I heard the DI and the DI monitors at RMAF a few years ago. They were nice enough sounding and, relative to what else is out there, reasonably priced. I didn't like them enough to want to own them but I can see why other people might. I am a bit mystified why some people think they are so good. I spent probably an hour or so listening to them. (Both models, altogether.) I noticed most people at the show listened for about 5 minutes and left! By contrast, people were camped out at the Devore and Spatial rooms.
Focal 1028BE2's or Tekton Moab Towers
Hi - I'm fairly new to the hobby, I've always really enjoyed listening to music but at home was more focused on Home Theater. Over the last several years I've shifted my focus to 2 channel listening, upgraded my amp, pre and DAC/Streamer.
Currently I have Focal 1028BE's, a Primaluna Evo 400 integrated amp, REL TI9, Lumin D2 with Sbooster upgrade. I stream Tidal 99 % of the time and on rare occasion will pop in a CD. I've also had HAF create some filters in Roon as well.
At times my gear sounds really, really good, other times, specifically with Rock and poor recordings it can be bright, harsh, fatiguing. Prior to the Primaluna I had a Parasound A21 and P6 combo. My room is large, man cave, finished basement, open except for the staircase that splits up the room. It's a shared space, HT, sectional couch, Pool Table, arcade games with an office tucked in the corner. Acoustic drop ceilings are 8 feet, flooring is vinyl / blank style, area rug in the seating area, leather sectional couch. I sit around 12 feet from the towers, the sectional splits up the space, there is another 20 feet or so of open space behind the sectional. I can't really room treat, that's the one spot my very understanding wife won't let me go.
So, I've seen a lot of posts about Tekton and Moab's with commentary that they are less fatiguing, easy to drive speakers that punch far above their weight class, are great with Rock. Negatives I've read are size, they are huge, fit and finish isn't up to the same standard as other manufacturers. Some have stated they didn't get a full, robust sound that most describe, saying the speakers are thin, not very cohesive.
I chose the 1028's because they punched above their weight, with the trickle down effect offering some of the features in the Utopia series along with Focal's reputation for building and designing everything in house. I got the 1028's last year, several audiophiles said Focal had taken them out of the line up and with them gone the jump to get the BE tweeter and W Cone in the Focal line up was a big one price wise with the 1028 and 1038's being discontinued. I also read they are one of the largest speaker / driver suppliers to other manufactures. Common sense would tell me Focal's should be a better speaker. Reviews I've read rave about Tekton's and specifically seem to reference the Moab's as being the best speaker in returns to diminishing returns in the line.
I'm a novice, just stayed at a Holiday in Express last night, would I be crazy to sell my Focal's and buy the Moab's or would it take my sometimes great sounding set up to a sounds great with everything?
Currently I have Focal 1028BE's, a Primaluna Evo 400 integrated amp, REL TI9, Lumin D2 with Sbooster upgrade. I stream Tidal 99 % of the time and on rare occasion will pop in a CD. I've also had HAF create some filters in Roon as well.
At times my gear sounds really, really good, other times, specifically with Rock and poor recordings it can be bright, harsh, fatiguing. Prior to the Primaluna I had a Parasound A21 and P6 combo. My room is large, man cave, finished basement, open except for the staircase that splits up the room. It's a shared space, HT, sectional couch, Pool Table, arcade games with an office tucked in the corner. Acoustic drop ceilings are 8 feet, flooring is vinyl / blank style, area rug in the seating area, leather sectional couch. I sit around 12 feet from the towers, the sectional splits up the space, there is another 20 feet or so of open space behind the sectional. I can't really room treat, that's the one spot my very understanding wife won't let me go.
So, I've seen a lot of posts about Tekton and Moab's with commentary that they are less fatiguing, easy to drive speakers that punch far above their weight class, are great with Rock. Negatives I've read are size, they are huge, fit and finish isn't up to the same standard as other manufacturers. Some have stated they didn't get a full, robust sound that most describe, saying the speakers are thin, not very cohesive.
