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Focal Aria 948, Revel F208, Tekton Double Impact

Hey everyone, this is a long post, so thanks in advance to those who bear with me.

Home theater/stereo is a new experiment for me.  I was recently persuaded by some surprisingly positive experiences with soundbars to look for better, louder, options with more definition and overall sonic appeal. 

I am trying to decide on a set of floorstanding speakers for probably 70% HT use and 30% music.  This is my second attempt at finding a set of speakers in the last 6 months.  I started with a pair of Klipsch RP-8000f which I initially liked.  I found myself not wanting to listen to them for very long at what seemed like normal volumes - after maybe an hour listening fatigue would set in and my ears would feel a bit assaulted.  It is possible that they were not fully broken in, if those speakers require breaking in (I have heard that they may).  It is also possible that my room shredded the sound to crap since one speaker had to be right next to a large window, but this is not something I can avoid.  I began to wonder what better options might be available within a moderately expanded budget.

So, after reading forum after forum, review after review, I think I have narrowed the options to the Focal Aria 948, the Revel F208, and the Tekton Double Impact.  I want to start with a 2.0 system and hopefully (with eventual, begrudging approval from my wife) get at least a 3.1 system going.  So I'm really interested in floorstanders so that I can put money towards very good as-full-range-as-possible sound from the front L and R initially.  I am interested in at least a 3-way design so that I can get a dedicated midrange driver, as well, and large woofers for SPL and (hopefully) clear and substantial bass.

The problem is, I have no way of auditioning these speakers before buying and my room is so far from ideal that I am sure most of you will laugh and tell me to just use the speakers in the TV, haha.  The room is about 16' x 22' with a vaulted ceiling which rises from one long wall to the other long wall up to the ceiling of the 2nd floor of the house.  I have to stick these speakers near a corner and I have no way around that (the room simply cannot be rearranged or it will cease to be functional as a living room).  The "corner" speaker will be about 2.5-3.0' from the long wall and only inches from the short wall (immediately adjacent a large window).  The other speaker will be about 12-18" from the long wall and nowhere near a short wall.

I have heard that the Focal Aria 948 is fussy regarding placement and maybe demanding for amplification because of an impedance dip.  I've heard opinions which say these are easy to drive, as well.  I have also heard from a Focal dealer (when I was asking about a used Electra 1028 Be II) that the Arias are not the best sound for the buck.  He suggested Martin Logan Motion 60XTi, but I hear mixed reviews on the 60XTs (not many reviews on the XTi's yet).  But the Aria 948's have 8.25" woofers, which honestly excite me, and I expect they would be able to produce beautiful sound at substantial volumes.

The Revel F208 has boundary correction hardware on the speaker itself, which seems very useful if it actually works given my placement constraints.  I have also read that these are very neutral, which sounds appealing to me, but some find them "boring".

The Tekton speakers have had me intrigued since I first started looking for speakers months ago.  I first saw the Seas Pendragons but I ended up obsessing over the idea of the Double Impacts with the large mid-range array and the huge woofers.  They are reported as easy to drive and with a very "real" sound, but they feel like the riskiest choice among the three.  In spite of the rave reviews for the Double Impacts that I find almost everywhere I look, I can't help but wonder how their sound might compare to the Focals and the Revels, which are more traditional designs that, whether you like them or not, few can say are "bad" speakers (objectively speaking). 

Has anyone heard the Double Impacts, Focals and/or Revels?  Do the Double Impacts sound "nasally" with vocals or dialogue (as one forum member elsewhere commented... though I don't know if it was this forum or another)?

Will any of these speakers be more forgiving of the obviously less-than-ideal placement they will be forced to contend with?

