Here are some great value amps;
SS AMPS
- Job 225 - wonderful sounding
- Many Class D amps from companies like D Sonic & Nuprime - many great choices. Not for all, but no doubt they offer extreme value vs conventional amps just a few years ago.
- Powered dacs like the Lyngdorf 2170 and Exogal Comet are particularly great values and amazing sounding.
- Emotiva
TUBE
- Inspire by Dennis Had - must have very high efficiency speakers
- Prima Luna
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Thanks for the link to the tube amp site Kenny. Does he build point to point or with circuit boards? Like the amps and prices. Not a fan of circuit boards in tube amps and thus my question. His amps remind me of Dennis Had’s amps. Dennis builds his himself all point to point wired. Works of art!
Second, Hammond output tranny? I have used them and they are OK, but....
SS rectification is a great way to go with your speakers. Typically SS rectification yields better bass performance. Always exceptions, but in general I have found SS rectification best in tube amps.
Will your custom amp use different output trannys? |
Electra-Print trannys are great! Can get pricy. Perhaps you can find James transformers on EBay or elsewhere? They no longer make them, but they can be found. They are wonderful for the money.
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Kenny, you are on top of it! Where is the builder located? |
Kenny, it is a new sound for you after a bit of time off from 2a3’s. If you were to listen to the 2a3 only for say two years and then pop in a more powerful OTL etc.., then you would be equally pleased and excited about what that new sonic flavor brings that you have been missing. It’s just the way it goes with great amps of different sonic flavors. Great OTLs, SET DHTs, PP EL34s, Class A SS, Class D, Hybrids ( I love these), all bring a slightly different sonic flavor that can certainly please us greatly for long periods of time. Make a change to a new amp and enjoy a whole new flavor with all of the freshness and excitement that goes with that. All our favorite music now delivers a slightly different experience, that if in our enjoyment zone, becomes a new musical high!
The key is the new amp must be in our wheelhouse of musical enjoyment. Some have a smaller wheelhouse, while others have a very wide wheelhouse. Many fall in between.
I have no doubt the 2a3 amp is fantastic, I owned two, but one cannot dismiss the role "new" plays to our ears with the above caveat.
This is not true of women, or more specifically, our spouses. Only one best for life with no other options even looking good. 😀 |
Kenny, please let us know where you end up on the tube amp build. I would love to build a 2a3 amp just the way you are going about it. I would choose the same 6sn7 and SS rectification.
Now I just need speakers that mate well with the 3 watts! That is a very cool aspect of the DI speaker. I would usually use my Lyndorf and sometimes put the 2a3 into service. Fun stuff! |
Great build Kenny. Tremendous pricing also. Those magical Duelund silver foil bypass caps in the coupling positions would do wonders with the fine Audyn caps. You know that already.
I think he uses electrolytic caps in the power supply? Anyway to use film? Yes they take up more room and may not be possible. I love the Clarity TC line, but even Solen Fast Caps will sound better than electrolytics. This is an important area for consideration. Film caps in the power supply do make a difference.
Not sure if the design uses bridge rectification? Regardless, using the low noise, fast recovery types adds very little to cost.
Resistors also impact the sound. I really like the SHINKOH - Tantalum sold at Parts Connextion. They are beautiful sounding. Many DIY guys love them also. Well thought off.
Fun stuff! Enjoy.....
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Yes film bypass is a great idea Kenny. |
Ok Charles how did the DIs sound? You must know we want your impressions as this is a DI thread and your experience with them will be helpful. Thanks. 🙂 |
I wonder the very same thing. Thanks Charles. |
You must be joking? Right? Perhaps I am too dim to see your subtle humor. Threads are living and breathing, if you will, and the ebb and flow of old and new postings/posters is natural and common. I love what I am learning from this last ebb. Great stuff! |
@grey9hound
I just read your earlier post and now understand your comment. My bad. Sorry. I get it now as I am indeed dim.
