I have dedicated audio room 14.5x20.5x9 ft. Currently have Marantz Reference CD/Intergrated paired to Magnepan 1.7's with REL T-7 subs. For the vast majority of music I love this system. The only nit pick is that it is lacking/limited in covering say below 35 hz or so. For the first time actually buzzed the panel with an organ sacd. Bummer. Thought of upgrading subs to rythmicks but then I will need to high pass the 1.7's. Really don't want to deal with that approach.
Enter the Double Impacts. Many interesting things here. Would certainly have a different set of strengths here. Dynamics, claimed bottom octave coverage in one package, suspect a good match to current electronics.
I've read all the threads here so we do not need to rehash that. Just wondering if others out there have FIRST HAND experience with these or other Tekton speakers
I had the Threshold 400a,S200 series 2 and later on the S300 series 2. But that was in mid 80's to the mid 90's and I moved to pass labs then and now use First watts for SS.
You probably could find a S200 series 2 for under 2k that would be in good shape,All of the Threshold amps are getting pretty old.
The 400a is a pure class a design and runs hot and consumes a fair amount of electricity.
If you could find a First Watt F7 on the used market and if your budget allowed it I think you would love it. The F7 puts out 30 watts into 4ohms and is plenty of pwr for me.
I agree with what Kenny said about more drivers lowering the noise floor. I would add by using much higher parts in the crossover, higher grade drivers, and an the heavier/thicker construction of the overall cabinet are contributing to the total transparency/clarity in the Ulf's performance.
Just wanted to share about a great new find in power cords that I clearly hear out performing my reference Harmonix Studio Master cords in my system. In my professional work the website I write for does not do reviews on IC's, speaker wire, or power cords. However, since I have had the DI's and the Ulf's in for review I have started to experiment with different power cords on my gear because I easily hear the differences positive or negative through either speaker. My reference cords have been the Harmonix Studio Master's which are great sounding and cost around $1,500.00 for a six footer. Well, Mike from Audio Archon, who is a Tekton dealer, wanted me to audition a power cord which he hand builds with some of the finest materials and sales for whopping $250.00! I have tried at least three other power cords from very well known and regarded companies that cost anywhere from $2,500.00 up to $4,200.00 for a six foot cord. None of them were any better in my system then the Studio Master cords. The Audio Archon cord was the first that out performed the Harmonix cord across the total (dynamics, purity of tone, more overall dynamics) spectrum regardless of what piece of gear I put it on. Remember, this freaking cord only costs $250.00!
Just like the MicroZotl preamp and the DI's are disruptive products because of how they "snap" the cost vs performance ratio to bits, I now would add this power cord to the list.
I totally agree with you that the LTA gear and the DI's are very disruptive products and from what you are telling us about the sound you are getting with the Ulfs with less than 250 hrs on them, I would be safe to say they are going to be a highly disruptive product to the high end speaker market.
The pwr cords from Mike at Audio Archon are probably a great value also,I'm gonna need a couple here in the next few months.
What sound level do you think I can get out of the First Watt F7? I listen to Classical, older Red Book content, as well as the more compressed current Red Book content. I think my average sound level is about 85dB with current Red Book content. Sometimes I will bump that up to 90dB to 93dB for some tracks.
I can pick up as "demo" F7 from Reno HiFi for about 20% off of retail. They will let me demo the F7 for 10 days and send it back if I don't like it. Is that a good deal?
"In my professional work the website I write for does not do reviews on IC’s, speaker wire, or power cords. "
Good for them, IMO :-)
I read your reviews of the Tekton speakers with interest and admit they made me want to hear them (I still do).
Though I have to admit when the reviewer starts also talking about "great sounding power cords" it’s a reminder to me to take my daily "grain of salt" in reading high end audio reviews.
Anyway, I’d rolled around the idea of ordering some Tekton Brilliance to try out, but other threads seem to indicate Tekton is having a problem getting product to customers in a timely fashion. Is that still the case? (Anyone?).
Hi Terry, Given the larger cabinet and thus increased internal volume of the Ulfberths do you sense or believe that they're even more sensitive/efficient compared to the Double Impact? Charles
I have three of the cords from Audio Archon. They are made with Furutech cable and are quite stunning really. Replaced my DIY power cables that I loved over the past two years. FURUTECH FP-S20N | FP-SO22N MAINS POWER CABLE. He uses high quality rhodium over solid copper connectors with carbon housing. Very high quality connectors. Made in China, but very good.
