Stereophile review of the $30,000 tekton speakers

@waltersalas 

I can't imagine crying over the appearance of a speaker. Women are indeed a mystery.

@pinwa ,

What an odd response to my post. All I did was state there are a number of Tekton speakers for sale on USAM at the moment, as it was mentioned that there are none for sale here. Yet you jump all over me insinuating I’m calling them ’crap’ , which I never did. Then you accuse me of failing to notice which specific models are for sale. Who cares which models they are, how is that relevant? You compare the ones for sale on USAM with another brand for sale on Hifishark. Yet again, irrelevant. (By the way, 28 Tekton speakers for sale there! Sorry, I failed to notice which brands they are.) You also seem to be under the impression that USAM and Hifishark are ’secret sites’. I don’t even know how to respond to that one. Next time you want to attack someone for stating a simple fact, you may want to think it out a little better.

@corelli ,

You’re correct, I miss counted. 12 for sale at the moment on USAM.

By the way, that's not a criticism. I've never once criticized the sound of Tekton speakers since I've never heard any.

The OP has started 2 discussions since being here on Audiogon. Now he is long gone. Interesting. 

@ 2psyop  Exactly.  There are a smaller number of "members" whose primary objective is to inflame and stir the pot.  

Can't deny it, though.  This is the most action we've seen here in a very long time. 🔊

@thecarpathian  Appreciate your clarification.  But understand how that simple statement is taken by others to suggest there are a bunch of unhappy Tekton owners out there trying to dump their speakers.  That's not the case at all.

Agreed, no chance the B&W 801 D4 can hit the SPL numbers of any Moab model. Above 100dB the Moab distortion % will be significantly lower too. No chance the $50K B&W 801 D4 comes close to the parts quality and investment of a $30K Moab Be either; all you need to do is start counting the parts...

There is no doubt in my mind 5 out of 10 audiophiles would prefer the sound of a $5,200 pr. Moab over a $50K pr. of B&W 801 D4. The facts are Tekton Design is performing a valuable service to the audiophile community.

I have owned the double impacts (upgraded) not SE model for 4 years. Just Rock and Roll. Powered by a Pass x-250.8 SVS SB 4000 sub, Benchmark LA-4 PRE- amp, Bricasti M1 SE DAC, streaming qobuz via Audirvana, and and a RS2T transport with LPS by LTA, in a very large venue. Maybe its just the Rock and Roll, but my system sings, Clarity, dynamics, punch, and all the adjectives. You almost feel as you are there, AC-DC, Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, etc.

I have ordered a special edition Encore model, hopefully will arrive soon. Around 10k,  just looking for more of what I already have. Hopefully these New models will let me sit just a little bit closer to the stage. Robert TN

@corelli ,

Ah, I see your point. It was not my intention to infer that. I'm sure the majority of them are so pleased with the speakers that they are selling to move up the line.

They seem to have quite the following. I've never heard them. For me personally, the aesthetics are a big turn off no matter their sound. I wish Tekton no ill will. If Tekton sells one pair or a million, my bills are still the same.

my wife got home from work, came into the living room where our system lives, and burst into tears because she hated their appearance so much. I drank a beer and told her I’d put them up for sale within the hour.

Understandable/reasonable reaction/count your blessings (could be worse).

I have a friend whose spouse destroyed the speakers in a moment of uncontained rage. The dude looked rather pale and defeated when he drove over to my house to spend the night (many years ago)...

I am fortunate that my spouse is an audiophile...

And not a psycho!

In my view Tekton selling a $16,000 Moab with BE drivers and a $30,000 PA system is similar to when Morrow was featuring $12,000 interconnects prominently on the front page of the A-gon market page-an absurd desire to build prestige based upon an absurdly priced strawman-flagship product. 

Anyone remember when VW came out with the VW Phaeton? Oh wait, that is a terrible analogy. The Phaeton was actually the reverse-a great vehicle with the wrong badge. 

As PT Barnum said....

Waltersalas I totally agree with you.

