@bstatmeister Thanks for the sub up!
Tekton 4-10 Subwoofer
Looks like there is a new Sub from Tekton. It looks cool! Eric Alexander, if you are out there, would love to know more about this new product.
https://www.tektondesign.com/4-10-sub.html
https://www.tektondesign.com/4-10-sub.html
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Hello bstatmeister, I agree, it does look cool. Are you planning on using this just for music, just for HT or both? What size is your room? It’s fairly well know that 2 subs will sound and perform about twice as good as 1 sub, regardless of the exact sub considered, in almost any room. The bass will be smoother, faster, more dynamic, more detailed and more natural for music as well as having greater impact on music and HT. If you want the best bass performance in your room, a pair of either of these subs, with both properly positioned, will outperform one of the Tekton 4-10 subs. For music, I’d suggest either a pair of the Rythmik L12 subs for $1,098: www.rythmikaudio.com/L12.html Or, a pair of the SVS SB subs for $998: https://www.svsound.com/products/sb-1000? Utilizing a pair of good quality subs will also make it easier to seamlessly integrate or blend the bass from the subs with your main speakers. Another option is utilizing 2 Tekton 4-10 subs which might look twice as cool and sound twice as good as just one but they’d cost $1,600. Tim |
Not sure why, as it appears that Tekton makes good products and are highly liked, but their specifications consistently have no basis in reality. For example, every speaker test I have seen has shown their actual sensitivity is more than 6db lower than rated. Here are their relevant specs for the subwoofer:
1) There is no way they are 100db/w sensitive. I would be shocked if they are over 90db/w sensitive. But why even claim a number, it is irrelevant for a powered subwoofer. 2) A mini monitor can do 20-120 hz, but will be 20-30db down at 20 hz from 100hz. Without a db range, the specification is meaningless. Realistically, with using a plate amp and equalization, these should have a -6db point of 30hz or lower, so why not give an actual specification. 3) 120db output, yes, at 100hz on a good day. At 30 hz with a 300 watt amp, max output will be in the 105db range, which is still a lot of output for most people (home theater guys running reference levels want 115db at 20hz). Again, not picking on the product, it looks like a nice product at a very fair price, but why not provide real specs, or if Tekton doesn't want to provide real specs, no specs? |
If you want the best bass performance in your room, a pair of either of these subs, with both properly positioned, will outperform one of the Tekton 4-10 subs. Probably. But probably not by as much as most "one vs two" comparisons. The reason I think so is because the Tekton 4-10 subwoofer does to some extent take advantage of the main principle of distributed bass array, which is the multiple location of subs. Reading through all the literature before building mine I recall one of the main guys saying widely separated random locations is best, but that you would get some benefit even with four stacked right on top of each other. In essence that is what Tekton has done. Four subs, just placed very close together. Not as good as four spread out and optimally located, but still a whole lot better than the one 18 incher that everyone will compare them to. Another option is utilizing 2 Tekton 4-10 subs which might look twice as cool and sound twice as good as just one but they’d cost $1,600. Bingo! And why stop there??! Four Tekton 4-10 subs at $3200 would be exactly what the Swarm four 10" subs with one Dayton amp costs, and only a little bit more than my four DIY subs with two Dayton amps. Hard to believe this would not blow away mine, which according to Duke just looking at what I built told me its better than a Swarm. (Duke is nothing if not open and frank and honest to a fault!) Haven't heard any Tekton speakers yet myself. Kind of jealous of those who have. Because from everything I have been able to glean they are #1 top of the very short list when (if) I get around to upgrading my Talon Khorus. Four of these would be awesome! |
Hello millercarbon, True, four stacked 10" drivers on a sub is unique and would be powerful. It reminds me of the bass line array towers on the old classic Infinity RS-1B speakers, except those bass towers had six 8" woofers stacked. ttps://www.ebay.com/i/222620430906?rt=nc&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20160...% Tim |
Still no one has heard these? I too am interested in the strange specs. It's not like Tekton to make a crappy speaker but given the competition of subs, these seem on par with than most <$1000 subs but won't compete with bigger SVS, Rythmik, HSU, JTR, etc. In 2019, I need more power and output <30hz than these are willing to offer. |
