Tekton Double Impacts

Here's my experience with Tekton, trying to be objective as possible here and only reason I post this is because had I read about a similar and recent situation with Tekton, I absolutely would have opted to go a different route.  I have a very hard time dealing with disorganization in a patient way, especially when I'm on the receiving end after spending thousands.

I purchased a set of DI upgraded, DI wide center and 2 4-10 subs in Feb. Everything was supposed to go in my basement lounge which I had to stop construction on because of this fcukin virus and the effect it will have on my job very soon.  I attempted to cancel my order with Eric (job worries) prior to shipment, but he wasn't receptive to that and I understand so I played on.  Received everything a week or so later after that phone call, with boxes arriving sporadically over a few days.  So here goes: one 4-10 was physically damaged during shipping and I received none of the grills for the speakers. Called Eric, had a long conversation about how FedEx sucks, sent him video of the FedEx guy delivering it on it's face on my porch etc.  He says he will get right on a replacement and have it sent out.  Ok great.  One month later, I email him as I haven't heard from him and no shipment info, and to add to this I still did not receive any of the grills for the speakers I ordered: I got no response. Sent another email few days later, no response. Another email, no response.  Phone call, no response.  Then he calls me back- during the first 30 seconds of the conversation it is very apparent he has no idea who I am or what I'm talking about with regard to the sub replacement- he forgot.  I refreshed his memory.  So, reset the clock on the 5 week build time for the replacement sub, and maybe I'll get the grills in a few weeks, who knows.  He did say he would prioritize, so I'm hoping this will be solved soon.
As for the speakers and how they sound- I'll start by saying they are in a temporary setup in an open backed living room with furniture crowding them.  They are being run by a Marantz SR6012 which is more or less garbage (it is running a small satellite 5.1 setup in the living room and another zone outside and I will never again buy another Denon product) to a Parasound A21+ which I bought specifically for the DIs (which has developed a faulty right channel on power up at the moment <this is how things typically go for me).  The end result at this point is: I'll withhold my opinion.  The room is not ideal and the Pre is Denon trash, we'll see once I finish the basement (maybe next year?) and have a proper signal path (starting with Anthem I'm thinking).  Another issue I'm trying to nail down is an intermittent rattle coming from within the undamaged sub which only happens at certain freqs/volumes.  So to summerize- I don't believe I would go the Tekton route again, simply from the standpoint of disorganization and difficult comms.  Aside from being hard to reach, Eric will let you know how 'slammed' he is with orders every time you talk to him: which I now interpret as a red flag and not so much a sign of success.  In my case, it seems that his business is under staffed and overwhelmed, he really dropped the ball on my damage issue, didn't fulfill the order completely by omitting the grills, and now I've got worries regarding quality control-which fits with an overwhelmed group of employees.  He's a nice guy, for sure, but $5600+ I don't feel I should be going through this.  I hope to report back soon that everything is solved satisfactorily. Ugh.

As far as cosmetics go, that’s up to the individual. I know they’re not the prettiest and some wives wouldn’t accept them, and went part of my thinking process at all. As far as sound goes though, I would disagree with your views of assessing a speaker. . Basically your way is seems to say that the vast majority of people who have actually heard them, are incorrect in their praise of the quality of sound they are hearing. I’ve seen speakers that “ measured” well in someone’s view that most did not seem to care for that actually heard them in person, and then ones that supposedly didn’t measure well that sounded great, and just the opposite. As has been said over and over, let your ears decide. If both the measurements and the reviews are bad, then chances are good they’d be a waste of time to investigate.  There will never be a perfect speaker, I agree. And what’s perfect to me, won’t be perfect for everyone. But I will never say that a speaker sounds bad, or great,  to me if I have never heard it. 

213, I don’t believe anyone would have issue if less than positive was posted bout Tektons by someone who has actually spent time listening to them, and were not happy or found issue with what they heard. To speak negatively about them based on what others have said who also have never heard them, seems to be uninformed at best...

1) This forum, and every audio forum, is full of people that offer opinions on stuff they don’t own. That’s simply a fact of life.

2) You don’t have to own the Tekton speakers to decide whether or not you like the color options. Or the boxy cabinets. Either one likes boxy shapes or they don’t.

