1. August 2012
TIDAL at the TAA Audio Show in Taiwan
TIDAL at the TAA Audio Show in Taiwan
TIDAL's exclusive importer, Avent Garden Records, premiered at the TAA show the Piano Diacera, Impulse power amps and Presencio preamp a classical analog chain, driven by a SPJ turntable. It was voted from most visitors as the most musical and realistic sounding systems, "Best Sound of Show".
Other than playing all the time the same boring "audiophile" music pieces everybody does demo's with, Avent Garden Records demonstrated an extremly wide range of different kind of music styles to focus on what this is all about.
Jörn Janczak visited afterwards the new dealers and welcomed them to the TIDAL family personally.
1. July 2012
Audio Fest 2012 – Confessions of a Part-Time Audiophile.com
Audio Fest 2012 – Confessions of a Part-Time Audiophile.com
"This is “I’m done” gear. No more fussing. No more arguing. No more questioning. Done. This is smug, smack the Internet trolls in the face and chortle all the way, done. Finished.
The sound in this room, to me, was clearly the best at the show.
It wasn’t even close. Other rooms had different approaches, and featured different balances of the things I cherish. But for overall elegance, grace, charm and a natural effortlessness that is, literally, shocking when you first enter the room, this was it. Skadoosh."
Please feel free to read the whole report about the Contriva Diacera:
http://parttimeaudiophile.com/2012/08/03/caf12-the-voice-that-is-presents-TIDAL-dcs-aurender-argento
And about the Piano Diacera:
http://parttimeaudiophile.com/2012/08/10/caf12-the-voice-that-is-presents-TIDAL-audio-audio-power-labs-purity-audio-dcs-aurender-pad/
1. July 2012
Audio Fest 2012 – Stereophile
Audio Fest 2012 – Stereophile
"There, in a system featuring TIDAL Contriva Diacera SE speakers driven by TIDAL Impulse solid-state amplifiers, a TIDAL Preos full-function preamp via Argento Flow and Flowmaster Reference cables, with source an Aurender S-10 music server and a dCS Debussy DAC. I heard a presentation more in line with what I expect from a high-end audio system: an even balance from the deep lows to the top audio octave, with a stable, well-defined soundstage, a tonal and spatial coloration-free view into the recording.
Nina Simone was in the room with me, wrenching the pathos from “Nobody.” José Carreras came in to sing Misa Criola. Mel Tormé joined us. This is what I am talking about! No tweaks, no audiophile craziness, just the music, as big and deep and wide as the performers intended it to be." - John Atkinson, STEREOPHILE
1. July 2012
Audio Fest 2012 – ENJOY THE MUSIC.COM
Audio Fest 2012 – ENJOY THE MUSIC.COM
"I like to pretend that my first stop, after my visit from the heretofore absent-from-my-life Lotto Fairy, will be to Doug White of "The Voice That Is" to check out the latest and greatest from TIDAL loudspeakers. In the meantime, while I sit and wait for Godot, I got a taste of what my future (never hurts to dream) holds, here at Capital Audiofest. Doug had two rooms here, both showing TIDAL speakers.
In the more expensive of the two, Doug was showing off his personal pair of Contriva Diacera SE speakers in a magnificent custom veneer. These pair speakers were actually the first and second off the line – as you can see from the engraved silver plaques mounted just over their rear-facing ports. Nice touch. The finish is something of a one-off, a super-dramatic custom-stained version of the standard-finish African pyramid mahogany.
As Doug tells it, this finish took about six months of finishing and fussing over before TIDAL designer Jörn Janczak was happy with it – and once complete, said he'd never do again. Doug says he's never going to sell these, and quite frankly, he'd be nuts to do so. Interestingly, these speakers also predate the move TIDAL made to all-black Accuton drivers.
Anyway, these speakers were not only shockingly beautiful; they put out the most glamorous sound at the show."
1. May 2012
TIDAL did exhibit at the HIGH END show 2012 in Munich and premiered the TIDAL Agoria
TIDAL did exhibit at the HIGH END show 2012 in Munich and premiered the TIDAL Agoria
"One of the first really big systems I heard on day one was in the TIDAL/Argento room. Whilst the quality was apparent, it wasn’t really hanging together, but by the final day that had all changed. In fact, this was the best-sounding system I heard using a large conventional speaker system. Once it hit its stride, this system sounded open, delicate and incredibly transparent.
