Tekton Double Impacts

Bill,
I sent you a pm about your question.

mazikrav,

I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying your brilliance speakers,they are a interesting design for sure.

I used to own the F3,very nice amp but is a little light on bass and dynamics overall.You might want to look into the F7.

I don't recall your room size and how close you are to your speakers.
I presently own the F7 and a Diy sit2 that is class a push pull that uses 2 pair of Nos Sony Vfet's a side making 40 watts into 4 ohm.Quite a unique amp.

The J2 is also a very good amp as well,great clarity and focus but can be a touch light in bass system dependent Offcourse.

Best of luck to you,
Kenny.

mazikrav,

Al does bring up some solid concerns with your pairings but I remember you mentioning before the add on to your preamp.

I personally never have liked any of the different passive preamps that I have tried and much prefer a lwr gain active preamp.

I found the J2 to have more clarity than the F3 in my system and my ears.

If you are wanting to stay in the pass family of amps you might look at the X30.8.It's big,heavy and runs hot but also sounds very good.
I sold mine locally and I never heard it with my DI's though,I'ts a very good sounding amp I just went in a Diff. direction at the time.

What phono preamp do you use from Sound smith?

Best,
Kenny.

whacky,

You will need 1/4 x20 thread size and 1 inch length.

Lots of folks are using the threaded stud gliders on hardwood floors and or carpet with good results.I agree spikes are just to cumbersome.

I use the gliders and they rest on small hardwood bases that are basically the same dimensions of the speaker.You will hear better defined bass to raise the speaker off the floor and the gliders will give good isolation and make it easy to move the speaker around for positioning.

Best of luck,
Kenny.

ipretiring,

Now I agree with what Charles has said.

I considered the dynamo MK2 version myself and I know without question that coincident offers a very good build quality but I did'nt get one and decided to try a Zotl40 from LTA.I'm already using their preamp the MZ2S and might have better system synergy.

I have owned and heard several different brands of a Sep el-34 tube amp and really didn't like any of them including a Dennis Had model.
I much prefer the El-34 tube in a push pull topology,I found the Sep to be lean in the mids and lack extension on both ends.

The dynamo might be better in these attributes,I don't know for sure I have never heard one.I'm not big fan of chrome on my electronics either much prefer good ole Henry Ford black.

One thing I do know for sure is that no Sep amp is ever going to have the magic that a true DHT set amp has but the dynamo might get very close and for 1500.00 you probably can't go wrong either way.

If you do get one let us know how you like it.

Best of luck to you,
Kenny.

Craig59,

Craig, the Dialogue Premium and Dialogue Premium HP power amps operate in class AB 1 configuration and have no pure class Output even at lwr pwr.They are configured to operate in triode or ultra linear modes but the output pwr ratings with different tubes all make sense to me that they are ab output.

But like you said your large room needs much more pwr.

Mikirob,

Very interesting to hear that you like the MZ2S paired with the dynamo made that much a difference.
I just love my MZ2S and have paired it with several different amps just to try it.I will be getting a Zotl 40 next Tuesday and I will use Mullard XF2's that I already have in my collection,should be a very nice pairing from what I'm reading.

Best,
Kenny.

LP,

I'm sorry to hear about any health issues in your family.

I totally agree with Charles,
I never take health and my hobby of music for granted I feel like every day that I can that I'm truly blessed also.

On the plus side,I'm almost positive that Eric can make you a 8ohm version of the Electron if that is what you want.

I wish you and your family nothing but the best,

Kenny.

whacky,

I use the standard gliders with great results.I have the 1 inch thread length,I can't see needing any longer when installed.

If the DI's where even bigger and heavier I probably would have bought the giant version.

I can't comment on the difference between the 2.

I've seen folks rtv "Hockey Pucks" to the bottoms of their speakers with good results also.Might be a option for you till you decide which one you want.Just a thought.

Best,

Kenny.

Pr,

I hope you enjoy your DI's when you get them,I really like mine.
Very good sounding speaker especially for the money.

I haven't heard anything about the Vidar amps,I quess they are finally available to buy.

I do have a Yggdrasil with more than 500 hrs on it and It's a nice dac almost as good overall as my direct stream jr.

Wiil the vidars be safe to use as a bridged mono block into 4 ohms if you choose that configuration.