I chose the 1028's because they punched above their weight, with the trickle down effect offering some of the features in the Utopia series along with Focal's reputation for building and designing everything in house. I got the 1028's last year, several audiophiles said Focal had taken them out of the line up and with them gone the jump to get the BE tweeter and W Cone in the Focal line up was a big one price wise with the 1028 and 1038's being discontinued. I also read they are one of the largest speaker / driver suppliers to other manufactures. Common sense would tell me Focal's should be a better speaker. Reviews I've read rave about Tekton's and specifically seem to reference the Moab's as being the best speaker in returns to diminishing returns in the line.
I'm a novice, just stayed at a Holiday in Express last night, would I be crazy to sell my Focal's and buy the Moab's or would it take my sometimes great sounding set up to a sounds great with everything?
41 responses Add your response
@mm1tt77 - depending on where you live, a good option might be to join the " Tekton Design Speakers Worldwide Owners Group " on Facebook. Ask people in there if there’s someone within a reasonable driving distance, and see if you can get an audition. I have found many audiophiles to be generous and happy to share their system - especially if they’re happy with the sound of the system they’ve built. You might even get to hear other equipment you may like? I would like to hear the newer Prima Luna range and I’d bet that integrated sounds fantastic. |
You describe what Roon filters can do to your system. Since you’re familiar to it I would recommend you to get filters done for less good old rock recordings. Few Zeppelin recordings are enjoyable with a straight filter. Modern r n’ b and electronic recordings though demand a straight amplitude and time corrected filter to sound exceptional. |
Hearing audio components at shows and dealer showrooms are reasonable steps to take to get some idea of how a product sounds. I can say that I've heard some audio components that were not particularly impressive under show conditions but in another environment sound quite good. Sometimes it is simply the partnering components in the signal chain of a system. I'd want to hear a speaker I'm really interested in to be auditioned in my home. There's no better way. I'll pay the shipping cost. Is the manufacturer suppose to swallow this expense? I haven't experienced hearing an impressive sound under show conditions but then fall short in someone's home system (Although I'm sure it happens). Given my listening encounters with the Tekton Double Impact/SE I could see it sounding just ok with one amplifier and yet terrific with another amplifier. The Double Impacts reflected what was put before them in the signal chain. I suspect that the Moab is likely even more faithfully revealing in this manner. My gut feeling is despite the Moab's 4 ohm nominal impedance (But likely relatively flat curve characteristics) it will sing beautifully with a good quality mid power tube amplifier. I'm not so certain that the Tekton and Parasound amplifier pairing (Show set up) puts these speakers at their sonic best. Just my hunch. Charles |
cal3713, speedbump6 accurately described my experience so far. I heard them, was not impressed but noticed others liked them and I think I understand why. No need to go deeper into what I did not like about the sound, it was simply my preference that others may or may not have. Still, I would not recommend anyone buy them without auditioning and seeing them first. As far as return experience goes, I dislike the idea of not being allowed to leave even fingerprints on something that is not that easy to handle in the first place. I also feel that for a very large "value speaker" costing $4500 paying shipping would be quite expensive. All in all, I feel there are much more convenient ways to purchase a pair of speakers than from Tekton. And that is before having any experience like stereo5 did and before having any comment on workmanship and whatever else people on the Tekton Moab thread mentioned. And then, there was a post by the company owner... |
@glupson, I never said I had a hard time contacting them, I said I had to ask 3 times on 3 separate calls to secure my refund. By the time I got the refund, Tekton had already received my speakers back 2 weeks prior. One should not have to beg for their refund if it was owed them or wait two weeks when the speakers were checked over by Tekton within 2 days of receiving them. This was 5 years ago, maybe things are better now. |
Cal, I don’t believe either of those two have said they ever purchased Tekton’s, much less returned them. If I believe correctly glupson has said he has listened to them at a show or demo at some point, and did not think they were bad, but did not think they were great either. I don’t remember madman’s experience with them, if he’s heard them or not. I’m sure they can both enlighten you as to their opinions of what they heard. |
