Extremely disappointed with the Dynaudio Contour 60s I bought 4 years ago, after owning for 2 years a wonderful pair of old Dynaudio Contour 3.3s ( poor fool, I thought I was upgrading), I decided to ditch the Dynaudios for something different. So, for the last 2 years, I have been one of the few Tekton Moab owners in Europe, I think. Already the first impression of the Moabs was very positive. I was still not 100 percent satisfied, but I was already much more satisfied than I was with the Contour 60s. After a few months I realized that something was wrong, and after some measurements that I shared with Eric (the owner and designer of Tekton) it was clear that one of the beryllium tweeters was slightly less performing than the other. Probably a problem caused by transportation from the United States to Europe. In any case I experienced in Eric great support, attention and kindness. Eric sent me a replacement tweeter that I personally assembled with very little effort in less than 10 minutes.
And then wow! It was really a change from day to night. At first I didn't believe that a 15% less tweeter efficiency could make such a huge difference in presentation. But I had to believe it. I listen mostly to classical, jazz, and ethnic recordings, so for me the most important characteristics of a speaker are timbre quality and soundstage accuracy. The Moabs offer all this naturally, effortlessly. I have no intention of upgrading to anything else. Thanks for everything Eric!
The moving mass of a driver is not the only factor that influences the "speed" of the driver. There is also motor (magnet) strength, and it is the mass-to-motor strength relationship that determines the speed of a driver. A high mass cone driven by a huge motor can be faster than a lighter mass cone driven by a smaller motor.
Where’s Richard Vandersteen when you need him? 😉
@bdp24 yes, i agree there are other variables that play into a driver's impulse response measurement. (Let us bundle them all for discussion purposes).
@deep_333: Yes, all else being equal, lower moving mass in a driver is a positive attribute, which is why I suggested an electrostatic. Or a planar-magnetic, for that matter. I own both.
The point I was trying to make (perhaps unsuccessfully) is that the weight of a, say, string on a musical instrument is not necessarily related to the sound it makes. A 440Hz tone may be made by a very light musical instrument, or a very heavy one. Reproducing a 440Hz tone is just that, regardless of the weight of the object producing that 440Hz tone. Relating a 1/3 gram violin string to a driver whose moving mass is also 1/3 gram is a gross over-simplification.
The moving mass of a driver is not the only factor that influences the "speed" of the driver. There is also motor (magnet) strength, and it is the mass-to-motor strength relationship that determines the speed of a driver. A high mass cone driven by a huge motor can be faster than a lighter mass cone driven by a smaller motor.
I’ve owned the DIs since 2019. Someone on the Audiogon Forum suggested the formula for determining the position of the listening chair was to measure from the center of the top driver to the bottom driver and multiply by 3. Big thanks, it really let the DIs rise to a different performance level.
As well, Eric has provided excellent service. I bought the speakers from an audio dealer and upon arrival, the speakers were damaged to include a crack in the box and a damaged woofer. Eric provided the matching paint and a new woofer at his cost. Luckily, I had a buddy who is highly skilled with woodworking tasks.
Since 2019, the speakers are the only remaining component in the audio chain. Best of all, each iteration of a changed electronic component just improved the sound until the point that further system upgrades are no longer a consideration!
I hear into the music to where as one of my audio buds said, “…it is like we are in the audience.
It was a video in which he explained the development of his patented tweeter array. He said he heard a 440Hz note played by a violin, and then measured the weight of the string the note was played on, which was 1/3 gram. He figured if he used a driver (or drivers) whose moving mass was no more than 1/3 gram to reproduce the sound of the violin, the reproduction would ipso facto surpass that possible from a driver(s) whose moving mass outweighed the violin string.
A smaller driver/smaller mass--> improved impulse response (IR) --> improved resolution/detail/clarity compared to a larger driver/larger mass playing in the same band.
Some designs will let a capable tweeter (small driver) crossed over/play as low as possible. His approach for the midrange handled by small tweeter sized drivers have this benefit (IN THEORY). Theory and execution may not always line up depending on how the co was designed, drivers themselves, etc.