The booming, disjointed bass that marred so many rooms was notably absent -- possibly as a result of the extra control achieved through biamping the speakers -- and all the more remarkable given the paired 11" woofers and three ABRs in each cabinet. Talking of cabinets, the Agoria uses a new material -- TIRALIT -- for its enclosure, and the absence of cabinet sound coupled to an extraordinarily low noise floor suggests that TIDAL are on to something here."
1. May 2012
HIGH END show 2012 in Munich – TIDAL’s Watershed Moment: The Agoria Loudspeaker
HIGH END show 2012 in Munich – TIDAL’s Watershed Moment: The Agoria Loudspeaker
"There are watershed moments that can mark a shift in a company's direction. Certainly, when TIDAL Audio of Germany introduced their Sunray loudspeaker back in 2003, that product informed TIDAL's offerings for almost a decade. But time and technology march on, and yesterday's flagship is, well, yesterday's news. The brand-new TIDAL Agoria might just signal the next watershed moment in TIDAL's relatively short history of competing in the Age of the Superspeaker.
The release of the 450-pound, three-way floorstanding Agoria represents a number of evolutionary advancements in TIDAL's loudspeaker technology. Jörn Janczak, chief everything at TIDAL, was quite excited about its development. He shared a number of observations with me, and I could clearly sense his enthusiasm for the capabilities of this speaker: "When you see this more-than-200kg beauty, all its little details, these super-expensive drivers and so on, I hope you will see this is a very serious statement from us when it comes to superspeakers."
..... The highest-value-for-money speaker in the TIDAL line has oft been said to be the Contriva Diacera. I asked Janczak to tell me how the Agoria betters it, to which he replied:
"If better means even closer to the signal than the Contriva Diacera, then, yes, it is [better]. It plays deeper, has more dynamic headroom and higher resolution; it simply changes the signal even less than a Contriva Diacera.
But these two models do not compete with each other since the sheer size (40cm-plus height) and weight (almost twice as much) is in a whole different class. Therefore, it can sonically cover way bigger rooms than the Contriva Diacera."
Janczak's last statement convinced me that the Agoria represents an exciting next step for TIDAL, and perhaps will lead them to even greater accomplishments -- impressive stuff from this relatively young audio company. "One can easily recognize this speaker as a TIDAL speaker, but it also gives a hint of what one can expect from us in the coming years," he said.
All audiophile eyes -- and ears -- should be fixed on TIDAL."
1. May 2012
HIGH END show 2012 in Munich
HIGH END show 2012 in Munich
"TIDAL loudspeaker designer Jörn Janczak had given me advance notice of his newest loudspeaker in the Agoria, well before the Munich show, but I was still caught off guard over this tall and handsome transducer. The Agoria looks like a cross between TIDAL's top -of-the-line Sunrays and Contriva Diacera, sports two 11" side-firing woofers and three 11" sub-bass drivers -one rear firing. Of the seven speakers Janczak makes, this he says " ...is the first speaker with a cabinet made out of TIRALIT™, an all exclusive TIDAL cabinet material, which combines ultimate stiffness and resonance control.
This wasn't the first time I heard TIDAL through their own electronics but I think this was a first for me in terms of this quality of sound. Using their own Impulse amplifiers and Presencio preamp, but also an Aurender music server from Widealab of Korea and Argento Flowmaster series cables, AC cords and connectors, I immediately fell for the sweetness of strings and voices coupled to a level of dynamics I had not experienced here in Munich."
Jorn Janczak from TIDAL debuted his gorgeously built Agoria loudspeakers and electronics that included their new Impulse Reference dual mono amplifiers, the Preos-D Preamplifier with MC-phono and the Presencio 3 stack balanced Reference preamplifier (with a fully regulated power supply).
In many ways, the Agoria looks like a smaller version of their statement Sunray loudspeakers.
In terms of performance, I found them stunning. Particularly in their ability to provide a three dimensional soundstage here at a trade show no less. The stage was as wide as it was deep with wonderful contrasts of dynamics.
1. May 2012
Audioreview.nl
Audioreview.nl
"Previous year TIDAL impressed in Munich with the enormous Sunray/T1 system, not only to me, also many other visitors. In Milan on the Audio Video Show TIDAL also ranked for me as one of the very best with their smaller systems. The Agoria does play the model placed below the Sunray and T1 and thus the second largest system of TIDAL.