Best of luck to you,
Kenny.

mazikrav,

Al's thoughts on your placette preamp are spot on.

I'ts so confusing to me that they call it a Active  linestage but the specs only list "Unity gain.

And like Al has pointed out unity gain = no gain.

If I was in your position and really liked the F3,I would look at replacing it with a active linestage preamp such as the LTA MZ2S.
Then if you wanted to later try the F7 you would have a much better matchup.

Just my thoughts and opinion but I'm strongly against using a passive preamp in my system in general.

If you still wanted to keep and use your placette you really need to find a suitable Amp that has the average gain of 26 db.

What is your budget and the sonic signature that you like.

Best,

Kenny.

Vitop,

No real evidence to me that the vidar sounds worth a schiit,
Time will tell but that is quite a attractive price.

Kenny.

Bill,

Wow you did get that king amp very fast,
I would like to hear how it works out for you also.

Kenny.

Mac,

I'm like you and just totally impressed with the MZ2S.
Your using some of the best tube combos that I believe make a huge difference in sound.

Still hard to believe that the glorious 1 watt from the MZ2S can pwr such a huge speaker and have such control and well defined bass that is generally not lacking in volume for me unless I want to listen to some forms of classical and classic rock music at a little higher level.

I guess we both need to thank Teajay again for bringing the MZ2S capabilities and sound qualities to our attention.

The nos Tung Sol Vt-99,6f8g tubes with adapters and or 12au7's might be some interesting and good sounding combos as well.

Best,
Kenny.

Charles,

Many amplifiers could possibly be a step backwards from where you are. High power seems superfluous with the Double Impacts given how easily they’re driven.

You're spot on with this wisdom,
I have found that a person needs to pick a Amp carefully and the DI's will respond accordingly in sound.

Best,
Kenny.

danonano,

Welcome to this long and elvolving thread from some very happy owners of the Tekton Double Impacts.

I personally think that the DI's are quite a large step up in sound than the Pendragons and I think you might really like them.

Best of luck to you,

Kenny.

Interesting new review of the LTA Zotl40,

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/linear-tube-audio-zotl40-mk-ii-power-amplifier/


Kenny.

Bill,

Sounds like the King amp is sounding very good for you and Thank's for sharing.

I don't doubt a bit that a active preamp would be better and a nice selection of quality tubes will take it to a higher level.

Best,
Kenny.

Craig,

To answer your question about the Nord amps,
I have used a few different class d amps with the DI's,

Diy Ncore nc400
Bel Canto Ref 600m
Red Dragon S-500
Ps audio M700
Nord one up nc500 mono's with sonic imagery 994 op amps 

I have also heard the Devialant 440 but was paired with Magico Q3's

If I was going to class d with the DI's,which I'm not,I probably would go with the Nord's,Just my opinion Offcourse.

We have a local audio club in my area and I get to listen to and borrow all kinds of gear.

Best of luck to you,

Kenny.

Charles,

When my wife and I Demoed a pair of Q3's earlier this year at a dealer out of state they had them paired with a Devialant 440.

I was greatly impressed with the build quality of the magico's and the fact that they make their own drivers and utilize some of the very best crossover parts and design.

We only listened to analog and the dealer allowed us to bring and play our own lp's.I took 6 of my very best and favorites that I know very well.

I found the pairing to have incredible clarity with pinpoint accuracy within the soundstage that you could reach out and grab.The overall tone,harmonics,and timbre of individual instruments and voices were much inline to my preferences and found the treble to be very pleasing and have all the detail I would ever need.

Now as a demo pair that were at the top of my speaker budget,the shortcomings that I heard ultimately made my decision for me not to buy and wait and listen to something else.About the time that I found this thread and also read some reviews about the DI's,I decided to give Eric a call and ask some questions that he answered quite well even some I didn't think that he would.I decided to give the DI's a shot and you know the rest of the story,very happy owner and not looking back.

The Q3's sounded a little small in size at times and was missing the little resonances and nuances from instruments that make the music much more enjoyable to my ears.I quess the magico cabinets are so well braced and damped and Offcourse made of aluminum and bolted together,they just sound much different than any speaker I have ever heard.Now I think there is a fine line there,I would'nt like a speaker that has a lot of cabinet talk either but I find the DI's just about perfect in that respect.

