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
My DIs are on Herbies gliders right now so this was so easy to try. Strange looking and I must close my eyes to make an unbiased comparison. Ha! Here is what I heard, but will give it more time.
A little hollow in the center and one other noticeable change I think is coming through with this placement. This speaker’s slight achilles heal, at least in my opinion, it it’s slightly forced upper mids. No speaker is perfect folks, but this is certainly a sonic signature I have found with this design. By toeing out this tendency is tamed and smoothed out a tad. That is why some will like it in my opinion. I would think lively/hot rooms and/or fresh out of the box DI speakers would certainly lend themselves to this placement option. It is certainly a reasonable placement option that sounds very smooth.
My particular set of DIs and room finds toeing out to sound a tad hollow between the speakers and ever so slightly out of phase. Both of these are slight. The upper mids are attenuated and smoothed around the edges in my room. I accomplish the pushing back of the upper mids using Roon’s DSP so toeing out is really not needed.
Others should try this if you have ever found the upper mids a little forward or a tad pushed. Nice option.
Makes sense Bill. I only have about 50 hours on the SE's right now. They are coming along quite nicely but need much more time to really fill in. I'm enjoying hearing their seemingly daily improvements. Becoming much more dynamic, smooth and silky all the time.
Your hearing is more astute than mine but I do hear the slight drop in between the speakers ( or is that due to the speakers not being broken yet?) but I'm enjoying the space toeing out creates. I guess a slight out of phase sound is right but until you mentioned it I didn't realize it.
I have them with no toe in right now and the middle has a bit more weight now. I will try going back to my normal slight toe in later. It's all pretty academic for me as the speakers aren't broken in yet but it's fun experimenting. Once I get about 200 hours on them I'll try this all again and see what I find.
Youre correct, this is a nice, easy and no cost option for anyone to try and with anything will be room/speaker/personal preference/system dependent. Tom
They sound rather good this way ..... toed out. Very surprising really. I do like the smoothness. Takes a little getting used to, but it is pleasing and nice. This speaker is really fun to play with as it responds to everything one may do. The upgrades I have done to both the speaker and my system are revealed wonderfully with this speaker.
I am letting folks on this thread know that my set of DIs are available for purchase if interested. Why? I love them and love working on Tekton speakers as they respond so darn well to upgrades. I am working on another set of Tekton speakers as I type here and hope to start yet another Tekton project soon. Mine are stunning in sound quality and must be heard. I live in the Nashville area if anyone is interested. Can’t ship as no boxes.
@grannyring I would be all over that since I live in Nashville except I literally had my DI’s delivered yesterday. On the other hand I got the automotive paint upgrade in a silver which turned out really nice. I’m glad I went that route. Obviously they are breaking in right now but so far I’m very encouraged thatI’m going to really like these which is good since I would not enjoy trying to repack these things.
I am working on some Impact Monitors for another and it has given me ideas. Ideas for a killer monitor. Just in the infancy stage right now so I will hold off for now saying anything more.
Hi everyone, I've been reading with interest this thread. It seems like the DI are great speakers. Unfortunately, they are too big for my living room and therefore I'm considering the Tektron Elctrons instead. I'm considering also the new Elac Adantes or perhaps even the new Magico A3s. I'm wondering if there is a way of auditioning the Tektron DIs or the Elctrons in the San Francisco East Bay.
Thanks to 333Jeffrey for inviting me to preview his Ulfberhts, I came home with his DI’s he had originally purchased. After 2 days of listening to the DI’s in less than optimum placement, I offered up my Klipschorns on Craigslist. Less than 24 hours later they were sold and gone. As for the Double Impacts, I’m a believer!
Hello everyone, been following this thread for awhile, first time posting. I wanna thank everyone for their valuable insights and opinions regarding their Tekton speakers.
@david_ten, I remember reading awhile back that you auditioned the GoldenEar Triton Reference. I’m trying to decide between the T-Refs and the SE’s, how would you compare the two? I understand the T-Refs has powered subwoofers built in, so it has an advantage when it comes to LF extension. What about other aspects of their performances, like imaging, resolution, timbre, texture, and the ability to sound like “live music”, etc. I couldn’t find any direct comparison of the two online, so your (or anyone else’s) help is much appreciated.
@pro-audio Answering your question is tough because the SEs are in my room, in my system; vs a not-so-great dealer setup for the T-Refs.
Since we have no prior experience of listening to each other’s systems, and comparing them, etc., we do not know if we have a meaningful overlap in how we hear, what we prefer and appreciate, and what engages us musically and emotionally.