The Agoria is certainly not a small boy with a height of approx. 1.70m and a weight of 205 kg. Per piece. Also this year, TIDAL made the best out of the available space with acoustic adjustments... TIDAL scores again this year for me with one of the best sets of this show. "
1. April 2012
Confessions of a Part-Time Audiophile.com
Confessions of a Part-Time Audiophile.com
"I like the look. Very elegant. And the sound? What is the sound of one hand clapping? Yeah, I dunno either. So try this - extremely linear, with neither warmth nor leanness. Just pure, raw, speed. Not much to go on, is it? Hence, the koan. I struggled with this for a while, but all I heard was whatever we put into them.
Got warm, lush, music? The Sunray will give you warm and lush. Got bright, harsh music? The Sunray will give that to you, too. Got the most amazingly well-recorded, super-dynamic, large-scale, power-hungry tour-de-force on disc? Well, guess what. The Sunray is going to light it up like you’ve never heard it before.
"No one is ever going to accuse TIDAL Audio of making audio products for the masses. Their line, their entire line, is all about luxury. Top shelf luxury, at that. The level of fitment, the finish, the quality … it all oozes out of these products in a gentle cloud of ease and refinement.
You’ll “ooh” and “ahh” when you get too close to their raw magnetic appeal. It’s inevitable. I wish I could afford this kind of gear. It’s nice to know that the manufacturers that offer products in this class aren’t just insane or trying to pull the wool over your eyes. TIDAL, at least, obviously cares - about everything. Every little bit or bob was thought about, and quality was always selected for. It’s reassuring. It’s comforting, even if it’s out of reach of most of us. But when that Lotto Fairy comes calling, I know who’s getting the first call."
Please feel free to read the whole text, if you like, here: http://parttimeaudiophile.com/2012/04/09/a-visit-to-the-voice-that-is/There’s a lot going on here. Me? I’m (now) a huge fan of Accuton drivers, but here, they’re only part of the story. Give some respect where it’s due - the diamond Diacera tweeters are simply out of this world. No etch, no grain, no whatever-might-be-code-for-bad. Its all good.
Vocals on the Sunray are pretty much perfect and as good as I’ve ever heard on a loudspeaker. Fully immersive 3-D sound stage? Check. Pinpoint imaging? Pardon me while I choke out a laugh - yes, yes, yes. These are freaky-good speakers. I think the Sunray ranks with the very best transducers ever made...
...And all built to that same ludicrously high level of detail and finish that you’d expect and didn’t know you really cared about. This is like passing over a Rolex in favor of a Patek-Philippe. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, no worries, just move along."
"No one is ever going to accuse TIDAL Audio of making audio products for the masses. Their line, their entire line, is all about luxury. Top shelf luxury, at that. The level of fitment, the finish, the quality … it all oozes out of these products in a gentle cloud of ease and refinement.
You’ll “ooh” and “ahh” when you get too close to their raw magnetic appeal. It’s inevitable. I wish I could afford this kind of gear. It’s nice to know that the manufacturers that offer products in this class aren’t just insane or trying to pull the wool over your eyes. TIDAL, at least, obviously cares - about everything. Every little bit or bob was thought about, and quality was always selected for. It’s reassuring. It’s comforting, even if it’s out of reach of most of us. But when that Lotto Fairy comes calling, I know who’s getting the first call."
Please feel free to read the whole text, if you like, here: http://parttimeaudiophile.com/2012/04/09/a-visit-to-the-voice-that-is/
1. March 2012
TIDAL Contriva Diacera SE at the AXPONA Audio Show
TIDAL Contriva Diacera SE at the AXPONA Audio Show
"Audio Power Labs: they must be selling some of them or gotten a capital infusion because their demo equipment keeps getting better and better with each show... TIDAL Contriva Diacera SE loudspeakers, which I would give my right arm and then some to own. Frighteningly good sound."
The sound in this room, then, was pretty and remarkable. Bass wasn’t the deepest I’d heard at AXPONA (that was the Martin Logan room), but it was tight and fast. In fact, everything was tight and fast. And luscious. Imaging was spot on, detail was there when it was there (if that makes sense), and air was extensive and enveloping. I do love that TIDAL sound. Mmm, mmm.
Great room, great sound and one that I was happy to return to over and over again during my too-brief stay. Well done."