I found the Q3's a little light in bass and might would have to use subs with them and I don't want to do that.The Di's are just right with goldilocks bass without subs for me.

Ultimatly if I was to spend 24k on Just speakers they had better do everything right.Buying the much cheaper Di's allow my budget to buy other equipment for my 2 systems.

Charles,I would love to read your opinion on both of these very high end products.

Best,
Kenny.

Craig,

Some have reported overly-clinical sound in the past but the new op amp design appears to have addressed this complaint.

And it it does to some degree but at the end of the day I still find class d amplifiers not my cup of tea.

The midrange and the highs aren't quite right to my ears for the overall sonic presentation that I prefer.

I also don't need anywhere near that kind of pwr with my DI's.

The MZ2S can easily drive them to the mid to upper 80's in db levels at my seated location 10 ft away and still have a little headroom.
My room size is 20x25x9 with a open kitchen on one end.

If I listen to some types of classical and classic rock,I do need a little more pwr,but I already own several amps for that and just got today a Zotl 40 that I will be trying out.

I do love the technology of class d and I think in the next 10yrs or so they will elvolve enough and probably be really good.

You might actually like the nords in your system and there is only one way to find out and that is to try one.They are popular enough they would still retain resale value if you didn't like them.


Best,
Kenny.

Craig,

Good for you and I hope the Nord works out for you.

I can see your dilemma with the size of your room overall,we moved 3 yrs ago to a smaller house,our old big house had a 30x40x20 foot living room and we also had a 20x25x9 music room were my wife claimed I spent way to much time,LOL.

I'm curious if you had to pay any extra import or duty fees.

Have you read the long thread on another website about the Nords,
I can't recall which one it is.

That is one quality that many different users with different equipment and room size have in common,Is the DI's can deliver the goods in music low volumes to high volumes and still retain their excellent sound characteristics,not many speakers that I have heard or owned in my 31yrs in this hobby can pull that on off.

Best of luck to you and keep us informed,

Kenny.

Craig,

Reviewers talk uniformly about how good the bass response is with Class D and we shall see. Am able to make adjustments with Apqualizr.

I don't think you will need any adjustments in the bass department,
The Nord will deliver the deepest,tightest,most controlled bass of any other Class d amp that I have heard.Can be a touch dry depending on what you pair with them in the rest of your system and or what kinda bass that a person may be used to with other equipment.

Kenny.

David,

I think you do have some valid questions but I can't really answer them,so I will try some speculation.

Some guys are using the MZ2 as a Intergrated and or a preamp and some guys have different brand Intergrateds which Offcourse don't mostly need a preamp.Both of us probably agree that a quality preamp in the chain is a very important link related to synergy of the whole system.

You mentioned also about discussion on source components and I agree that there is been very little info.I look at that as most users of the DI's already have a quality front end either digital or analog and are kinda set using what sounds good to them,but source components can also equate into the whole of Synergy.

I used to be a big analog guy and still have a big collection of lps but honestly in the last 5 yrs or so,mainly due to today's Dac's being so darn good I find myself only playing records that I don't have digital files of or records that just simply are better recordings than the digital files I do have.

I still own 2 complete analog rigs but I do have 3 different Dac's in the mix.

Just my thoughts,

Kenny.

sbayne,

You bring up some very valid points in your last post that I agree with.
What size room do you have,and If I read your posts correctly it sounds like you are contemplating the DI's for you.

I ask this because I will be looking for a replacement set of speakers for my 2nd system in a much smaller room,12x16x9.

There was somebody mentioning that they have their DI's in a room this size with good results but I haven't tried mine in the smaller room yet.

Best,
Kenny.

Mazikrav,

I believe that the excellent sound I am getting from my best lp's is partially due to the high gain of my Sound-Smith Voice cart. At any rate, 

I do believe this to be true,but you probably are right at the level of having just enough overall system gain to make it work out with the Brilliance speakers.You defiantly don't want to use a cart. with any lower gain but I'm sure you know this.

Kenny.

Vitop,

But hell, we are talking about a $3000 set of speakers going up against speakers costing tens of thousands of dollars and holding it’s own. I would say a roaring success for the DIs regardless.

+1 on that,I luv it.

Kenny.

David,

You are asking some valid questions here and I will answer with my opinion for me.

