TAD CE1TX: BEST 'Small' Speaker on the Planet!

I heard the TAD cr-1 (I believe, flagship floor mount speaker from a few years ago), at axpona 2022. Just incredible and maybe the best I have ever heard. If I recall TAD was displaying them and had done extensive room treatment. Probably why the sound was so good in large part. Also heard some TAD monitors at axpona 23 this year. It was very good indeed but didn’t blow me away like last time. Maybe it was my mood or the room treatments. Anyway very cool speaker

In terms of transparency, neutrality and accuracy many of Steve T's favourite speakers like Klipsch and Zu Audio don't come anywhere near meeting those criteria.

Maybe I will order 15 units for a atmos setup…

I bought a nice used pair of TAD evolution ones 2013 circa. I have never heard a speaker sound so real and life like and and volume level before. Definitely a great brand and value new and especially used imo!

Ok Watched the review... and the nad 23 review... little confused tho, you mentioned that these are neutral speakers and the Nad was also neutral, yet combined the nad made these too hard...enlighten me..

did u try with the m23?

The all new Stratton Acoustics Elypsis 1512's are the very best big monitors on the planet !

those are junk. my speakers are much better, i sell them for 100k each.
if they cost more, they sound better, so the toads think.

I would never pay over 35K for a pair of speakers when your ears cant even hear various frequency's full stop? I can hear anything which a 2nd hand set of home theater speakers will sound like costing just $50.00 for the pair, especially the older micro thype systems and the speakers that came out in the late 1980's and also 1990's?

I wish you would’ve compared it to the Wilson to type because it’s an expensive bookshelf speaker that’s not quite as other realm price

How do these sound against say Wilson audio?? I'm looking for my desert island speakers. Stuck between these which i have not heard yet against say Wilson Sasha 2???

Wonderful review. I love your passion

So - how does it compare head to head with the sony scssc5?

How would this compare to the Dynaudio Heritage Special

Deja vu, all over again😂

having heard this at Munich Ive got to agree with you

is there a comparable, but accessible speaker, perhaps in high-ish sensitivity...ie, transparent, neutral, etc.
ATC is an obvious option but the sensitivity is unbelievably low.

Luckily I bought my TAD's 12 years ago when they were more reasonably priced, being assembled and cabinet built in China supervised by TAD engineers from Japan. When TAD brought manufacuting back to Japan the price skyrocketed. I'm sorry more people don't get to enjoy the TAD sound.  

I own the CR1's, the speaker Andrew Jones is most proud of. Back then the CR1's were around $42,000 with stands. I'll never get rid of them. I used to hear live acoustic music in homes and small venues on a regular basis, and memorized that sound. The sound of the real thing. Thats what the TAD does so well. The transient as Steve mentioned, but also the inner detail one hears with live music.  

Many years ago I heard a demo of Magico Q1. It was excellent with unfamiliar audiophile tracks but with my requests, Rickie Lee Jones S/T, then Bill Evans, the demo fell apart and was stopped. Back home an hour later, on my TAD's the same tracks sounded like audiophile cuts, with the inner detail and leading edge I hear in live music.


While I agree the CE1TX is extremely expensive and not competitively priced, They can be used well in small spaces as midfield monitors due to concentric design, and great off axis response from waveguide effect that helps them sound good in the room. It's also a speaker that can grow with you, by adding a pair of excellent subwoofers, (preferably servo type) you now have versatility in placement and a full range speaker system. I added subs to my CR1's so it can be done with the CE1TX.

Many years ago Pioneer put $5 million dollars ($15M in today's dollars) into developing the CST driver from the reference series. My recommendation would be to try and get a used pair of CR1's if space and budget allows. Of course you need very good gear to pair them with as they reveal what in the single with accurate phase info being concentric. Other concentrics like KEF, including original Blade and blade2 sound broken in comparison. Another good choice I've only read about is the PS Audio speakers, and are a great value and also bespoke drivers and a unique ribbon mid.