You are the first person I've heard of that's even listened to one. Congrats! so it seems like another winner for Eric? Does the 4-10 seem to go flat to 20 Hz (and below)? Does the sub seem to punch way above it's asking price? Rythmik is right in that price range, so wondering which one is the better musical sub... Which SVS were you comparing against? |
Ya know, I never thought more bass was necessary with the Pendragons. However, when I added the 1st 4-10, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of musical weight/depth (if that makes sense). I did notice that although my space is roughly 3000cf, there were some voids in different locations. Personally, I don't sit constantly when enjoying my system. My favorite thing to do is cook while jammin. Granted it's very early on, but adding the 2nd 4-10 is much more enjoyable throughout my entire space. The sense of realism is simply stunning at all volume levels. It's very inspiring, for lack of better phraseology. I'm having a lot of fun! To be completely honest, I think I'm very fortunate with my room layout. I sense or feel zero "nulls". With my previous system (SVS Ultras), I found that I was subconsciously listening to less and less music. When I received my first Tekton order (the complete Pendragon system), I literally got chills listening to some very familiar old music favs. I'm not what some refer to as a "fan boy" (too old for that nonsense). I just trust what makes me feel good. So I continued to acquire knowledge in personal experiences along with trusted social media sources and good friends. Which led me to the dilemma of subwoofers with my rekindled passion for music...having the SVS PB12 plus was great for movies (I still use it for that purpose), but for music, it just didn't quite have that "I'm connected to the tune feel", ya know? At that time, Eric was introducing the new 4-10 sub. I figured, ya know what....let's give this a shot...heck I already built a relationship with him and my ears like what his products have brought to the table so far. Now I will say that these 4-10s aren't the best sub out there obviously. However, for 1600.00/pr. they outperform the 1400.00 PB12PLUS by 10 fold for music. These subs are a VERY strong contender at their modest ask of 800.00ea. In my space, I have (12) 10" drivers for 2 channel listening and I'm a very satisfied guy. When I have guests over, they leave with an infectious enthusiasm that can be very contagious to the average "audiophile"...that's coming from people who own McIntosh components with Double Impacts and DYI subs. Another buddy has Triton Reference series paired with a Parasound P6 preamp and the a21 amp. My system is a fraction of their costs and I can sense them both thinking that mine sounds better(as they scratch their heads). Grated completely different room acoustics, but still😁. Please keep in mind that I'm not really at liberty to give "reviews", just sharing my thoughts and experiences. Hope this helps! P.S. be gentle with grammar errors (if any exist), as I find proofreading senseless and exhausting.🍻 |
Oh, ok gotcha. I appreciate the clarification. I'll pass on your suggested search though. I enjoy my "cheap" Tekton system paired with Parasound components. I've spent a lot more in my lifetime on expensive drivers that didnt sound nearly as good as these "cheap" drivers do. I'll continue to save money on these and smile knowing that others (not here or you necessarily) have spend thousands more and continue to search for their definition of sonic bliss. Cheers and happy listening🍻 |
Just ordered a pair to flank my existing Tekton Double Impact’s (upgraded). mcreyn: sensitivity DOES matter when dealing with subwoofers, just like any driver in a speaker. The drivers he chose and the way the 4 subs are wired means that he does not need a huge amp with 600+ watts to make a potent sounding subwoofer. I think you are spewing a bunch of assumptions on here - have you ever owned a pair of Tekton speakers? Maybe try a product first instead of looking at a bunch of specs and making a decision that they suck. He is making speakers that are straight up EMBARRASSING speakers that cost 10X more. I know because I have owned many of them and am now on my 5th pair of Tektons. Another thing regarding the "cheap" drivers... yes, he is using pretty basic drivers, x-overs and cabinets, BUT I prefer my $3400 Double Impacts with cheap drivers, cheap wiring, cheap x-overs in a basic box WAY MORE than the $10k Sonus Faber Cremona towers I owned. Why? Simple... they sound far better on ANY type of music you throw at them AND they require very little power to drive loudly AND the electronics do not need to be super hi-end to sound