At a list price of RM9,900/pair, the TSM-2201 is not exactly cheap, but as an enthusiast for all things TAD, I could not pass up the chance to own a pair of its lowest-priced loudspeaker model. Seeing how TAD put out and priced its new products, I don’t think there would be any other opportunity to enter the TAD world at this price point any more.
A few days later, I carted a pair home from AV Designs, the local distributor for TAD. I realized that I had bought them sight unseen and sound unheard, such was my confidence in TAD of its prowess in technical design and manufacturing.
I had not written about them in the intervening years, so I thought to take them out during this relatively quiet period for HiFi due to MCO, and share my experience.
There are a few of visibly interesting design features incorporated into the TSM-2201. Firstly, its shape does not look like any other box loudspeakers that we are used to see. Instead of straight sides, these loudspeaker cabinets are tapered at the waist, TAD calls it Sigma Technology, undoubtedly referring to the shape of the letter Sigma in the Greek alphabet (a friend called it "Darth Vader" thoughπ). The unusual shape supposedly helps to improve the rigidity of the cabinet and to eliminate standing waves inside it.
The TSM-2201 is also a rare sealed box design (i.e., there is no venting hole on the box), setting itself apart from the sea of bass reflex boxes that are more common nowadays.
A few days later, I carted a pair home from AV Designs, the local distributor for TAD. I realized that I had bought them sight unseen and sound unheard, such was my confidence in TAD of its prowess in technical design and manufacturing.
I had not written about them in the intervening years, so I thought to take them out during this relatively quiet period for HiFi due to MCO, and share my experience.
There are a few of visibly interesting design features incorporated into the TSM-2201. Firstly, its shape does not look like any other box loudspeakers that we are used to see. Instead of straight sides, these loudspeaker cabinets are tapered at the waist, TAD calls it Sigma Technology, undoubtedly referring to the shape of the letter Sigma in the Greek alphabet (a friend called it "Darth Vader" thoughπ). The unusual shape supposedly helps to improve the rigidity of the cabinet and to eliminate standing waves inside it.
The TSM-2201 is also a rare sealed box design (i.e., there is no venting hole on the box), setting itself apart from the sea of bass reflex boxes that are more common nowadays.
The 2 drivers used (a 20cm/8in woofer unit and a 2.5cm/1in metal dome tweeter unit) are not any off-the-shelf units from a mass speaker driver manufacturer but proprietary to TAD. If you look closer, you’d notice that the drivers have a couple of convex shapes built into the cones which, according to TAD, enhances sound dispersion and improves separation. Both drivers are protected from prying fingers by a wire mesh, which is non-detachable as far as I could ascertain.
The TSM-2201 is single-wired, i.e., only a pair of binding posts is provided per speaker. You can have any colour you like, as long as it is black, matt black. The finish is utilitarian but feels quite resistant to scratches and rough handling, I suppose that is what’s needed in professional equipment, as oppose to a pretty look.
The TSM-2201 is single-wired, i.e., only a pair of binding posts is provided per speaker. You can have any colour you like, as long as it is black, matt black. The finish is utilitarian but feels quite resistant to scratches and rough handling, I suppose that is what’s needed in professional equipment, as oppose to a pretty look.
For my audition, I placed them on my 24in tall 4-pillar metal stand, each pillar was 2/3 filled with sand. After some trial and error, they got to a spot that was as close to my current speakers as was possible and slightly in front of them. I strongly suspect that they would perform best at the same spot as my main speakers, which are also a pair of TAD (the TAD-CR1), but that shall remain a feeling rather than proven fact, as I don't appreciate the hard work required to move the TAD-CR1 away to make way for its little brother.
I found that by putting 3 small blobs of blu-tack underneath the speakers to couple them to the top of the stands helped to eliminate a slight jangly-ness in the treble region,. I am not sure whether it was inherent in the speaker design or caused by my metal stand, I would have liked to play them on, say, wooden stands too, which would be less resonant (the standard stands for my TAD-CR1s are built from solid wood).
Pairing the TSM-2201 with my TAD-D600 cdp and Pass Labs amplifiers was somewhat an overkill, price matching wise. Anyhow, that was what I started with. I'll try them out with other hardware later on.
I'll write about my listening impression in my next post. For now, I'll leave you with a teaser - an iPhone SE recording of the TSM-2201 in my system playing my favourite track "Tempting Heart εΏε¨“ from 2V1G's first CD (thumbs up for an excellent Malaysian production πππ).
TAD is carried by AV Designs in Malaysia, phone: 03-62411237. If you are interested in the TAD TSM-2201, they may still have a few pairs of NOS left.
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