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Tekton DI Monitors

Finally got to see the measurements for the Double Impact monitors. I’m a little disappointed.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/tekton-design-impact-monitor-loudspeaker-measurements

This woofer - tweeter - woofer configuration is similar to the style named after the esteemed Joseph D’Appolito. Done well this configuration functions like a single large woofer in terms of dispersion. Less floor and ceiling bounce yield better detail at the listening position. 

Interestingly, the Audiogon craze of criticizing the tweeter array for possible comb filtering is not what I’m sad about. In fact the array appears to be the least of the issues. Look at figure 4. The horizontal plots are superbly clean. Any comb filtering from the tweeter array would be displayed here, and it’s not. Those critics going nuts about the array’s poor performance can apologize for their uninformed criticism right now.

The problem is really the vertical response. It is terrible. Here we do have evidence of comb filtering! See the plot closest to the viewer in figure 5? See the regularly occurring hills and valleys completely absent from figure 4? That my friends is comb filtering. However it’s not coming from the tweeter array, but from the two widely placed woofers. There’s also a great deal of hash above 5kHz on this same plot. This makes me so very very sad.

Part of this is fixable. As Dr. D’Appolito discovered, the designer should have used a higher order crossover slope, which would have taken care of the hash above 5 kHz. However the comb filtering below this is not easily remedied. The issue has to do with how far away the two woofers are from each other. They are so far, and cut in so high that they can’t help but interfere with each other and this woofer to woofer distance is ultimately controlled by the size of the tweeter array.

Should you buy this speaker? I think you should listen to it. See how it sounds to you as you move around your listening space. If you find yourself enamored of the mid-treble resolution and detail, I would encourage you to listen to other Tekton designs that don’t attempt a D’Appolito design, because I'm afraid that the main benefit of this type of design, narrow mid-woofer dispersion, is lost.  A simpler 2-way would avoid these issues and be as good at detail and resolution 
erik_squires
thompsontechs
18 posts
 
Except that is should be called an, "upper mid array." P I made some, slight mods, wink wink... they were amazing from the start, but truly special now. I’m not going into what I did, but I spoke with Eric about it and told him what parts I changed out and after, he got over feeling like I molested his daughter, he admitted the parts I chose were what he would choose, or at least comparable, but would have changed the price point by 3k. I understand that as most of us without an unlimited budget are thankful... but my OCD pushes me to make changes to an already brilliant design and hope we don’t #&^)( it up. It was a process for me as they were NOT right after I got done. I found that somehow I had created some phase issues with my, outside crossover and wiring. Once I figured it out, I sat there with a large grin on my face thinking about my friend who has 60 something K in his system. :)

Tekton-Lyngdorf Bliss. :)

JT

PS Just realized I typed this all in on a monitor thread and I have the  DIs lol. Never mind, nothing to see here, move along. 
wilson667's avatar
wilson667
93 posts
 
Hi everyone I just purchased a pair of the Impact Monitors. I have about 80+ hours on them. They are sounding great. I am wanting to fill in the lower frequency range a bit so I picked up a pair of SVS sb1000’s . My question is to folks using subs where have you found to be a good crossover point to  integrate the subs?
jayctoy's avatar
jayctoy
4,189 posts
 
Read your SVS instructions and try to  start on 9 o’clock until you get the right bass. I have wharfedale sub, my DI monitor usually like it up to 11 o’clock...
wilson667's avatar
wilson667
93 posts
 
Jayctoy where does that put you in terms of frequency. Each manufacture has a different starting point for crossover. For example the svs at 9-o’clock would be right about 70hz. 
david_ten
5,480 posts
 
@wilson667 It’s a good question. Eric Alexander has strong experience in this area and should be able to guide you based on your needs, room, and the Impact Monitors. SVS will likely have experience with their own subs when combined with Tekton speakers.

Call them up. I find that I (nearly always) learn something new or different when I reach out to the manufacturers.
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