@livinon2wheels I concede to your point about getting them in the room, that could be problematic. But furniture sliders from Home Depot will move even the largest speakers with ease. So positioning is not an issue.
NEW Tekton Design Speakers - The Bonnevilles
I have in for review the Tekton Bonnevilles, described by Eric Alexander as a “passion project,” and easily the most attention-grabbing speakers set I’ve had in-home. These speakers aren’t for everyone, but if you have the space and can tolerate the eccentricities of setup, the Bonnevilles offer strengths that many other speakers really can’t match.
They feature four 15" woofers for deep bass, six horn-loaded tweeters arranged in a Tekton Polycell array for midrange, and a seventh dedicated horn-loaded tweeter that handles the high frequencies. Paired with the right amplifier, they can fill a room beautiful and visceral music, like a few other speakers. With proper setup, the Bonnevilles sound vibrant, alive, with absolutely amazing bass.
The Klipsch Jubilees are the closest comparison in terms of bass pressurization that I’ve heard. The Jubilees arguably have a bit more punch in the mid-bass, but the Bonnevilles seem to extend lower. I would also say the midrange and treble on the Bonnevilles are better than what I’ve heard from the Jubilees. The midrange of the Bonnevilles have the characteristic speed and detail that Tekton speakers are known for, but also seem warmer and more relaxed than Tekton’s smaller speakers.
Logistically, these speakers can be a challenge – in more ways than one. They require a lot of real estate in the listening space, they need 2-3 people to move, and turning a corner can be a real problem. But once they’re set up, the Bonnevilles deliver an absolutely gorgeous sound.
As a final brief observation, the Bonnevilles seem to require careful amplifier pairing. While the sensitivity of the Bonnevilles is relatively high – just a couple of watts will create a lot of sound – there seems to be a strong correlation between an amplifier’s power supply and current output, and the overall quality of sound. In short, the Bonneville’s seem pair well with amplifiers that can drop a lot of current.
I currently have three well regarded amplifiers available to pair with the Bonnevilles. Of those three, my current favorite is the Coda No. 8, which has an unusually large power supply and can deliver over 150A of current when needed. The other two amplifiers, while brilliant with smaller speakers, did not drive the Bonnevilles as well as the Coda.
Again, the Bonnevilles will not be for everybody – but a really fun set of speakers to listen to if you ever have the opportunity.
I’ll be publishing a full review of the Bonnevilles in the coming weeks in Stereo Times.
*For a sense of scale – the "little speakers" (as my kids call them) are the REL 212/SX subwoofers.
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I have these really expensive high end audiophile carpet dollies I bought from harbor freight with Grey carpet on them i tie died them 60 s scene and atop are my magico 700lb q7 speakers.i roll them around every day just to keep my girl like figure.i hope I can say that these days.i have them right next to the tekton ulf speakers.aka the ugly frog but I gave it a kiss and it turned into a handsome prince.i guess I'll have to put the Bonneville on those expensive harbor freight audio high dollar expensive tie die units.mostly 2 per speaker.i hope I can afford 4 dollies.even my pbn montanas have built in castor's to roll them around.in the old days I opened a can of spinach the Popeye brand then moved speakers. Let the critism begin.it is well documented in medical literature I have studied over 40 year period that humor improves the immune system.enjoy what you have and the music. |
MBL 101 X-Treme : 1080 lbs Magico m9: 1000 lbs Chronosonic XVX (King O’Hideous): approx 700lbs Von Schweikert ultra 11: 750 lbs Magico M7: approx 530 lbs Klipsch Jubilee: 330 lbs I would wager Bonnville (not specified, what is it @willrich47 ) is in the vicinity of 500 lb maybe, not enough to give you an exquisite sexy figure. Ya gotta manhandle the magico m9 or mbl extreme for it.
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