Nailed it you did Kennyc, was the King of all mats, lotions, potions, pastes, and Tekton. Add pontification and BS sales propaganda, hate was inevitable.
I suspect a major part of the Tekton animosity was due to one forum member who used to tick off many by their seemingly snide remarks and used to always suggest Tekton as the one size fit all solution.
With the exception of their 30k speaker, Tekton is a very high valued speaker at its price points. I heard Tekton at 2 audio shows and they sounded very good, great great at its price point.
I’ve demoed many good to great speakers, but none rise to the level of hate. Could it be animosity towards Tekton marketing and/or Tekton’s designer?
IMO there’s room for Tekton at its price point, Problems started with the BS Audio claims. I think people thought it humourous at first, then it just got Irritating. Modern day 901’s with a heap of negative flare. All in someone’s still making money, Long live Democratic free trade lol.
Other than an approximate three week delay in my order delivery, I had a mostly positive experience with the Tekton Lore Reference Bes. I was a little disappointed in the thickness of the packaging cardboard, but luckily they arrived without a scratch.
The speakers did perform better than what can typically be achieved for <$1200, especially in the highs, not surprisingly given the SB Acoustics Beryllium tweeters. My only notable gripe with their sound was audible cabinet resonance. But really, what can one reasonably expect from $1200/pair speakers that include at least $800 worth of raw materials ($600 worth of tweeters, over $100 of Eminence woofers, Clarity caps, Cardas binding posts, MDF, damping, paint and floor spikes)? Truly, I suspect he barely breaks even on that particular model, probably in hopes that customers will eventually upgrade within the brand.
Further, I didn’t have to take as large a hit on their resale price when I moved them on out relative to the loss I took with more popular brands.
However, despite those positives, I would be reluctant to place another order with Tekton given the reputation Erick now has for threatening litigation. I once had to deal with such an issue with another factory direct brand—the owner didn’t want to honor his satisfaction guarantee and began acting like a nightmarish toddler. Eventually it got to a point where the guy had the gall to threaten me with litigation for wanting to return his pathetic product according with his own satisfaction policy. This guy was/is probably less pleasant to deal with than Erick is on his worst of days. Anyhow, these days, if I becomes aware of even a couple anecdotes of a dealer or brand being difficult on a customer, or a reviewer like Erin, that’s enough to deter me. There are too many great alternatives out there to choose from.
H4k4Lugi congratulations, those half ulfs looks like you really love them. I heard the whole Ulfs at Teajay house man they are musically powerful.They sound amazing on classical music.
My x-over upgrade costed less since I have fewer drivers in my "half" Ulf's... my low ceiling drove the need for a shorter speaker.
I have the Impact monitors and really enjoyed the concentric mid-tweets around central single tweeter, so a custom order with Eric resulted in exactly what I wanted:
Best speakers I've ever heard in my home (B&W, A/D/S, Martin Logan, Maggies). So much non fatiguing resolution behind my Purifi class-D monoblocks, that I'm now doing a 3 way DAC+pre-amp shootout next week (Sim/moon 391, Wandla, T+A dac200) as I can finally hear a difference between my current DAs (Bryston SP from 15+ yrs ago, my Eversolo DMP, and a Gheselli) so I'm interested to see how things will sound with such a DA/pre combo.
I've worked with Eric pre/post impact monitor purchase and also this custom Ulf transaction. He's been solid and helpful.
I have to admit my first exposure to Eric Alexander did not make for a positive impression. It was a video in which he explained the development of his patented tweeter array. He said he heard a 440Hz note played by a violin, and then measured the weight of the string the note was played on, which was 1/3 gram. He figured if he used a driver (or drivers) whose moving mass was no more than 1/3 gram to reproduce the sound of the violin, the reproduction would ipso facto surpass that possible from a driver(s) whose moving mass outweighed the violin string.