Your Rogue amp is one of the best tube amps available at any price. I have read the reviews and know folks who own it. It is very special and a smart buy. Fact is your amp ranks up there with Tekton in terms of killer value.
I bet it has amazing control of the DI speaker. I have no doubt it plays the DI with a sense of scale, ease, control that few low power tube amps could match.
I have looked at that amp used on several occasions, but never pulled the purchase lever. |
I am curious if you feel your power is overkill? Is the extra power a positive thing with the DI speaker? What are you using for a preamp and source? Thanks.
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@porscheracer, Over the the years I have had the opportunity to own and listen two many top flight preamps. Far too many for me to list, but units like the Tom Evans Vibe & Pulse, CJ LS16 MKII, Audio Note M6, Supratek Cortese, TRL Dude, and many others. I sold gear for several wealthy audio friends giving me access to great pieces regularly. Fun! I say this because one preamp in particular always stood out as exceptional. It is the Audio Valve Eklipse. We had a shootout with this preamp and an Audio Research LS27 and all of us easily preferred the Audio Valve. It is an amazing sounding tube preamp that flies under the radar. You can buy one new for around $4500 and used for $2500-$3000 when they show up. Not sure if this one is still available; http://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649370934-audio-valve-eklipse/The seller recaps the sound of this unit nicely in his listing. No need for me to add more as he did a great job. If I needed a preamp today, then I would most definitely seek out a used Eklipse. Hard to find used but they do come up once in a while. |
For a 6sn7 preamp the deHavilland UltraVerve 3 Preamplifier will be hard to beat. Call her for best pricing and you will find it reasonable.
The unit can be upgraded easily with a couple of part upgrades for even better sound. It is a wonderful 6sn7 based preamp. |
Thanks for sharing sch06. The DI speakers are so very intriguing to me and I am sure they would be great with the Lyngdorf.
Another Aphile I am corresponding with uses the Lyngdorf 2170 and is selling a very high end, well reviewed, and expensive set of DHT monoblock amps. He has the DI speakers also.
What folks have to know is Lyngdorf started the whole digital amp thing long ago and does not approach their designs like ICE, Hypex, Pascal, and the like. They have engineered a completely different approach so they cannot be lumped in with other Class D amps. Forget any and all preconceived notions about Class D or simple one box solutions with the 2170. Plus the room correction, dac, and SOTA volume control are all part of the package that just works beautifully together.
Care must be taken with a good quality power cord/conditioning to get the most out of the 2170. The Core Power Technology products are great with the 2170 as well as Furutech Alpha Nano power cables. Also, the unit should be left on and not in standby for best sound. It only pulls some 20 watts so no big deal. It runs very cool and only weights 19 pounds. No tube expense, heat, expensive tube upgrades, and replacing. No worries about little ones touching the amp and getting burned or playing music 10 hours a day, every day.
Just another option for those wanting a simple and beautiful sounding rig solution.
Lastly, for those of you comfortable with mods and letting go of your warranty😁 I know of and performed a mod that yields stunning results with this unit. I even let Lyngdorf know about because I was so excited. Doubt they are as excited as me however! Ha!
Enjoy your DI speakers! |
David, great point that the 2170 is a nice SS option for some. It has been said many times that the DI speaker affords its owners many system options. That is certainly an audiophile’s dream! |
Aniwolfe, prayers and best wishes for your family, home, and community in the face of this storm. |
Evolvist, David and I were both stunned at the improvement realized after running the Room Perfect set-up. I had the same reaction in two different rooms and with the Harbeth 40.1 and AZ Crescendo speakers. One of my rooms was already well "treated" with all manner of room treatments, but the room correction just took it to the next level of enjoyment.
Fancinsting technology that will only get better! |
There is no hype on the Lyngdorf. None. Near nobody talks about it. I mention it here and there, as a voice in the wilderness, in a fair and complete manner. What I hype I can assure all is good, no great. Been there, done that with more gear and combos than most over the years and have context for my statements. Even I don’t hype it, but I do point it out as a real alternative based on its real bleeding edge technology.