I currently don't listen to much analog at all and see no reason to change anything with it.

I have used a fair amount of different Dac's over a 5 to 7 yr period and feel like I have upgraded in sound overall with what I use now.

Direct stream
Direct stream Jr
Yggy

The Yggdrasil is the newest and was mainly bought to compare with the Jr and be used in my 2nd system.I use the direct stream in my main system and I haven't tried the Yggy there.Maybe I need to and maybe different cabling as well needs to be tried.

The direct stream with the latest Huron software is the best Dac that I have ever heard or owned,do you have any suggestions.

Best,

Kenny.

David,

I see this same thing as front end being static or status quo for a few years now.Certainly not just this thread but many other ones,on other websites other than audiogon and also at audio dealers to.

Your observation has merit and is directed to the overall systems synergy which is the bottom line.

I can't really answer your question directly but maybe someone else here will have a different enlightening answer.

Kenny.

There is a longtime audiogon member named "grannyring"and he has a lyngdorf tdai-2170 and really likes it.

He has spoke some about it in this thread several pages back.

porscheracer,

What about dynamic range and headroom? I have always found low power setups, even great low power setups, to sound a little flat when driving large speakers...even very efficient large speakers. This has been especially true with some classical recordings. I have also noticed clipping, even with tube amps, that I didn't hear with higher power amps.

You bring up some very valid points and I'm certainly not trying to change your mind about the equipment that you already have,you stated before that you are just waiting on speakers and pwr amps to show up and then you will have a complete system.

I would just like to share my experience and opinion about this gear,I was shopping around for speakers and I came across this thread and read about the DI's and all the positive info,then I read a review about them and I decided to call Eric about them,He is a very busy guy and the conversation was'nt all that informative,so I decided to do my homework about the design and call again and ask some very specific questions that I really didn't think he would answer.So I was interested and took the chance and got myself a pair,I have listened to a lot of high end gear in my 31 yrs in this hobby and I'm still in amazement every day that they sound this darn good.

The DI's are efficient but they also have a relatively flat impedance load which makes them a very easy load for about any amp you would want to use.

I also use a MZ2 as well and I still can't believe how good the little guy sounds and also how well 1watt can drive such a big speaker,my room size is 20x25x9 with a open kitchen and I sit 10 ft away.I can generally play any genre of music that I listen to and receive db levels in the low to sometimes mid 90's ,with no loss of bass,or dynamic range and I have yet to hear any compression or clipping in the sound,that is with the volume knob at the 3 to 4 o'clock position and if I turn it all the up it gets only slightly louder but still has no issues.If I listen to a full orchestra music or classic rock and want it louder than I do need a little more pwr.But I'm talking very loud with levels peaking above 95db,I don't generally listen that loud anyway.

I have used several amps of several types mainly for fun,low pwr to high pwr and I have found I don't need more than 10 watts and can also just use the MZ2 most of the time.

I have also found out that the MZ2 driving lesser quality SS amps such as the parasound a21 can help them sound better than any other preamp that I have ever used.

I tried the Freya earlier this year and Offcourse gave it a fair chance with nos tubes and enough breakin time but I sent it back before the trial period ended,I mainly bought it for my 2nd system but I found it to be noisy and not really sound that good,But remember I'm a picky audiophile,buy I do like my Yggy.

Best,

Kenny.

Lance,

I'm not a engineer so I can't explain why the ZOTL amps sound so good but theyre different from any other tube design out there. To me the sound is very powerful, dynamic and fast. It has the best qualities of tubes and SS combined.

I'm not a engineer either but I'm learning more about this technology only because I'm interested.

I have never heard any of Bernings designs all of these yrs till know and I'm just highly impressed of their magical qualities.

I'm using my MZ2 with the Zotl40,which is way more pwr than I will ever need,but I've always been a fan of the EL-34 tube and I'm using 1966 Mullard XF2's that I have had for a long time,They still probably test near 100%. 

The sound is simply wonderful,very fast,powerful,plenty of color but not Technicolor,dynamic,excellent overall clarity,and wonderful tone overall.

I truly agree they have some of the best qualities of SS and tubes combined.

Maybe you will try your Zotl40 in your system and give us your thoughts.

Best,
Kenny.

David,

Are then the Double Impacts the ’equivalent’ of a breathalyzer? And a sommelier?