I've heard them and thought they had decent sound for the money, but they still look rather cheap for that money. Those drivers look especially cheap. No way would I pay $30K for their best, however.

@audphile1 Why am I thinking of Daffy Duck?

Joke of the week.

they spent over $30 k in advertising . I have helped upgrade  several Tekton  Xovers 

cabinets ring like a bell ,drivers are not even close to world class ,I emailed them and they refused to state Xover brand parts, answer proprietary ,that would hold up on the exact type or method ,it has -0 to do with capacitor,resistor,or inductor quality, wire quality, or quality of binding posts. When spending over $10k you have the right to know what’s inside ,you are sending good $$ there are many well known brands you can get for $30k and look good doing it .Nothing more to add.

My opinion is Tekton started out (like Zu) offering some unique products for very competitive prices to the "high end market" , but once established in the "high end" market, vendors then also attempt to milk it by offering more expensive high profit margin options and also using that as a tool to raise prices on the most cost effective products that got them there. All vendors seem to do it and I can’t blame them. High price, high profit items are hard for vendors to resist selling. It works well for speakers in particular in that other than tweaks, speakers have always had the highest profit margins associated with them, while profit margins on electronics tend to come in last. So tweaks and speakers are where it’s at as a vendor to boost profit margins. That’s just how our system works. Not blaming or singling out Tekton in particular.

Ohm speakers have been somewhat of an exception. The high end has never been a prime focus for Ohm, more high performance products that people can actually afford and use. Yes prices have gone up in recent years but the most expensive models still come in at not much more than $10K (largest models with built in powered subs), though just a few years back, that number was more like $6K. Gotta factor in that most everything is more expensive these days as a result of various factors including supply chains choked by the pandemic, tariffs and just plain out corporate greed.

So much Tekton hate on here. It's unfortunate. I own a pair, btw....They're well worth the cost, but in the end, I outgrew them and moved on. I certainly think they're worth their asking price. I just chose to go in a different sonic direction. 

@audioman58 you sound a bit like a woman scorned.  Please call B&W, Magico, whoever, and ask them for details on components in their crossovers.  Good luck.  Then expect something in return for "redesigning" their crossovers. Oh brother. You forgot to add how ugly they are. 

It takes zero class to put down another speaker to boast about your own.  

Hey corelli i have been modding speakers for 

Years ,i call it as i see it ,if you dont want read my 

Opinion then thats on you ,freedom of speech !!

You are right those speakers are way too ugly 

For any living room, bulls eyes with a coffin 

For design   for $30k what would you buy ?

For value the Perlisten line as well as X series 

BORRESEN LINE ARE VERY GOOD EXAMPLES FOR Far less $$

@bjesien Wrote:

It takes zero class to put down another speaker to boast about your own.  

True!

@tektondesign -Eric, can you point me to where i can find these speakers on your website?

Anyone--Is there a link to the Stereophile review?  I went to Stereophile's website and could not find it nor did a Google search produce it--at least the parameters i used which were "Stereophile Review of Tekton Speakers"

I found tekton late in my search for speakers.have found them to be honest and back thier products.during this search I built tube amps with my ph.d father who taught me much on physics electronics and life.i am highly educated read alot have test equipment albeit not reference grade but close.i have ,not to brag but to test and listen and passify the savage beast that music does.read the review on the ulfberhts who said its a giant killer.it sits next to my very pretty focal utopia be speakers.there is no way they are 30x the price.my b&w 800 matrix r great too and so r the genesis and irs v referance dali megaline duntec 2001 usher d2.i have the moab be driven with a michi m8 sound wonderful to me. Perhaps you need a high end amp there is much debate about that subject as well.i only wish I would have found tekton earlier might not have as many speakers.go and listen to them then make your own decision.enjoy the music stay healthy.by the way some of my tektons have mundorf caps.spent my whole life dealing with trauma.sometimes music is wonderful to calm and psych.

When was the last time a stereo reviewer said anything negative about any gear they reviewed?

