TAD’s most recent presentation was a column speaker named Evolution Two, rather classic in style and almost moderate in price (€17 000/$20 500), compared with what the Japanese manufacturer has accustomed us to. Today, it returns to the top of the same series, with a new pair of Grand Evolution One column speakers. Coded TAD-GE1, this 3-way bass-reflex model with three drivers develops the CST technology already used on the Reference series, and covers a frequency range from 250Hz to over 100kHz, thanks to a 3.5cm (1.25″) beryllium dome inserted in the middle of a 14cm (5.5″) magnesium cone, integrated into the cabinet using ISO technology for optimum management of back waves. Below, two 18cm (7″) MACS II (Multi-layered Aramid Composite Shell second generation) woofers are tuned to a patented ADP (Aero-Dynamic Port) two-way downward bass-reflex system, whose air exits through a vent cut into the 15mm aluminum base.
With an impedance of 4Ω, this 1.21m-high (4 ft.) three-way speaker is cut by a high-end crossover at 250Hz (bass to midrange) and 1800Hz (midrange to tweeter) and weighs no less than 64kg (141.1 lb.) apiece, built in a varnished MDF and real wood cabinet, on which the black side bracing is hand-polished for hours to create a true mirror effect. Bi-amplifiable, the GE-1 integrates two pairs of terminals and can handle amplifiers up to at least 250W with a sensitivity of 88 dB (at 2.83V, 1m). The only fly in the ointment: the TAD-GE1 costs €58,000 in Europe and $65,000 in the USA.
