Tekton Double Impacts

I suspect the DI's could still perform well in this room if you have the freedom of optimizing speaker/listening position placement.

David, the build on this is a thing of beauty. If it sounds as good as it looks, it'll be a winner.  And, as you suggest, probably would be a great match with the DI's.

Listening tonight to Yo-Yo Ma playing Vivaldi's Cello Concertos on a Sony box set.  Man, this one CD alone is worth the cost of the whole set!  The DI's render this beautifully, full of detail and ambience. 

I'm enjoying my pair of Hsu ULS-15 subs coupled to the DI's.  I'll save my thoughts until after I finish the acoustic treatments to my room.  Picked up materials today for a large soffit bass trap that will run the full length of the back wall/ceiling.  The remainder of the treatments will be  commercial products that will be decided upon in the next week or so.

You know, about 80 pages ago I said that the return shipping charges would be worth the fun of playing with a new toy for a month.  More importantly, and also noted before more than once, has been what's stated above.  I can't imagine auditioning a speaker in an unknown environment and having confidence it will sound great in my room.  Your room has far greater impact on the end result than many other changes we make in our gear.  So what's the big problem here.  Unless you live near a dealer (few of us do) that stocks the gear you want, it's not like you're going to pack them up and return them locally. No, your going to ship them back.  Tekton in hardly unique in this regard.

csmgolf,
Point made.  I agree that there are some speakers you might hear at a show and you know pretty quickly this is not the speaker for you.  In that case, shows can be effective at narrowing the field.  Now if you hear several you really like......well, that's where the home edition is critical for me.
Many owners of the DI/SE's find them full range, no sub needed.  With large scale works, I do not.  I use a pair of subs that really fill in from 20-30hz.  So take the 20hz spec with a grain of salt.  Many rooms will not achieve anything below 30hz.  But for many, that is irrelevant depending on musical preference. 

@danoroo
maybe an easier answer to your problem would be to pull the crossover and replace some of those nasty caps!  Suspect it might be a fun and easier project than what Bill did with his DI's.

Happy One Year Anniversary to the Tekton DI thread.  Thanks to all for your many contributions over the past year!

Joe,
If you like the sound of your amp do not think about changing that variable right now.  I can reassure you the DI's perform well with all sorts of electronics as this thread points out.  Their efficiency allows the option of low powered SET  gear but hardly demands it.  I've listened to both tubes and higher powered SS gear.  While I appreciate the virtues of both, overall I prefer my Marantz Reference integrated.

@tomcarr Thanks for the post Tom.  You know, it's scary how much I remember about that gear down to every last detail.  And all the albums I played on it as well.  Wonderful memories indeed.

Hope you continue to enjoy the music!

Should finish up my acoustic treatments this weekend.  Subwoofers breaking in nicely.  I'll try to post some pics after things are complete.  Really quite pleased how this is all coming together.  Like the DI's, the Hsu subs have a very high performance/price ratio.  Will post more details later this weekend.

@david_ten
I can't keep up with all your gear man!  But it sounds like you are having fun.  You know, with all the posts on this thread I can't recall if you tried the Lyngdorf 2170 that Bill is so fond of.  This seems like a unique piece of solid state gear.

I finally finished by room treatments and am quite pleased with the outcome.  The room now strikes a nice balance.  Bass is now very tight and controlled down to below 20hz as I had hoped for.  My DIY mega bass trap clearly improved the bass quality.  Treatment of first reflection points increased detail and nuance without closing the sound stage in too much.  And there is no sense of reflection off the rear wall.  The DI's just seem to get better with time and respond to  any improvements as we have all found.  Please check out my system pics so you can get a better visual on the above.