I would have to say possibly they are.

I do know one thing and they are quite addictive in a very good way.

Best,
Kenny.

I would say you are winning on both.

Wow you must ride a lot.

Best,
Kenny.

I'm Guilty of using some Russian Tubes before.

Gentleman,

I probably come close to trying more different amps,from 1watt to 700watts,than all the amps combined from the majority of DI owners on this thread.So I know without a doubt what kind of pwr that I need for my system,room,music preferences.

I stand by my statement that the 1 watt Micro ZOTL sounds absolutely beautiful and does not sound anemic in the least.

Lance made this statement and I totally agree with him,The MZ2 is quite remarkable on it's own in my system playing 90% of the music I listen to and will reach peaks of low 90's at my listening position 10 feet away,that is with the volume knob almost all the way up and I have'nt yet heard any sign of strain,compression,loss of bass or dynamics or clipping.It just simply runs out of volume and that should be a given I'ts only 1 watt but it's a Glorious,Sweet,and powerful sounding 1watt.

 I'm still in amazement that the little guy can pwr speakers the size of these DI's as well as it does.

Now If I want to listen louder or listen to classical symphonic music Obviously I'm going to need a little more pwr,Or if I want a different flavor in sound just hook a pwr amp up to it,The MZ2S plays very well with every amp that I have used with it.

And the pairing of the MZ2 with the Zotl40 is the best sound I've ever heard in my system and I have only played my worst sounding recordings so far,More thoughts on this in time once I sort this all out.

Best,
Kenny.

Charles,

Right on,+1.

Porsheracer,

I'm not trying to disagree with the physics or anybody else's opinions at all,I learned most of what has been said on this subject about 30 yrs ago and I know what I hear in my system.

The question I have for you is what are your music preferences,volume levels and the size of your room where your going to put your DI's.

That would probably give us all a better understanding of your requirements.

The playback of music in the home has and always will be highly subjective and really there is no right way or wrong way,It all comes down to the individual music lover and audiophile to make his or hers own choices.

Best,
Kenny.

How much toe-in are you guys using?

None pointed straight ahead works best for me.

I will be taking my MZ2S to a good local friend that mainly rebuilds and upgrades vintage SS gear and he has all the equipment to measure output and distortion.We are also going to drive some vintage Jbl 220 speakers and also some Cornwalls and see how it does.

I'm very curious myself and would like to know.

Kenny.

articdeth,

I am interested as well, EXCEPT there is no midrange dedicated driver, its all tweeters? why?

Because the 6 outer tweeters play down to 480hz,and the center tweeter is crossed over at 10k to 30k.The 2 6.5 inch midranges are crossed at 250 hz or maybe a little lower and play up to 2k,if I remember correctly from memory when I tested them.

The 2 10 inch woofers are low passed from 250 hz and the speaker has a in room measurement of 20hz in my listening room.

The tweeter array acts similar to a coaxial speaker but is much faster,more coherent,more delicate when the music calls for it,and obviously much lighter in mass.

This is where the magical sound from the DI's is coming from and Offcourse Eric's patented design.

Kenny.

David,

I do believe I have found my "Holy Grail" in preamp,which is the MZ2S.For pwr amps I'm torn between the Zotl 40 and the First watt sit2.

They both are that good giving a slightly different flavor and sonic presentation.

The F7 is good but not really that great.

More evaluation needed overall.

I will be testing the MZ2S on Friday for It's true pwr output and distortion specs.

Enquiring minds need to know.Lol.

Kenny.

LP,

I read through today's posts and haven't had the time to answer any of your questions till now,but Al and Charles gave you the facts and their opinions that are spot on.

Some of the guys build the "Truth" preamp with 6 to 10 db's of gain and with or without a buffer transformer are you sure that yours has no gain.Your explanation of how your volume knob operates I do find kinda strange or different.

But I can say that overall you will have good sound and should have plenty of volume to enjoy the music that you like.

Kenny.

Corelli,

Yes I remember what I used.
You will have to read all 31 pages to find your answer.

Lol,just kidding let me send you a PM.

Kenny.

Charles,

Thank You very much for your kindness my friend,you also have a wealth of knowledge and you are a true Gentleman without question,that maintains a open mindness and is always willing to help someone when needed.

