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Tekton Impact Monitors

Hi All,
I'm relatively new to Audiogon but have trolled the discussions for a few months. I have been listening to Spendor LS3/5As driven by a Quad 34/306 combination since the late 1980's and decided that it was finally time to upgrade my speakers. I love the Spendors but they are very limited in dynamics and scale. I auditioned the SVS Ultra Bookshelf speakers and while they brought some additional scale they simply didn't have the sweet midrange that I can't live without. I listened to some open baffle speakers (Emerald Physics) and loved them, but their size and need for space worried me, and I found them less satisfying at moderate and low volumes, where I do a fair bit of listening. I was fascinated by all the discussion regarding Tekton speakers and was considering getting a pair of Enzo 2.7s, but after a short discussion with Eric I followed his recommendation of the Impact Monitor with upgrade. They have the 7 tweeter array and a pair of 6.5" woofers and are rear-ported. I use a pair of SVS subs (the sealed variety). The Impact Monitors are simply amazing. The midrange is oh-so-sweet (very similar to my Spendors, but with more air) and the detail, even at low and moderate listening levels, is superb. The imaging is even better than my Spendors managed and the scale is huge and is much more music-appropriate. My system is really quite modest but now when I walk into my listening room (doubles as our living room - thankfully my wife appreciates Hi-Fi) I get the audio-show feeling of "being there". I have a Denon DP59L turntable with a DL110 HO moving coil cartridge running through an Emotiva XPS-1 phono preamp and the Tektons are absolutely incredible with classic rock on vinyl. I'm not sure how Eric managed it, but these speakers are superb, even with my 30 year old Quad electronics. I believe they are basically the top 24" of the Double Impacts, but are rear-ported rather than front ported. I can heartily recommend them and Eric and his team are great to work with. I'm not sure how many other Impact Monitors are out there since the pair I have are S/N 0005 and 0006!  
ky1mag
ky1mag OP
18 posts
 
Well, I made the tough decision to return my Impact Monitors. I did extensive A to B comparisons with two other bookshelf speakers I have (my Spendor LS3/5As and some extinct Esper Systems speakers; both very warm mid-range specialists) and made the tough choice. Part of the problem is that my listening room is not dedicated and there is very little flexibility in positioning. I borrowed some stands that just did not work and having the IMs sitting on my subs did not get them up high enough. I even tried giving them a little up-tilt. They are great sounding speakers, as I described in my earlier posts, but are quite forward by comparison to my other speakers (which are too laid-back for many folks). When I toed them in so the tweeters were close to directly pointing at the listening position, I found the sound too forward and lacked mid-range warmth (rear-facing ports may have something to do with this). When they were facing directly forward the sound was fuller but the imaging had a hole in the middle (I was too close, probably). 

The IMs have very big sound for their size, and I think my listening position was too close, at least for my ears, and there is no fixing that. I definitely miss the big sound, in particular for classical, but that is only a small part of my listening. I'll try to answer any specific questions but I'm happy that Eric has a generous return policy. 
david_ten
5,480 posts
 
@why0why  I was concerned about the size of the Double Impacts when I ordered them as well as how they would do in a moderate sized room.

After having lived with them for five months, I would be comfortable putting them in a smaller room and in a 'more' nearfield setup. They do okay closer to the wall, but I'd personally bring them out into the room.

So I don't believe you should have any issues / concerns with the Impacts. 

Have you considered the Double Impact 'Rear' 7 Tweeter Pair augmented by a sub(s) for your application?
ky1mag OP
18 posts
 
@why0why The monitors I had (see last post) were upgraded. Interestingly, they did not have the ring radiator tweeters, but instead had the dome tweeters that some other Tekton models have (like the Brilliance I believe). As I explained in my last post, these have big, detailed sound and for my ears did not really work when pointed directly at the listener with a 7-8' equilateral triangle positioning. Hope this helps.
why0why
70 posts
 
@david_ten Thanks for the input. I have looked, but I can't tell what the difference is with the rears, they look like the monitors.  I do have a sub.  Not only is the size of my room sub optimal, but the layout is too.  There just isn't much I can do. 

I am building a theater in the basement sometime over the next 12 months.  It is going to be about 15'x17' with 10' ceilings.  I have considered getting the DI's for it and using it as a listening room as well.  But I still use my current room much more often and that will continue.
why0why
70 posts
 
@ky1mag This is the situation that I am in and I am skeptical that they are going to sound good in this position.  I have a chance to get some B&W 805's for a fantastic price, close to $1000 below market.  I have considered getting them for my current situation and maybe just getting the DI's for the theater.  Your experience is pushing me in that direction.
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