The Hsu ULS 15 MK2 subs have been a nice addition to the DI's.  They are so similar to the DI's I'm not surprised they worked out.  Both have satin black finishes (with the Hsu's finish getting the nod--buttery smooth black satin) and are both are value packed.  I lugged the subs all around my room and it seemed clear that the best sound was achieved predictably in the corners of the room.  The Hsu subs do exactly what I had hoped for.  They extend the music down to just below 20 Hz which was my objective.  The DI's in my room do have response down to 30Hz (cabinet tuning frequency)  but just didn't provide the full extension I wanted in the bottom octave.  Well no longer is this an issue. The subs are dead quiet with no quirks. (On the other hand, I did need to spend time quieting several light connection boxes!)  I don't sense any intrusion into the domain of the DI's.  In short, I can fully recommend the Hsu's as a great complement to the DI's. 

Nice pics David.  Always fun to get a look at others systems we've all been reading about.  The color of your pair of SE's looks great with your system.  If you ever have a chance, would like to see a close up of the finish...and what's the official name of the color you went with?

Currently clear blue sky, not too much wind, crisp 44 degrees.  Time for a ride. Then music-fest with the DI's. (did you catch my system pics I posted last week?)  https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/7021

@knollbrent Hope you enjoy the DI's.  I just have a hard time believing your Mac will be able to drive them however......JUST KIDDIN'.  It's a good knowing your amp is not even breaking a sweat driving the DI's.  At least that how I feel with my system.

I am puzzled by your comment on speaker size though.  Are the Piega's really bigger than the Di's??

@stelo   I will echo David's comments.  While I also prefer my DI's well out into the room, others have had good results otherwise.  Depends on the room and your priorities--bass response, sound staging, etc.  I also prefer the speakers toed in (see my pics   https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/7021) so I'm not so far off axis of the central tweeter.  I find the DI's overall very well balanced and extended (but certainly not hot--a quality I loathe).
OBTW, I have a PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium HP which drives the DI's in either triode or ultralinear beautifully.  What output tubes are you using?

Sounds like the both of you are in for some very nice listening indeed. 

@david_ten    Will be very interested in how things all come together David.  That integrated looks absolutely beautiful!  In time hope you fill us in on all the pieces you auditioned and how you arrived at your final decision.

@jcarcopo  The Lyngdorf gear is very interesting.  Now if they would just make a matching CD transport.  That would be so clean looking.  Not sure why they make a conventional CD player.  Why would you want to convert to analogue and then back to the digital domain??  Or am I missing something here?

Almost forgot---GO BLUE!

@aniwolfe  Yes, I was aware of this product.  But when used in an all Lyndorf system, why would you want to convert this to analogue and back to digital?  Do the Lyngdorf's have/need DA convertors if the conversion takes place at the output stage?

Thanks for the comments jcarcopo. I guess my point was why would Lyngdorf even bother with a DA convertor when you would just feed the digital output into one of their amps. I suspect the vast majority of their cd-2 players end up paired with their amps so for my money I would have just focused on building a better transport.  But that's just me.  An old school disc spinner I admit.

Eric must never sleep.

Wow. Just got caught up on a parallel thread "Just want to auditon DI" and it seems all hell broke loose!  Sad to see that.  Glad this thread never  went in that direction (to that degree). Nothing wrong with disagreement but unfortunate when things become personal and uncivil.  Will post some further thoughts on all that tonight.

So Lance, can you comment on what the the new LTA amp brings to the table?  It sounds like you are very enthusiastic about this product and am just curious on what it does that other amps have not. 

Glad you made it back to THE Tekton DI thread.  It's a shame to see how a couple of these other threads deteriorated into name calling/personal agenda tirades that offer no useful information about Tekton speakers.  (Most of the issues brought up were things that were discussed when this thread first posted.  We all have moved well beyond Eric's patent, grill issues, etc.   For those that don't like these issues, Eric's business model, or his style, please just buy something else.  I don't think any of us have an agenda of "converting" any others out there who are uncomfortable with the above.   Eric offers a very unique product(s) with a phenomenal performance for the price.  Just do some math on the parts cost of a DI and how he offers that shipped for $3000 dollars.  He has some very unique design features here, all covered long ago in this thread, not found elsewhere.  It all adds up to great performance at a great price.  And some of us like having the choice of the standard Model T black finish.  You can spend you money how you would like. A nice option.  If you want a 2" thick cabinet of whatever with an immaculate veneer, there are many other choices out there--buy that.  So do I agree with everything Eric has said or done. NO.  But what I do know is that some of the harsh Tekton critics out there have really missed the point. The vast majority of us have never said this speaker slays all others up to XXXX dollars!  But we have been enjoying great music reproduction by the DI/SE/Ulfs in our homes for some time.)

