I have dedicated audio room 14.5x20.5x9 ft. Currently have Marantz Reference CD/Intergrated paired to Magnepan 1.7's with REL T-7 subs. For the vast majority of music I love this system. The only nit pick is that it is lacking/limited in covering say below 35 hz or so. For the first time actually buzzed the panel with an organ sacd. Bummer. Thought of upgrading subs to rythmicks but then I will need to high pass the 1.7's. Really don't want to deal with that approach.
Enter the Double Impacts. Many interesting things here. Would certainly have a different set of strengths here. Dynamics, claimed bottom octave coverage in one package, suspect a good match to current electronics.
I've read all the threads here so we do not need to rehash that. Just wondering if others out there have FIRST HAND experience with these or other Tekton speakers
I couldn't agree more Charles. I took a leap of faith buying the first pair of DI's without anyone having heard them but after owning the Tekton Enzo's for two years the leap was short as the Enzo's could easily compete with speakers costing many times more. A system consisting of the Linear Tube Audio MZ2-S and ZOTL 40 with the DI's for just over $10k isn't cheap, but it is quite the bargain. I'm hoping it will be my forever system......and teajay's review of the LTA gear were very helpful in leading me to them as I'm sure his review of the DI's will do the same for many others.
Charles I completely agree with you. It is amazing how much an audiophile can do with such little money (compared to more established brands.) I have heard Teajay's set up and it is excellent. With the DI being so efficient, I want to hear them with MicroZOTL2's 1 watt amp! I am sure it is not as good as with the Linear Tube amps. If it works well one could get the two pieces and when funds afford they can buy the amplifier and use the Microzotl2 as a preamp. Talk about a rewarding upgrade path! I still cannot understand how these huge speakers sell for $3,000 including shipping. The DI with upgraded components might be a complete knockout. Can't wait to hear them!
Hi Bob - You will have opportunity to hear the upgraded DI and even with the Linear Tube MZ2 directly...soon! I am interested in your thoughts and comments after!
Mike, What has been upgraded in the DI? It boggles my mind that Eric could improve upon it.....and so soon. There might be upgraded DI's in my future with my current DI's moved to my home theater system. The new DI's driven by the ZOTL 40 and my current ones driven by a SS amp in my home theater system. A win/win!
the standard upgrade is the better crossover parts and internal wiring. That is $300 extra. I too am curious if there is something over and above this. When I talked with Eric this is the only upgrade he was offering.
Binding posts might be upgraded, and even better crossover caps & coils than the standard "upgraded" package, structural integrity/bracing, it would be enlightening to actually find out about the upgrade choices.
From talking with Eric at Tekton, the items you mentioned are what I believe to be the "Upgraded" package (also premium paint). Eric is still working on this, so waiting to hear the changes as well as the pricing. We will keep everyone in the loop when we have the answers.
Thanks everyone. I ordered mine with the clarity cap, silver coated internal wiring, binding post upgrades and automotive paint so I might be set. It will be interesting to find out if there are even further upgrades. Just as long as it's not a PMD upgrade, that's too rich for my blood!
Have about 50 hours on the Double Impacts now and have to say they are phenomenal. I expected them to be good but not this good. I have put them through all the paces with my test songs and they nailed it every time. The wife came down and wanted to hear a bunch of songs she likes last night.This never happens unless I drag her kicking and screaming to listen to some tunes. Her comment after a few songs was "I can't think of anything I would change about them". Might hook up my Cayin A100T tonight to see what some descent tube power sounds like with them. On a side note does anyone know the thread size for spikes on these?
Glad to hear you're liking the DI's as much as I am mofojo. Getting the wife's approval is huge! We will need to start a motor city DI club! The thread size is 1/4-20. I'm using the Mapleshade Heavyfeet carpet spikes and they not only couple the speakers to the basement floor well but are very stable, lift the speakers off the floor about an inch and look good.....the wife will like that!
Quite a jump indeed jetter. As good as the DI's sound I can't imagine the PMD's warranting such prices......but who knows, maybe they are that much better.
Initial Review of the Double Impacts with upgrade package.