Why only 3 Year warranty on a quality product like this?

Is there any way to characterise this TAD versus the KEF LS-50-Meta?

Would prefer less hearing about the jam but to taste it.

They are amazing but at $30k the can’t beat the competition.

It uses cones, 90-year-old tech. Like hundreds of other speakers.

I love long and longer episodes of yours!

£25,000?? 7in bass driver?? You need dual subs as well.. I have some ATC SCM 100's. Paid £3500 for them used. Great speakers for the money.

stupid comment to make, as there is no such thing as a neutral Speaker sound, because all supposed neutral speakers all sound different than each other. The only thing you can go by is, how a speaker can fool you into thinking that you are listening to an event that makes you think it's real, like the large 94db+ sensitivity 850 watt 3 way active ATC SCM ASL dynamic monitors can do.

Passive TAD's still can't match the large 3 way ATC SCM ASL active MONITORS . Tad is still a company like a dog trying to chase its tail and still never catches it, the end result been TAD hasn't reached the pinnacle of sounding like a real reality event .

Hi Steve, thanks for your excellent and helpful reviews which I watch regularly with much joy. I run my Accuphase E 650 and a Naim NDX2 streamer with a pair of Swedish Marten Parker Duo. I compared them with some other bookshelf speakers in the same range, but not with the TAD. The Marten are incredibly good, actually the best speakers ever running in my living room.

Best small speaker still remains a bad speaker. No matter how many 10.000s of dollars it costs. 34 Hz? I highly doubt that. At -12dB maybe.

Please compare them to the new Von Gaylord Legend Reference Speakers... The very best smaller speakers very few have heard yet ! 😇🤫

You know I really like your Channel Because you talk about all ranges of Equipment but for the Average Sound Lover these are freaking way out of Line, if I was going to spend anywhere Near that kind of Money on the " Last Pair " of Speakers it would be Tannoy. Yes they are 2 Totally Different Monsters. They are Nothing Like anything Else I've ever Heard! Anyhow my Opinion and we all Know about the Fact Everyone has one.
Keep up the Good Work.

I bought a pair of preowned TAD CE-1 speakers, since the new TAD CE1 TX is simply way above my price range, and would be interested in hearing if anyone has had the opportunity to compare the two and get an impression of how much of an improvement the TX-version offers. The TAD CE1 is already amazing, and I wonder the uprades really motivate the hefty price increase.

Steve, is there a cure for irritable arm syndrome? Sorry pal, but you know....

Can you review versus Genelec please?

Seems more than a tad overpriced.

No speaker is worth that, I don't care how good they sound

Did you ever review Jean Marie Reynaud?

Shit Steve...! So you're saying....

....it's worth it!?!?! 🙈🙉🙊😩😵

I own these speakers for some time now and run them with Audiovalve pre and mono power amps. They do sound magical and the scale is immense. A high power tube amp is definitely a good match if you want that something extra.

How about their compatriot rival Yamaha NS-5000?

The Sony SS- CS5's are very similar other than the weight. So save yourself enough money to buy a Toyota Camry cash.

Hi Steve, In terms of soundstage and imaging which one did you prefer? The Pure audio project or TADs?

I was wondering how this high priced speaker, as opposed to many others, came into your view. i should have guessed. Herb Reichert just dropped a review of it and he loves it.

Why not 2,95771 Millions ?.......Because they are sooooooo goooood ! They are more than.....more... actually ! So lets it be to expectation... to be really more... expensive shoe box !

I only approve that Eagles has the best sound in concert ever. That wasHi-Fi sound in concert. iBut price of these and many more are f..... bullshit !

Great review Steve. IMHO, TAD = Impressive engineering. First heard TAD speakers at the MoFi booth at CES in 2017. I was shocked at how good they sounded.

Altec 755A's!!!

Us regular folks can't relate

So because the items are expensive steve always says they are the best ever, funny how money changes peoples opinions

Celebrity Monitors, and that's about the sum of it....
Sorry Steve, sorry everyone.
Peace....