@lancelock
I can see why you are excited after reading that review.  Keep us in the loop once your SE's arrive.

@knollbrent
What kind of low end extension do you think the Electrons are achieving in your room?

Dang.  I have to admit, as happy as I am, if they live closer I would go look!  Thanks sbayne.

Glad you are enjoying them knollbrent.  I turned off my subs last night and I was re-impressed by how well the DI's do on their own, even way out into the room.  Suspect the Electrons are similar in that regard

That's good to hear mac!

mac, it's good to hear from you.  I was just yesterday wondering how you and your system are getting along.  Hoping your new Aric audio gear is all you were hoping for.  Had someone over today who requested an audition of my DI's.  I told him how you were instrumental in getting me on board with these great speakers.  He left, I believe, very favorably impressed with my modest system and room.

I, too, still enjoy reading  about all the amp combinations that The DI/SE's shine with.  It's fun to vicariously enjoy these experiences (and cheaper too!)

Did Charles ever get to hear your new gear?

harv, welcome aboard!  It's always a great feeling when you hear form someone who hopefully gained something from this thread.  Your jumping in with some great equipment that I's sure will provide you long term enjoyment.  I appreciate my DI's now more than ever.  Please keep us posted on your experience and how things come together.

David, it's probably good you moved this post to where it might actually be useful.  Most all of the posts on the two other Tekton threads are largely filled with either uninformed or malicious commentary. 

Hah!  A smile came to my face when I read that Tom!........... I'm still chuckling.  Anyway, glad you are so happy with your new equipment.  If I owned your stuff I'd be tempted, too, to open things up and start sorting out what could be upgraded.  Everyone seems to agree that the Duelunds are the cats meow.  So how are your soldering skills?  Need me to bring the solder station over?

Hello Charles,

I'm sure that Tom appreciated your input as he put this together and have no doubt it delivers in all the ways you described. It's nice to have another set of ears to validate ones efforts. No doubt you had some serious 300b discussion going on. Can't recall what tubes Tom went with or if he specified particular tubes at the time of his order with Aric.

Thanks Tom.  I just might take you up on that.  We have another thing in common.  I have a 120 gallon tank with some nice goldfish from Dandy Orandas.  They are a premier importer of quality goldfish from China.  And they are right in your neck of the woods to boot!

dj, not to answer for mac, but I would say absolutely not. My room is only a bit larger than yours and they are perfect.  Some have had good results in even smaller rooms.  Talk to Eric.  The Electrons are another option.

see knollbrents  recent posts.

Brian,

Glad to hear how pleased you are with your equipment.  I especially enjoy feedback on the DIY aspect of not only of the DI/SE's (which seem to respond very favorably to these efforts) but also your tubed gear.  Bill has been a great resource to us in this regard

Wise move Lance. 

Oh yea.....almost forgot.  Happy Anniversary!

That would be great Lance.  It's fun getting a look at other peoples toys.  Would you throw in a few closeups of the drivers and cabinet finish?  Did you sell your DI's yet?

Nickwin,
The center tweeter crossed over at a higher frequency that the surrounding tweeters.  So it is a true 4 way design even though the tweeters are all otherwise identical.

I use the same outriggers and like them.  Hint--so as to not mar that beautiful finish, I place black felt as an interface.  But then I obsess.  And I don't even have the premium finish you do!