I’m not speaking negatively about Tekton based on what others have said, I’m merely observing the cabinet designs, color options, drivers used and what Stereophile measured.  Those factors, or what you get for the price points, precludes me from wanting to take the next step, audition them.  That's what people do, look at the various features and form a short list when making a purchase decision.  Some decide that they like what they see, and audition, some decide they don't like what they see, and that's just life.

That’s actually far more informed than what some posts on this forum say when dissing or loving certain amps, cables, loudspeakers or dacs.
But again, people will always form an opinion and post it. If you don’t like it, there are many more posts that gush while not yet owning the Tektons that you can focus on if you wish.

Again, it’s really not a big deal. Tekton speakers are not perfect. No speaker is. If you have issues with this concept, then I can’t help you.

It might be good to just enjoy your new speakers for a while with your current gear and then sort out what your sonic priorities are.  If you have a number of CD's, yes, you can do better than your oppo bdp 103.  That's a nice all around player but a dedicated CD/SACD player will bring a very positive improvement.  Which one will depend on what you are looking for/musical taste.  It's easy for us all to recommend the gear we own as it makes music the way WE each prefer.  So think it over and get back with some specifics on what you are after.

@corelli. Thanks any info would be appreciated. My current system is a Integra 80.3 Oppo bdp 103, Sunfire Cinema Grand. I am 60% 2 channel  music 40% HT sells new equipment to the wife. As far as tinkering I am doing just that I have been flipping back an forth between Pandora premium and Cd through the Oppo. Looking into some either lightly used or some new upgrades.
Thanks 

@drlisz  Glad you like your new SE's.  Congrats.  I suspect you will have many years of enjoyment from them.  Your comments parallel many others who have experienced this speaker.  While we all have different hearing, preferences, we should be able to discern and agree on some issues when we compare on speaker to another.  I would say your comments are right in line with what I and other Tekton owners have experienced.

Now more fun begins as you tinker with the associated equipment in your system.  You can tune to taste as the SE's are fundamentally a very neutral speaker.  Not sure what your current source is, but yes, you will enjoy what a high quality CD player will bring to the table.

I am not sure about the hatred from some posts on the Tektons. I onced went over and listened to a set of Klipsch towers at friends place that he adored and the sound was so tinny and shrill. I couldn't believe he liked them. I guess it's all in the listener. I received my DI SE in light gray about 45 days ago, they came on a semi truck delivered at my doorstep. They were packed well and no damage. I have had a pair of Paradigm Studio 80 v2 in my system for about 18 years. I liked them well clear and defined. They were about 40" tall so going to the DI at 54" not to much difference. I bought them after listening to some  other speakers Def Tech., Paradigm Prestige 95 f and a few others based on great reviews and somewhat understanding the design concept of more drivers and crossover stuff we have heard. The SE' s don't disappoint the bass is large and has authority, punchy but controlled. The highs are not shrill my wife and I have been listening sometimes for hours. They sound really good with hip hop, heavy metal, instrumental, anything. I have heard some posts question piano it sounds very real. They play loud and don't seem to loose compourse. I have some song tests where the Paradigm just seem to not be able to do the job. But the Di held up and sounded well. I listened the other day to some Aerosmith songs not a giant fan sorry but a few songs like Jamie 's Got A Gun I just couldn't believe how the the DI took it apart and dominated. It sounded incredible and I thought " I may actually like this song now" I am powering the Di with a Sunfire Cinema Grand Architect Series II 225x5 and would say it matches the speaker well. There is much detail I am hearing that wasn't heard from the Paradigm so now I feel like let's get a new CD player something higher end or a DAC and enjoy the music. Thanks for people that have chimed in about there gear it helps alot.

213, I don’t believe anyone would have issue if less than positive was posted bout Tektons by someone who has actually spent time listening to them, and were not happy or found issue with what they heard. To speak negatively about them based on what others have said who also have never heard them, seems to be uninformed at best. The hugely vast majority of people who have heard them seem to believe they are some of the best speakers at a given price point. It’s hard for me to ignore that much positive feedback. I have yet to hear my uffers and will not be able to until after the current lockdown is over. I’m hoping to hear all the great things I read posted by real owners and listeners. If I don’t, then of course I will be disappointed, but would have no problems saying so, and saying what about them I am disappointed about. I would not agree with your assessment that if one of their speakers measures a certain way, that all likely would. 