The best I can share is to let you know what I would choose...so please take this in that vein,.....
I like the T-Ref, so this is not about disliking it. If it was the only speaker I could have in my system, I’d be happy. And I imagine there are quite a few folks out there that are very happy with them.
But you asked to compare the two, So:
If one were biased towards HT, I can see and understand choosing the T-Refs over the DIs or the SEs, but I can also see how someone would be very happy with the DIs or the SEs in a Home Theatre setup.
For Me [emphasis]: For 2Ch/Music the T-Refs are not in the same game as the SEs, let alone on / in the same field or stadium. I’m now further along my journey with the SEs, and as I’m optimizing my system with these speakers in it, this is only becoming more obvious and striking.
Primary differentiators, for me, would be the musicality and emotional engagement, the connectivity to the performers/performances and the ’rightness’ offered by the SE (vs the T-Ref).
Your take may well be quite different than mine. Best way, as you know, is to audition both.
@david_ten, thank you for your quick response and honest opinion! For me, the speakers will be in a home theater setup doing 50/50 music/movies duties. But the speakers’ ability to produce accurate and emotionally engaging music would be much more important to me as I’m a music lover at core. I want to watch movies for fun, but I want to “feel” my music, if that makes sense. I’m honestly a little surprised to hear that you believe the two contenders are not even playing the same game as you say, given all the glowing reviews I’ve read about the T-Refs. I’m glad I posted my questions here, reading professional reviews is one thing, hearing end users’ experiences is sometimes more valuable. I understand when you auditioned the T-Refs, they weren’t in the most optimum setup/break-in condition, but if you had the chance to audition them at home, do you think you would still come to the same conclusion?
If anyone else has experiences with these two speakers, please kindly share your opinion as well.
I just went through a journey like yours . I tried a set of DI's, and could not get to "where I was going" with them. A couple pages back, I wrote up a review and posted my likes and dislikes. I seriously looked at GE. But being a Union president for a large corporation for the last decade before my retirement, the fact that they were Chinese's made me look elsewhere. I'll buy American if at all possible. I know this an international forum, but just telling you my buying tendency's .That being said, I ended up with Legacys..yea I paid more money that the Tektons. but their twice the speaker. Last night we did a Eagles farewell tour concert . Unbelievable. Killer impact, crystal clear sizzling highs, breathtaking vocals. dynamic...and LOUD. I was in the middle of a true, clear concert ,with a heartbeat...In all honesty, the DI's were so similar on movies that it is hard for me to really say there was that much difference, but music wise,,,, no comparison
@pro-audio - I have the Impact Monitors and use Rythmik subwoofers. Tekton's tweeter array is very special and if you want to control the bass output, using separate subs is a great way to go.
However, the real reason I'm chiming-in is because about a year ago a friend wanted my opinion on the Triton Ones (I haven't heard the References). He wanted them for HT but was worried they weren't "good enough" for music. The dealer let us spend hours in his listening room and changed equipment in/out for us. Not until we got them out in the room more, got better cables and used a better source did they really start to sound nice. He ended-up buying them and the matching center channel speaker. He has them about 2 feet from the front wall and about 9 feet a part. He has the top-end Oppo player and a very good Marantz receiver. They are great HT speakers and I don't think you would be disappointed on just music if you use some decent equipment and set them up right (which is true of any speaker).
I rarely get good to great demos / auditions at the dealers I have visited. There have been some exceptions and some exceptional dealer setups. Anyways, I’ve learned to extrapolate from a not well set up or paired speaker demo.
It was VERY CLEAR that the Refs were much, much better than the Ones. After hearing both head to head, I would only choose the Refs.
I wasn’t overly impressed in my original demos of the Ones (this was when the dealer offered an attractive trade up deal if I went with the Ones while I waited on the Refs) and I was very happy I chose the Double Impacts at that time. For me, the DIs were and are superior to the Ones. Even after I heard the Refs (this is when I had the DIs and was still working on improving my system) I did not feel I wish I had gone with the Refs.
You are correct in pointing out that a home audition would be ideal. As I said in my previous post, I would be happy having the Refs in my system and I would make choices to tune them to my preferences. I would love to hear the Refs in a system that makes them sing, as I am sure there are rooms out there where they are doing so.
It’s just that I would do the same for the SEs (as I am in the process of doing) and I believe after optimizing both speakers, and listening to them head to head, the SEs would be the more natural, engaging, musical, emotionally connective and the more enjoyable speaker. I also believe these differences are not minor nor small.