He he also treats the stripped cable ends with Furutech’s very expensive Nano Liquid. Small dropper costs $200 and is made of pure gold and silver.
Now you can make them yourself, I made one cord, but it will cost you just as much when factoring the cost of the Nano Liquid. Mike does a great job building them and they are priced VERY fairly.
Furutech sells the same quality cable in 12ga also should you desire that. I built my one set with the 12ga and heard no improvement.
Yes, I'm positive that they are more sensitive/efficient then the DI's. The Ulf's are even better then the DI's at playing at very low volumes without losing any dynamics. I also get to higher volume levels at lower positions on my volume control.
1.) I have no business telling a business how to conduct their business.
2.) Tekton has never done me wrong.
3.) If you strip everything away from a man - everything, including the clothes on his back - all he has is his word and his ability to back up those words.
The deal with Mark at Reno hifi would be a good one taking in consideration the trial period and 20% off.It would be a demo unit and probably have some time on it.These amps really need about 500 hrs to show you their true sound.
With this amp I can easily get 100db at my listening position 10ft away and still have plenty of headroom and that is playing full orchestra music.
One thing to take into consideration is the first watt F7 has lwr gain then most SS amps but you would be fine using your Freya that has 14db gain with the active tube stage,the passive probably wouldn't work up to the volume levels you listen at meaning you would simply run out of volume.You also would probably want better sounding tubes in the Freya than stock,I don't know if you use the tube stage of the Freya with your Vidar amp.
I use the LTA MZ2S which is 4db lwr gain then the Freya would provide and I have no issues driving either First watt amps that I have.The volume control of my preamp would be at the 1oclock position for the volume level mentioned "100db"at 10ft to give you an idea what I'm talking about.
I personally think you would like the sound qualities of the F7,but the only way for you to find out would be to try one for yourself.
I have several different sets of 1940’s and 1950’s NOS tubes that I am using with Freya. I am using the tube gain mode with Vidar because I prefer the sound with the tubes. But, I am not happy with the audible hum from the speakers. I suspect if Vidar had 16dB or so of gain, we wouldn’t being having this conversation.
Not knowing any better, I am very happy with the sound that I am getting from Vidar. Push comes to shove, I can certainly live with the hum as it is very difficult/impossible to hear once I sit down and listen to music. This is due to the fact that my brain adjusts to the higher sound pressure levels and the hum is below the threshold of hearing at that point. If I just sit in the silent room, I can hear the hum faintly from my listening position. But it sounds like dead quiet when music briefly stops.
But, this gives me a chance to listen to some other amps and figure out if there are better options out there that I choose to afford.
So last night I asked my wife her take on a tube amp that I had pictured. Understand she knows NOTHING about tube amps or for that matter about any of my gear.
"Why don't they let those tubes out of jail?" she says.
Fine, here's a pic without the cage.
"That's ridiculous. NO tube amp should ever have that many tubes! (there were 14) NO tube amp should EVER have more than six tubes. No more, no less!" she demands.
Terry, Well I had a strong suspicion the Ulfberths may have a higher sensitivity given that your 3 watt amplifier fills such a hugh listening space.
Hi Corelli, Is this tube amplifier OTL or a high powered push pull ? Your wife might view my amplifier favorably, there are 3 tubes per mono block 😊 Charles
My wife says your Franks are "awesome" once she realized you have a total tube count was 6. So you have my wife's total approval and she is convinced you have a great system (which you do). Many of you other guys may be in trouble.
Could you estimate a 3db higher efficiency with the Ulf's vs the DI's or a actual volume knob difference between the 2 at the same perceived listening level with music you know well.
Hi Corelli, I glad your wife approves and I believe that she’d enjoy the Frankensteins driving your Double Impacts. In addition to her good taste no doubt she posses good ears as well 😊.. Charles
I agree with what Kenny said about more drivers lowering the noise floor. I would add by using much higher parts in the crossover, higher grade drivers, and an the heavier/thicker construction of the overall cabinet are contributing to the total transparency/clarity in the Ulf's performance.
@teajay Thank you for answering my question and your explanation. Appreciate it!