Keeping in mind the DI's and Moabs are very efficient speakers, I can't imagine needing more wattage than what I have (around 150 wpc into 4 ohms).  Now I am sure someone out there may be using a high powered class D amp, but for the sake of your ears I urge caution.  The quality and voicing of the amp are going to be far more important than the wattage in almost every case.  So while they can handle that wattage they surely do not need that wattage.

Our friend almarg can answer any questions on amplifier gain.  There are a number of cool class D modules/kits out there that I have seen.  I just wonder if a passive pre might result in sound that is "too clean" or sterile.  Maybe a simple tubed pre.  So many options! 

The DI is stated to handle 400 watts - I assume, per channel. The DI SE, 500, and the Moabs 900. 

Is anyone running this kind of wattage?

The d-sonic amp runs roughly 750 wpm into 4 ohms, and even boasts 1200 into 2 ohms. Is anyone playing with this kind of power, or anything close?

I've got a passive pre, and I'm not particularly clear on the interaction between the pre and the amp, in terms of input/output voltages - perhaps this is a tech question that need to be answered here, as well...

I have my eye on a used Peachtree Nova, which is Class D. It would mainly be for a secondary system pushing KEF LS50s in a small room, but I can’t help but wonder how it would sound with my DIs. Anyone heard this combo?

Good see this thread rejuvenated.

Well stated corelli, Tektons sound great with a variety of amps from SET’s to large SS amps. Ones personal preferences will determine which will suit them best. 
Congrats on your new amp corelli, glad you’re enjoying it so much. The DI’s will definitely fully exhibit upstream changes. 
I think it’s about time I put my SE’s back into my system for a change of pace to my single driver Omega’s and for some nostalgia. No, the SE’s aren’t perfect but that are damn good.

@listening99   Several months back I upgraded my electronics from Marantz Reference 15s2 series to the Marantz Ruby CD/Integrated.  I was a bit reluctant only because the output of this unit is Class D, Ncore.  That concern was quickly put to rest. What I heard with the new combo was an even more expansive soundstage, better clarity and detail, a bit better low end impact all while maintaining that smooth sound Marantz is known for.  

While this may be a bit above budget,  I think it's a great unit.  There are many different opinions on what amps sound "best" with the DI's (or Moabs) but I really gets down to personal taste/what music you like.  For me, I really enjoy the clarity and power of Class D--especially in the way Marantz has implemented this output stage.

I've just asked this on the Moab thread, but the audience to this thread is larger and just as relevant: What class D amps have people used with their Double Impacts, and which are the favorites? I'm taking a serious look at d-sonic, as well as "class D audio" and perhaps there are others in the under $2000.00 price range that have worked well... 

Shucks, my comments were removed. Sense of humors are hard to come by in these trying times. 

canibefrank,
It would appear that social isolation is taking quite a toll on you.
Wishing you well going forward.

hatin on the tekton speeker
make da baby jeezus cry

you can always count on some of the Tekton haters to pop up out of the groundhog hole to splash a neg comment.At least we were not let down on that front.It's like Eric dated,and then dumped,their sister.

+1 corelli.

Yes, it's just speakers.  😂 

But seriously. Just speakers........

Lol.

Direct quote from JA about the Impact Monitors;  

When I first saw the Impact Monitor's array of seven 1" dome tweeters, I wondered how it could possibly work. But its measured performance shows that this unusual design is not compromised—I keep coming back to that superbly even on-axis response—and that the array works well to control the speaker's treble dispersion.—John Atkinson

My Moab review for AV Showrooms mentions why I believe they are a great bargain and check many of my must have boxes, but I also talk about the large size, no veneers only colors, upper octaves resolution can be bettered( by adding a Be tweeter as an option on the Tekton build sheet), and they need a big room to completely disappear, so not perfect but close to the best for far less, and their price point makes them affordable for most of us.