That’s one of the silliest things I’ve ever heard. First of all, if it’s a low mass driver you want, get an electrostatic. Then there is the fact that the weight of a violin string has NOTHING to do with how one goes about reproducing the sound it makes. It’s also inconsistent: Being a drummer himself, Eric surely knows that cymbals weight far more than 1/3 gram, yet produce very high frequency overtones.
Eric then said something which calls into question his technical knowledge: He stated that the first harmonic overtone of a 440Hz note is located at 880Hz, which is of course correct: 440 x 2. But he went on to say that the second harmonic is located at 1760Hz, which is incorrect. The correct number is 1320Hz: 440 x 3. Harmonic overtones are multiples of the fundamental note/frequency. Eric thinks the second harmonic is the first harmonic doubled. It ain’t!
Still, I would very much like to hear the Tekton line of loudspeakers. I’m a dipole planar man, but I’m open-minded.
I have the moab be run with the michi m8 they are great he will put whatever crossover in it you want from modest to 2k upgrade.he is working, with ceramic speakers that have cone breakup>20 k so the human ear can hear the distortion above that hz.you can call him and tell him what you want he will guide you.they have alot of options .they don't look as good as my focal utopia be but there much less$ and to my old ears sound very close.both are run by same equipment michi m8 or sometimes mcintosh 1.2 k happy listening enjoy the music.
My Tekton experience. I stopped by Tekton unannounced on a vacation trip through Utah. Eric very graciously spent several hours with me discussing speaker design and several other subjects that we found we had in common. I also got a demonstration of the IRL system, INCREDIBLE!
On to the speakers. After talking several friends into trying out the Double Impacts and hearing them I decided I need to give Tekton a try myself. Yes, they still have their DI's. I ordered a pair of NEBO's with an AMT tweeter and ultimate crossover in a custom color my wife picked out. Would have loved to have one of his bigger offerings but I'd like to stay married. They sound fantastic as well as measure great to in my space. I listen to classical, jazz, jazz vocals, blues, rock and roll and some pop.
Room: 19' x 39' x rising ceiling from 12' to 18'
Here's what's in front of them. Amps:Atma-Sphere, Pass Labs XP-22, PS Audio Direct Stream (highly modified), Hermes DDC, Innuos Pulsar, NUCi7 running Roon ROCK, streaming Qobuz and local files. Also use Innuos Sense.
Bottom line, outstanding speakers at a great price from a very nice guy.
@hilde45- thanks for the info. I’m looking at Revival Atalante 3 and Fyne Audio F501SP. Both have received favorable reviews but I have been hearing so much about the Moabs I had to ask. Thanks, again.
Thanks for sharing your very positive experience with Eric and his Renton speakers. It's obvious that you are quite satisfied and isn't that the entire objective we seek?👍
Let me add my .10cents I have owned a pair of double impacts for 3 years. I only listen to Rock and Roll, 85 to 90 db. and the DI's have been Great. Outstanding, tight Bass. Good Mid Range and good high end. I just wanted more and better mid range, and high end. I have bugged Eric at Tekton several times, NUMEROUS would be more accurate!!!