mm1tt77, I've heard several Focal Audio speakers but not your specific model. I've heard the Tekton Double Impact (DI) and the DI SE model. These are solidly good sounding speakers. By all accounts the Moabs is a clear step upward in terms of sound quality. It true then the Moabs must sound quite impressive. I found the DI to have an engaging and natural rendition of vocal and instrumental tone quality without etched sound or exaggerated upper frequency emphasis. If the Moabs are superior to the already good DI (In this regard) this is noteworthy. I suspect that the that the Moab would mate very well with your tube amplifier (Based on my hearing the DIs with a tube amplifier). I can understand your interest in the Moab and believe that it's worth pursuing. I do not think you'll be disappointed. Charles |
I've never heard the tektons, but I agree, the reviews and enthusiasm speak for themselves. People want to play like there's some conspiracy that makes all these people love their speakers... Honestly, I think you should give them a shot. If you can't tame that brightness in the focals and aren't listening to music you like because of the speakers, something is wrong and you should address it. Isn't enjoying your favorite music the whole point?? Everything I've read suggests the tektons are good on all genres and are especially fun for rock. And although you clearly need to be careful, even warnings like the above suggest the return process will work out for you if you don't love them. Wish I could demo them with you... |
@squeak_king_77, you are so right. When I returned a pair of Pendragons, Eric told me he would deduct money for each fingerprint left on the speakers. I wore cotton gloves and wiped the cabinets with a microfiber cloth before putting the plastic bags back on the speakers when I sent them back. A week after they arrived back at Tekton, I asked when the refund would be issued. It took 2 more calls to them before my refund showed up via PayPal. |
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I will preface this by saying I have listened to those speakers and they are not my favorite. Focals are going to be a bit bright relative to other speakers (not a bad thing, so are some of the ones I make) and the right thing to do is pair with a warmer amp...which you have done via the Primaluna. That amp should leave them relatively neutral sounding. I am surprised you are still having an issue with brightness after moving away from Parasound. In terms of sound, I like a slightly forward sound that is very detailed without crossing over to shrill. Means there is amazing sparkle in piano but horns and strings don't sound more metallic and shrill than they should. It is a fine line. How well damped is your room? Increasing damping would be the place I would look to make a change and that may resolve the issue you are having. Otherwise, you would need to look for a warmer speaker or a warmer amplifier. I have not heard the Tektons and can't speak about their sound profile and whether it will be an improvement for your specific issue. |
Thanks for all the responses! Sounds like the Focal’s and Tekton’s are two very different beasts or maybe more appropriately Beauty and the Beast. Good advise that not every recording is going to sound good. I’ll continue to play around with speaker placement. Would love to hear the Tekton’s in my set up but not sure if I’ve got the energy and fortitude to lug them up and down the stairs that lead to the man cave. Or take the risk that I damage them in some way and can’t return them. Also have a bit of a mental block wondering how they could be as great as advertised, feels a bit like an infomercial, as seen in TV type product - absolutely not trying to offend anyone as reviews and loyalty to the brand would validate they are that good. I’ll keep reading the thread and see if it motivates me to pony up to try the Moab’s. Side note - conceptually the McIntosh Towers have a similar driver layout to the Moab and Tekton speakers - anyone ever compare those to Tekton’s? |
Mission, you must mean the small hundreds of happy customers posting their positive thoughts on Tekton’s? That small handful? Lol. Table, you just ha e to decide what’s more important, sound or looks, though neither one sounds bad. To me the focals aren’t going to win any beauty contests either, just the simple box tower, just not as bulky for sure. The larger cabinets I’m sure are part of what gives them more umph down low. Either way, no wrong choices really, just which one works best all things considered, for each person. |