To recap, my dedicated audio room in 21x14.5x9. Electronics are Marantz Reference SACD/Integrated. Furman conditoner. Supra interconnects and cables. Front wall diffusers, rear wall rock wool absorbers.
In a nutshell, these speakers did not disappoint! My prior reference, Magnepan 1.7's and dual REL T-7 subs I really loved save for a few short comings. But I was unprepared to hear everything I was missing.....
---the tonal balance and voicing of this speaker is spot on. I have never tolerated a speaker that is bright or has any edge. Even driven hard, you will have none of that with the DI's. Strings are silky smooth. Now here's the rub. Combining smoothness and gobs of detail is never easy--but you get both with the DI's. Strings and the piano are my acid test, and they are gorgeous on this speaker. ---with complex music, I am floored with how much detail is there! In a recording of Telemann concertos, the plucked string of the harpsichord never gets buried by rest of the ensemble. The leading edge of a note and harmonics are all heard, all while the rest of the orchestra is treated equally well. And what a great sense of the venue is portrayed. The size of the hall is evident. In larger spaces, the notes decay goes on and on. Gotta love it! My 1.7's I thought were good in these regards, but the DI's took it to a whole different level. My wife, who rarely will pay a visit to the man cave, did not want to leave as we listened to the Hamilton soundtrack. She saw the production in Chicago and said this was better from an audio standpoint! Never one to like loud music, she asked if we could turn it up a bit. Who took my wife and where did she go? The different voices of the chorus were distinct. Again, such smoothness and detail. WOW. This CD also highlighted the quality of the bass--tight and well extended, even with my speakers over 6 ft from the front wall. (Speakers are one third from the front wall, seat two thirds, equilateral triangle arrangement.) ---dynamics are well documented. I feel my amp is just loafing. 1.7's lack this live quality that the DI's deliver beautifully. Speaking on amps, I just love how this equipment works together. While I have an EKCO tube amp, I have no desire to change a thing. ---soundstaging and imaging will break a deal for me quicker than most anything. A soundstage three feet tall need not apply. Same goes for tiny pianos . Thankfully, despite generous dimensions, the DI's float a big stage. The orchestra is UP on the stage, not down in the pit. The sound has great depth, width, and height. Instruments sound of the correct dimension. Soloists can be dead center when called for with no loss of center fill. Also several CD's demonstrated nice lateral extension beyond the far edge of the speaker. Cool.
So are there any down sides?
---I did ask Eric when I placed the order to make sure the woofers were color matched. (some one posted a gripe about this) Despite the request, my woofers came in two shades. Arggggh. ---the cabinets are plain. But at least the paint was of very good quality. No defects. But you know, it was good to know where your money was going. Like 7 tweeter per side. (this has A LOT to do with the remarkable qualities of this speaker). And hey, if you want a fancy cabinet, then just order it! ---the bass quality is great but won't take you down to a solid 20Hz. (Maybe if you put them in the corners and didn't give a hoot about your soundstage) So for you organ buffs who need to reproduce the big pipes, a subwoofer still would have a place here.
So obviously, these are here to stay. A tremendous value. I love 'em.
re-read my review. these are wonderful speakers. please don't tarnish my rather glowing review of this speaker with one little comment on the color of the woofer. that's your agenda, NOT mine.
Nice review corelli. I concur with your assessment but give them more time for the bass to fill in. If the bass doesn't fully fill in you might want to experiment with speaker placement and/or listening position as you may be sitting in a bass null. I find their bass to be very deep, musical and impactful. You know you have something special when the wife is impressed! Congrats.
Good first impressions but you lost me on this comment "...despite generous dimensions, the DI's float a big stage." I would have expected nothing less from speakers at 4.5 feet tall, if placed at a reasonable distance from the back wall.
It's been my experience that small monitors often can produce very open expansive soundstages while larger speakers sometimes paradoxically fall short in this regard--just my experience and clearly not always the case
mac, you are right. I don't have enough hours on them to comment on their ultimate bass extension. Will post later on that. As I said, the bass is of great quality even now.
I have played around a lot with speaker placement in this room and I do think they are in the rooms sweet spot. Soundstage for me will always take precedence along with clean balanced bass. So I am forced to give up a bit of extension. We all have to make our choices I guess.