"Runners up for "Best":
Although Misty Ellis' atmospherically lit room was a challenge to photograph, the sound this company from Columbus, OH put together from a big-bucks system headed by the Audio Power Labs 833TNT 200W transformer-coupled monoblocks, TIDAL Audio Contriva Diacera SE floorstanding speakers and Laufer Teknik The Memory Player 64 was as tantalizing and satisfying as its visuals.
On my second visit, I was won over. An unfamiliar track, Richard Bona's "Reverence" from the album Cameroon, sounded superb. Then we turned to one of my trusty reference standbys. With the room as dark as it was, yours truly inadvertently pulled out the second disc of the two-disc Mahler set, which begins with the third movement of the five-movement symphony. Once over my surprise at hearing the wrong movement, I settled in to listen to the entire thing. It was that enjoyable. ...this system did so much so well that it earns a deserved place on my AXPONA Top 4 list."
AVGUIDE:
"In concert with Laufer Teknik’s The Memory Player 64 driving TIDAL Contriva Diacera SE speakers the sonics were airy, quick, with a pleasant warmth factor. In spite of the massive scale of the amps, ponderous was not part of this system’s finesse-fueled vocabulary.Confessions of a Part-Time Audiophile:
"I’ve heard various TIDAL speakers over the last year or so and I have to say, they’re on The List Of Things To Get When I Become Rich Enough To Afford Them. Actually, from that lineup, the Sunrays take top billing on that list.
19. October 2018
TIDAL Akira review from John Atkinson in “Stereophile”.
TIDAL Akira review from John Atkinson in “Stereophile”.
"The Akiras are the
best-looking, best-built, best-sounding
speakers I have had in my listening room"
"...When the first basses enter in measure 11 with a rising C-minor scale on the words "And let my crying," your heart lifts as the minor key is transformed into major. Not only did the Tidal speakers present each of the eight vocal lines separately, but their superbly precise stereo imaging in both the width and depth planes let me fully appreciate their ensemble singing in that beautiful church acoustic. [.]
The sheer resolution of the Akiras continued to astonish me throughout my auditioning. And the thunderous bass chords indeed sounded . . . thunderous. It was the Akiras' ability to separate the threads within each recording that impressed me—they simply stepped out of the way of the music making. [.]
As beautiful as are the Akira's external finish and appearance, its interior revealed superb attention to details of construction and design that most purchasers will never be aware of. [.]
The Akiras are the best-looking, best-built, best-sounding speakers I have had in my listening room — as they should be at the price."
John Atkinson, Stereophile
Feel free to get the Stereophile magazine (11/2018) and/or read here: TIDAL Akira
8. January 2019
TIDAL Piano – product of the year award 2018
TIDAL Piano – product of the year award 2018
The TIDAL Piano wins the "Product of the year award 2018" in the category "Aesthetics and Sound".
“You pay for a bespoke visual and aural experience by way of musical seduction, and Tidal’s Piano G2 has seduced me as has no other speaker.”
The winning products are chosen based on the reviews of them published in the preceding 12 months of all these websites: SoundStage! Access, SoundStage! Hi-Fi, SoundStage! Simplifi, SoundStage! Solo, and SoundStage Ultra.
Feel free to find out more: Products of the Year 2018
16. January 2019
2019 – TIDAL is celebrating this year its 20th anniversary.
2019 – TIDAL is celebrating this year its 20th anniversary.
TIDAL does celebrate this year "20 years of excellence"
Founded in spring 1999 TIDAL has established itself over the last twenty years as one of the finest audio manufacturers in the world. Many even claim TIDAL is in a league of its own due its unparalleled combination of the highest possible level in sound, design and finish.
What is for certain is the proven consistency in delivering excellence for ears, eyes and hands without any kind of compromise - materialized in unique masterpieces.
Not only would we like to say thank you to all our clients and partners worldwide, we will also celebrate it this year with events, limited edition masterpieces and something very special.
25. March 2019
TIDAL Akira reference system in Belgium
TIDAL Akira reference system in Belgium
TIDAL Akira reference system
We demoed the TIDAL Akira, the reference speaker John Atkinson from Stereophile wrote about is "...the best built, best looking and best sounding speaker" he ever reviewed, in a castle in Belgium for an audio event. Power amplifiers were the TIDAL Ferios mono blocks and the TIDAL Camira DMC sent the music stream to the TIDAL Presencio pre amplifier.
