New TAD Set Up in AV Designs

If there is one hifi brand that I like but have yet to review in my house is TAD. Exclusively distributed by Audio Visual Designs Sdn. Bhd. in Malaysia, I have only enjoyed its majestic sound in their show room either back in Rohas Perkasa or in their existing shop along Jalan Kuching. When James Tan informed me of the arrival of the classy looking Evolution 1 E1Tx floorstanding speakers, C600 pre amp and M700S power amp, I knew that I have to go and have a listen to the set up.

Given I am about to start my 1 week annual vacation, I told myself to go and have a listen to this set up on 25th Feb before I go on leave...... and it was all worth it.

The M700S stereo power amp weighs about 75 kg and the chasiss and the 4 legged platform is actually comes as a 1 piece unit! Maintaining its industrial look but in a such classy and minimalist design that will get the WAF approved. It will be a challenge to get a rack that will fit this so most probably for potential owners, it will be set up on the floor.

Its unique design includes:

• Vibration-Suppressing technology
• Lower Centre of Gravity
• High Power Ampification (175 wpc on 8 ohm)
• Extra large capacity power supply
• Simplified First Stage Circuitry
• Dual Logic circuit technology

The Evolution One E1TX is in its class of its own. From physical shape to its finishing, it is another TAD product that will have high WAF. It is a 3 way bass reflex speakers with a 16 cm woofer cone and 9 cm mid and  2.5 cm tweeter berylium dome. It is designed with 88 dB sensitivity.

Standing tall at 1215 mm with a width of 350 mm and depth of 512 mm, this speakers weighs about 46 kg each.

I spent about 1.5 hours here and this is my first impression of the whole set up. TAD have given serious thoughts across the whole sound flow from source to pre amp to power amp to the speakers. The seamless integration throughout the chain was effortless. You can play any genres and it will just adapt itself to provide a presentation that somehow to me is limitless headroom. The sound just keeps on growing as if the sound stage just keeps filling up the room.

The bass was taut, extended just the way I like it. At no stage ever it overpower the mids and highs. It was so coherent that the musicality was just mesmerizing. My initial expectation of this set up was actually to be more laid back given my experience listening to other Japanese hifi. Boy...I was wrong. This is a very convincing, engaging and upfront system.

The price range is out of my reach at the moment as the retail price goes to about RM500K for all 3 pieces (pre, power and speakers) but I still can savour the musical experience. 

Do go and have a listen to this set up as to me, it is one of the rare set ups one can experience in Malaysia.

Contact AV Designs through James Tan on 016-3280237

Sampler 1

Sampler 2

The KRONOSCOPE Resonance Suspension (RS) Tonearm - An IDR!

 

I first got to know about this tonearm during a live online Chit Chat session with the man himself, Louis Desjardins during the pandemic lockdown. I then was given the chance to listen to this Kronoscope RS tonearm in Munich High End show in May 2022.  After a few years of owning the Kronos Sparta, I feel that it is time for Kronos to provide the option for me and other Sparta owners to squeeze out more music from our LP collection. So, when James Chin of YL Audio brought in a unit for the KLIAV Show in 2022, I told myself that I need to give this tonearm a listen in my own set up. Soon enough, James was kind enough to set it up in my home.

When I thought the Helena tonearm was light, this Kronoscope RS tonearm is even lighter. I was having trouble to get the right alignment as the the ZYX Omega cartridge was too light for the tonearm. Had to really adjust the counterweight to ensure the right weight is distributed onto the cartridge. But once that is done, I was in for one of the greatest upgrade I have done on my set up.

The design itself is already physically pleasant to look at. A notable change compared to the Helena and definitely a huge step up in the looks department. But beauty alone cannot justify this upgrade plan unless it delivers something more than the Helena.

THE SESSION

I chose 4 tracks to test the limit of this Kronscope RS tonearam:

1. Bali Run by Fourplay

2. Take Five by Dave Brubeck

3. Don't Want A Miss Thing by Aerosmith

4. Era Gio Tutto Previsto by Andrea Bocelli

Sampler 1 - Bali Run by Fourplay

Putting on this masterpiece through the new tonearm was a jaw dropping experience as it really opens up more clarity and musicality which I thought was already impossible to get more from the Sparta. The bass sounded fuller and more bodied with the overall presentation leans towards openness and sounded bigger and livelier. The drums sounded sharp and on tone. The guitar works also sounded really melodious compared to my previous Helena tonearm.

Sampler 2 - Take Five

This to me was the highlight of the review. Take Five sounded extremely good playng through this tonearm. It really engaged me throughout the track. The bassline was rich, deep and tight at the same time. It really extended the low frequency spectrum which made the whole experience a deeply engaged one. The tonearm somehow allows the ZYX cartridge to extract more music from the LP. The saxophone sounded so airy and lively that I really felt like I was in a live concert. The snare sounded sharp, solid but at the same time maintained that sazzy sound of the wires beneath it. The toms sounded original enough as the hollowness of the classic set up really transpired as intended to through this Kronscope RS tone arm.

Sampler 3 - Dont Want Miss A Thing

For the sake of challenging the Kronoscope RS towards a universal performance ability, I put on this track by Aerosmith to see how the tonearm performs with modern rock ballad. Steven Tyler's vocal stood up melodiuosly which it was a surprise to me. I was not expecting for the Kronoscope RS to open up this track to this level. The drums on this track also sounded really crisp and on tone. The guitar works however was not really represented  adequately as it sounded a little bit laid back. Somehow, the vocal overpowered the overall tracks a bit.

Sampler 4 - Era Gio Tutto Previsto by Andrea Bocelli

Andrea's stunning vocal became even more mesmerizing using the Kronoscope RS tonearm. His deep voice sounded even more emotional than before. It goes really deep to uplift his vocal to a much more livelier presentation. The tonearm somehow opens up more the details of this track with no sign of his vocal overwhelming the instruments. It was all balanced that it gave me the goosebumps listening to this track over and over again.

THE CONCLUSION

A MUST BUY for any Kronos turntable owners. I had no second thoughts to place an order after the first few tracks playing. (At the point of this review, my new unit have arrived but have to install). At USD 14,000, it is not cheap for my standard but 2 years of pandemic, I managed to save up a bit to put this on my shopping list for 2022 actually. This tonearm is not just another tonearm. It is a well engineered unit that really gives out a more musical extraction to my Kronos Sparta.

All the different genres I have played, it gives out more openness, livelier, more solid bass and clarity of sound that I have not heard on my Helena tonearm before.  Kronos Audio keeps on designing new innovative components that will provide more and more musicality to Kronos turntable.

To sum up, Kronoscope RS is an Innovation Done Right!