Tekton Double Impact phase issues?


Showed a photo of the DI's to one of Agon's most respected members and one of the things he said stuck with me. This member had a feeling that there might be phase issues. I am too new to the hobby to be sure what this might be or how such an issue may sound. Am hoping to travel to Houston for an audition at the dealership and want to make sure I know what to listen for in this matter. Are their particular recordings to use that may be able to test this possible phase problem? Many thanks.
trytone
Hi Trytone,

OMG, the BS lobbed at Tekton speakers by arm chair speaker designers has been incessant, and mostly wrong. Comb filtering / phase issues are incredibly easy to detect. Just move. Move around and listen for a consistent stereo image as you move left to right. Also compare the clarity and detail up close to the speakers vs. your seated listening location. Also move above and below the tweeter axis. All speakers change as you move around, the point is whether it’s still pleasant and acceptable to you. How do you listen? Do you sit in one place for hours, or do you put on dance music and move around the room? Questions appropriate for all speakers.

If the speakers were as bad as claimed, just moving your head a couple of inches would cause severe and unpleasant differences in tonal balance compared to being in the "sweet spot."

All multi-way, non-coaxial speakers suffer from phase, lobing and combing somewhat. Move above or below the normal listening axis (usually the tweeter) and you’ll hear this. How severe this is will determine how pleasant your experience will be, so speakers try to design speakers so that as you go off-axis the output rolls off consistently or at least smoothly across the mid to treble.

I personally find the Tekton solution of using a 7 driver mid/tweeter array is a fairly elegant solution, and IF PROPERLY IMPLEMENTED, will create a virtual coaxial mid/tweeter with similar benefits to those of modern-day KEF speakers.

Like all speakers though, compare your audition space to your own ideal placement. Many speakers sound great when 5’ away from all walls, and then cramped at home.

Best,


E
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I know you are a 1 seat kind of guy, but we all move around a little. Some of the worst speakers for this are Sanders’s flat ESL designs. No comb filtering issues, since it is a single panel, but the sweet spot is a 1mm cube. Your neck and shoulders hurt after half an hour from holding your head so rigidly in place. :)

So it’s worth listening for a reasonably comfortable listening window.

Best,

E
The one issue with phase problems, to me anyway, is if I'm sitting in the "sweet spot" and just move my head a few inches left or right, a single vocal or instrument may move several feet in any direction. (usually left or right). That creates a huge break down of the soundstage for me as I find it quite annoying. My latest speakers which are Vandersteens don't have this problem thank goodness....
Tim