TAD-1000 are in

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fredv
fredv Posts: 923
edited July 2006 in 2 Channel Audio
Yes, it is only 2:55PST, but I am at home not work :D
I got 3 boxes from Fedex 20 minutes ago and scrambled to open them one by one. Now 2 sparkling new mono blocks are in front of me. Unexpectedly, the blocks are deeper than I thought. So, I will have to clear some space for them.

I looked very very hard to find the "dent" that Paul mentioned in his ad. I failed. Not only that, I found 2 red speaker binding posts in each block. Rich, I probably got the other half of your black ones :p Ok, time to do some labor and fire up the beauties.

Stay tuned!!

-fredv-
Post edited by fredv on
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  • Normanality
    Normanality Posts: 297
    edited July 2006
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    Congrats Fred! Now, get them tubes glowing. Won't be long and you'll be smiling ;)

    BTW....each block should have 2 red binding posts... 4 ohm & 8 ohm along with a single black negative post.

    I'm still enjoying my audio epiphany. Everything just sounds great together.
    My new Modwright preamp and Modwright Sony ES999 were the final pieces.

    Enjoy!
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  • halo
    halo Posts: 5,616
    edited July 2006
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    Very :cool: Fred! Tell us your impressions of the TAD-60 vs the TAD-1000's after you burn 'em in. Did you get the JJ's?
    Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
    HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10
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  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,353
    edited July 2006
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    What kind of thread is this?:confused: I don't see any pics.:eek: :D

    Congrats Fred!:cool: One of the boxes for my TAD-1000's had some signs of crush. I did local pickup so it wasn't shipped. The top panel around the transformers were fine. I'm glad yours are primo. Nuthin better than looking at a nice pair of....... anything.:D
    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
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  • fredv
    fredv Posts: 923
    edited July 2006
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    Here are the pix of the blocks, boxed :-), left, right, and both.
    They have Sveltana EL34. Since I have a quad of near brand new KT77 and
    a quad of E34L, and I like them both a lot, I plan to order one quad of each
    types. That way, I will have 3 quads of EL34 to roll :-)

    As of I am typing, the blocks are warming up. I just adjusted the bias -
    they were too high. It could be my house's voltage was too high. The
    voltmeter of the Monster line conditioner showed 123V!!! OK, back to check
    bias again. No comment on the sound yet :p

    -fredv-
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  • organ
    organ Posts: 4,969
    edited July 2006
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    You are SICK!!!! I'm lookin at pic #4 with a drool bucket almost full.

    Congrats man. Awesome stuff. How many watts do those monos put out?

    Oh yeah, good thing you mentioned the line voltage. Becareful. Mine went a little high the other day, checked the line voltage, it was 143V! My line will fluctuate between 110 to 143 during the summer. My amp is suppose to be biased at 1.56V, but if I set it to 1.56 when the line voltage is at 120, at 143V, it will destroy the tubes. So at 120 line voltage, I have to set my bias at 1.25V, when the line voltage creeps up to 143V, my amp's bias is at 1.50.
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  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,353
    edited July 2006
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    fredv wrote:
    No comment on the sound yet :p

    I'll comment. My McAlister PP150 75WPC push pull tuber was a great amp. It could drive low efficiency speakers with ease well above reference levels with great sonics. It is in Maine now. I predict you'll find the bass on the 1000's a 'TAD':D better than the 60.
    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
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  • fredv
    fredv Posts: 923
    edited July 2006
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    Holly molly, 143V!!! My house's voltage could go as low as 115 and the high is 125. So, it isn't that bad by comparison. Don't let me fool me, a couple of the black gears are adcom line conditioners :-) The Mac on the lower left corner is a bolt anchor - it has some intermitent problem (likely some cold joint). I just too lazy to move it.

    Those monos put out 100w. Here is the specs: http://www.angelfire.com/biz/bizzyb/TAD1000.html
    Rich also has a pair, and we didn't pay the list price :-)

    -fredv-
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  • organ
    organ Posts: 4,969
    edited July 2006
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    Yeah, it's pretty high. I think it's over the +/-10% standard.
    100 tube watts is a lot! Can't wait to hear your impressions.:cool:
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  • schwarcw
    schwarcw Posts: 7,328
    edited July 2006
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    Wow! Beautiful Fred. I want to see some "night" pics with the tubes glowing like Manhattan on New Year's eve!
    Carl

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  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,353
    edited July 2006
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    The TAD's (both the TAD-60 and TAD-1000's) are feature packed too. They have feedback and gain adjustments. A flip of the switch puts them in Tridoe mode, a BIAS adjustment will put them in SET mode. If you have inefficient speakers, UL mode sounds best.

