11/24/2023 0 Comments Tad speakers price list![]() The SP-FS52 (and the A-20 of course) did a far better job of separating out the various mix elements than I was expecting. Produced by transferring the original analog tape to DSD on an Ampex ATR 2 track deck, this is a very good sounding CD. I started with CDs to see if this system could rock, beginning with Brian Eno’s Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) (Virgin 7243 5 7728829). If the midrange is bad nothing can be good. However, in this case the results are ridiculously good. You have certain expectations at this price point and even though I know what Andrew Jones can do without price constraints, that doesn’t necessarily translate into a great budget priced product. Yes, the TT was “overkill” but I didn’t have a budget Rega, Pro-Ject or Music Hall so that’s what I used. I used an old CD player I had lying around and a VPI Traveler turntable fitted with an Ortofon Bronze MM cartridge. By “retro” I mean it’s attractive looking in its brushed black simplicity and functionality. The A-20 Elite is definitely “retro” looking. Oh, and it includes a remote control that can switch among inputs, activate the “direct” and “loudness” functions, choose between the two speaker terminals, turn the unit on and off and even dim the front panel LEDs. Bypassing the other “stuff” provides a more direct signal path and is said to improve the sound. ![]() A “direct” button disables all but the basics. The A-20 also features a “loudness” button to increase low frequency output at low volume, bass, treble and balance controls as well as a ¼” headphone jack. It features six standard line level inputs including one “tape loop” as it used to be called and a MM phono input. It features two sets of speaker terminals that can be used for a second, remote pair or to bi-wire a speaker with such capabilities. The A-20 is rated at 50 watts per channel from 20Hz to 20kHz at 0.1%THD (total harmonic distortion at 4 ohms). ![]() ![]() The A-20 sells for a ridiculously low $299 and can be had for somewhat less online and probably at some brick and mortar retailers too. You could go to Ebay and buy an old NAD receiver or any of the great old Japanese ‘70s era behemoths, but Jones was kind enough to send along a Pioneer Elite A-20 Integrated amplifier and my feeling is if you’re new to this you are much better off buying something new with a warranty. The bookshelf SP-BS22-LR (don’t the folks in Japan have a way with catchy product names?) is approximately 8 x 7 x 12 and weights 9.1 pounds. On the other hand, if all you’re used to are tiny computer speakers, these will look formidable. The floor standing SP-FS52, almost 3 feet tall x 10.5 inches deep, almost 9 inches wide and weighing twenty three pounds, features the aforementioned three rear ported 5.25” “Structured Surface” woofers, a 1” high efficiency soft dome tweeter with integral wave guide and an 8 element crossover network packaged in a molded, curved black cabinet that while it won’t win any design awards, is reasonably shapely and visually gets out of the way by being plain. Both can be found online and at Best Buy among other places for around $128.00/pr. The latest in the Pioneer series are the SP-BS22-LR a two-way bookshelf model ($159/pr) and the SP FS52 a 3-way floor stander with a suggested list price of $159.00 each. Jones had an illustrious career at KEF before joining TAD. The Reference One will set you back close to $80,000. For those unfamiliar, TAD is a Pioneer owned company that produces some of the world’s most respected and expensive loudspeakers. The speaker part of the system was easy to recommend: TAD’s Andrew Jones, a brand and name familiar to most serious audiophiles has created for Pioneer a line of remarkable loudspeakers priced where most anyone can afford a pair. And we can all sympathize with his bank account-assuming he has one! We know where this will lead and we can all cheer him on, mindful of the fun and fetishing to follow. A young reader inherited a turntable and asked about a modestly priced system he could assemble around it.
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