Review: Tube Audio Design TAD-1000 Tube amp

While it is far too soon to do a full evaluation, having the amps just about two weeks, my experience mirrors that of Bamabubba. So far my preferences have been for triode mode, with the feedback control one click to the right of center.

At this time, however, I am not the best one to discuss break in.

I recently received my upgraded Von Schweikert speakers back from the factory (VR 4 to 5/7 "Pheonix" upgrade), and although I am past the intial phase, they are still breaking in themselves. BTW, Albert Von Schweikert and his staff also represent the best in customer service, like Paul with his products, they want to ensure that you get the most out of them. (Great sound, great service, reasonable price. That is real value). The speakers started to sound great with my older tube amps, but with the TAD-1000s they are crossing into "amazing" territory.

I am not an audio newbie, and have listened to and evaluated many products and systems over the years, and have learned to be cautious with praise. Over the years, I have experienced the feeling of being "blown away" a few times, by equipment that seems to do more than incrementally improve on the competition, and brings the sense of of a live event much closer. However, sometimes, after further listening, flaws are revealed and the equipment does not seem quite so great.

After living with both admittedly only a short time, collectively, the VR Pheonix mod speakers and the TAD-1000 monoblocks together represent the former experience (blown away), with no hint yet of the latter (disenchantment). In fact the sound may be getting better (or as my friend Harvey says, I am getting used to it).

A few weeks ago, while in Chicago, my wife and I caught a performance of the Chicago Symphony with Charles Dutoit. Seats were pretty good (lower balcony, near center). Whenever I attend a live performance, perhaps like many an audiophile I make mental note of the characteristics of the sound. I was surprised (pleasantly) by how remarkably well some of the classic Reiner-Layton-Mohr recordings in that venue sounded (Get the JVC XRCDs, if you can). These recordings are well know to most audiophiles (Scheherezade, Lt. Kije, etc.). My updated system was able to mimic most of the characteristics of that hall with startling veracity. Tonally, instruments sound like themselves. There is a mountain of "air." Background quiet (after around 9:00 PM, anyway) is eerie. You can hear all of the slight, normally obscured, rustling sounds made by the musicians.

Only in the dynamic domain does the system fall short. However, DO NOT take that as a critisism of the system. The system provides a "sense" of the dynamics far better than most I have heard. But, I have never heard any system capable of replicating the dynamic reality created by the CSO in Orchestra Hall, and I doubt one (for the home) exists. Or, perhaps the recordings do not capture the full dynamic range. I leave that discussion to experts.

This is not a review. Just early feedback. Perhaps I will say more when the system is fully broken in, whenever that is (how does one know?).

I am curious if other owners have compared the sound of the TAD-1000s with EL34s versus KT88s, 6550s or KT90s. I wonder if 6L6s work? Some folks love that tube.

A special "Thank you" goes to Sandy from Levyphoto.com, one of the top sellers of specialty tubes on Ebay, and another great guy, whose trained ears helped me get the amps set up, and whose GOLD PIN Ei ELITE GRAY PLATE 12AX7 tubes really, really sweetened the sound. Amazing! Sandy, I will be ordering more, and am looking forward to trying your KT77s.

And another thank you to friend and old tube equipment guru Harvey R. for keeping me grounded, and providing technical guidance.

ST0944,

Did you ever get around to rolling KT-77's in these amps? If so, what were your findings? Thanks.

A quick update.

I can't help myself! I keep searching for the next upgrade, change or tweak that will create a live performance in my home. My friend Harvey R., a fan of the older classic horn speakers, tells me it can't happen. Undoubtedly he is correct. Nevertheless, the pursuit continues.

Since my last remarks here, I have been through much tube rolling. I have used the JJ KT77s (a significant upgrade from the stock Svet EL34s - beware of getting the ones with the small diameter pins), some older Phillips 6550s (nice, round, warm comfortable sound, but not live sounding, some EH EL34s (leaner than the JJs; try if your bottom-end is a little heavy), Mullard EL34s (very good); Tungsol KT88s (very good, perhaps my second choice, although I would want to listen again to the:), Svetlana Winged Cs, also very good.