Even if a piece of gear is objectively great it does not follow that everyone will love it. That is one reason we see so much used gear for sale including Lyngdorf, Coincident, Berning, Atmasphere, and all others. |
An additional point on the 2170 to get the most out of it. It should be used as the one box solution it is. To simply use
it as an amplifier, or as preamp with room correction only, or using an external DAC with it misses the greatness of the whole in my opinion.
The ability to lose all of the additional cabling and take advantage of the very short signal paths and inherent synergy of this one box solution is one of the reasons why it sounds so darn good.
I tried hooking up all manner of external amplifiers to the 2170 including tube amps and even their own model 2400 amplifier. In the end the 2170 sounded best on its own. |
Correct on the 2170 in terms of the finer "DAC" details. I am saying to let the 2170 do its total thing🙂 |
Definitely staying tuned as this is the model that interests me the most. Based on my experience, even in a well thought out design, the quality of drivers and crossover parts really matter.....big-time! Any additional cabinet/dampening upgrades is also a plus. Thanks Mike.
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@grey9hound
+1. No doubt the ST100 is one of those amps that defies being lumped into tube or SS sound. Owners and reviewers have all had the very same experience with this amp. It is also a great example of outstanding value competing with amps costing many times more. |
@sbayne
Well said and I agree. Great big amp world out there and I have certainly heard SS and hybrid amps with as much or more emotion, air, tone, color etc... as a DHT or PP tube amp. These comparisons should not be in general, but specifically as every amp sounds different. Not all Class D amps sound the same or are even cut from the same sonic cloth. Not all DHT amps sound the same, nor are they all blessed with the magical qualities we all love in music. Just too simple and general based on my experience with amplifiers.
Again, great big amp world out there folks. |
@greg22lz
My goodness your comments about your wife's experience is so wonderful and arresting. Never read a better component recap on performance!
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@grey9hound
I live in Franklin, TN and want the same opportunity! Want to split the cost on a new pair with each of us listening for a month? We can decide who keeps this pair and the other can decide if they want to buy a set after auditioning.
Just kidding, but I wish we had a TN owner.
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@grey9hound
Sorry, I knew you owned the DIs and had a brain fart. Read too fast. I would love to stop by and listen. I will contact you through Agon so we can determine a best day and time. Thank you so much!
Bill |
Yes we have several very good choices. The deHavilland UltraVerve 3 Preamplifier is a great 6sn7 choice. The First Sound Presence Deluxe Mk III Tube preamp for sale here is another 6sn7 great choice. It will sound better than the UltraVerve, but is now over 10 years old.
A used Audio Valve Eklipse Preamplifier would be the best choice sonically. Check and see if it is still available on US Audio Mart. This is not a 6sn7 preamp, but sounds remarkable. I love 6sn7s also, but the design is far more important than the tube employed.
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@porcheracer
A great SS preamp for reasonable money used, under $1000, is the Bel Canto Pre 3. Absolutely wonderful. Neutral in the best way and so smooth! !
For more money the Rowland Capri in it’s various versions is very good indeed. About $1800 - $2100 used.
For or even more money, one of the best preamps available tube or SS at any price, is the Tom Evans Vibe with Pulse power supply. Stunning preamp that defies labels of tube or SS sound. Dead quiet and so musical. Sheer absence of noise is a revelation.
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I owned ASL amps before and had several issues with blowing tubes and resistors. They were different models like the Hurricane, but worth mentioning here.
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Well, I will finally get a chance to hear the upgraded version of the DI’s in @grey9hound system Friday. He was kind enough to let be come by for a visit and listen. Looking forward to meeting Dennis and enjoying his wonderful system.
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I looked at the one for sale here and he uses very good parts quality for sure. Very good quality. Better than preamps costing 4x his. Wish it was point to point wired instead of circuit board, but that in itself is not a deal breaker. Plenty of circuit board built tube preamps sound great.