I'm really looking forward to further listening. And I want to thank you mac for your posts. I read all your posts on another sight and your commentary gave the information I needed to pull the trigger on this. To think I might have otherwise missed out!
So I hope my posts might help someone else trying to make a decision down the road. How our hobby has changed over the decades. We now make purchases of equipment we have never heard based on the opinions of fellow audiophiles. And you know what? It's really not a bad way to go!
Corelli, When I finally heard these speakers my thought was "how could these speakers be $3,000? If they had a big audio name on them they would be at a minimum $30,000. I know we don't buy speakers by the pound but these are large speakers!
Yes, if you do the math the value here is very high indeed. It's not just the cost of the drivers, but how they were all integrated. I think I now get what that patent is about. The cool thing is all the options you have. Even if you opt for a beautiful veneer cabinet the value is still high. I'm getting used the my "high value basic black" enclosure honestly.
You're going to love their bass when it fills out corelli. It's VERY impressive. Sounds like you have a good handle on speaker placement. It amazes me how bringing the speakers together or toeing in or out a mere half inch can make a huge difference. It's tedious finding that perfect placement but well worth it when the speakers totally disappear behind a huge, seamless wall of realistic music.
The satin black will grow on you, it's sort of industry looking. My first pair of Tektons were satin black and I liked them but the automotive paint finish of my DI's is really sweet. Not that their appearance matters when you're absorbed in the music.
I'm glad I was helpful in your speaker purchase decision. Being the first one to get the DI's it was difficult describing what I was hearing as I couldn't believe what I was hearing from a speaker of this price. I had no one to compare my findings with for a while and find it rewarding that others are experiencing the same enjoyment from the DI's as I. If nothing else it demonstrates that I'm not totally crazy hearing what I heard! I'm really looking forward to Terry Londons review of the DI's coming out tomorrow.
mac, I know you have probably posted this but what are your room dimensions and how did you place your speakers, seated position, and what toe in did you settle on?
Funny you ask corelli as I've been using Jim Smiths room techniques this weekend to really dial in my listening position and speaker placement. My room is 13.5'x17.5' with a 6' opening between and behind the speakers opening into a 13.5'x7' room that houses the components. Ceilings are low at 7.5'. I have 2'x2' floor to ceiling bass traps in each corner with quite a bit of room treatments throughout. Right now my speakers are 64" on center with my listening position 77" from tweeter to ear. Toe in has back of speaker 3.75" further from center line than front of speaker. Both speakers are perfectly level to one another. Without trying to the speakers are nearly one third into the room with the listening position nearly one third from the back wall. I guess the one third rule does work! I could continue with some further adjustments in the 1/4-1/2" range but I'm happy with where everything is now. Sidewall to sidewall soundstage that is deep, a warm and thick center with gorgeous tone, beautiful bass, airy highs and the speakers simply disappear. My work is done!
Having gone through hours of "working the room" it was worth it but the sound is not greatly improved from what it was as I had things laid out pretty well before and Tekton speakers aren't fussy about placement. They will sound very good in just about any situation, I just like getting that last last bit more out of them.
Should you wish you can check out pics of the room in my virtual system page. The speakers are no longer toe'd in as much as in the pics though.
Time me to listen to some Holly Cole and then watch March Madness.....GO BLUE! GO STATE!
Thanks mac. Eventually once everything is dialed in I will work on side wall treatments . Acoustimac makes some nice stuff at a fair price. Will post some pics some time when I'm done.
I'm with you. Hope the Wolverines stay hot. They've been lightin' it up.
Just as an aside, I also put priority on getting huge soundstage from speakers and while this could depend on many variables or be purely coincidental, I have found applying the Golden Ratio rule to the distance of the speakers vs. height of the tweeters - tweeter height x 1.6 = distance, and an equilateral triangle listening position, and no toe in, has given me the widest and deepest soundstage in several settings in different size rooms and different speakers. Like I said, this could be completely coincidental but might be worth experimenting.
This morning I'm listening to Keith Jarrett's, "The Cure" Album that was recorded live at Town Hall, New York. With the DI it seems I'm in the hall with the rest of the audience. I still find the experience with the DI a remarkable one, not just because of the price to performance ratio, which is off the charts, but because of the beauty of the music that it creates in my listening room.
I just hope the rest of the Audiogon members will just use their ears and not get caught up in how much these speakers cost compared to high-end reference marque speaker brands so they too will have the pleasure of having maybe the best illusion of live music in their rooms that they ever heard.
Because of my reviews here on Audiogon I was offered the job of becoming a staff reviewer for hometheaterreview.com. So, this site is still my "home" so to speak. All you guys on this thread are great at sharing important information and helping other members learn about new great products that come out on the market.
I still would suggest that you hear the DI with the Tube Linear Audio gear combo, or at least the Micro-ZOTL preamp, this combination will compete with any system regardless of price, I will stake my reputation, for what it's worth, on this assertion. Just like the Tekton's policy, you have a 30 day return policy with TLA and Mark and his son Will are great guys, just like Eric.
Hope, you all enjoy my review tomorrow, it just tries to articulate what the owner's of the DI know already, its a GREAT speaker!
There's an ongoing thread about 1500.00 dollar tube preamps in the amp/preamp section. I suggested the Linear Tube Audio ZOTL as a possibility even though I have not personally heard it. I thought it should be considered based on strong reviews and very positive owner comments. It may have fallen on deaf ears however. Charles
kalali, my ears tell me all these drivers crossover at relatively low frequencies. The tweeter array is key to the performance I hear. Given SIX tweeters (only the center tweeter handles the highest octaves), you can really increase power handling and afford to crossover so low. This means you in fact do have very low mass drivers covering the midrange. A further advantage is that the array controls the dispersion of sound (more direct and less reflected sound is the result). All of this translates into a lot of delicate detail to my ears. The other drivers are not asked to go very high, so I can respect the notion that for a given frequency the moving mass of the driver is relatively low.
Before I received these speakers, I was a bit skeptical about some of Eric's hype. Not anymore.
teajay, I must admit that ever since getting the DI's I've been listening to a lot more live music. These great speakers have the uncanny ability of placing you at the venue. I can't wait to add the LTA MZ2-S and ZOTL 40 to my system to make it even more real sounding. I just ordered The Cure to add to my collection. Here are some very well recorded live albums others might like:
Holly Cole: Steal The Night Cowboy Junkies: Trinity Revisited The Wailin' Jenny's: Live at the Mauch Chunk Opera House Morgan James: Live Nils Lofgren: Acoustic Live
I look forward to reading your DI review tomorrow.
Great observation corelli, I have no idea how the new patent works but your explanation makes a lot of sense. I thought the pre patent Tektons sounded great but the DI is so differant from the Enzo there were too many variables for me to attribute any specific improvement to the new patent. The 7 tweeter array while unconventional is amazing. Maybe future DI's will have a super tweeter in the middle like the 1812.
What a great day --DI music fest with coffee --Wolverines to sweet 16 --30 mile bike ride on a sunny Michigan spring day --Now vino and another DI music fest. Does it get any better?!?!
Do a lot of thinking while I bike. One other thing I forget to mention was that the DI tweeter array also functions as a point source for many octaves of coverage. Maybe just one other reason it sounds so right. Many designers have used various tweeter arrays, but this one is special.
Thanks mac for suggestions on favorite recordings. It's always fun to find new, great performances.
giantsalami, wish I could help you but this is the first Teckton speaker I've had the pleasure of experiencing.
Sure it can get better corelli.....the Spartans could win also! Great win for UofM.
The new Enzo's have the same 7 tweeter array, a great choice if you don't the space for the DI's.
Giantsalami, I was told by Eric that the DI is much more refined than the Pendragon. He said the DI blows the Pendragon away but that doesn't mean the Pendragon might not be preferable to you. If you look at teajay's post above he doesn't like the Pendragon but loves the DI. I'm surprised by that as the Pendragons have been widely praised for years. I can say I had the Enzo's before getting the DI's and while I thought the same Enzo's were amazing the DI takes things to a whole new level.
