I'm real familiar with Salk, and currently the SS 9.5 is the "best" Jim is building.
They don't have much in common with Tekton, I've heard the Tektons several times.
From a build quality standpoint, you won't find better fit and finish than Jim's speakers. I can absolutely state that without question. The drivers you get for the money, also great values.
I like the SS9.5, i've owned the SS8. Personally I think the SS10/12 is the best Jim has built. Or, I should say they are my favorites.
The Song 3 Encore to me is the absolute best value in the line-up. The SS 9.5 has a more complex cabinet, and the open back which to me is nice as it does add some spaciousness if you choose to run it that way. But, I do think the Song 3 Encore gives 85% of the performance.
I don't dislike Tekton as I totally get why people like the sound. Crazy good dynamics, room filling sound etc. I won't get into that, I will say that build quality the Salks stomp all over Tekton. (That isn't to say Tekton is a bad build, it's more a reflection of how good salks quality is).
I also really like Vandersteen, the Quattro is a really great sounding speaker if you take the time to set them up right.
The SS8 is really good, awesome midrange and highs. I do they they lacked a little punch in the bass department given the number of drivers and size of the speaker. The Song 3 encore and SS 9.5 have a little more kick down low. The SS10/12 however capture the mids and highs with a bigger, better bottom end.
Jim/Dennis M did an INCREDIBLE job using that Be tweeter in the 9.5 and others and somehow having it be nice and smooth and detailed without being bright. I typically do not like Be as a driver, but Jim managed to use it's strength without getting the typical brightness that I find in other Be driver speakers (like the Persona's).
One thing Jim and Dennis strive for, and frankly I think do a great job with is building a coherent sounding speaker from top to bottom.