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@lak
I am listening to a set tomorrow and will give you my impressions. I have asked myself the same questions. Good questions. I own the Crescendo speakers as you know. Terry L , the reviewer of the DI speaker, felt the DI was a better sounding speaker. That got my attention 🙂
I think you will also also need to hear a pair in order to make a wise decision.
I do know your amp will drive them easily based on all the comments here and elsewhere regarding how easy they are on amplifiers. |
Thank you for building point to point wired tube amps and continuing this art! Bravo! |
Well @grey9hound was kind enough to allow me, at total stranger, to visit his home and enjoy his company, his system, and Romeo his wonderful canine companion. Romeo and I hit it off spectacularly!
Here are some details of Dennis’s system:
McIntosh MX151 Pre-amp. It comes with the Lyndorf Room Correction software.
JRiver Media
Rogue Audio St-100 stereo tube amp tricked out with NOS Telefunken 1960s 12ax7 tubes
Voodoo Audio Reference speaker cables
Purest power and IC cables cables the circumference of my arm! Forget the models, but very high quality.
The room is a basement room with concrete under carpet and two concrete walls covered in paneling. The room is open on the left side to an adjoining space/room. Not sure of the room’s exact dimensions and perhaps Dennis can clearify. Speakers looked to be about 8 feet apart center to center and we sat about 9 feet back with a wall directly behind us. Speakers were perhaps 18 inches from the wall behind them. Dennis will need to confirm actual measurements.
His JRiver Media software is just amazing and Dennis has complete mastery over it. The features and adjustability seem limitless from my virgin perspective. We listened to his ripped cd files which covered music genres ranging from electronica to female vocalist. I could not bring any of my music as I do not own CDs, but stream from Tidal and play my ripped and now sold music collection. He did have several artists and recordings I am very familiar with including Van Morrison who is my favorite artist.
First, the Tekton DI speaker is the most interesting speaker I have ever listened to. Eric the designer/builder has a speaker that portrays a sonic perspective, that to my ears, is new and somewhat unique. What he has accomplished for $3300 shipped (upgraded model) is astonishing. He has my sincere respect. Not sure how anyone could come away with a different conclusion after a serious listen in a reasonably set up system.
Please understand my thoughts are based on a well seasoned perspective having owned all manner of gear and systems over the decades. My last five speakers include;
Soundlab A1s driven by Atmasphere MA1s
Lahave Audio Khara driven by numerous tube amps including DHTs
Coincident Total Victory II driven by several SS and tube amps
Harbeth 40.1s driven by tube amps and the Lyngdorf 2170
Acoustic Zen Crescendo highly modified and upgraded my myself - driven by a Lyngdorf 2170 also modified by myself. This is my current set up.
I will cover the bass first and this will take little time and few words. In Dennis’s room the bass response was remarkable. He played some electronica at db levels well over 100db that pulsated my body and the room. It was remarkably deep, powerful, and articulate. The DI speaker gives a wonderful foundation to many recordings, even the ones we all love that often sound mediocre at best. On all types of music the bass was fast, impactful, and always articulate. My Crescendo speakers cannot match the bass exploits of the DI. This was clear folks. In fact with room correction and in Dennis’s set up, no speaker I have owned comes close.
The next attribute I quickly took note of was the immediacy of this speaker. Here is where it is rather unique and ground breaking. Song after song, genre and genre, the immediacy of the performance was uncanny and arresting. The instruments seems to be right before me and spread out nicely right to left.
These two attributes, bass and immediacy, make the DI speaker a fun and exhilarating experience. They make audio and listening fun!
For $3300 I know of no speaker that comes close it it’s overall level of sonic performance. Let’s go a little deeper now.
Ever watch that Seinfeld episode of the "close talker"? The person stands unusually close to others when in conversation thus invading
personal space. The immediacy of the DI ended up giving me this feeling. This first few rows perspective was evident recording after recording. I would have liked more stage depth. How much of this is due, if at all, to the room is impossible for me to know at this juncture.
