Wow, this thread has really seen some activities for the past couple of days. I missed some "action" here. But it was an interesting read with @shardone being called a troll and @grannyring and @teajay not agreeing, while the DI supporters calling the opinions of some folks as "does not make sense".
Guys, relax, this is a hobby - not a religion. I know that hobbies are greater than religion. But don't take it to an extent that you make this thread and forum a boring place. I was initially skeptical at first (see my posts many moons ago), since I saw only new posters posting on this thread and the same folks posting over and over again. But it looks like Eric has taken efforts to create a great loudspeaker for the audiophile community and has got one of the biggest following, as much as I can remember being on Audiogon since 2005. It reminded me of how much fanatically I supported the Promitheus TVC once I experienced it. The reason I write today is to share how "our" experience are our own and how we all try to defend it. I have been searching for loudspeakers for the past 2 years. I visited AXPONA 2015 and 2017 and have finally found my loudspeakers. In this mission I figured out one thing - when we audition a loudspeaker do we really audition the loudspeaker or do we judge our listening preferences? I strongly believe that we unconsciously are judging our preferences. No loudspeaker is good or bad. It all depends on us. There are hundreds of successful loudspeaker designers and millions of listeners. If a loudspeaker designer's speakers were bad, how the hell do these companies thrive for so many years? Think about it. I listened to the $10k Sony loudspeaker at AXPONA 2015 and was amazed by the music it made. But when I heard it 2 months back at a dealer, the same (model, not pair) speakers sounded lifeless and dull. So what happened? The gear was different, the room was different, etc.
One thing I will say - no loudspeaker in this world is perfect. So if you trumpeted about it being so great, be prepared for the fact that someone who tried the same one might not like it. Just because Mr. X, Mr. Y and Mr. Z did not find the speaker to be as great as Mr. A, Mr. B and Mr. C found it to be, does not mean that loudspeaker is no good. Their choices differ. No need for calling names or dissing their opinions. On my part, I did reach out to the Chicago dealer to audition the DI loudspeaker. But the timing did not work out. At the same time, I roughly built a cardboard model of the DI to see how it would look in my room, and found out that it would be too imposing. So I gave up on that idea.So, yes, I have never heard the DIs. Hence cannot comment on the sound. But @grannyring has given us a straight forward review of the DIs he compared with his loudspeakers. I am surprised that he and @charles1dad liked the DIs so much, considering their audio journey and the gear they sport, that I think the DIs must be something special. @teajay also posted his honest opinion and compared other pricey loudspeakers and found the Tektons better. Nothing wrong with that either, since it is his preference. But the Tekton loudspeakers are made in the US of A. The people who design them and work in the factory that makes them also live in the US of A. So $1 in any part of the USA has the same value. They have to make a living and bring us better products in the future. So $3k loudspeaker will certainly have some compromises. Lets not expect miracles for $3k and hope that these are the most perfect loudspeakers. If these were to be made by some "named brands", I am thinking they would cost > $10k, and I would not buy them for that price or size.
Sorry about the philosophical lecture, but I think I had to share my opinion. As a side note, not a single post was made on 10-01-2017. THAT was the day all the DI owners were thoroughly enjoying their music!
Guys, relax, this is a hobby - not a religion. I know that hobbies are greater than religion. But don't take it to an extent that you make this thread and forum a boring place. I was initially skeptical at first (see my posts many moons ago), since I saw only new posters posting on this thread and the same folks posting over and over again. But it looks like Eric has taken efforts to create a great loudspeaker for the audiophile community and has got one of the biggest following, as much as I can remember being on Audiogon since 2005. It reminded me of how much fanatically I supported the Promitheus TVC once I experienced it. The reason I write today is to share how "our" experience are our own and how we all try to defend it. I have been searching for loudspeakers for the past 2 years. I visited AXPONA 2015 and 2017 and have finally found my loudspeakers. In this mission I figured out one thing - when we audition a loudspeaker do we really audition the loudspeaker or do we judge our listening preferences? I strongly believe that we unconsciously are judging our preferences. No loudspeaker is good or bad. It all depends on us. There are hundreds of successful loudspeaker designers and millions of listeners. If a loudspeaker designer's speakers were bad, how the hell do these companies thrive for so many years? Think about it. I listened to the $10k Sony loudspeaker at AXPONA 2015 and was amazed by the music it made. But when I heard it 2 months back at a dealer, the same (model, not pair) speakers sounded lifeless and dull. So what happened? The gear was different, the room was different, etc.
One thing I will say - no loudspeaker in this world is perfect. So if you trumpeted about it being so great, be prepared for the fact that someone who tried the same one might not like it. Just because Mr. X, Mr. Y and Mr. Z did not find the speaker to be as great as Mr. A, Mr. B and Mr. C found it to be, does not mean that loudspeaker is no good. Their choices differ. No need for calling names or dissing their opinions. On my part, I did reach out to the Chicago dealer to audition the DI loudspeaker. But the timing did not work out. At the same time, I roughly built a cardboard model of the DI to see how it would look in my room, and found out that it would be too imposing. So I gave up on that idea.So, yes, I have never heard the DIs. Hence cannot comment on the sound. But @grannyring has given us a straight forward review of the DIs he compared with his loudspeakers. I am surprised that he and @charles1dad liked the DIs so much, considering their audio journey and the gear they sport, that I think the DIs must be something special. @teajay also posted his honest opinion and compared other pricey loudspeakers and found the Tektons better. Nothing wrong with that either, since it is his preference. But the Tekton loudspeakers are made in the US of A. The people who design them and work in the factory that makes them also live in the US of A. So $1 in any part of the USA has the same value. They have to make a living and bring us better products in the future. So $3k loudspeaker will certainly have some compromises. Lets not expect miracles for $3k and hope that these are the most perfect loudspeakers. If these were to be made by some "named brands", I am thinking they would cost > $10k, and I would not buy them for that price or size.
Sorry about the philosophical lecture, but I think I had to share my opinion. As a side note, not a single post was made on 10-01-2017. THAT was the day all the DI owners were thoroughly enjoying their music!