Полочная акустика — TAD COMPACT REFERENCE ONE CR1TX

The Compact Reference One, catalogued as TAD-CR1TX, is the stand-mounted model of the Reference range from TAD Laboratories of Japan. TAD describes it as a transfer of technology from the floorstanding Reference One into a smaller cabinet, keeping the same point-source concept built around a coaxial midrange and tweeter. Two finishes are listed - Emerald Black and Beryl Red - both applied over a natural Pommele Sapele veneer and brought to a piano-like gloss.

Key specs that matter

The CR1TX works as a vented three-way system. A 20 cm woofer covers the low range, and a 16 cm coaxial unit with a 3.5 cm tweeter at its centre takes over above 250 Hz, with the tweeter handling everything beyond 2 kHz. Rated response runs from 32 Hz to 100 kHz. Sensitivity is 86 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m, rated impedance is 4 ohm, and TAD allows up to 200 W of input. Each speaker is 341 mm wide, 628 mm high and 446 mm deep, and weighs 46 kg.

Engineering and use context

The coaxial unit is TAD's CST, or Coherent Source Transducer, which gives the tweeter and midrange a common acoustic centre and controls phase and directivity over its whole working band. Both of its diaphragms are made of beryllium. An ISO Drive mount isolates this unit structurally from the enclosure, so its vibration does not excite the panels and cause secondary radiation. The woofer combines an optimised magnetic circuit called OFGMS with a triple-laminated aramid cone (TLCC) and a corrugated surround, aiming for high linearity up into the midrange. The SILENT enclosure is built from 21 mm birch plywood with laminated MDF panels in a teardrop form that reduces diffraction at the edges. A flared reflex port, shaped with fluid design methods, keeps air noise low. Separate bass, midrange and treble networks use air-core coils, non-inductive resistors and polypropylene film capacitors, mounted on a 27 mm aluminium rear panel that also acts as a heat sink. The large machined terminals carry thick gold plating, and a 27.5 mm aluminium base lowers the centre of gravity.

Pairing

Its low impedance and modest efficiency ask for transistor amplification with generous current reserves and stable behaviour at low impedance. The matching TAD-ST1 stand weighs 16 kg and measures 407 x 532 x 525 mm, and it was designed around the same vibration-control approach as the speaker.

Alternatives

The TAD Compact Evolution One CE1TX is the smaller stand-mount with an 18 cm woofer, a magnesium midrange cone and a 29 kg cabinet.