Kenny.

articdeth,

That's a unusual name could you elaborate.

Here is a more detailed description of the DI's that may help you understand the design a little better.

Even though these are tweeter transducers the six of them that form the circle, based on what frequencies they handle, radiate acoustically as if they were one six inch mid-range driver.  The transducer in the middle is being used as a tweeter and handles the high end frequencies up to 30Khz.  So, acoustically you have a six inch mid-range driver with a coaxial mounted tweeter which means it functions as a single point source.  Now, by Eric figuring out how to make this work you get all the advantages of a coaxial driver, however the mid-range array weighs close to nothing leading to blazing speed/dynamics/micro-details compared to a regular six inch driver, regardless of what materials it is made out of it cannot be as light in weight.  Yet, you still get not only remarkable transit response, but great control because each driver is small and well behaved.  The closet you could come to this regarding weight/control would be a ribbon or AMT which cannot be used as a coaxial design as a single point source.  Brilliant on his part!

The more I listen to the DI's regarding mid-range and high frequencies they easily rival any panel design/ribbon/AMT I have had in my system and surpass them in low end extension/dynamics and overall macro-dynamics.


Kenny.

LP,
Yes I'm referring to the horn shoppe "Truth" preamp,
It looks like from what I read on their forums that some guys are modifying their Truth preamps and adding Active gain and or transformer based Impedance buffers,possibly like a autoformer.

I read through all these posts again and analyzed all the specs again and I still come to the conclusion that this pairing in gear might work ok for you in a smaller room and being close to your speakers.

Now if you listen to symphonic classical and like it loud then I also would agree with Al and say that this pairing in gear wouldn't work without more amplifier pwr,probably at least 25 watts or more.

Even though I really like the 1 watt from the MZ2S with my DI's playing easier music,more pwr is needed to play more complex and dynamic music.

I hope this helps you,
Kenny.

Fred,

I've been in this hobby for about 35 yrs and I have mostly listened to analog and playing digital as a convenience since 1982 when digital first started but over the last 6yrs or so I've been more focused with digital playback.Since we all know that digital can be hit or miss in quality and some of your favorite music maybe some of the worst recordings,I've been focused on preamp and amp pairings that give me the sonic qualities I desire along with helping those bad recordings sound much better and then my best recordings also sound even better than I have ever heard them.

I really like the pairing of my MZ2 preamp with the Zotl40 or my Diy first watt Sit2,They both produce 40watts into 4 ohms,It's like having 2 different flavors.

I listen mainly to Acoustic and vocal jazz,classic rock,classical piano and the occasional symphony orchestra,mainly as a system test.

And Offcourse finding a dac that you like is going to help the overall sound as well.

I think I have found the "Holy Grail" in components for me that have great synergy and I will be happy with them for quite awhile.

Kenny.

Hello All,

The results are in,
I took my MZ2S over to a local friend who specializes in vintage gear and he has the proper test equipment.
He did a pwr output test into a "calibrated4 ohm dummy load" and we got 1.38 watts at 1% Thd,and that was with the volume control on the MZ2S at the 4 o'clock position.With the volume control all the way up we saw a soft clipping condition on the wave form on a very nice Oscilloscope that he has recently got.This test for pwr output was done at the Industry standard frequency of 1K.

I also got to pwr 2 different sets of vintage speakers that he has in his listening room,Jbl L-220 and Kplisch Cornwalls.
It was kinda cool and good but not great sound overall,I'm not saleing my DI's anytime soon.😁

Kenny.

middle of nowhere,

Congrats on your purchase of DI's,
Let us know how you like them after you get some time on them.

I quess you can pwr them with a receiver,But I have tried lots of other gear with them and you will be just fine.

Luckily I didn't want grills with mine but I've heard they may take awhile hopefully not 6 months.

Best of luck to you,
Kenny.

Lance,

Thank's for your assessment of the 2 different amps with your DI's,

I have close results myself between the Zotl 40 and my Diy sit 2,both paired with the MZ2S.I prefer the 40 the best overall between the 2 different flavors.I'm also using Mullard xf2's from 1966.

I haven't tried the gold lion kt's yet,have you used that tube very much,love to hear your thoughts.

I did finally get to try the vt-99's in the MZ2S and I like them,quite a interesting engaging sound.

Kenny.