@wyoboy, The all Be Moabs are not on the Tekton website.

@lkh007--Thanks--so -just a special order custom option?  i went on website and attempted to build and price a Moab set with the all Be tweeters and every other upgrade offered (esp grilles to cover the busy look) but couldn't get above $20K ...so there's something additional that must be $10K...

Tektons web site states custom speakers.call them and they can discuss that for and with you

@tektondesign the dealer where I bought my Gryphon amp also carries B&W, during the auditions I was doing with various amps, the 801 D4s were among the speakers used, some others were from Sonus Faber, Estelon, YG Acoustics and Borreson. I didn't end up buying the 801s only because they were too big for my room, FYI they competed easily with speakers twice their price. BTW B&W make their own drivers and cabinets, even some of the crossover parts. That you feel it necessary to denigrate the 801s and by extention B&W generally to persuade us that Tekton is a superior manufacturer is a big red flag for me. Prior to your comments here I would have been open to auditioning Tekton speakers if easily accessible - now you couldn't pay me to.

@mark200mph --thanks but i was just looking for information about what makes them different from Moab other than the Be tweeters -- must be some other special sauce to get the price where it is...One would think that if they requested Stereophile to review them they would have some information about them on the website?

@knock1 

I do not think Tekton speakers are good choice for people with arachnophobia

I'm confused. Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders. How do the Tektons remind you of spiders? 

Do you mean trypophobia?

Probably too soon for them to post the on-line review. The cabinets are reported as slightly smaller with better bracing.

I had Double Impacts before moving up to the Encores, which I’ve had now for 3 years. They are outstanding. I have also heard Moabs and Ulfs, which are impressive for sure, but I have to say I prefer the Encores. And unlike many other commenters, I think Tekton speakers look really cool, sort of space age and futuristic. 

I read the review- finally learned that all those tweeters are mostly a mid-range array. And I learned that the cabinets are .. no where near awesome.  I'll stick with Vandersteen.

Made in a garage with dozens of imported low end parts, butt ugly…but they sell. The name itself generates copious pages of free advertising good or bad. Someone is marketing and laughing all the way to the bank. So here today hopefully gone tomorrow ? 30,000 are you nuts ? Stack two old 901’s on a cheep 15” sub times two and you’ve arguably the same sound at definitely a fraction of the cost. 
News that’s laughable and fun for a change. 

Cheers 

"There is no doubt in my mind 5 out of 10 audiophiles would prefer the sound of a $5,200 pr. Moab over a $50K pr. of B&W 801 D4. The facts are Tekton Design is performing a valuable service to the audiophile community."

Forgot to mention I also don't care for the arrogance of the owner.

MI found a good local deal on a used pair of Sonus Faber Concerto Domus. Lovely sounding and looking speakers. My wife made no gripes about these in the family room. They are a delight and definitely ooze class and refinement. 👍

@kairosman      +1       Might be the best way Tekton can increase sales is by criticizing other speaker manufacturers. Tekton is playing the "Blacksheep" role which attracts the DIY/Naysayer and everything is overpriced crowd. Could the Moab have an even higher profit margin(%) over the 801 D4? These are critical facts that will never be released to the consumer. The 801 D4 is superior in every objective way when compared to a Moab but on the subjective side is where Tekton has some wiggle room. Yes, the comment 5/10 Audiophiles could pick the Moab over the 801 D4 could be true, because the more resolving speaker is much more component/cable sensitive. This does not prove anything about the Moab being a better value over the B&W. The Moab might be a fine speaker for the less refined (taste in music/build-parts quality/lesser electronics etc.) audiophile but to directly compare it to a B&W 801 D4 is ludicrous which perpetuates the "giant killer" mythology which Tekton Design is based on.

Speakers all pretty much do the same thing. People choose what they like and how much to pay based on whatever it is that matters to them. Ginormous speakers that cost less than other less humongous designs certainly will have a niche. That’s Tekton. Take ‘em or leave em. Just like any others.  The arguments about what’s better are really pretty silly.   Unless you got something to sell that is. 