And lastly, I bought a Cambridge Audio Azur 851W for less than half price on Audiogon.  It seems like it should be able to drive a 4 ohm or 8 ohm speaker with ease, though I have read it can get very hot.  Does anyone have any experience with this amplifier and can you comment on how it might sound driving any of the Focal, Revel, or Tekton options?  


graitscott
graitscott OP
16 posts
 
@mofojo I was very interested in the 1028 Be II.  They pop up at around my price point occasionally, used.  Is there a huge difference in the sound between the 1028 and the 948?  I know the Beryllium tweeter can provide some major high end detail, but does it integrate well with the other drivers?  I read one user's impressions and they felt the tweeter "jumped out" at them (not just on the Focal but on all speakers with Beryllium tweeters).  I'm also wondering about the bass performance.  I know the 1028 is spec'd lower in frequency than the 948 but the 948's have much larger cone area.  Wouldn't the increased cone area on the 948's provide potentially louder sound and/or clearer bass (though not necessarily deeper), all other things being equal, or is that a bad assumption to make?  With the vaulted ceilings I get a little concerned about some sound getting lost up there.  That seemed to happen a bit with the Klipsch.  I had to crank my 110 wpc receiver up to about 70 in order for those very sensitive speakers to fill the room with movie sound.  With music it was more like 60 to get room-filling sound.  While I have more power now with the Cambridge Audio amp, do you think the 1028's can fill a relatively large volume?

I also would be concerned buying a speaker like that used.  At my price point, they're generally at least a few years old when put on the used market, whereas I can get the 948's new with a warranty.

Decisions, decisions.
graitscott OP
16 posts
 
@twoleftears I did go to Audio Exchange.  I heard some Dynaudios there and a huge pair of Sonus Fabers (which will never be within my budget).  Donny at AE was great.  When we asked about price, though, it didn't seem like he could go as low as I can get them elsewhere.  They can be found new for $3500 (shipped) and AE could only get to $4700.  I would much rather purchase from a local dealer, but it just may not be possible to get such a good deal at most local dealers.
graitscott OP
16 posts
 
@larry5729 I agree with you on the looks of the Tekton.  I could give them a pass on the looks (and my wife said it's my choice, so it seems like she could at least live with them) if the sound is right, though.

What you say about the bass from the 948 concerns me a little.  They sounded good in the showroom, and I would expect some bass augmentation based on their placement near a corner in my living room.  I just have no idea whether that augmentation would be "bad" or somewhat helpful.  I also do plan on getting a subwoofer in the future, but I want some good floorstanders to start with that can produce some acceptable bass until my wife gives me permission to spend more money, which probably won't be for a least a year or two, unfortunately, given her reluctance to spend on speakers.  But it's part of my plan.
graitscott OP
16 posts
 
@badger_erich I saw that review.  He did seem to really like the Tektons.  He has another video where he discusses a list of several speakers that are "easy to recommend" and the Double Impacts made that list.

I am a little surprised there aren't more YouTubers posting about their Double Impacts.  There is a very dedicated following for the Tekton brand, and the Double Impact has been their most popular speaker, and yet all you really find are people putting up sound demos which, while satisfying some desire to "hear them in action," can't tell me too much about the sound other than that it produces a certain range of frequencies that cheap camera mics are able to pick up, with coloration, and that my run-of-the-mill headphones or computer speakers are able to reproduce with their own coloration.  I guess the Tekton guys are too busy enjoying their speakers to sit down and talk about them, haha.  Can't blame them. 

Thomas & Stereo did a nice long video about the Double Impact, but it wasn't a review per se, just first impressions.
mofojo
2,288 posts
 
After reading your post again I see you mention that you have some placement limitations. How far apart would the speakers need to be? One thing about the DIs I found was they like to be closer together than a lot of other speakers. That might be a big consideration. 

Regarding the 1028 vs the Arias IMO the Electras have more of the feel and sound of a premium product. The Arias will be less detailed and easy to listen to but the Electras may give you more of the OMG that sounds amazing moments. That room is pretty big but I dont feel undoable for them as they go loud and have good power handling. Cant answer if they would go as loud as the 948s. See if you can listen to them. 
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