great. I admit that the SF towers looked stunning, but the Scanspeak tweeter (one of them) costs like $600 I think. That speakers uses all Scanspeak Revelator drivers.... so likely $4k in drivers alone? then the fancy cabinet, wood & leather finishes, x-overs, etc. Did the SF sound good? Sure, sounded great.... one of the best speakers I owned, but it required very expensive front end to sound its best and it did not sound great on all types of music. There may be some music that the SF speakers sounded a little better on, but not enough when you consider the cost difference. Take a look at the 4-10 sub in question.... you have (4) 10" woofers @ around $75 each, then some wire, a simple MDF box with glue and nails/screws (maybe $80), the amp plate (about $100) then someone to build it (labor $???), then shipping the almost 100lb box at no cost. $800 is a GD bargain for this subwoofer. Talk about value for your money. |
Audiofreak32 +1 I have a pair of Lore-S and they are fantastic. I plan on picking up some DIs or MOABS... Someday... Only hope I can afford them before Eric sells out and the prices double. (I see some big company making him an offer he can't refuse.) I am looking at a pair of 2x10 to compliment my Lore-S', if I do pick them up, I'll chime in here. |
I have looked at a bunch of Tekton spec's. Eric does fudge sensitivity, but his other spec's look like they are fairly close and in the end, I can usually see how he gets his sensitivity ratings. Lets look at his sub. He rates it at 100db @ 2.83v. Most of you know that it takes 2.83 volts to produce 1 watt of power when being delivered to an 8 ohm load. Well, anytime a load is less than 8 ohms, 2.83v produces more than 1 watt of power. For instance, it takes 2.0v to produce 1 watt at 4 ohms. This subwoofer is most likely quite good. The question is will the amp he is using be reliable. I am going to lay down some assumptions here. Lets say that these 10 inch woofers are average woofers, 8 ohm and 88db sensitivity. When you pair them up, you have 2 pair @ 91db 4 ohm, when you do another parallel connection, you now have 94db 2 ohm. When you take put 2.83v into this 2 ohm load, it adds essentially 6db which would make these 100. Or if they are 16 ohm 88db woofers, you would end up with an output of 97db @ 2.83v. Eric rates most of his speaker systems output @ 2.83v regardless of impedance and from what I can tell, typically adds another 3db to his rating for "In Room Response".... which is not crazy unusual. My reliability question would come into play If Eric had this down to a 2 ohm load.... Of course, he could use Series Parallel wiring which would up impedance, but then, I can't imagine these being Excellent. Sealed box woofer wired out of phase causes fairly funky bass. I hope all of this helps a bit on what could be going on. It would be nice if Eric would chime in.... He could answer this easily |
"cheap drivers" there's a helpful comment. I've used SOTA drivers that did not deliver the superb sound of Eric's offerings. All the while using "cheap drivers." I really don't give a rip if the uninformed audio community continues to bash a product they have never listened to. But I am thankful to Tekton for offering products that far outperform the competition. I mean, for the love of Pete, any other money grubbing corporate would have tripled the price of the Double Impact by now given it's success. But, oh crap, it's still 3k. The same price it originally listed for. Just can't be any good. |
The pair of 4-10s are now in place, right next to the Double Impacts. They produce copious amounts of tight bass. My room is just over 22 ft. wide by 13.5 ft. deep with 9 ft. ceilings and I have the gain on each sub at about 15%. It took around 3 weeks to receive from the time of order. For some unknown reason (even though they were picked up at the same exact time by FedEx), one was delivered one afternoon and the other the next evening - I will never understand FedEx. We live kinda out-of-town a bit though. They essentially look like the DIs, but a bit shorter. I think I have them crossed over at around 55 Hz and the phase is at 0 degrees. I only have about 10 hours maybe of play time on them, but I think they are really nice sounding subs, especially for $800 each. To me, they fill in the gap between the DIs and my HSU VTF-15H subs in the corner. I was not planning on using the VTFs as well, but I am experimenting with setting the VTFs x-over way down near 35-37 Hz and bringing the gain slightly up from where I had it before the Tekton 4-10s were introduced into the system. And a reminder... this is only a 2-ch system - no home theater/surround. |