@kairosman +2 +3 +4 well stated!

"The mid array is a good idea in theory, i.e., the mid range covered by small "tweeter sized" drivers ---> associated IR ---> perceived increase in resolution/clarity/etc. But, in practice, it doesn’t blow other conventional speakers out of the water on above mentioned. What gives? My theory is a suboptimal crossover design for such an array, nullifying the gains a bit." by deep_333 - seems to get to the heart of the most important issue: That Beryllium drivers going down to 770 (unheard of) really ought to have an incredible midrange.  These apparently do not rise to that standard & they really ought to. Crossing over in the lower midrange to 12 inch drivers that are notably boomy (JA mentions the need to have them in large rooms away from walls & lots of talk of stuffing the port to tame the bass from reviewers) makes them decidedly problematic overall. Many measured resonating points as well. The unpriced superspeaker picture on his site may possibly resolve much of this. When it eventually (if ever) comes out.

@dayglow yup, and the underlying dig is that 5 out of 10 audiophiles who like me would still choose to spend $50K on B&Ws instead of $8K on Tektons are audiophools of the highest order given the obvious cost savings for a "superior" speaker. The arrogance and ignorance are truly breathtaking, borderline narcissism actually. One thing I want to share with the community about my eventual choice of speaker after my extensive auditions is that I ended up buying the 804 D4s for less than $12K new from the dealer. It ended up being one of the few speakers that didn't overload my room. The other speaker I had narrowed down the choices to was the YG Acoustics Vantage 3 at $50K. It was a toss up paired with the Gryphon amp I bought between the 804 and Vantage sonically speaking for my ears, the lows and highs are more resolved with the Vantage but the 804 has a more substantial midrange, and for my musical tastes it was a better fit. The D4 version of the 804 is on another sonic planet from the D3 and at the time I purchased it was one of the very best values in hifi for speakers, of course just my opinion lol.

Speakers all pretty much do the same thing. People choose what they like and how much to pay based on whatever it is that matters to them. Ginormous speakers that cost less than other less humongous designs certainly will have a niche. That’s Tekton. Take ‘em or leave em. Just like any others. The arguments about what’s better are really pretty silly. Unless you got something to sell that is.

Sorry but speakers differ a lot by their design... Then you are wrong...

And yes you are right acoustics principle used in speakers/room relation makes all of them all equally possible choices of source to be located in a room.

😊

Some speakers are better by design but not ideal for all room and listenings habits and location...

Some other speakers not better than most by design could be the better for you in your acoustic set of constraints and in the Budget S.Q. /price ratio...

No speakers beat their room...

Most designer insist  less on this important point because nevermind the design any speakers must be installed in the right conditions to be optimally driven...

The thing is it’s fine to spend 50k or more on speakers IF it is in your budget, not everyone can afford that. So people tend to look for best bang for buck. It’s not necessarily that someone is looking for a $5-$10k speaker that would blow away $100k speakers BUT if it comes anywhere  close to the performance, they are happy with that.  I have absolutely no experience with Tekton but with all the talk I have heard would be very interested to audition them although in my area of Canada the only way would be to just outright buy them. As far as the looks go I can’t say I am a fan of the Tektons either but if they offered great sound for the money I would overlook that. Another speaker that kind of reminds me of this was the old Dunlavy speaker line. Never heard them either but kind of reminded me of what someone would have built in their basement but they got rave reviews.

@kairosman    Congrats on the B&W 804 D4. The build quality and fit and finish is exceptional for $14k, only the YG Talus might be its equal. FWIW at Axpona last year the Seawave Acoustic AM 23(large monitor) at $20k had stunning sound with exceptional build/parts quality.

@arnold_h       Speakers are the most flawed of all components. When building a system the electronics will mostly determine the potential of the speaker. An example is a Polk L600 at $3k with Burmester electronics will likely out perform a Magico A3 $15k with a budget integrated amp. My point is to many Audiophiles spend to much on speakers and skimp on electronics.