@nickwin    In spite of the large tweeter array, dispersion if better than you might think.  The fact that not all the tweeters are in phase mitigates this a bit so I do not find that these have restricted dispersion. Compared to my prior Magnepan speakers, they are of course superior. 

Now I'll be clear.  I'm a sound stage nut.  So there is a very clear sweet spot for me and I would never listen seriously outside of that. But I would say the same about the vast majority of speakers I've ever listened to.

Lance, thanks for posting the pics.  Your new SE's and system pics look great!  Please give an update once they break in.

I've always liked the stability outriggers afford.  Have used them to good effect in all my floor standing speakers over the years.

Lance, I'll be curious to see how this system compares with your other system once it is all settled in.

@harv1021   Glad to hear things are settling in.  What you describe parallels my experience.  Good out of the box on a cold winter day, and they just get better with time.  Over one year later, I love these speakers more than ever.

Regarding subs, most DI/SE owners are quite happy without subs.  It really hinges upon what type of music you listen to.  Most of the music I enjoy clearly would be fine without a sub.  But, on those occasions where the music demands it, having that last bit of extension is a real rush!.  Keep in mind my speaker placement favors sound stage over bass extension.  One last comment-- I really like the ability to dial in the bass depending on the recording.  This is a real plus.  So give it time.  And thanks for the update!

Thanks for posting fidobite.  I think the Sigmas are a unique speaker and if you ever want to post a more detailed review on these I'm sure others would enjoy hearing your thoughts--especially on how they compare to the DI's.

@rubytuesday    Congrats on a really fine system.  Wishing you many many hours of enjoyment from your new system that no doubt will follow.  (Would have responded sooner but guess what I was doing until the late hours?)

@lancelock     Glad you continue to be impressed Lance.  My money says when the vinyl arrives so will a big smile.  Keep us posted.

Attention all SE owners--would someone please pull a couple of drivers and let us know what caps are used in the SE's.  Would really like to know what your extra dollars are getting you relative to the DI's. 

@rubytuesday    Great story.  Good to know that you and others have been treated so well by Mike.  A real brick and mortar option. Wow.  This is becoming a rare commodity in this day and age. 

There really is something special going on with the design of the DI/SE's.  Unlike you, I did not have the benefit of an audition--just the encouragement of others like mac that took the leap of faith.  Best gamble I ever took. 

Sounds like you have really settled into your 300B amp mac.  Glad it is bringing you so much pleasure.  No one could accuse you of skimping output tubes, that's for sure!

Dan, I enjoyed reading your post which summarizes nicely some of the features of this unique speaker along with your historical perspective.  Like you, I have always been impressed with the huge value these speakers offer in today's (as you point out) high end market that knows no bounds.  Disruptive is a word that is well applied in this case.  None of us have claimed this is the best speaker ever.  But the fact is many way more expensive speakers have been displaced by the DI/SE speakers.  If you look at other threads (some now deleted) there is clear evidence of that "disruption" and how unsettling it is for some.  That's rather sad really.  Here Mr. Alexander offers a gift to the audio community only to have some rip on him for doing so!  Oh well. Guess that's the disruptive force at work.

Thanks  again for posting your thoughts.   Now you just need to hear them!!

@xenophon  Glad you are so happy with your DI's and hope you keep contributing to the thread!  It's fun to hear from members that have read this thread for many months finally take the plunge.

@jcarcopo   I will be curious to hear your impressions.  Would also like to know what drivers are employed in this design.  Look forward to hearing from you.

@343mps   How large is your room Patrick?  How much latitude do you have with placement?

@zenbikefish   If you are maxed out at 4k,  you would be limited to the DI's with Be tweeter--right?  At least if buying new.  I find the Tektons to be neutral speakers that emphasize no part of the spectrum.  As another option you could do the SE's and focus on your upstream gear to offer what you are looking for.  All the Tektons are very good at responding to what is placed upstream.  You are at an interesting price point.  If you were able to accommodate the Moabs, the extra $500 would be trivial in the long haul