Pioneer TAD S-1EX Floorstanding Speakers
aboroth00
Posts: 1,106
Here's your opportunity to own a hard to find speaker. Uses trickle down technology from TAD reference line and TAD drivers. Performs 90% of TAD Evolution-1 speaker which retails at $30K. Great precise beryllium tweeter and uses the same Aramid bass drivers found in the higher end TAD's. Hard to find quality of craftsmanship and styling at this price point by any manufacturer.
My Price is $4000 (local pickup only in 92677).
Dimensions: 51"H x 16.6"W x 24"D (with base). Weight: 145.5 lbs (66.1kg).
Finish: Genuine dark teak veneer (satin finish). Included are the grilles and jumpers.
Here's the review
https://www.stereophile.com/floorlou...sex/index.html
Conclusions: from Stereophile review
"I never bought into "trickle down economics" before, but Pioneer and Andrew Jones have applied the audio technology they learned in making the TAD Model 1 to a much less expensive speaker that has retained a disproportionate amount of the TAD's performance. Sure, $9000 is not pocket change. On the other hand, the S-1EX is fully competitive with higher-priced speakers that have spent time in my listening room, such as the B&W 802D ($12,000/pair) and the now-discontinued Revel Ultima Studio ($15,000/pair)--and with anything I've heard in demos. In regard to ease of placement in a domestic room not exclusively dedicated to listening, the S-1EX surpassed all other speakers I've used. This means that anyone who buys the Pioneer is more likely to enjoy optimum results than with more finicky speakers.
If you've read this far, you know that I love the Pioneer S-1EX. It is a full-range speaker with great transparency, dynamic potency, and truly neutral tonality. The speaker's ease of placement and setup are aided by its ability to immediately and easily reveal how it is affected by changes in position--when the Pioneers are in the right places, you'll know it. Then you'll stop thinking about the S-1EX and all its technological features, because you'll be listening to the music. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner."
More information about the speaker -
The awesome flagship of the EX series is the three-way four driver S-1EX. It uses a TAD designed and built coherent source transducer (CST) featuring a 1 3/8 inch Beryllium tweeter mounted in the center of a 5.5 inch Magnesium midrange driver. This results in an aligned sound delivery which is unusually linear and coherent with excellent directivity (pattern) control. Unlike conventional speakers with separately spaced tweeters and midranges, the TAD CST totally solves problems related to phase and off-axis frequency response errors. Dual TAD 7-1/16 inch Aramid / Carbon composite shell woofers provide deep high definition bass response. One piece cone and center cap construction combined with the rigidity of the aramid fiber structure produces a much stiffer and more rigid piston. Unwanted cone resonances are pushed beyond the bass driver's operating range significantly improve the accuracy of sound reproduction. With the tweeter/midrange and bass drivers perfected, an equally ingenious enclosure was created. The EX Series' cabinets are crafted from multiple layers of laminated MDF, ranging from a minimum of 30 mm up to a generous 100 mm, to ensure that they remain inert. Along with the Perfect Curve baffle and radius edges, these enclosures enable an amazingly realistic sound stage with exceptional clarity and focus.
They were designed by TAD's Andrew Jones, and use all TAD professional drivers, as a label on the back of each speaker proudly announces. Since Pioneer formed TAD in 1975 their collaboration on the EX series was a natural. Pioneer EX series speakers have been highly rated by Stereophile, TAS and other magazines for excellent sound quality and are considered overbuilt for their price.
My Price is $4000 (local pickup only in 92677).
Dimensions: 51"H x 16.6"W x 24"D (with base). Weight: 145.5 lbs (66.1kg).
Finish: Genuine dark teak veneer (satin finish). Included are the grilles and jumpers.