And thanks for bringing Mike Kay's power cables to our attention. His cables are getting positive play in another thread I'm following and it's beneficial to get your take on them.
@porcheracer, To solve your hum problem, call Mark at Core Power Technologies and give one of their Equi=Core balanced conditioners a try. No risk to try, and many times I've seen hum issues solved on the spot.It's basically a transformer based conditioner that does the job without crushing dynamics, 720-317-9141, https://www.corepowertechnologies.com/
The hum isn't power related. At least I don't think it is. I have a 2.5kVA Topaz .0005pF isolation transformer (146dB of common mode noise reduction) wired up in balanced power mode (good for another 20dB of common mode noise reduction) that all the audio devices are plugged into. Power should be very clean.
The Topaz setup cost me $200 and is by far and away the single best investment I have made in sound quality.
Anyway, I am pretty sure the hum is gain related. My preamp has 14dB of gain in tube mode and the amp has 27dB. That's a lot of gain for speakers as efficient as the Double Impact. If I put the preamp into passive or JFET mode with 0dB gain, the hum gets quieter but it is still there. If I unplug the RCA cables from the amp, it's gets a tiny bit quieter.
This mirrors what the preamp and amp designer said would happen with high efficiency speakers.
The First Watt F7 has 14dB of gain so I would be cutting 13dB. About the same as going into passive or JFET mode on the preamp.
There are a lot of analog people here. I decided to digitize my vinyl. What can anyone recommend to clean them as I do this? I don't want to spend a lot of money because whatever I get won't get used again after the albums are all digitized.
Look into the Spin clean record washer, Very easy and quite effective but I did like a different cleaning solution and I used the disc doctors miracle record cleaner.
The spin clean comes with drying towels but I wasn't to crazy about using those and I would blow dry mine with filtered compressed air regulated down to 80 psi,I have my compressor in the garage and would have to do 1 record at a time.
For very dirty records I have used the Walker enzyme pre cleaner with good results and about 4yrs ago I bought and modified a ultrasonic cleaning tank and that worked very good too.
I have recently gone all digital after all these years of being mostly analog and I probably in time will digitize some of my Lp's also.
vitop, Kenny's suggestions are spot on. If you don't want to DIY, search around your town for a company offering record cleaning service. We are lucky in the DC/Baltimore area to have Vinyl Revivors which offers every level of record cleaning. You might also do a TT tuneup, especially adjusting VTA, and listening to various heights before ripping your collection.
@Vitop - There is a guy here in town who is an absolute expert in transcribing vinly to digital. He has it down to a science. I could reach out to him and see if he'll pass on some information to you if you wish.
Well, My DIs should be here on Friday. There are Ferrari Red. The wife is out of town this weekend She doesn't even know they are coming . I wonder if i can get these out of the boxes and setup by myself ? I also am using Lyngdorf Room Correction. My pre is actually a McIntosh MX151 with RoomPerfect. I have Emotiva XPA-1 Gen2 amps . I just sold my Purist Audio Dominus Fluid speaker cables in order to purchase the DIs. My system is mostly Purist Audio cables.I also use JRiver with .wav files. I use a Musical Fidelity V-Link2 USB to SPDIF converter with Purist Ultimate USB cable from Pc to V-link2. From V-link2 to the MX151, I am using the Purist Audio Dominus Luminist Digital cable . Analog outs of the Mx151 to the XPa-1s is also the Purist Audio Dominus XLR Fluid cables. For now my speaker cables are the Voodoo Audio cable reference speaker cables. The Power cord on the Mx151 is a Purist Audio Dominus Rev C Fluid . I am hopeful that this will all sound Really good . I know one thing , the Lyngdorf Room Correction is the best that i have ever heard .....Hands Down ! I just thought i would list all of the gear to see if anyone else is using any of the same cabling or gear and get their opinions. I have on standby a buddy to help me move them in the house or set them up , on Saturday if i need it . Thanks to all who have posted . This thread is very informative.
I hope your wife likes the red, rather than seeing red!
I'm curious when you placed your order? I ordered my Electrons in standard gray exactly one month ago today. My instincts after an e-mail are that I don't think they will be delivered in the very near future. I'm would prefer to wait rather than product being rushed out prematurely for sure. However, I am curious what your timeline was.