While my current AZ Crescendo speakers are not as impressive in bass response, speed, and uber immediacy, they sound more beautiful and lovely to my ears. Here is a somewhat poor example, but it at least sums up my feelings pretty well. The DI speakers are a fun, fantastically exciting and vividly engaging date for me. I would in the end marry the Crescendo speakers 🙂
This is only MY subjective opinion so please know that. I for example don’t usually like FAST in my gear. When I hear some piece of gear is fast it often ends up sounding less beautiful and sensual than I prefer. I am fine with things moving a tad slower and letting the notes linger and roll a tad.
Impossible to say the DI speaker beats out $20,000 speakers, as by what criteria is this judgement being made? By a speaker’s sonic muscularity and staging gymnastics? We all have different check lists and there is no one checklist of attributes that rises to the one standard for all to be judged. Listen for yourself and have fun. Goodness this is one fun ride of a speaker folks!
Remember this summary is based on my preferences, in one particular room, with one particular grouping of components. The DI speaker is an amazing achievement and a plus for our industry. It should have higher priced speaker builders a little bit anxious. If not, they are not paying real attention.
A great big thanks to @grey9hound !
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LOL Tom. We still get along famously, as you know I am looking for my next conquest in terms of taking a great sounding set of speakers and bringing them to the next level.
At this point I am not sure what that next speaker is. It may very well be the SE version of the DI speaker. It is very possible this speaker will be a tad more refined and maybe more to my preference for a more beautiful or sensuous sound.
I do know I will have to hear them in person before I will be able to decide. No rush for me as my current speakers won’t be going anywhere until I know for sure. Perhaps they’ll never go? We will see.
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In talking with @aniwolfe he made it very good point. If you’re listening levels are say in the 70s, in terms of db levels, the immediacy of the speaker may be very comfortable for you. I listen in the 70s but also into the 80s on my system.
I also want to state that the speakers had some toe-in. Dennis can give the actual amount of toe-in. It was moderate. |
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Well you make some good points Terry. His Rogue amp however and cabling are not forward. The DI speakers are more forward sounding as I am sure you know. They do indeed lean towards sounding forward. His preamp does offer the SOTA Lyngdorf room correction and this really helps this speaker sound as it should in a given room.
In the end the DI speaker does lean, I do mean just lean, on the forward more analytical side of things.
My Crescendo speakers are heavily modified and more resolved and airy compared to stock. They still deliver the tone and perspective I prefer however.
I drive my Crescendos with 100% digital gear. No tubes. Lyngdorf 2170 and a Sound Science Music server. The resulting sound is beautiful, full bodied, relaxed, vivid and sensual. No tubes. no DHT, no 2a3...
I say this because DHT tubes are not maditory for a system, total system, to deliver the kind of lovely tones some say only come from small tube watts. |
Agree, we disagree and that is fine. I like the voice of the singer to be attached to the body with the tone that comes with that. It is not just the gear in front that makes this happen as all speakers have a voice and perspective, even the DIs.
My Crescendos with a class D amp have this tone. These are relative things and impossible to untangle in a forum. Make no mistake however, the DIs do have their own sound and personality. They can be seasoned with gear, but they will always be what they are because of the design.
The DIs are certainly one enjoyable and fun speaker. Enjoy your music all! |
Terry, you may be correct regarding utter transpancy, at least in part. I found the instruments and voices all clear, clean, and so close I could reach out and touch them. Sometimes all of this impact was all on the same sound plane. All of this marvelous resolution and bass impact was just a tad too stark for me. The recodings were put out before me in a stark way compared to Harbeth, Crescendos, and other speakers I have owned. Hope you understand that. Again, a personal thing. Yes, I notice you Tekton and now I want some privacy is how I felt at times. Other times I was having a ball tapping my feet and rocking my head.
