Stereophile review of the $30,000 tekton speakers

My friends and I have through decades, chosen mostly used pre-amps, amps and speakers to attain a "system" sound. I have have the advantage now of upgrading to higher resolution/still highly musical sounding speakers and eventually pre-amps and amps. I spent $150,000 in 2019 building my custom listening room which permitted the setup of my 14 knob adjustable Von Schweikert VR9 SE Mk2 speakers in record time (1.5 hours) by the installer who quoted 5 hours minimum to 8 hours for set-up. Since this is my final home, I blew the budget when I moved in on a great acoustical listening room only. It has activated carbon pellet bass traps built into the walls (see my profile). Yes, the Legacy Signature IIIs are great speakers but the VS VR9s are better and even more enjoyable (they are able to open the subtleties of performances where they exist, especially in classical music). Don’t discount buying great speakers even if used and older. Just mate them to the best power amps, new or used.

P.S. I could have purchased virtually new B&W 801 D4s for a song/$16K but I don't like the speaker sound and they are power hungry.  So I paid 3.5 times more for the VS VR9s with warranty, upgrades, etc.  

I never considered a Tekton speaker as I already have a Legacy Signature III which out performs the Moab, especially in dispersion.  The B&W 801 D4 is a serious speaker for the price made in huge quantities by a very careful major manufacturer.  I prefer the boutique Von Schweikert as do my friends.  Tekton-not for us.   They are mostly budget friendly though for lower resolving, full bodied sounding floorstanders.  They also do not compete with other major companies like Revel, Wilson, Magico, etc.  

@jayctoy  Regardless of looks and cost, there are numerous other used choices for floorstanders that provide great bass, ample dynamics and adequate resolution to satisfy most listeners.  I used Legacy Focus and Signature IIIs (still use Sig IIIs in my living room 2nd system) and they are available used and are superior.  How about another boutique speaker manufacturer, Marten Bird 2s or their Django speakers (the XL is available at $6K and I've heard them.  Superior to any Tekton speaker).  Marten Django XL Speakers - Piano Black Fi... For Sale | Audiogon  The Legacy speakers are 1/3 to 1/2 that price between $1500 (or even lower) for the Classic or Signature IIIs and usually $2k to $2.5k for the Focus.  The Classic and Sig IIIs are VERY easy to drive.  So many other choices of quality speakers (that also look better).  

The video of the Pendragon's is from a very reputable reviewer.  I don't doubt that the Pendragon's sound is very good and are really inexpensive.  However, the caveat is that despite a benign impedance curve, they require a very stable and high quality amplifier to drive them.  For comparison, my Legacy Signature IIIs have a lowest impedance of 3.2 ohms, nominal 4 ohms, 94.6 db efficiency (tested) and can be powered by a Sherwood 7100 receiver of 17 solid state watts to sound quite impressive (how I bought them).  While I am using a 35 watt Dynaco ST 70 extreme modified (voltage regulated/not ultralinear) with tremendous bass with these speakers which reach down to 16 Hz with 3-10" woofers and a rear firing tweeter, I have also used them with EAR 890 and my 125 watt tube monoblocks.   All of these amps are significantly less expensive than the Luxman.  If I owned the Pendragon, I would buy a stable, quality used amp.  Otherwise, this is Tekton's meat and potatoes, quality speakers at low prices, without the aesthetics of most other brand dynamic speakers sans grills.  Notice the reviewer also indicated that these large speakers sound best in large rooms.  

As to their $30K speaker, no.  I now own Von Schweikert VR9 SE Mk2.  My best friend has the VS VR35 Export.  Sure there is a big difference in scale, bass and resolution but they represent a range of VS speakers from just a decade ago.  Our personal preference over Wilsons, Magico and B&W which we have heard extensively is to be considered but those are not inexpensive speakers either and also require high quality and power amps.  I suggest that the new Tekton $30K speaker is designed for large rooms, not 15X10X8 rooms, very typical of smaller listening rooms.  

If the Tekton speaker owner can enjoy music properly reproduced using this "patented" technology, wonderful.  My friends and I (several are world renown remastering engineers) would not be owning Tekton speakers.  My Signature IIIs are in a living room 20X20X10 open to 1,600' of living space and permeate the entire area with gorgeous sound on my little amps.  My quite massive VR9s are in my dedicated listening room of 20X15X10 but excellently scale within a smaller space.

@tektondesign  I never said that the Pendragon wasn't a good buy for most listeners.  It's price as most Tekton speakers are in the more affordable to even inexpensive range.  That Albert Von Schweikert complimented your design does not indicate that his perception that they were anywhere near his quality of speakers of which I have heard half a dozen from $4K to $325K and own one in the middle as well as my best friend's lower end model.  

The $30K speaker is a whole different subject.  Mr. Von Schweikert did NOT hear that one.  He was commenting and probably complimenting you on your affordable speaker line.  

