADs properly. On highly dynamic tracks (like Ein Straussfest), the amps clip and go into protection mode.
Sonically, this combination yields a thin tonal balance, particularly in the lower mids, with a somewhat forward treble presentation.
Comparing the TAD vs. Focal:
The good news is that the TAD CE1 offers significantly better imaging and soundstage than my previous Scalas. The holographic presentation and micro-detail are lifelike and deeply insightful. However, I am missing the bass response and excitement of the Focals.
So, I am considering upgrading to the Gryphon Antileon Signature to solve the power shortage and add body to the sound.
Has anyone paired Gryphon with TAD? Will the Antileon bring back that bass weight and "excitement" I’m missing from the Focal, without sacrificing the holographic detail of the TADs?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
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- 39 posts total
yup. now you can see the issues you have below Schroeder (mid bass and kick presence is recessed heavily) You can start experimenting with speaker placement from front wall. the whole process is very iterative so keep at it. start with speakers as close to front wall as physically possible and then move your seat front and back with speakers in this fitst position and measure then move speakers 6 inches fowards and then remeasure again at your seated place, front and back and do till you’re roughly got measurements from very close to you current positioning of them then overlay them in REW to determine the best balanced one
But the upper treble tapering off concerns me unless your speakers are off axis from you listening position. try pointing them on axis at your seated position without toe out . you can redo the measurements to make sure that wasn’t a bad measurement. REW can have some buggy measurements. Also if you can uninstall REW, reinstall, follow this setup guide before redoing - https://youtu.be/F-T_lZ3KJjU?si=2lwDa2r3zifZg4xd
but that all aside, you’re demanding a lot of current from your amp as I already alluded to in my previous comment so maybe a new amp fixes that and the MC611 are the strongest current stabilised monoblocks I can recommend handily @darkknight8586
you can use 1/12th or VAR smoothing |
Thank you very much for the advice. I’ll try adjusting the speaker placement as your suggestion. During the measurements, the Kinki actually went into protection several times. On the VTL, the volume was around 40/95 on the dial, and the Kinki started turning red when sweeping around 35–50 Hz. Because of that, I had to lower the volume to about 35 to complete the measurements safely. At the moment, I’m considering a few power amplifiers that should handle impedance more confidently:
All of these are available at roughly the same used-market price in my area. |
Hmm. Not convinced kinki is culprit...your speaker isn't all that much a difficult load either Do you have a different preamp laying around, preferably SS and without any tubes in it this time? If so, hook it up and crank it up, see what happens.
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@deep_333 Yup, the same problem occurred while I changed from the VTL to Parasound Pre (Pure Solid State). So I guess the problem is coming from the Kinki. Both VTL/Parasound + Kinki combo played normally with my previous Focal Scala Evo |
- 39 posts total