Speakers
TAD CE1TX Compact Evolution One TX Speaker system
£35,000.00
The TAD CE1TX is a three-way compact loudspeaker built around TAD’s coaxial CST driver — a beryllium tweeter and magnesium midrange working from a single point — for coherence and resolution well beyond its size.
Description
Description
Overview
The Compact Evolution One TX (CE1TX) is TAD’s flagship stand-mount loudspeaker, a three-way bass-reflex design that distils the engineering of the company’s reference floorstanders into a cabinet suited to real rooms. At its heart is TAD’s coaxial CST driver, in which tweeter and midrange share a single acoustic axis for point-source coherence.
Design & build
The CE1TX is a compact three-way system finished to a very high standard, offered in a mirror-finish natural wood (WN) or a mirrored piano-black (K). Its Bidirectional ADS (Aero-Dynamic Slot) loading uses slit-shaped ports in the right and left side panels, with flared openings front and rear, to manage port air movement cleanly. Cabinet work is carried out by skilled artisans with high-grade clear coating and hand polishing.
Sound & performance
The coaxial arrangement gives a unified, coherent wavefront and precise imaging, while the side-firing woofer adds weight and scale unusual for a cabinet of this size. Quoted frequency response is 34Hz–100kHz, with sensitivity of 85dB (2.83V, 1m) and a 4-ohm nominal impedance. The presentation is detailed and composed, rewarding careful amplification.
Key features
The CST (Coherent Source Transducer) coaxial driver pairs a 3.5cm beryllium-diaphragm tweeter with a 14cm magnesium-cone midrange on a single axis, supported by an 18cm woofer. Crossover points are 250Hz and 1.8kHz, and maximum input power is 200W. A matching dedicated stand (TAD-ST2TX) is available.
Technology
The tweeter’s beryllium diaphragm is produced using TAD’s proprietary vapour-deposition technique, chosen for its exceptional stiffness-to-mass ratio and extended high-frequency reach. Combining it coaxially with a magnesium midrange keeps the two most critical bands time-aligned, while the Bidirectional ADS porting reduces air-flow noise for a cleaner low end.
Specifications
Type: three-way, bass-reflex stand-mount loudspeaker. Drivers: 3.5cm beryllium CST tweeter and 14cm magnesium CST midrange (coaxial), 18cm woofer. Frequency response: 34Hz–100kHz. Sensitivity: 85dB (2.83V, 1m). Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. Maximum input: 200W. Crossover: 250Hz, 1.8kHz. Dimensions: 287 × 510 × 447 mm (W × H × D). Weight: 29 kg each. Finishes: mirror natural wood (WN), mirrored piano black (K).
Who it’s for
The CE1TX suits the serious two-channel listener who wants reference-level resolution and coherence without the footprint of a large floorstander — in a room where a compact, beautifully finished cabinet is preferred. It rewards quality partnering electronics and careful placement.
Why buy from Hidden Home Technology
Loudspeakers of this calibre reward careful matching and setup. We can demonstrate the CE1TX, advise on amplification, stands and placement, and arrange delivery and installation across the South. Speak to our team to arrange a listen at our Basingstoke showroom.
The wider view: TAD CE1TX reviews in brief
The CE1TX is a three-way standmount in TAD’s Evolution series, which sits below the Reference series. Its tweeter sits in the centre of the midrange driver so the two work as one source, and the bass ports are slots in the side panels. It is made by hand by a small team in Japan, and one reviewer thought the build and finish good enough to hand down.
Hans Wetzel reviewed it for SoundStage! Ultra in December 2023 and called it “the finest standmount loudspeaker I’ve heard”, with a natural and highly resolved sound that he recommended without hesitation. W. Jennings had two weeks with a pair for eCoustics in August 2023. Playing records mastered in studios that used TAD’s professional monitors, he heard details other speakers had missed and thought it might be one of the most accurate speakers available. Carlo Lo Raso reviewed it for Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity in December 2024. He heard a huge, deep soundstage with a vivid and lively quality that held up away from the sweet spot, and vocals brought forward just a touch.
It is worth knowing that the matching stands are an extra, and that Carlo Lo Raso found the bass fuller with the speakers nearer a wall in his smaller room. He would also have liked isolation feet under the stands.
A small or medium room suits it best, for someone who wants the engineering of TAD’s big speakers in a cabinet that fits. The amplifiers we pair with it are in the Goes with line below.
What the reviewers say, in a nutshell
- SoundStage! Ultra, Hans Wetzel, December 2023. The best standmount he had heard, natural and highly resolved. Strongly recommended for a smaller room.
- eCoustics, W. Jennings, August 2023. Revealing of details other speakers miss, and perhaps among the most accurate available.
- Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity, Carlo Lo Raso, December 2024. A fine successor to the first CE1, with a big and lively soundstage and a build fit to hand down.
Read what the critics say about more of our speakers in The Hi-Fi Review Bible.
Goes with: McIntosh MA352, Mola Mola Kula, Gryphon Diablo 120, McIntosh MA12000, Gryphon Diablo 333, Grimm Audio MU2 with PA1.