It is, in my estimation, part of the DI speaker’s sound and personality. Sure, different gear upfront will add, subtract, tame or heighten the inherent personality of a speaker. However, based on my experience, a speaker will not completely stop being what it fundamentally is with gear and wire changes
I don’t like my gear too fast. I know this flies in the face of what many like and shoot for. The Crescendo lingers longer on notes and rolls along in a more romantic way. This is not just a reflection of the gear I front of them. Is this accurate? Who knows. I like it. They have this personality relative to the DI speakers. The Crescendos are not slow at all, but relative to the DIs they may be. Too much speed and resolution makes me nervous at times. 😊
The very name of the speaker implies exactly what the builder was after and designed for. He succeeded in a big way. This speaker has impact from head to toe and it does not go unnoticed. More impact. More.
I still need to hear them in my room with my gear to really know how they play on home field.
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@audioman58 is correct and does have good experience with modifying and upgrading crossovers and gear. I now have a fully
broken in pair of DI speakers with the upgrade package he offers playing in my system. I own them having purchased them from a past owner who can no longer stand to see them in his listening room. Why? Nothing to do with sound quality, but because of his horrific customer service experience with Tekton. Let’s just say Tekton needs additional talent and help moving forward if they want to achieve sustainable success.
So how do they sound vs. my highly upgraded set of Acoustic Zen Crescendo speakers? I will get to that in a moment. First, my room has 10 foot ceilings and is 24 x 33. The speakers are 8 feet apart center to center and 4 feet from the wall behind them. I sit 9.5 feet back. I do have some moderate toe in, nothing aggressive.
First, I prefer my AZ Crescendo speakers for their all around performance. They are the better speaker in my room and to my ears. They are as resolving and detailed as the DI, but deliver the details in a more meaty and full bodied manner. The music is indeed more rich, lovely, and beautiful with the AZ speakers. The AZ speakers have better bass. No, not as fast and tight as the DI. The DI speakers seem to have bass issues sounding lean quite often. Some tunes have deep and powerful bass, but most are presented in a lean manner. Deep bass is there on some tunes. Fast and articulate bass. But many recordings are missing the body and meat needed to carry the tune. Missing the tone, body, meat, and warm glow of my AZ speakers. I guess I am saying they sound lean with ultra fast deep bass notes there and gone so fast as to strip the music of its natural resonance and beauty in my rig.
The mids are wonderful as are the highs. They image very well and throw a great big stage. In my room, set up properly, they do not sound forward or bright. I cannot fault the sound from the mids up.
The cabinets are indeed one of the weak points holding this speaker back in bass performance. Very frustrating speaker in this regard. I kept saying to myself “darn, where is the bass”. Then for brief moments it shows up only to leave you wanting again. The wire and parts used from caps to drivers also impare the bass performance. The wire gauge is very, very thin for bass drivers.
Here is what I learned regarding bass performance. @kdude66 upgraded his woofers to the Eminence Beta Model which is 2db more efficient and offers slightly better specs. The key here is the aditional 2db of bass volume. Since I have Roon I was able to use the wonderful DSP tools and added 2db of bass up to 200 hertz. This made all the difference in the world. I have read many posts complaining about the bass on the DI speaker and this additional 2db or so gives the speaker a more pleasing presentation. The speaker is now more consistently full bodied and meaty.
This is not about liking added midbass bloat or veering off of neutral. It is about making this speaker more tonally complete and reflective of the source material in the bass area.
I conclude this is the best $3500 speaker I have ever heard. Easily. To say it betters $20,000 speaker’s handily or regularly is hyperbole in my humble opinion. I think it is easy to be swept off your feet by the speaker’s unique sound in the mids and it’s remarkable brilliance and immediacy. Unique and uncanny leading one to get very excited and rightly so. However, the speaker does have bass flaws and is not as tidy or refined as my AZ speakers in the mids and highs. I would like more richness and ultimate smoothness ideally. This is a very slight thing folks as the DI does mids and highs very well as I have mentioned. Others have said it is a smidgen “rough around the edges” compared to top performing speakers and I agree.
