The Sound
Contents
The playback of the ToneWinner TY-1CD is somewhat in line with the dac of the AD-PRO3+. The signature is lighthearted, airy and spacious. We hear this with Gorillaz, A Perfect Circle, Massive Attack and Beth Gibbons, for example.
The bass is not necessarily very round and deep. But it is deep enough to shake the sofa with a track by Gorillaz, for example. Or to let the signature of Massive Attack come through well.
The Pasithea gives a little more depth and also offers more warmth in the midrange. But well: that should be the case, for 5000 Euro more. And then there is still a transport to buy and connect to the dac. In short: no fair comparison.
Imaging
The imaging that the ToneWinner TY-1CD manages to achieve is unquestionably good. There is ample space (in depth), while the focus remains sharp. The projection is not so much forward or backward. It positions itself a bit between the speakers but it definately has depth. This gives a pleasant stage feel. For example, Beth Gibbons is singing beautifully in front of us and Damon Albarn also stands sturdy between the TADs.
Keep playing
What we notice especially with the ToneWinner Duo is that we keep playing music. That goes for both the CD player, and the record player we have connected on the AD-PRO3+.
All in all, it’s a fine sound we hear through the TADs; a pair of speakers that while not very difficult to drive; they do show where the bottlenecks are. And honestly: for a 3700 Euro combo (amplifier and CD player) this doesn’t play bad at all! In fact: it plays very good!