The Refs present life like images, a wide and deep soundstage, have very good frequency extension (I find the bass overdone per my preferences though I realize it is tuneable), very good detail, and sound ’big.’ I am also partial to ribbon tweeters. They were enjoyable and are a very good speaker.
I find the SE more refined, more transparent, and more resolving. The significantly important differences for me exist around the SEs superiority in texture, palpability, richness, correctness of tone, timbre, color, trueness of voice, etc.
If this is a major choice for you, I encourage you to reach out to Mike Kay @audioarchon to demo them or to do so in an owner's home where the SEs are in place. It’s far easier to audition the Refs and I encourage you to do so as well, if you haven’t already. If you are close to New Orleans, you are welcome to take a listen.
Ultimately, it is your ’ideal’ of music reproduction that matters.
Aren't we fortunate to have so many good speaker choices? I feel fortunate to have owned many very special speakers over the years but none have brought me as much musical enjoyment as the DI's......until now that is,as the SE's have taken things to yet another level. While I'm sure my SE's aren't fully broken in yet I feel I have a good handle on their attributes after about 100 hours on them. Initially I could tell they were sonically superior to the DI's in all of the normal audiophile qualities but they seemed to be slightly less emotionally and engaging than the DI's. I no longer think that's the case. As the SE's have settled in I find myself more engrossed in the music than ever. I'm thinking that will take another step forward when my Aric Audio 300B is back in my system tomorrow. Seems like all I've been doing is waiting for the last four months for my system to finally come together.....probably because that's how long it's taken for my SE's then my 300B to get here! 😀 As impatient as I am, the wait has been well worth it.
@david_ten It’s probably going to be a few months before I take the plunge as I’m still in the research phase, plus I just moved in to my new home and everything is a mess...
To those that purchased the SE’s, did you guys buy them directly from Tekton, or through a dealer such as Audio Archon? Is there an advantage price wise buying from a dealer? I’m thinking since the SE’s are priced to be sold through dealers, would I be able to get a discount if I buy from one?
I got the PMD Studio Monitors today. They are interesting little speakers that I will have fun playing with over the next several weeks. I hooked them to some old Levinson and Triode Labs gear that I had on hand. Awesome midrange on them, and surprising bass response, so far.
The unthinkable has happened! My 3-week old MZ2 just bit the dust. I'm hoping someone here can help. I had been burning in new CT GE ICs for about 25 hours when I noticed there was no longer sound from the basement. I did some troubleshooting and everything points to the MZ2. I have never had tube equipment before so maybe it's something simple?
Music plays from my DAC (used as pre) to my amp but not when the MZ2 is in the loop. No sound through headphones either. Tried all three inputs and nada. I have the stock LPS and the power switch light is red and the MZ2 turns on, just no sound reaching any outputs. All equipment is connected to a Brick Wall for surge protection so I'm sure an electrical surge was not the issue.
I thought I would ask here first before contacting LTA. Unfortunately it's a holiday weekend. Was really looking forward breaking in these new CT GEs as well as two new power cords. The MZ2 is a much better pre than my DAC.
Hi all - Just a FYI that @grannyring (Bill) graciously agreed to upgrade the crossovers in my Impact Monitors. He did a fantastic job. I've made a few comments about it over on the Impact Monitor thread and Bill has already addressed a question. I posted a picture of a completed crossover on my system page. Thought you would be interested.
I had a great customer service experience with LTA also. Awesome products, but we chose the Lyngdorf over all other gear we tested, including the LTA products. But dealing with them was an absolute pleasure. I actually felt guilty sending the hardware back. Just the opposite of my experience with Odyssey. If it weren't for the exceptional capabilities of the Lyngdorf, I would still have the LTA on the front end. I may actually buy LTA in the future just for variety sake. The ZOTL transformer-less design is really in a class of it's own for tube amps.
Hello Goners! I have been here for a bit, but never posted. I’d like to thank all of you for the last 4 days tossing an turning trying to figure out wtf I should use to drive my "High End furniture" with. It’s has been an, interesting trip, I finally gave up on page 50 something. A special thanks to all those that put in their hart and soul here. Chaz and Grinny? I have been looking at all the TJ dictum’s :), but could never get my mind around 1 or 20W when I was driving my DI with SS many times that and still not getting what "I" needed from them in terms balls to bone, forget the meat. lol :)
As the FNG, I have, very much appreciated all the ears here, but at as a lay person, at times I felt like I was watching a tennis match of the ultimate have to have... wait, this is better, or is it "Butter" answer.