Great news AF32! Glad to hear of another satisfied customer (seems to be the trend here). Question: does it seem like the sub does well at 20hz (flat down to 20), or does the output seem to have dropped a few db at that frequently? I know may be hard without measurement equipment, but thought I'd ask any way |
So I have maybe 30 hours music on the subs now. They are both sitting just outside the sides of the DI's and they are really great so far. I was listening to "The Best" by Awolnation last night during a long 4+ hour music session. There is just a wall of sound coming at me. The bass is absolutely incredible. I am letting the Tekton 4-10s run up to about 55Hz and the gain is at about 10% (if that). The HSU VTF15H's in the corners are set to about 10% gain and are cutoff lower, around 35Hz. If anyone reading is in the Phoenix area and thinking about Tekton and can get a hold of me through Audiogon somehow, I would be happy to audition. |
Not surprised to hear these are great subs. They have three things going for them: 1) Four drivers. Four spread out beats one, every time. 2) High compliance. At least I think that is the word for it. When you tap on the driver it moves easily. and 3) Eric Alexander. There is no denying it, the man is on a roll. |
My setup shipped today. Sadly, had to push pause on the basement build because of Coronavirus, I work for a major airline, so my career is in jeopardy at the moment. I’ve got a Parasound A21+ ready to go that I bought a few weeks ago, but I’ll be setting them up (DI upgraded, 2x 4-10, DI wide center) in my family room with my Marantz 6012 until this country and my industry unfcuks itself. Itll be a while... |
I just placed my order for a pair of 4-10 subs with high-gloss obsidianschwarz (jet black) finish. These will accompany my Tekton Encores with same finish. I could have gone for the 2-10s but sometimes we do like to party and with our backyard patio adjacent to the listening room having open air access, it was a no-brainer. :) |
Seems like a pair of DI’s and a pair of the tekton 4-10 is audionirvana. All for under $6,000!! I hope Eric stays true to his roots and offers these at the same price for awhile. How could 10 12” drivers not be incredible? I love how the DI’s are really a big coincentric design! Bravo Eric, you are the Man! |
I will try to get a photo posted of my front setup. The 4-10s seem to be a great value as far as I am concerned. They fill in the lower registers well and blend with my upgraded DI’s to form a large wall of sound. I wish I could do the Encores... OMG they must be amazing. But running the stereo pair of HSU VTF-15H in the corners, crossed really low, like 30hz adds some RIDICULOUSNESS to the entire presentation...especially live music. I am just wondering if the police are going to come knocking one evening. I made a playlist on Tidal called "THE HOUSE OF TEKTON"... Broods "Conscious" AWOLNATION " The Best " Camila Cabello, Grey "Crown" The Weekend "In Your Eyes" Chris Cornell "Scream" Talk about pressuring a room.... WOW. |
Basically they are just to the outside of the DI's, maybe 3-4" apart, faces are aligned. I sent a scaled drawing of my room to Eric before I bought them to show what I was intending to do.... he replied "That is exactly what we intended for people to do for placement". I will take a few pics and get uploaded shortly. |
I just added my virtual system w/ some pics of the Tekton setup.... hard to get a photo capturing the entire wall. Then I added a sloseup pics also. The speakers are about 9" from the back wall, towed inward for the tweeters to fire just past the sides oy head. Distance between the speakers (tweeter to tweeter) is 10'-6" - room sounds awesome... lots of acoustic treatments in here. |
I’ve had double impacts with 410 subs for about a year now. I got pretty lucky from what I can tell I put this combination together on my own and I just got into audio about a year and a half ago. I think the two are an awesome combination and I’ve had no trouble with mine. I do have one problem though I ordered a set of MOABS and I need to find a new home for the double impact. I’m on the west side of Cleveland does anybody want a deal on a set of double impact? Mine are the standard finish, dark blue, with the $300 upgrade for internal wiring and mounting posts, I believe.I have the original boxes and packing but I really don’t wanna deal with shipping them. I’m thinking 2300 is fair?By the way I wouldn’t be able to let them go until my new speakers arrived. That’s probably about four weeks |
I just replaced a pair of Monitor Audio Bronze 2's with a pair of Lore Be's. I'm shocked at how much better they are. These embarrass the MA's. Clarity, separation, soundstage, bass, fun... These are fun speakers. If I were working for Monitor Audio and heard these I'd say "Guys, we need to totally reconsider how we design speakers. What we are doing is no longer acceptable." |