I was going for the MOAB's, and as I'm 71YOA would likely be my last speaker. As i said we spoke often. I asked is there anything else out there that you make and would be a step up from the MOAB's for Rock and Roll w/o breaking the bank? He stated that he was just over the experimental stage and in final stages of a NEW Encore speaker for Rock and ROLL Said speakers were brand new. He had already made 2 pairs, Serial numbers 1&2 and 3&4. He described the NEW Encore (special) 12" Italian woofers, and special Mid-range drivers, and If desired a BE tweeter. He gave me a really good price of just a fraction under 10K as I was a previous customer, which I thought was very nice. They each weigh 170lbs. Special crossover specific to these also. After more calls and discussions I ordered them.Carbon Grey. They are almost 6' tall. Trying no to be to windy. The first pair were destroyed in shipment (Fed EX) after almost 4 months. I almost cried. One month later to the day the New Ones shipped and were at my door. TForce freight was wonderful. (Would recommend them to anyone!!!!) Got them unpack-aged, not as bad as I thought. 75 hours on them now. The BASS is actually better than the DI's. The mid range is to die for, as is the high end. My BE tweeter I'm sure will take a while longer to settle in. I have never heard or owned a speaker like this. I can't use the words to describe my delight. I'll try. Bass is very STRONG and Tight and Accurate. Mid range, so accurate, you are almost there!! Top end is wonderful. Sound stage from this 6' monster is HUGE!!! I'm sure there are other great speakers in or around this price point out there. Or maybe you have to spend more, I don't know. I'm just telling you that Eric and his team kept me informed constantly, even when the earlier pair were destroyed. Customer service is everything to me, as it is to most. I initially had some issues(not with the speakers) but with streaming drivers and computer drivers, sound settings and updates etc. He had called me 3 times to see how I liked them, how often do you get that from the owner of the company?????????? To almost end. So everyone knows that I own some quality pieces to compliment these speakers. Amp Pass 250.8, Benchmark LA-4, SVS SB 4000 sub, Bricasti M1 SE DAC with network card, RS2T transport and LTA Linear power supply. Stream Qobuz via Audirvana. Room is huge 30'x40' 14' ceilings. You are THERE feeling!!!! Eric and his staff have treated me GREAT!!! The phone calls,so impressed me. Just wanted to share MY actual experience. Robert Shaw TN
My friend Markr has Moab never have a brightness problem or forwardness. He used Aric amp and preamp.He used to have PS 12 and impact monitor.Audioman 58 your crossover recommendations might overly increase the price.
@stevebohniiI had the same desire to hear some Tektons and there were two guys in Denver. I went to the house of one of them and hear them. Very forward and bright for my ears. In the end, both Denver guys sold their speakers and replaced them, one with Devore and the other with Dutch and Dutch.
Glad you found something to make you happy again. Ah, so aggravating these days to only get to hear a very few brands or models in person at a bricks and mortar store. I do have Audio Advice about 1 hour and 20 minutes from me, but of course brands like Tekton, Zu, the Clayton Shaw Caladan, and others are impossible to hear nearly anywhere before you buy unless a friend or coworker has a pair.
I think the recent bru-ha-ha over Eric threatening to sue a YouTube reviewer (Aaron) was a bit extreme and he had done similar to another reviewer too. Eric should have offered to work with Aaron to resolve any issues. Plus the speaker he was reviewing wasn't one that most people would choose anyway for home use I don't think (more for use as a studio monitor it seems).
These creative types often seem to be high stress, short trigger "Type A" people. They need to do like women in the 1970s and take a chill pill (mother's little helper). I can understand he has a reputation to guard since he sells consumer direct, so maybe that is part of it. But glad he worked with you to resolve your issue and you are happy with their performance.
daros71, your struggles with the C60's were well documented and hard to miss. That we each have a flavor we prefer notwithstanding, your thread is appreciated and wholly believable.
It's good for you that you found a pair of speakers that make you happy.
Anyone in Colorado have a pair of Moabs who would be gracious enough to let me stop by and listen to them? I’m looking for new speakers and would love to hear them.
The Moab’s lack tons of potential detail in part because of the low quality internal Xover parts .I assisted others in brand Parts such as Capacitors, vh Audio Odam
Jantzen Alumina Z , and the exceptional path audio resistors.
the inductors waxed copper foil paper awg 14 for tweeter,mids,
and a awg Jantzen open coil copper for Bass. This 100 % will improve your fidelity15-20% cost about $1500 in parts putgood WBT connectors on back .once this glaring weakness was addressed a much more refined ,detailed Loudspeaker.
I have had Eric's speaker in the past. For the price, one really cannot fault the sonics of it in any way. I could name all kinds of speakers that are essentially cold fake sounding ear rippers for what they cost (that simply get carried by a thing called audiophile brand name snobbery).
It does help with the sonics when musicians (like Eric) design speakers.
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