Those 1028s are very nice speakers IMO. I think you would somehow need to hear the Moabs before you could possibly know. From my experience with DIs I would guess the focals are probably slightly more refined but will rock no where near as hard as the Moabs. Tektons are going to be a great match with your tubes. I had the DIs and some Vapor Audio Stiff Breeze at the same time with a sub. I had a friend that liked the Vapors way better. I liked the DIs. I know not really related just an example of needing to hear for yourself. |
Apples and oranges. Especially in form factor and how that will play in your room. Either can be made to sound very good if set up optimally. Personal preferences on sound will also be a big factor. No assurance Tekton would necessarily be less bright or fatiguing with those kind of recordings. Could be more, could be less. It’s usually all about getting the whole system integrated optimally especially within the room. |
Nothing wrong with either, but I believe the moabs would indeed give so much more.greater range at the bottom end, clarity, better midrange, etc. Miller summed it up pretty well there. So far I only have the ulfers, my moabs are currently on order, which will then become the rears in my home theater |
Moabs definitely do have a full, robust sound and are extremely cohesive. Sorry you were so horribly misinformed. Mine sound great with everything. Classical- full orchestra and intimate quartet both equally compelling and realistic. Rock- U2, Springsteen, Roxy Music, Nilsson, Styx, you name it. Jazz- Satchmo, Sinatra, Brubeck, does not matter. Male vocals, female vocals, chorales, organ, piano, are you getting the picture? Moabs are easy to drive and put out monster sound levels with real punch, authority and drive, and that’s with my little 50 watt tube amp. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367 I was playing Nilsson Jump Into the Fire last night at realistic drum levels, actually louder than I probably should be listening (had a bit of ringing afterwards!) and yet the volume wasn’t even cranked to full power. Look at my room. Its not a small room. People using more power, or saying they need more power, either they really like damaging volume levels or its not registering just how loud it really is because the speakers are so freaking strain free at any volume level you lose track! But they don’t need to be cranked up loud to sound good either. One of the more pleasant surprises is realizing I can enjoy listening at lower volume levels. I still turn it up sometimes and when I do its really nice because its surprising how loud I can listen without any sense of strain or fatigue. But its equally surprising how good they sound even at lower levels. They are not- repeat NOT - made for people who want a work of art. They are presentable enough, but that’s about it. Good honest speakers that do not pretend to belong in the pages of Architectural Digest. And yes they are big. But while they are big they are not two-man speakers. I was able to bring mine in, unpack and set them up all by myself no problem. Mine are the normal Moabs with only the standard cap, wire and terminal upgrades. About the only thing I would - might - do different would be to order Ulfberhts instead. Encore and Ulf are the same MTM array as Moab, but with somewhat upgraded drivers. Although if you read my thread you will see when talking with Eric he said the Ulf tweeter is better, but the difference is hard to hear. He even said I probably wouldn’t hear it. Which mirrors what teajay told me. He owns Ulfs and reviewed Moabs and straight up told me to get the Moabs. Said except for the one little region of upper bass where the Ulfs have the extra drivers, except for that little bit they are the same. This is a guy who owns Ulfs telling me to buy Moabs. Like teajay told me, you could buy a lot of stuff for the price diff from Moabs to Ulfs. A lot of stuff that would make a lot more difference than there is between the speakers. Like in my case I could (and probably will) get a Raven Osprey. The Focals are probably quite good speakers for what they are. Old technology. Eric has pretty much obsoleted everything. For now. The market will catch up. But for now, if you want the best sound - and not the best looking Faberge egg - then you want a Tekton. |
"At times my gear sounds really, really good, other times, specifically with Rock and poor recordings it can be bright, harsh, fatiguing." If you're talking Classic Rock-Zep,Beatles,Stones...., then it's gotta be on a record(just my personal opinion) not streamed/file or CD. All music(recording) isn't going to sound great all the time on ANY speaker. While I have no doubt they perform well(Tekton), I would stay with the Focal's just because I'm familiar with the combination you have. The combination can sound very good. Aesthetically, they are much nicer looking too. Get the maximum performance out of them with positioning(if possible) This is just a suggestion, NOT a cure all: http://www.cardas.com/room_setup_calculators.php |