I remembered my early days with the brand, PIONEER (from JAPAN which later birthed the brand, TAD) especially for their Laser Disc (LD) Players, AV Receivers and Car Stereo System. Little am I awared of their rich history that dated back to 1937 where PIONEER headed by Mr.Nozomu Matsumoto as a speaker manufacturer,…
the A-8 which was the industry’s First hi-fi Dynamic Speaker in Japan.
Later in 1975, PIONEER launched the TAD Project to develop high-end speakers targeted at the professional sound market around the world (Pro Audio Market), and invited the late Mr.Bart Locanthi, then a renowned professional audio engineer in the United States as the technical advisor for the said project,…whom held the belief that,…
“Genuine Technology is true to the Basics and that Genuine Technology places greater importance on Sound Quality than on technology for its own sake”,
and that the same belief was still held in the TAD (Technical Audio Devices) brand,…even for their High End Consumer products. Simply put it, TAD brand still very much design, manufacture and stand for their consumer audio products’ performance that provide…
“Being-There Experience to the Listeners”.
ENTER THE TAD DA1000TX DAC
A dear audiophile friend was in the market for a Digital to Analogue Converter (DAC) with USB input for his Digital Streamer. He contacted AV DESIGNS (MALAYSIA) SDN BHD to loan for home trial their TAD DA1000TX DAC (retail at Malaysia Ringgit RM64,800),…which was equipped with the third-generation Asynchronous USB Communication Engine, developed in-house,…that was able to capture PCM384kH/32bit and DSD256 digital signals with the sampling rate of 11.2 MHz fed from computers1 via a USB port.
Impressively, the TAD DAC was equipped with Dual Differential D/A converter (one for each channel),…an Ultra-High C/N (carrier-to-noise ratio) Master Clock UPCG (ultra-high-precision crystal generator) and a high-quality Headphone Amplifier driven by an independent power supply with its own coil wire.
After a few days of listening to it intensely, the audiophile friend shared his favourable findings to me. Intrigued,…I asked him to bring the TAD DAC over for a listening session,…which turned to a review session (courtesy of AV DESIGNS SDN BHD).
“THE ARTISTIC INTENT, INTACT” (?)
Here, the TAD DAC was connected via the ‘revealing‘ AA AUDIO SIG XT USB 2.0 (by Dr.Anuar Ali Muhamad) cable, which was recently ‘reviewed favorably‘ by me, to the AURENDER W20 Music Server. The said digital source combination was then connected to the FM ACOUSTICS 268C preamplifier via the VERMOUTH AUDIO REFERENCE BALANCED XLR cables. The amplifiers used were the VITUS MASTERPIECE MP-M201AF, the loudspeakers were the MAGICO M2, and the cables used were STEIN MUSIC EXCEL NF-R BALANCED XLR and INAKUSTIK KABEL REFERENZ LS-8005 AIR speaker cables.
I have to admit that the first word that came to mind from the TAD DAC‘s audio performance was ‘REFRESHING‘, and the second word was ‘ANEW‘ (in the light of a DAC). It was not that the TAD DAC changed the presentation of the music that I knew from my audio system.
It was more like a Fresh Take on the Presentation,…if I may (?)
At my favorite and heavily used test track ‘Ballad of Runaway Horses‘, I found the vocalist, Ms.Jennifer Warnes‘ voiceation was presented in an organic, natural, melodic and (possibly) softer manner, which was an accomplishment, especially for a ‘Digital Source’ (which may be ‘harsh‘ and ‘digititis‘ sounding in my experience).
Every word in the lyric was Humanly, Pleasingly and Musically Sang and, did not sound as if tightly read.
Whereas the instrument ‘Double Bass’ by Mr.Rob Wasserman was presented with articulation, definition, energy and,…
Clear Distinction of each Note played.
If given any other lesser DAC, all the Double Bass’ notes played would sound but ‘A Single Note’.
At the heart warming track of ‘When You Wish Upon A Star‘, I was particularily taken in by the presentation of warmnest in the voiceation of Ms.Linda Ronstadt, that reminded me of ‘similar quality‘ through the analogue vinyl. The TAD DAC‘s presentation may not have the density and weight of the analogue counterpart,…
but it did present the Emotional Touch and Sentimental Content that Reminiscent the Analogue Vinyl.
At my usual test track for orchestra drum set, the ‘Imperial March’ taken from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, I found the low bass from the drum was presented with articulation, definition, dimensions and in appropriate scale (within the wall to wall soundstage of the orchestra).
And each Low Bass Note was Distinctively Weighted and Dynamically Energized.
However, I wish to add that some may still find the TAD DAC‘s presentation of low bass notes to be a tad ‘Softer‘ (compared to the ARES CERAT KASSANDRA II LE and the VITUS MASTERPIECE DAC MP-D201 that priced above the TAD DAC by a few folds,…to be Fair).
Alternatively, I found the TAD DAC‘s presentation of the low bass notes to be Layered, Expansive, Rich, and Warmth.
THE ARTISTIC INTENT, INTACT – CHECKED!
Listening to the TAD DAC was for me, Listening to Music (and not the audio component/ DAC),
Without the Harshness and Digititis of the Digital Source.
Its audio performance gave no resemblance to any digital source,…and that for me was an Accomplishment and Testament to the TAD team in upholding their belief, THE ARTISTIC INTENT, INTACT!
SPECIFICATIONS
Model No.
TAD-DA1000TX
Digital audio inputs
1 XLR, 2 coaxial, 1 optical, 1 USB (Type B)
Compatible sampling frequencies: XLR and coaxial inputs: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192 kHz
Optical input: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz
USB input*: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192 kHz, 352.8 kHz, 384 kHz, DSD64 (2.8 MHz), DSD128 (5.6 MHz), DSD256 (11.2 MHz)
USB operating environment
USB 2.0 high-speed
Digital audio output
1 XLR, 1 coaxial
Analog audio output
1 balanced output
1 unbalanced output
Output voltage rated value
4 V balanced, 2 V unbalanced (1 kHz 0 dB)
S/N ratio
115 dB
Frequency characteristics
Sampling frequency 88.2 kHz and above: 10 Hz to 40 kHz -1 dB
Sampling frequency 44.1 kHz: 10 Hz to 20 kHz -1 dB
Headphone output
1 headphone jack
Recommended impedance: 8 to 600 Ω
Maximum output: 125 mW + 125 mW (at 32 Ω)
Power supply voltage
AC 120 V, 60 Hz (United States and Canada)
AC 220 V to 240 V, 50 Hz/60 Hz (Europe and Asia)
Power consumption
49 W
Power consumption during standby
0.5 W or less
Dimensions
440mm (W) x 150mm (H) x 406mm (D)
(17-11/32 in. (W) x 5-29/32 in. (H) x 16 in. (D))
Weight
16.5 kg
(36.4 lbs.)
* Compatible with Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Mac OS 10.6 and higher, except PCM352.8 kHz, 384 kHz, DSD128, and DSD256, which are compatible with only Windows 10, Mac OS 10.6 and higher
ROON TESTED.