Before I tell you what I am using now, I would recommend that owners of the TAD-1000 listen to Paul G. regarding his recommendations for interconnect cables. I have some expensive high-end cables that were obliterated by the cables that Paul recommends. And that was before.

Before what? Well.... I have been seeing more and more tube vendors tout the benefits of cryogenic treatment. How could I not try it?

After doing lots of research and finding out which companies had been doing cryo processing on tubes (who wants to take a chance on shattering tubes), I sent my power conditioner, my power cords, my interconnects (I had bought an identical spare pair to use while I waited and for later comparison with the treated pair), and my precious vacuum tubes.

Remembering my experiences years ago with them in a different amp, I tried some EI KT90s in the TAD-1000. I have a friend who had 8, allowing me to try them. I quickly heard enough to know they were different than anything else to which I had listened in the 1000.

The EI KT90 tubes are not known for their reliability, and getting enough of them was a problem. Because of their scarcity, nn my search for them, I was unlucky to deal with one somewhat pompous California vendor, who shall remain nameless. This vendor advertises "triple platinum matching" and burn-in, but refuses to stand behind the sale of these tubes (in fairness, the guy made it clear in advance and did eventually offer to refund my money when it was clear that the triple platinum matched tubes he sent me weren't matched - that is, the measurements the vendor put on the side of the boxes were different, and the tubes measured that way in three of our own tube testers). I found the balance of my required tubes from an audiophile in Canada. What a contrast the buying experience was.

One other piece of the story is the front end tube. In my last epistle, I waxed eloquent over the performance of the EI Gold Pin 12AX7. It was (and still is) excellent, and depending on your system, it may still be the one to have. Nevertheless, my main tube guy, Sandy@levytubes.com), the best guy you'll ever buy anything from, had obtained a special run of some Sovtek (yeah, Sovtek!) 12AX7s. In a shootout with a bunch of vintage NOS 12AX7, 5751 and 12AU7 classics, as well as some of the newer offerings, the Sovtek was (in the context of my system) the clear winner. Space, air, harmonic balance, etc. were all superior.

Anyway, so I sent a bunch of tubes, wires (interconnects and power cords) and my power conditioner out to be Cryo'd.

Upon their return, resisting the temptation to "eat it all at once," I inserted and listened to one cryo'd component at a time.

My biggest surprise (although I expect that you will all think I'm crazy) was the extent of the change made by the Cryo'd power chords.

Initially, the interconnects sounded worse than the ones I had in the system, but I remembered reading that some stuff would need to be broken in again. As I write this they have passed the untreated cables.

Getting to the effect on the tubes, well you are just going to have to try it yourself. You would not believe me.

The changes to the sound are in some ways obvious, but in other ways more subtle. There is a relaxed "naturalness" to the music. Dynamics are better at both ends of the loudness scale. The sound seems much more like the master tape, even with my CD source. You have seen these words before, but here they are again: Great recordings disappear as recordings, that is, there is just the music. Good recordings (some of them, anyway) become very good. And even some studio cooked recordings can be startling, particularly the ones made in the early 60s.

Last night, my wife and I went to a performance by a local choral group and a youth symphony at the Gussman Hall on the campus of the University of Miami. At live performances, I make a point of closing my eyes at times and focusing on the sound (BTW, both the choral and orchestral performances were great. Sitting close to the orchestra, I was reminded how loud unamplified music can get during the performance of Copeland's "Rodeo."). Getting home, I put on the system, and besides once again being reminded how far we have yet to go in performance reproduction, I was very pleased with the recreation of some of the cuts of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and, of course Cantate Domino. Once I nailed the volume, I got it to sound very live.

Anyway, the TAD-1000 and my updated Von Schweikert speakers continue to satisfy me. Both are great values. I still don't think I've reached their limits.

I just tried some of Sandy's vibration isolators between the top and bottom speakers, the VRs are in two parts, and picked up a bit more clarity. The isolators really work. In my experience the better your system is, the easier the vibration reduction tweaks are to hear, and the effects are cumulative.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading.