Tekton Double Impacts

soundermn - DIs are not the least bit bright speakers. Silk soft-domes tweeters = Not bright or forward vs metal tweeters = close shave, lasers. forward, hifi-ish, overly detailed, can lack coherence with the rest of frequency range, and tend to sound exciting for 15 minutes, and fatiguing thereafter.  Regardless of the speaker you choose from Eric, brightness is likely a non-issue across the board. I only now listen to opera pieces with enjoyment, which can get a bit peaky, but with the SET Tube Amp I use and the Tekton's DI's I am never chased out of the room.  The coherence and wall of sound effect is planar-magnetic or electrostatic panel-like.

Wow. don't recall a thread quite as large as this one for a new product. I am a seasoned audiophile and would like to hear the DI's. BUT, with all the hype, I would do so with a very critical and judgmental ear. Albeit, a fair one. All of you Tekton DI fanboys have created the proverbial monster here. In time, let's just see if that "monster" has the monster sized cojones' to go with all that hype......
Cheers,
Tim

DI's in the house. Fit and finish, esthetics surpassed my expectations. Very nice indeed. The bronzed orange was a good choice afterall. I posted a picture on my page. I'm waiting on a proper amp still. Temporarily powering them with a higher powered headphone amp for now. I hear a lot of potential so far. Very satisfied thus far. 

Just my opinion, but the site is really not bad. It could be more polished, but whos couldn't? Again, just my opinion but the real deficiency is the lack of description/differences between the speakers. Professional designers can't help there.
IMO (yet again), only Eric can do that, but taking the time to do that may be perceived as of lower importance to trying to get all of the orders out and the time designing new products.
I agree that he probably needs to take a really critical eye to his product line and see if he needs all of them and then to help any potential buys discriminate between the speakers while providing information as to recommended room sizes, types of amps, music types, etc.
Whatever might help discriminate one from another. I think he needs to do that and he will get more orders and have to be on the phone less. I think he still will need to deal with infrastructure also. I am not sure he can handle all the growth he has going on now and even more growth may cause further delay in shipping speakers.
I hope he does get to it though. I think it would help him.

To the people who have recently taken delivery. What are the lead times like at this point?

Thanks,
    LP

LP,

I believe your concern about the DI's being too large for your room is unfounded. They virtually disappear providing a side wall to side wall soundstage and sound equally well at low or high volume levels. Eric also contends that physical size shouldn't be an impediment unless the speakers are physically too big to fit into the room, smaller rooms will most likely need more room treatment, especially bass traps. Obviously you wouldn't use the DI's in a very small room but they are perfectly fine in my 13x17 room and were great in my 12x14 room also. The DI's are physically large and can throw a huge wall of sound but don't let their large size fool you, they can be as delicate and refined as needed.

It's both and exciting and aggravating wading through all of Tektons offerings......and yes, the site needs A LOT of professional help! Unfortunately many design guru's focus all their energies on building a better mousetrap without recognizing the importance of marketing plays in a business plan. 

My pair was ordered 6/8, so about 3 weeks. Shipped to NY. Very impressive considering he was down 1-2 staff members for a time. 

Yep, it’s all about the right marketing! Just look at the bottle water industry. In most cases, their product is inferior, but they sell like crazy!

Thanks, jcarcopo! From what everyone says, I don’t expect DIs or other Tekton to sound bright. I was more worried that they are just too much sound for my space... even though I have a fairly large space. Those speakers almost look large enough to be PA speakers for a band. I know... not really... but you get my point. I don’t want to feel "pushed out" of my listening space. That’s why I’m thinking maybe the DIs are too big for me?

One thing that would help me on Eric's site is if he had pictures in rooms with equipment and people to show relative size.  I know there is a customer gallery, but really only a few pics for each model.

Mac,

Thanks so much for your thoughts on this matter. A big concern for me would be that the DI's would be too imposing in my 11x15 room and lack a gentler side which I often prefer nowadays. Up to now I have been leaning a little more towards either the Electron, the Brilliance, or even the Impact monitor. Size and weight is a concern though being I'm not the workout warrior I once was.

Best Wishes,
      LP

I know that YouTube is not the last word in high fidelity but sometimes you can glean the potential of something just buy listening, source not withstanding.

Having said that, there is a nice video of the Double Impact playing and if you have reasonably good resolution, hifi wise, on your computer, you should take a listen. It certainly whets my appetite.

All the best,
Nonoise

Soundermn:

Actually Eric has a tool on his site that I have not seen elsewhere and I personally found it useful. It is a graphic of a man standing next to the various speakers and shows them in relation to a man. That helped me. Not sure it is what you are looking for, but if you have not seen it, it is worth a look.

soundermn:

My room is a mere 13X16 and they image perfectly 9’ apart and about the same distance from my listening position. I just adjusted the toe-in to focus them about 2’ behind my listening position (per Eric’s suggestion) and they coalesce really well. They are very dynamic and responsive with great jump factor, but they never sound too big for my room or overwhelm it even at very high volume levels.
I’ve owned speakers from $1000-$25,000 and these speakers bested them all, I feel like I stole them at the price I paid. These really are the best sounding speakers I’ve ever heard that can equally be driven by my Art Audio Diavolo 300B Copper Reference Tube Amplifier running either a standard 300B tube at 8wpc or my Elrog 300B tubes (amazing tube, but overpriced) also at 8wpc, or my Emission Labs 300BXLS tubes at 8 or 17wpc (These are the best value for the sound quality and, btw in 17wpc mode it’s totally overkill) & with absolutely no compromise of sound quality or volume level. Quite the contrary I have incredibly tight bass and a glorious midrange with very detailed highs that lack nothing, but aren’t fatiguing at all. The coherence will amaze you. These are the real deal.

High efficiency and a non-reactive impedance curve should be the very foundation of a well designed speaker for maximum compatibility allowing the user to use any amplifier of their choosing to gain said amplifier’s sonic virtues.

I’m of the firm belief that SET Amplifiers recreate an event in your sound room that’s so holographic, dynamic, and organic that it’s simply transcendental. They create an event in your room that is startling, spooky, and mesmerizing. If you’re not getting emotionally involved with the music, tearing up from time to time, having chills sent up your spine, and listening for hours blissfully and upset when you have to go to bed, well you’re missing out on what’s possible. Many here are quite content with 1-3wpc driving their DIs. Get that 1st watt right and you’re 90% there.

I apologize for the digression, but I really like steering people to SET amplifiers and I am very biased. I have heard it all, but nothing fills the void for me like a well engineered SET amplifier. I discovered their virtues and magical abilities when I was 25 while working with a high-end audio boutique in San Jose, and after listening to every amplifier that was available to me I kept coming back to SET Amps, and I have never looked back. That was 17 years ago. I’m as enthralled with their presentation sonically today as I was then, and hell, even more so today because I finally have a no-compromise speaker to mate with my amplifier.

Best of luck with your speaker and amplifier search. If you’re ever in the Raleigh, NC area, I invite you to hear my system.

That goes for anyone who reads this long-winded gush-fest.

-Jonathan

Nice post Jonathan 

Yes Jonathan, great post.....thanks. 

While im very happy using my one watt LTA MZ2 to drive my DI's I will add a SET amp to the mix soon. You're so right.....the size of the speaker is of less concern than the size and quality of the amp. The DI's sound just as amazing, if not more so, at low volumes than high. I usually listen at mid 60- mid 70's db yet can achieve mid 90 db with the one watt. My DI's are only 6' apart with my listening position 7' away.....quite intimate. Eric is now preferring a 6' separation over the 8' he used to advocate.....of course room dimensions, upstream components and listening preferences could easily dictate moving them further apart. 

All I need to do now is choose a SET amp but I'm loving the MZ so much I'm not super motivated to do so. 

lmswjm, 
I appreciate the feedback. 🤣

mac48025
Thanks, long Island ice teas are my muse this evening. 🤣

I’ll try a shorter distance apart. I always like my speakers fairly wide and thought I’d lose some soundstage keeping them too close together.

Never tried it though.

I find you one watt tube lovers to be the bravest bunch of purests. I’m not used to going that low in power. I have had issues with 13 watts not being enough for other, al beit less efficient speakers 🔊, but I’d consider it a viable option with these speakers. I think I could see a 2A3 amplifier in my future as a baby 🚼 step towards the goal reducing my wattage output for sonic purity.

Is this graphic enough for the sizes? And as far as I remember every speaker has dimensional information listed.
http://www.tektondesign.com/uploads/9/8/4/7/98478018/speakersizes_30_orig.jpg

Hi Jonathan, 
We may be brothers from another mother as the saying goes 😊
I can definitely relate to your comments and amplifier progression/experience. 
Charles 

Bullitt:

That right there is the graphic I was talking about on Erics site. I thought it was useful when I was deciding.

Anyone using the Double Impacts with a high powered solid state amp? I have seen almost all the posters here, driving these with tube amps.

@lmswjm, thank you for posting the pic on your system page. The loudspeaker looks good. Are you driving them with any existing amp/source, or are you waiting to buy new amps/sources?

@milpai    They are. For me its a SST (W4S) Son of Ampzilla Mk 2  

Class AB 220W pc into 8ohms 350W pc into 4ohms 

Charles1dad, 

I've kind of known this for awhile 😃. Why are you just now just figuring this out. 😂 

@milpai   I have been driving my DI's with a Marantz Reference Integrated and have been extremely pleased with the sound I'm hearing.  I will listen to large scale works and everything seems so well sorted out and  precise.  The bass is killer--so deep, tight, and controlled.  The sound is not sterile or lacking in emotional impact.  Smaller works are full of nuance and detail.  So yes, the DI's can do great with SS amps.  A hugely versatile speaker.  Now don't confuse this with a right or wrong statement.  I have much respect for my tube loving brethren on this thread and would love to audition a quality SET at some point in my system.  But I'm just so darn happy right now.

@giantsalami   Good to see my old REL's being put to good use in your imaginative system!!  Very cool use of space.  I can absolutely see how this would make for a very nice compact yet full range system.

@milpai I am currently powering my DIs with a Denon 4520 receiver but I just ordered an Odyssey Kismet Reference power amp and their Candela Tube Preamp as an upgrade. My music tastes depart a bit from the majority in this thread. A one watt SET amp is awesome sounding, but it won't get the job done for me in my room. It was actually this thread that guided me to look at Odyssey and some other high end SS offerings. I've had several awesome conversations with Klaus, the Odyssey owner. He is very familiar with the Tekton line and thinks this combo will be perfect for my listening habits. I think he's more excited about it than I am! The DIs are impressively dynamic and detailed even with the current Denon receiver. I am really looking forward to what the Kismet will sound like with them and with the DI SE pieces that will arrive in a few weeks as an upgrade to the DIs I have now. On both fronts it's like waiting for Christmas around here!

Thank You for the feedback @david_ten , @corelli and @bullitt5094.

@bullitt5094,
Please do let us know once you receive your Odyssey amps. Would like to hear from you how it upgraded the sound from the DIs.

milpai:
Am using Emotiva XPA-1L mono blocks that produce 500 watts each at 4 ohms BUT, for the first 60 watts, pure class A. Most of the listening on the DI is, therefore, in class A and this makes a noticeable improvement. Find that large orchestral recordings demand a great deal of wattage and suspect that high wattage and Mahler are friends...
Cannot imagine how 90 DBs of large soundstage can be produced with 1 or 2 watt tube amps but the knowledgeable folks on this thread know the answer.

@milpai  As you can see, an interesting mix. 

Thoughts / concerns, since you asked the question?

@corelli , I love the bottom end with this set up, thank you very much! A quick impression of the monitors, Out of the box I was not overly impressed, good but was'nt sure what the hype was about. About 20-50 hrs.they started to open up and I just love them. It's just great to sit in front of them and think, WOW. My wife has been continously impressed when she joins in the listening session. I would recomend these to anyone! They're just fantastic to listen to.I will be putting the (twice as much) Kismet monitors in soon for a comparison,but actually, I don't really want to.:)

Hi everybody,

I have now rolled three SET 300B amplifiers with some of the best NOS tubes available, along with the Triode Lab 2A3s-MK2, and have come to the conclusion, based of course on my personal preferences, that I have heard nothing better on the DI's then the 2A3 amplifier being driven by the Micro-ZOTL.  If you other guys that love the LTA Micro-ZOTL  driving the DI's directly heard this combo I have a hunch you would be totally enchanted, indeed!  You get all of what the Micro-ZOTL has to offer with more beautiful tonality/timbres and the best 3D meat on the bone imaging but it never sounds like great HiFi, it sounds like real music.  It draws you into the emotion of the music and lets you more often suspend the experience that you are listening to a stereo system.  I made one change upstream with putting a pair of NOS Brimar (6060) yellow T decal 12AT7 in the Micro-ZOTL, and the change was a shift to a higher level across the total spectrum.  The SET 300B amplifiers were all great sounding too, however, they just did not sound as natural to me as the 2A3 amp.

I wish the individuals who are experienced with high power SS amplifiers on the DI's could spend some time with a SET amplifier, they might find it very hard to go back to their SS gear.

Instead of writing individual reviews on these different amps for hometheaterreview, I'm going to write a feature piece detailing the history of SET amps/tubes (and how each amp sounded on the DI's) and why historically they could only be used with horn or single driver speakers (which I never liked with a very few exceptions), until Eric's break through allowed these "Flea amps" to create magic with a full range multi-driver box speaker.

I have one more experiment to run and that is to get a 45 SET in-house to finish out this fun ride with the DI's.

 

Thanks teajay,

Great write up.........as per usual. I was leaning towards the Triode Labs 2A3S- FXX with the Hashimoto output transformers. It's a done deal now. If all goes well I'll get their 2A3 monoblocks. As much as I love driving the DI's with the MZ2 I realize there's always room for improvement and by your description the 2A3 is just what the doctor ordered. 

Ill have to try the Brimar 6060's. Right now I'm loving the combination of 40's Mullard 12AT7's with 40's Sylvania 12SN7's. I have the TungSol round plates and like them a lot but prefer the high end detail and realism of the Sylvania's. That's what's great about tubes.....a flavor for every listener. 

Thanks for for sharing all of your experiences, it's been very helpful. 

I have the 4ohm DIs, but the Triode Lab 2A3s-MK3 only come in 8ohms or 16ohms. Wondering is there's any chance of that being swapped for 4ohms with an alternative or custom OPT?  They make their OPT custom now so it would seem they could, if they wanted to.  Just curious. 

J Carcopo does your SET sound PHAT? Does it have PRAT? Or do cymbals splat?
I love the idea of using SET's as super expensive, low powered , resonant tone control and harmonics generators. Yay.

Just how much did your SET cost? I hope, at least, that it's pretty. They have the nice glow of self-consuming gain devices?

So, do these speakers NEED a resonant harmonic generator to sound proper? They dont work on clean amplifiers?

Haven't you read the many posts of those using SS amps with their DI's and are loving the sound, fetguy? By not doing so you run the risk of posting an incredibly uninformed post. Oops, too late :)

Many of us, including Terry London, prefer SET amps with the DI's but just as many prefer large SS amps with them. You might want to actually read some of what they've posted, you only have to look a few posts back to find them. I've tried ARC, Levinson and Odyssey but prefer small tube amps but I'd never knock anyone for going the SS route as there's a lot to ne said about going that route. And yes my self-consuming gain device glow is might purdy  :)

Hi Mac48025, I read post where the guy was talking about up front shoutyness on his SS amps. Was that a desirable quality he was seeking?

Just ignore fetguy for he has a small member and he needs hundreds of Bryston SS watts to overcompensate for his shortcomings.

(Also, he's my friend and just razzing me )  ;-P

Darn, you gave it away too soon!

Yes, I have listened to earlier iterations of J's amplifiers. They had a very lovely, melt into the couch, sound. But only when the speakers ports were stuffed with audophile grade socks!

Fetguy,

You probably should read a thread more throughly before just jumping in with bashing comments.

But since others have asked about SS amps with the DI's here is a list of ones I own and have used.

Diy nos Sony Vfet first watt Sit
First watt F7
Modwright Kwa-100se
Accuphase p-300
Diy Hypex nc-400
Bel Canto Ref600m
Red Dragon S-500

Borrowed amps,
Pass Labs Xa-30.8
First watt F3
First watt J2

All paired with the LTA MZ2S as the preamp.

Kenny.

Which is your favorite with the DI's?

And all razzing aside, I was one of the factors for Jcarcopo to buy the DI's. The design looked like a winner. And, yes, I fully expect them to sound just fine with good SS.

fetguy:

(They were Von Schweikert VR2s) The bespoke socks were needed in lieu of the imaginary hybrid labyrinth transmission line that Albert had seemingly forgot to include with the speaker, but heavily promoted the speakers as possessing.  

I had flippity, floppity, bass before the socks, but stuffing the ports helped a lot.  They were black dress socks, I recommend them for their camouflage effect. 

Yes, the "missing transmission line " effect. Good thing we had those socks! And crown moulding!

Kdude66, what was your fav SS amp of the bunch? I take it that preamp is your go-too preamp?

Fetguy,

Yes the MZ2s has bettered a modwright ls-100 and a valvet soul shine.I have never heard a pre as good and sometimes use it by itself with it's glorious 1watt output.

I like my sit and the F7 the best,I'm going to borrow back a Yamamoto A08s and give the 2watt 45 tube a try,I used to own both of the Yamamoto 45's.I still own the A09s Yamamoto but haven't tried it with the DI's.

I will eventually buy one of the LTA amps just haven't decided which one yet.

I kinda thought you were just yanking our chain.

Best,

Kenny.

It seems that fetguy is just stirring it up a bit to have some fun. I can tell though that those types of comments are what I encountered when I decided to venture into the world of SET amplification. Yep, we’ll meaning yet condescending in nature.

Of course the irony is that the SET provided the most open, transparent and nuanced sound I’d ever experienced up to that point. It was another real life illustration of how stereotypical warnings can be so utterly wrong. We live and we learn.

This thread has demostrated quite convincingly the Double Impacts are sucessful with SS or tubes, high and low power. Exceptional flexibility for all potential users.

When teajay (Terry) writes about the superb results he has heard using low powered SET amplifiers (knowing that he’s used the powerful Pass Labs amplifiers with these speakers) it is very compelling. He appears to be getting the best sound from his system he’s ever heard (if I’m reading him correctly) with the Triode Labs 2A3 SET. 
Charles

Kenny,
I’m impressed with the various amplifiers you’ve heard with the Double Impacts. I suspect that your First Watt S.I.T. is quite a special SS amplifier either as stereo chassis or mono blocks (S.I.T.1). No doubt that you are having much fun 😊
Charles

Someone suggested to listen to the DI's on YOU TUBE which I just did.  It would be great if a couple of more people could do the same.  I know it is not perfect but it does give you a good idea on how they sound.  

I know Eric has always been anti grill cover.  With this size and possible going in my great room the only way I could accomplish that with my wife is to have grill covers.  Can you get grill covers for these speakers?  If so, can you get in a color other than black.  I am thinking about Mercedes Silver in an automotive finish with a silver grill.  

My plan would be to buy these and compare them to the Wilson Audio Duette 2's that I have.  Whatever sounds better i keep.  

Hi Willgolf, 
Now that is one interesting comparison.  A 2 way monitor vs the large floor standing full range 3 way Double Impacts. This will be a fun direct comparison to read about. Should be very insightful as the design parameters are so different. 
Good luck, 
Charles 

Transconductance .... transresistance....

It all goes away with that great uniter, music.

Steve Coleman is making that happen right now. And aptly: 'Invisible Paths'  :)

Hi Charlies,

Yes, you are correct that the way my reference system is now setup, either a CEC or MBL transport, Concert Fidelity hybrid tube DAC, Micro-ZOTL used as a line stage, and the Triode Labs SET 2A3s-MK2 amp driving the DI's is the most enjoyable rig I have ever had since I started in the hobby.  What's ironic overall is that this is not an inexpensive system by any means, however, when you think what I have replaced regarding price- going from a 23K preamp to a Micro-ZOTL $1,700.00, a pair of speakers that were 19K to the basic DI's for $3,000.00, and a pair of amps that retail for $5,700.00/12K to the Triode Lab amp for $3,900.00 because the performance was increased qualitatively by spending way less money.

It really proves that you do not have to spend mega-bucks to get a reference level system if the goal is music not "eye-candy" or bragging rights about who owns the latest/greatest most expensive rig.  Eric's ability to create and sell such a high preforming speaker for peanuts compared to other hideously over priced speakers (I have heard them all and many I would not want to own, not because of price but because I find them lousy in their performance) has opened the flood gates for us music lovers who still work for a living.

I'm expecting the DI's big brother for review in the next two to three weeks, it will be very interesting for me to compare/contrast these two speakers for my review.  Eric believes that his new speaker performs on a much higher level then the DI's, will shall see! I'll have them side by side with the same gear/same acoustic space so it really will be an apple to apple comparison.  This should be a very special experience, indeed!