I don't know ANY speaker manufacturer who would or could take a multi-driver dynamic speaker and simply change it to perform the "same" at 2, 4 or 8 ohms.  I would greatly appreciate how that is electrically possible.  Or are they receiving different sound from each different impedance speaker? 

@tektondesign You did not answer my question how you can design (redesign) a speaker to behave optimally at three different impedences. 

I would not compare your Ulfberht to Focals as I have heard neither of them and my friends and I are not partial to Focal speakers, so maybe your speakers would be more amenable to us. 

I reserve judgement but you are taking a very abrasive attitude.   If you think that your $30K speaker is equal or superior to the Von Schweikert speakers at $65K, you are not mistaken but being dishonest.  The technology and quality of construction is superior.  

I've heard inexpensively constructed speakers sound great, among them the Acora Acoustics which have two speakers in the same range as your $30K.   I've heard them with lesser equipment and they are outstanding in their delivery of tight, deep, textured bass, very dynamic and with no negative qualities.  They apparently utilize a few inexpensive paper drivers.  I've heard that the materials cost is as low as $7K for the SC speakers.  They are not my flavor but I could live with them as well as easy to drive.  Physically, they are very attractive.  

@tektondesign YOU are NOT a humble person.  I am not savvy concerning electronics and have NOT insulted your typical bargain priced speakers.  My query sounds to some other posters like mine, the same speaker cannot sound the same at double and triple the impedance but the amplifier can do the same to any speaker based on its ability to do so.  31 speakers available on their site.  Does anyone believe that intensive engineering work was done on each of these designs?  The basic design is maintained but can it be so simply applied to so many speakers?  Probably not.  

Note that there was a long discussion concerning the owner running the company (apparently by himself).  https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/an-objective-review-of-the-tekton-double-impact-speakers?sort_order=asc  

After hearing over 1000 speakers over decades, being both an amateur musician and recording engineer at major L.A. venues of an orchestra, chamber works and choirs, preferring live unamplified acoustic music (and many genres of music from Baroque Classical to Electronica), having a 55,500 LP/CD/R2R/78 recording collection, friends with world renown remastering engineers, I have my own viewpoint on sound reproduction supported by several equipment manufacturers (good friends).  Taken as a whole, the expensive Tekton speakers have some negative anomalies.  In the Double Impact Stereophile review, while overwhelmingly positive this stuck out "The Impact Monitor's vertical radiation pattern suggests that the speaker needs to be listened to within a narrow window centered on the central tweeter axis if the midrange balance is not to sound colored."  This is what I observed with them.  Opposite to my Sig 3s and especially my VS VR9s which maintain wide and even dispersion (look at that Fig.5 graph)!  Enjoy the Music gave the Moab a great review but warned concerning a manufacturer with "50!" different speakers (generally purchased unheard, chosen by price and size/use). 

So, I suggest that if there are that many speakers at so many low prices, the margins must be rather small even with the low cost components.  Such a manufacturer would be hard pressed to design a "great" $30K speaker unless some major upgrade to the design, cabinetry or parts (drivers, crossovers) are considered (some or all).  From what I read, it appears that the mid-range array is designed to bounce sound off the walls and around the room.  I prefer a more direct mid-range sound display and less room sound.  
 

I listen to music every night from 12 to 2 am and immediately fall asleep after a listening session, regardless of dynamics (but not most rock). I tube roll once, generally stick to the tubes chosen by the manufacturer but listen to my friends who have taken the time to find the best choices (they stick with their choices and stop rolling) . We are music listeners and not people who choose to play as audiophiles often do.

Now I have another poster who wasn’t in love with the Focals either. I hope more listeners purchase Tekton’s lower cost speakers instead of overpriced and/or underperforming speakers. I know of quite a few which I wouldn’t accept for free.

I am possibly too sensitive on Audiogon after having over 1,400 posters on two forums concerning measurements and musicality of components and ancillary equipment with Amir from Audio Science Review going NUTS on those forums expounding on why he is always right and his acolytes confirming whatever he says (and throwing the other Audiogon members off his site if they mention cabling, fuses, footers, etc).

I would prefer your Tekton speakers on axis over many local high end systems I’ve heard which despite their high prices, wanted me to run away (bad system matching, big Wilson Alexandrias & good equipment but just resolution and unrelenting, Avant Garde Trios/triple Basshorns/REL subs with bad cabling and worse electronics, etc).

P.S. I would never have purchased my Legacy speakers without having heard them at friend’s homes first, or the Von Schweikerts.

@p05129  My neighbor purchased his YG Sonja 3s and I purchased a Von Schweikert VR9 SE MK2 98% for their sonic properties and 2% because they looked appropriate (great finishes, black-we like that, in our dedicated listening rooms and for the living room, NOT black, wood or white only). The big Tekton’s are okay but with a really plain appearance with a grill but yuk without them but that’s only my wife and my opinion. Lastly, I often listen in the dark, especially early evening to relax. With a system which maintains relative dynamics and all the color and dispersion at normal listening levels, it’s a pleasure to listen more quietly in the dark. 1. 2. & 3. okay!