    How do you like them "Cats eye" tubes Fred? I thought they would be annoying at first but I ended up leaving mine in.

    My impression of the TAD-1000's are they have tremendous bass with haunting imagery. While the McAlister PP150 I had was a great amp, I feel I have gained in detail, dynamics, timbre, ambiance, and soundstage. Soprano vocals and Oboes are silky smooth. That was the hook for me when I heard Norm's TAD-60.

    I gave Triode and SET mode a try but my Silver Amazings are not efficient enough so I leave them in UL mode. I find my low level listening is enhanced with the TAD's, and they have plenty of guts to drive above reference levels.

    Maurice, McAlister isn't that far from you. Have you ever demo'd any of his gear? His SET amps are highly regarded for sound, though the appearance of his gear has that home built look.
    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
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  • fredv
    fredv Posts: 923
    edited July 2006
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    Hi Carl, Rich already lighted up Chicago in http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showpost.php?p=479631&postcount=41
    I have to admit that it is quite a neon show after all the lights are off :D

    I only played and listened for 70+ minutes and had to call for a quit. However, I could hear the increase in the openess and tighter bass after about 30 minutes of play time. The sound signature is very similar to it's little brother TAD-60. Comparing to the single TAD-60, the big different is the power reserve. It is not the loudness. The TAD-60 is more than enough to drive the Carver AL-III+ to ear bleeding level, but the TAD-1000's do the same in an effortless manner. It is like driving a V6 and a V8 uphill at 40mph. Even both are at same speed, the V8 is more effortless and smoother.

    The 6V6 are China made, I wonder how much difference will be to roll in some NOS or JJ ....

    Rich, I actually like the cat eyes, like a neon show. Even my daughter said they look fun :-)

    -fredv-
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  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,353
    edited July 2006
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    My BAT pre amp has two 6V6's in it. I bought it used with OEM tubes that were pretty long in the tooth, so I re-tubed it. I got some Pope 6V6GT's from Upscale and after putting 60 hours on them, I couldn't tell a difference rolling the OEM Sovteks back in. Norm was there and IIRC he felt the same way. Swapping the linestage tubes from 6922's to 7308's did make a difference we could hear. I don't know if that will apply to the 6V6's in the TAD-1000.

    Yeah, the cat eyes are pretty neat. I like when you crank them up and they close to form a solid line.:D

    EDIT: Oh yeah, we want YOUR nite lite shots too.;)
    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
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  • fredv
    fredv Posts: 923
    edited July 2006
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    I have a couple lite nite pics now, but they are so terrible that I can't even which is which :o Anyhow, I guarantee that they are not the same picture :D

    I only managed to have about 10 hours off the monos over the weekend, but I can hear it is getting better every hour. There is very subtle improvement from the first hour at this point. The bass is amazing, not that it pounds a whole lot stronger than the TAD-60, it simply controls the woofers with absolutely no strain. I can feel the amp is controling how the woofers move in command. It has better 3D imaging than the little brother but not a blow out - this might be
    the different between KT88 and EL34 tubes, too. I have been using KT88 on the TAD-60. There is one feature I prefer TAD-60 to TAD-1000 - the bias adjustment. It is a lot easier to adjust on the TAD-60 than the TAD-1000. The bias pots are simply too sensitive and too tight to fine tune the last 20mv. Also, the TAD-1000's UL mode is very dynamic, smooth, and detail, but in triode mode, it seems to cut the dynamic quite a bit. I felt the drop was a lot more than the TAD-60. I am perfectly happy with the UL mode and will try
    SET and triode after both blocks are broken in.

    At this point (10 hours and with only Sveltana EL34), I can say it has exceeded my expectation. I thought it would be a TAD-60 on steroid, but it
    is more than that!!

    -fredv-
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,576
    edited July 2006
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    I think it's time to start showing off that stellar gear on a equally nice rack.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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