For those thinking of buying this speaker this is what I would say. If you love a rich and lovely full bodied sound and don’t want speakers finicky in this regard, then make sure you hear these speakers first. They are fussy or finicky of all your gear as they are a little lean sounding. Many recordings and gear will only serve to highlight this lean tendency and while impressive sounding, you may be left longing for more warmth and full bodied beauty.
If you value speed, detail, imaging and really don’t need more full bodied tone, then you will be delighted with this speaker as is.
Ok, the great news for DIY guys is you can turn these speakers into everything and anything you could ever want. The bass issues noted above can be remedied with the better Beta driver, bettter quality crossover parts, thicker gauge wire, additional cab dampening, and 2db of bass boost up to 200 hertz. Yes, all these ingredients in varying combinations will get you there.
High quality Duelund hook up wire, SOTA resistors and capacitors will certainly benifit the mids and highs resulting in more refinement. Parts such as Lefson and Path Audio resistors, Jupiter copper foil caps, Mundorf Evo caps and others will refine and deliver more beauty.
One could spend $1500, no labor included, and improve things nicely,
I won’t be posting here much, if any, anymore for personal reasons. Let’s just say it is more healthy for me this way. I wanted to post this as I know many audiophiles are looking and wondering about this speaker. While it is a great speaker it is not perfect. I am thrilled at the level of sound quality now available for $3500. Very refreshing and good for the industry. Some will prefer other speakers for $5000 because they desire a different sonic personality. That is just the way it is. Know what you like in sound and find it. Don’t assume any speaker based on the hype will deliver what you want. Listen to it and determine for yourself. The DI speaker does have a unique sound and personality. It just does. Will you like it? Perhaps, perhaps not. For me to live with it I will need to modify it to my liking as outlined above. If you have Roon try adding 2db or so up to 200 hertz. Play with this as it will take time to dial it perfectly with your room and preferences.
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Modified Lyngdorf 2170
Music Vault Ultra server from Sound Science
BPT modified balanced power conditioner
Core Power Technology modified balanced power cords
20amp direct lines with Porter Ports outlets
Western Electric 10gauge DIY speaker cable
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Yes fully broken in as they are 3 months old. My comments are vs speakers like the AZ Crescendo and other top shelf speakers. No right or wrong here folks. No need to be defensive or looking for explainations under the rug and the like. All this is subjective based on a great big world of speaker options and experiences. Just reporting my experiences. I have owned far too many systems, but my experience level is very high as a result. Take care Agoners. |
WE 10 gauge is actually on the warm side completely. Owners know this about the 10 gauge. Wonderful full bodied cable. That is why I own it. The 16 gauge is more lively. My system is geared and specifically tweaked for rich, full bodied sound. The modified BPT and CPT all help as well as the WE10 gauge. The Lyngdorf with room correction assures the DI speakers sound as intended also. The Lyngdorf is quite neural, but leans on the warm side of things. |
My heath is fine. My mental health suffers when on the Gon threads as I find they go nowhere due to closed mindedness among other things. I won’t go into it here. Many good folks on this thread and enjoy your DIs. I will take mine to a level beyond the SEs and see what that does. Should be fun, informative, and a labor of love. |
I should point out that the parts in the $300 Upgrade are interesting. For a DIY dude these are a dream come true. Great design and bones!
Dayton $1.50 cap on tweeter
Clarity PX cap on mid tweeters $8
The rest of the caps are all under $5 electrolytics. Bipolar generic types. The wire is all perhaps 18-20 gauge mill spec. All sand cast resistors.
The fact that these sound so good with these parts is a big testament to the wonderful design. They can be taken to another level easily.
When a builder is selling to hit a $3300 price point they really have no other choice in terms of parts quality. I would do the very same thing. Heck, they sound good as is. Amazing. |
Evolvist all good points. I am however clearly hearing this speaker’s unique voice. It is what it is. Decide and tweak accordingly. |
If anyone is looking for a complete set of four 6.5 midrange drivers and four 10 inch woofer drivers as a replacement/back-up sets for their DIs just contact me. The Tekton DI original custom drivers only 50 or so days old and as new. Have boxes and packing for them. |