You really have to move fast with this thread. No time to gather your thoughts. It makes sense that I was beaten to the punch by someone named Bullitt.
Well I did mention to her a few weeks back ,that i was getting them, because i sold my cables. She didn’t believe me when i told her that i got enough out of the cables to buy the speakers. I forwarded the paypal paid invoice to her to prove that i did. As long as i am not spending more money, but selling someting to pay for it she will be ok with it. Her favorite color is red. Besides it downsiars in the dedicated room. I get to do my audio stuff and 70 inch tv down there She gets the upstairs and the rest of the house to do with what she wants. We made a deal on tha years ago
Congrats on your new speakers, I hope your wife is like mine and is very understanding and you both like them.
We don't share any of the same gear at all not even cables,so you need to sale everything you got and buy everything that I use for the best sound ever.
Just Kidding you should be fine and have some outstanding sound.
Just wanted to add to the validity and seriousness of Mike Kay's Archon Blue power cords. Recently finished reviewing the VAC Signature 200 iQ power amp(s), I had two so I reviewed its performance in stereo and as mono-amps. I had the VACs running in mono, using the highly thought of Entreq power cords that I borrowed from my brother, driving my Wilson Sashas and the sound was exceptional. However, my beloved brother, who came by to do some listening this particular day, shared with me that on some of the tracks I played, the bass sounded a little lighter than what he's used to hearing at home (on teajay's old Magneplanars no less ). I was a little surprised by that. Seeking redemption, I played about 4-5 tracks whose lowend pressurized the room and felt vindicated. Still, there had to be a reason for my brother to speak up like he did.
The next week, I borrowed 2 Archon Blue power cords from Mike Kay to put on the VAC amps and right away there was very noticeable improvement. With the Archon Blue power cords on the VACs instead of the Entreq power cords, the sound was more natural sounding, across the board, without sounding soft or rolled off, and the low end became much more authoritative and extended. Musical became more musically satisfying all around. Visitors that came back by after the power cord switch noticed the difference almost immediately. Suffice it to say, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Archon Blue power cords and can't think of anything performs as well at their price point and beyond. Now I'm ready to bring the Double Impacts in-house and see what all the hype is about. j/k :-)
Long-time Tekton Lore user looking to upgrade to the DI.
I use a 300B amp I built based on the WE 91 circuit using Sophia Electric 300B meshplates tubes and Sophia 91-01 OPT's. The output secondary windings are 4 or 8 ohm.
I also have a EL34 PP amp with 4 and 8 ohm secondaries.
My question is: what speaker should I order? 4 or 8 ohm?
Also, are there any DI's in the upper midwest I can demo? I am located in Minneapolis.
I don't know how the red will do but my Ferrari black metallic finish without question forces the sound waves out of the speakers in a way that's much better sounding unlike some speakers do with the sound stuck in the box. Meaning the DI's are highly resolving and transparent but they also just disappear and just let the music ebb and flow in such a natural way.
But you probably already know this since you have had your pair longer than me.
I see no issue using either amp you have with the 4ohm taps with a pair of 4ohm Di speakers. The 8ohm version of DI's may take much longer to get and are harder for Eric to build and they will be about 3db less efficient, if that matters to you and it would make a difference with a 8watt 300b set amp.
I'm using a LTA Zotl 40 and also a couple different first watt amps with my DI's and I have a Yamamoto A09s amp which is a 300b set amp that has 4 and 8 ohm taps but I haven't tried it yet,waiting on some new tubes to show up.
I tried a consonance pp el34 Intergrated and used the 4 ohm taps with no issue.
One thing to keep in mind about the DI's is they don't dip any lwr than 4ohm Impedance load and they are very easy to drive with about any amp you would want to use.
I'm a long way from Minnesota or you would be welcome to listen to mine.
You hit the nail on the head Kenny. What the DI's do best is totally disappear and let the music flow. While they do all the "audiophile" sound effects very well, what I appreciate most about them is how natural......real.....right.....they sound. The PMD line sounds like they take that a step further and that's very impressive. As much as I love my DI's it looks like I need to start saving up for the mini Ulfberhts or DI SE's. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences with these amazing and fun speakers.
Please share some pics when the Ferrari red DI’s arrive! I liked the Enzo’s I saw in red. My wife thinks I should have gotten Mini Ulfs in red but I went for Porcshe agate grey.
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