I couldn’t agree more with Terry Londons accessment of the DI’s. While I was somewhat able to describe their attributes in audiophile terms, I could quite articulate their innate way of making music sound......for lack of a better term.....right. Terry described their "aliveness" and the perfect term. Many thought I was crazy for displacing my Legacy Focus SE’s ( $12k retail) from my system with the Di’s but that’s nothing compared to Terry doing so with his $18k Cello’s. The DI’s simply defy convention and I believe they would actually garner more attention and respect if they were priced $20k plus. I’m thrilled they’re not as I wouldn’t be able to afford what they bring to my musical enjoyment. All I need now are the Linear Tube Audio MZ2-S and ZOTL 40 to get the most out of them. Thanks for so eloquently putting into words what I’ve been hearing the last six months, Terry.
There is truth and wisdom in what you wrote regarding cost. Ironic but I do believe that the low price (relatively) of the Tekton DI could in fact work against it in some High End circles. Some believe that it is not possible for a 3000.00 dollar speaker to be of reference quality as teajay asserts. It goes headwind into the face of those who equate quality with price.
I believe that listening settles the question of " how good is it really?"
There will be considerable resistance to teajay’s opinion that the DI outperforms the more expensive speakers he cited in is review. I’m not suggesting teajay is right or wrong, this all pure subjectivity. However some will outright reject the very notion that it’s even possible.
There is in some cases a strong psychological aspect to what forms someone’s foundational beliefs in the realm of High End. Some hold the idea that a true top tier audio product by default has to be expensive.
Referring to the Tekton DI as a "disruptive" product has much merit. Common sense dictates that not everyone will find the DI superior or equal to much more expensive speakers. What is significant is that there are those who will find them equal (or better). You have to "listen" and then decide.
This is one of the first new speaker introductions that has really peaked my interest in buying a new set. I envy you guys. Everything points to these being off the performance to value index. But I would have to build a dedicated equipment room, which is not out of the question as I have the space.
As the reviewer in the article above states, in "The Downside The only concerns I have about the Double Impact speaker involve its large size and the amount of lower bass frequency that it produces."
I would be fine and in fact would like the lower bass frequency more than most, but in other than in a dedicated music room, the size just won't work in my living or family room.
I have mentioned this earlier in the thread, if there was a second model, exactly the same, but without the large space between the lower midrange and the upper woofer I would have already bought a pair. I would accept the sonic trade offs. Not interested in any of the other speaker models at this time. Just mentioning this in case Eric ever wonders if there is a market for an identical speaker driver wise but of a physically shorter size.
Well, that review should sell a few sets. I will look into the brilliance soon and look foreward to the review(s) and A-Gon members opinions. I have to finish the listening, er, living room first. Installing flooring today. I'm sure more people will be weighing in as the sales increase.
Charles, Their low pricing has made some not consider Tekton speakers as conventional wisdom dictates they can't sound as good as speakers costing many times more. I took a leap of faith based on professional and owner reviews and haven't looked back. I purchased the DI's thinking they'd be my home theater speakers and my Legacy Focus SE's my two channel speakers. After listening to both it was evident the DI's warranted being my top speakers in my two channel system. My ONLY disappointment is that they probably aren't the best speaker for a small SET amp and I was hoping to go in that direction, but the LTA amp might scratch that itch.
Jetter, Eric Alexander suggested going with the Brilliance if you're looking for a physically smaller speaker. I believe he posted that on this thread a couple of pages back if you want to read his entire reply. I would suggest checking out the new update Enzo 2.7's. I had the old version Enzo's and loved them, the new ones with the seven tweeter array should be better yet. Having said that the DI's will work fine in a smaller room unless you physically can't fit them in.
I believe that you'll be very fine with the higher power push pull LTA amplifier .Low power SETs like my Frankenstein won't like the DI's speaker impedance characteristics.
Hi mac, yes I did previously read where Eric brought up the Brilliance above. Now that you have pointed out the new Enzo I do like their looks/dimensions but I will wait to read reviews on them as is happening with the DIs. I am a little confused that the webpage indicates they are 3 way but they appear to have two woofers and seven tweeters, not sure if one of the woofers serves as a midrange? I have a very good pair of speakers with all scan speak drivers so I am not in a huge hurry.
jetter, I agree with mac. In my room bass is very tight and unless the room is REALLY small think you would be fine. Just not sure you will get the same qualities out of a different speaker.
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