In the end, or beginning, I’m going to try the Lyngdorf 2170 full boat. I have many tube amps and headphones HD 800, Utopia, HD 650 (my fav) ICAN KTE, WA7, LD stuff, but was driving my DI with a Cambridge CXA 80 mixing in the aforementioned as preamps here and there. The bottom line is that the CXA, is a bright amp, "to my ears" this via Tonnoy’s, Fluance and my upgraded DI’s.
I finally got to the point where it wasn’t about $$ or what was the best, I just wanted something great and something simple. "Clear the mechanism!" (Anyone?)
Anyway, the Lyngdorf 2170 is on the way and I shall go from there. No extra cables, no tube rolling, no 1940’s round special edition coffee pots, just music.
I think, at some point, we lose sight of what this is all about in the quest for something you can never attain.... perfection.
Hi JT welcome aboard! You made made some great equipment choices. Congrats. If you want to come close to musical perfection may I suggest you hire some musicians from your local symphony or college music department and have them play for your next party. No amplification just raw professional class music in your home. It’s not as expensive as you might think and VERY rewarding. They are normally great people who love listening to your system. It makes for a great evening!
Bullitt 5094, I am in total agreement with your comment on the LTA Zotl Tube amps. Recently I purchased a Decware ZBIT XLR balanced to RCA transformer to determine if the balanced out on my dac would bring an enhancement to the table using my Zotl10 2. I am listening to the RCA connected to the direct in circuit right now and must say it is quite astonishing! I was planning to purchase the Lyndorf but the decision is delayed for now due to the startling improvement. If or when you decide to add the LTA amp you may want to listen using the ZBIT. IMO it is well worth the effort.
@powerglide, if you’re thinking about a purchase and you like the ZOTL10, you might want to audition a 20 watt UltraLinear. This amp is a David Berning master piece. Production models should be available any day now.
Lancelock, I have and will continue to seriously consider that, especially when two other listeners have confirmed the same opinion of the UltraLinear. Your experience speaks loud and clear.
The Stereo Times review on the DI's just went up with Clement Perry and our own dear Gon brother Micheal Wright coming to the conclusion that this speaker is an absolute "killer" based on its sonic performance. Clement made it product of the year, and Mike's part of the review is fascinating with his experience of comparing the DI's to his reference Wilson Sasha speakers. Great writing on both their parts and another set of ear's opening up to the DI's great performance and mind blowing cost to performance ratio. Well done!
- I’ve been working on cabling changes (interconnects) DAC > Pass separates. Interesting findings and rewarding results.
With the SEs, cabling changes are elucidated / illuminated to an even greater degree than with the DIs (which, as you all know, are pretty impressive in this regard). Downside being that getting it ’right’ to my preferences is much trickier.
- It’s taken me some time and ’mental contortions’ to get here, but I’ve decided to bifurcate my main system with a tubed amp and a solid state amp.
Taking this step slowly and with purpose as my main objective is to get the final choice as correct and suited to my needs as possible.
To get a feel for the wide wide world of tubed gear, I’ve decided to test directions and I picked up a Lyric Audio Ti 140 Mk2 as a starting point, because it is an integrated (I get an active tube pre stage) and it supports a wide range of power tubes: EL34, KT77/88, 6550, and KT120 / KT150 (which are stock).
I will be auditioning Mastersound’s EL34 integrated and their 845 integrated in the near future.
Aric Audio’s amps are very much on my list and I hope to demo his gear in Tom’s setup, sooner than later. BTW, Tom is loving his Aric Audio linestage and 300b amp...I’m sure he will be sharing the details soon. I also plan to take a trip to Chicago and Audio Archon to listen to the Concert Fidelity and the David Berning products Mike has on demo.
- On the music front, I’ve been waiting for this album to become available on Tidal, and it has. Anouar Brahem’s ’The Astounding Eyes of Rita.’ In fact, it appears most of his work is available on Tidal now!
Anouar is an Oud player (and composer) and ’Thimar’ which I love (and ....Eyes of Rita, similarly) fuses Arab classical with ’world jazz.’ If this is of interest...give both albums a listen.
Like David, I find that the SE's are even more revealing of whatever is upstream of them than the DI's.......and yes, that's saying something. They also take much longer to break in than DI's, but it's a wait well worth it.