Sound, design and finish par excellence.
5. April 2019
Always the latest impressions and photos of TIDAL at Instagram
Always the latest impressions and photos of TIDAL at Instagram
TIDAL video's, sound samples and impressions
We just started to share the latest impressions and pictures of TIDAL in a quick and easy way at Instagram. Feel free to visit us at www.instagram.com/tidal.audio.
26. July 2019
TIDAL company report from FIDELITY magazine
TIDAL company report from FIDELITY magazine
TIDAL company report from FIDELITY magazine
Fidelity visited the TIDAL head quarter and wrote a report about their experience. Readers can enjoy thirteen pages of impressions in words and photos. The editorial of the magazine starts with:
"... there are events in life which do set things in a totally new light. Some weeks ago I had the pleasure to spent some hours with a system from the German manufacturer TIDAL. This system, just to say it out loud, completely blew me away and did let me forget really everything around me. Later I really thought quite some time about it why these moments are really rare… Sure the TIDAL system is a class of its own, nevertheless…“.
Please feel free to read the full article as PDF as download here, in GERMAN or in ENGLISH.
23. September 2019
TIDAL 20 Years Anniversary
TIDAL 20 Years Anniversary
TIDAL "20 Years Anniversary" edition's. And a whole new masterpiece.
TIDAL - twenty years of excellence. We are celebrating three words, describing all we did, all we do and all we will ever do: we build emotions. Period. Absolute. In every aspect. Embedded in our logo, embedded in our DNA. Appropriate to this celebration we launch very soon limited editions of the TIDAL Piano, TIDAL Contriva and the TIDAL La Assoluta. After the first and only limited edition we ever built, the sought after “Contriva TT” from 2010, this series of „20th Anniversary Edition“ will be something rare from us. And will stay rare. More about it coming soon.
And the best is yet to come: TIDAL will present as highlight and pinnacle of a success story started back then in May 1999 a new masterpiece. A game changer where we embedded all we know and everything we are all about. Something which does change the perception of high performance the same way as... well, we don’t want to say to much here, just: feel free to stay tuned.
2. October 2019
TIDAL Akira – Recommended Component 2019 from Stereophile
TIDAL Akira – Recommended Component 2019 from Stereophile
TIDAL "Recommended Component 2019" from Stereophile magazine
Maybe the highest praise legendary reviewer John Atkinson ever gave away was this following quote "...the Akiras are the
best-looking, best-built, best-sounding speakers I have had in my listening room". For the game changing TIDAL Akira. We have the pleasure to share it has been voted too as official 'Class A recommended component' (the highest rank) from Stereophile.
31. October 2019
TIDAL – Best Sound of Show
TIDAL – Best Sound of Show
TIDAL - 2 x "Best sound of show" at Toronto Audiofest
Wynn Wong the owner of Wynn Audio always does things in grand style. I will never forget the sound of the millions dollar system that he put together for a Toronto audio show a few years ago. It was no different this time round. Acoustically, he had one of the best rooms at the Toronto Audiofest and he made sure that the superb system that he assembled for it was perfectly dialed in. If I had to choose one room at this Show to spend a whole day in, it would be this room.
I used to play the piano for a rock band and I have a great mental reference of what a piano sound like in a live setting. Wynn's system reproduced a beautiful piano sonata with such incredible realism and presence; it took my breath away. Female vocals were also rendered with such body and emotion; it gave me goose bumps. It was an easy decision to give Wynn Wong's room my vote for "Best Sound of the Show" for a second year in a row.
(PositiveFeedback.com, M. Golmes)
"Wynn’s 2-channel system had a relaxed, organic, and natural sound that was a joy to listen to. THIS is the sound quality that all serious audiophiles with stereo rigs dream of hearing. Wynn Audio’s careful component matching, speaker selection, and expertise at room tuning is what made their room sound so special. Wynn achieved the best sound that I heard at TAF 2019."
(Novopress.com, D. Brown)
27. February 2020
TIDAL Akira in Audiotechnique magazine
TIDAL Akira in Audiotechnique magazine
Exclusive review of the TIDAL Akira
The TIDAL Akira is not only cover queen of Audiotechnique magazine issue February 2020, it is also the new reference speaker of the magazine's editor in chief (Lincoln Cheng).
TIDAL Akira video (in Chinese language)