Here's the review
https://www.stereophile.com/floorlou...sex/index.html
Conclusions: from Stereophile review
"I never bought into "trickle down economics" before, but Pioneer and Andrew Jones have applied the audio technology they learned in making the TAD Model 1 to a much less expensive speaker that has retained a disproportionate amount of the TAD's performance. Sure, $9000 is not pocket change. On the other hand, the S-1EX is fully competitive with higher-priced speakers that have spent time in my listening room, such as the B&W 802D ($12,000/pair) and the now-discontinued Revel Ultima Studio ($15,000/pair)--and with anything I've heard in demos. In regard to ease of placement in a domestic room not exclusively dedicated to listening, the S-1EX surpassed all other speakers I've used. This means that anyone who buys the Pioneer is more likely to enjoy optimum results than with more finicky speakers.
If you've read this far, you know that I love the Pioneer S-1EX. It is a full-range speaker with great transparency, dynamic potency, and truly neutral tonality. The speaker's ease of placement and setup are aided by its ability to immediately and easily reveal how it is affected by changes in position--when the Pioneers are in the right places, you'll know it. Then you'll stop thinking about the S-1EX and all its technological features, because you'll be listening to the music. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner."
More information about the speaker -
The awesome flagship of the EX series is the three-way four driver S-1EX. It uses a TAD designed and built coherent source transducer (CST) featuring a 1 3/8 inch Beryllium tweeter mounted in the center of a 5.5 inch Magnesium midrange driver. This results in an aligned sound delivery which is unusually linear and coherent with excellent directivity (pattern) control. Unlike conventional speakers with separately spaced tweeters and midranges, the TAD CST totally solves problems related to phase and off-axis frequency response errors. Dual TAD 7-1/16 inch Aramid / Carbon composite shell woofers provide deep high definition bass response. One piece cone and center cap construction combined with the rigidity of the aramid fiber structure produces a much stiffer and more rigid piston. Unwanted cone resonances are pushed beyond the bass driver's operating range significantly improve the accuracy of sound reproduction. With the tweeter/midrange and bass drivers perfected, an equally ingenious enclosure was created. The EX Series' cabinets are crafted from multiple layers of laminated MDF, ranging from a minimum of 30 mm up to a generous 100 mm, to ensure that they remain inert. Along with the Perfect Curve baffle and radius edges, these enclosures enable an amazingly realistic sound stage with exceptional clarity and focus.
They were designed by TAD's Andrew Jones, and use all TAD professional drivers, as a label on the back of each speaker proudly announces. Since Pioneer formed TAD in 1975 their collaboration on the EX series was a natural. Pioneer EX series speakers have been highly rated by Stereophile, TAS and other magazines for excellent sound quality and are considered overbuilt for their price.
2Ch Tube Audio Convert
Comments
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Wow! Dont see those for sale hardly ever. A collector piece and no doubt, easy on the ears.
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The review and pics are not showing...at least from my phone.
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Pictures are showing on my Desktop.
See below for the review: https://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/307piosex/index.html
Thanks for the catch. They are very easy on the ears. Not at all etchy or fatiguing. Opposite what you would expect from a hard dome tweeter.2Ch Tube Audio Convert -
No pictures here either2 Channel in my home attic/bar/man cave
2 Channel Focal Kanta 3 I Modwright SWL9.0 Anniversary Pre I Modwright PH9.0X I Modwright KWA-150SE I VPI Prime Signature w/ Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC I Lumin U2 Mini I North Star Designs Intenso DAC I Audience OHNO ICs/Audience Furutech FP-S55N and FP-S032N Power Cables/Acoustic Zen Satori I Isotek Sirius -
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Gorgeous!
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Indeed! Where are the grills?"if it's not fun, it's not worth it & remember folks, "It's All About The Music"!!
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2Ch Tube Audio Convert
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GLWS"if it's not fun, it's not worth it & remember folks, "It's All About The Music"!!
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Boy these look so nice when they have their clothes on. Nice. Someone is going to be happy. If I wasn't already own 2 greats sets of towers and on my way to getting a Mac Daddy network player I'd be on this. Someone buy these...Rus?????"if it's not fun, it's not worth it & remember folks, "It's All About The Music"!!
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