Ive settled on the Aric Audio amp and preamp......his 12SN7 Linestage and custom 300B SET. Both units were built using his new upgraded brushed aluminum chassis and Audyn True Copper caps. They look great and sound even better. The linestage is very transparent with a butter smooth naturalness about it. The 300B is emotes power, dynamics and realism. The overall presentation with both pieces with the SE's is one of clarity and detail, proper tone and pace, speed, refinement and musicality. The soundstage doesn't just extend from wall to wall but encompasses the listener. That wall of sound I love so much about the DI's extends even further around me, it's eerie at times hearing things behind you. Bass is deep, control and abundant....which can really thump you in the chest when needed. Mids are silky smooth, so real and natural that you'd swear the performer was in the room with you. Highs are airier than ive heard with added textures than I'm used too. You not only distinctly hear the differences in metal instruments there's an added dimension making them sound fantastically real.... i.e. I swear you'd be able to tell if cymbals or triangles were made of different metals.
As as with the DI's there are many component options that will work well with the SE's to provide the sound you're looking for. I'm now convinced I need a second amp to compliment my 300B......maybe a bada$$ powerful push pull or SS amp as a change of pace for times when I want the added grip upon the drivers and headroom these amps provide. The 300B is sublime for the 90-95% of the music I enjoy but no one amp that I've heard can provide everything I desire for all types of music.
Ive been asked are the SE's really worth the extra $3500? Actually, it's only $2200 more if you get the upgraded DI's in the same automotive paint that comes standard with the SE's. Either way my answer would be.......hell yes! That's not implying the DI's are less worthy, they are a very formidable speaker that I'd have been very happy with for a very long time. The SE's just take what the DI's provide taken up a notch or two. As much as I don't look forward to selling my DI's ( Ive grown quite attached to them!) I'm very happy that I took the plunge with the SE's.
Hi Tom, It is very satisfying to know that you are so happy with your current audio system. You've certainly have made many changes and it appears unquestionably each was an undeniable upgrade. You should be very proud of what you have accomplished. Your system must sound truly divine.
Having a 2nd different type of amplifier makes sense ,. No single type of topology will cover "every" musical or sonic parameter perfectly. That amplifier doesn't exist. I have 3 power amplifiers but admittedly rely on the 300b SET 99% of the time. The type of music I enjoy the most and listen to most often just sounds better with that amplifier in use.
However this choice is obviously driven by individual need and preference. It will be interesting to know what second amplifier type you eventually settle on. In the meantime congratulations on your current audio system achievement. Charles
Thanks Charles, I have one more change to make next week and then we need to schedule a time for you to come over for another listen. I'll be texting you soon to set something up......so get some CDs ready to bring over! Actually it will be more exciting for me to have you come take a listen than it will be for you as you've had your amazing system to listen to for years. I've modeled my system after yours and am very happy with the results. Thanks for the inspiration!
Tom, Thank you for your very kind comments. I'm sincerely looking forward to hearing your revised system and will bring along recordings I think you may enjoy. Charles
@mac48025 , I have the Linear Tube Audio 20 watt ultralinear doing full time duty with the DI. I also have a 30 year old Mirror Image Audio 1.1SB with 400 watts into 4 Ohms that I use occasionally in this system when I want the ultimate bass slam. So amp rolling maybe isn’t that unusual.
Tom, Glad to hear you are enjoying your new gear. Do they have a pic of your new pre on Aric's site? Do you plan on holding on to your LTA preamp? I agree with you, it's nice to have more than one amp to roll in and out. For large scale works, I do still enjoy my Marantz Reference integrated the best. I also really enjoy my PrimaLuna. This is a very versatile amp indeed. Triode vs. Ultralinear switching on the fly. And the choice of output tubes is remarkable. With 8 power tubes it could, however, get $$$. For me, I'm enjoying the stock el34b tubes for now. (I do envy you and Charles a bit here. I'd rather but two really expensive 300b tubes than 8 of whatever else!)
David, Very interested in your new purchase. That looks like a very nice integrated. I think I'll let you work through all the power tube options first. Once you have it all sorted out, I may pick up some new tubes for my integrated.
Ordered up a pair of Hsu ULS-15 Mk2 subs tonight. (You guys can't have all the fun.) I am confident, based on the prior subs I had in this room, I should have the bottom octave extension I want. They are in satin black, and ought to match the DI's very well.
Lastly, I am updating some room treatments. Check out Audimute. Nice products at a good price. Now the only problem is what color fabric. I looked at over 40 fabric swatches. Good grief, this can drive you nuts. So do I try to match wall color and have the panels fade into the background, or go with DI/man cave black and tie it all in what's important in the room? One thing for sure.......I won't be asking my wife!
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