Gee whiz, pretty sad to see haters coming out on Easter Sunday no less.  Never in the 5500 plus posts on this thread did I hear a pleased Tekton owner say their speaker was perfect.  To the naysayers, please read the entire thread and get back to me.  What you will find is one of the most cordial threads on this site.  Many pleased Tekton owners sharing their experiences.  Friendships created.  Uplifting. 

Some posters remind me of a kid at the beach that just can't wait to destroy that beautiful sand castle someone else created.

Correct, 

I didnt read anyone saying that Tekton or anyone else made a perfect speaker ?? 
Why not go on every speaker thread and inform everyone the speakers being discussed are not perfect? I think everyone realizes that. 

Thanks for your kind wishes, MC, hopefully you will one day take your own advice on maturity.  

Mofo,  Sterophile measured the Enzo, and found a 6 db peak at 60-70 hz, and a 6 db dip at 2000 hz.  Since many of the Tekton models do not give the frequency range with the + or - db range, it stands to reason that many models have dips and peaks as the Enzo does.

All I'm saying is that Tekton does not make perfect speakers, and neither does anyone else.

Anyway, I'll bow out, back to regular Tekton posters.

Not sure where u are getting a +-6db frequency response? Stereophile measurements of the impact monitor was flat as a pancake. You must be thinking of your Totems because that is in fact about what they measure. 

I know just how you feel. When I was a little kid and someone showed me just how childish my reasons were I took it personally and my feelings were hurt. Sometimes acting out of frustration I called these people names. Eventually I grew up, learned to separate my personal self from what are really just intellectual positions, and found not only are my feelings no longer hurt (as much- its always a little painful to be proven wrong) but it actually helped me to think more clearly.

Its a little late in the game to be still acting all adolescent but hey, you never know, you may yet mature into a grown up with a grown up mind. Maybe some day. I hope so. I really do.

Ah yes, unfortunately one can still not criticize Tekton speakers in the Tekton thread.  That's kind of sad, really, the pack mentality that springs up.  They are not perfect speakers.  No speaker is, is that so hard to accept?  

The cabinets are square or rectangular boring boxes that come in various paint jobs of odd colors.  I find them outright ugly.  The drivers are of a budget off-the-shelf variety that will not last the 20-30 years + of the better designs.  Their frequency responses swing 6db+-.  Some like this, some don't.

Some embrace these choices and some don't.  It's not the end of the world, folks.

@millercarbon.Well said sir!  Perfect! 

The Tekton design principle is that in order to accurately reproduce the full range of timbral harmonics that are the hallmark of the various instruments the moving mass of the driver must be close to the moving mass of the instrument. A single big massive midrange simply cannot accurately replicate the sonic signature of a much less massive violin or guitar string, for example. But a whole bunch of much smaller lower mass drivers can do this easily.

It is this conceptual leap of genius that renders moot the old school paradigm of having to use big expensive drivers. So its not only foolish to dismiss this as a fad, its technologically ignorant, and luddite as well. Dismissing actual reviewer listening impressions without any first hand knowledge to the contrary is pure arrogance.

grey9hound is, if anything, being kind.

hiend.
I am calling you a fool because you came to a decision about the speakers, without ever hearing them.You called them a fad. Here today gone tomorrow you said.

Quality comes at every level and quality cost money at every level. Some of the statements proclaiming it beat out designs in the 30-40k range seem to really stretch it a bit. I suspect these statements are based more on infatuations with with the design concept and the sonic results than the quality level of the presentation. I don’t thing speaker manufacturers who produce speakers costing many times their price have to worry! In fact I doubt manufacturers at this price point are loosing any sleep over them either.

You SUSPECT someone who says that they beat out 30K speakers, are just infatuated with the design concept and the sonic results more than the quality of the presentation.... HUH. ?. That statement is a huge OXYMORON . . If the design concept is good and you are infatuated with the sonic results of it ,then that is a quality presentation.
What is the quality level of a presentation ????. If it sounds good sonically , then that is a high quality presentation.
Then you say "you don’t think that speaker manufacturers who make speakers costing many times more have to worry."
In the next sentence you say that "IN FACT you DOUBT" that speaker manufacturers are losing any sleep over the Tektons.
That is quite the Oxymoron. All of your statements here are.
And you wonder why i call you a FOOL.....????
Well you have made it quite obvious .

@jaytor Perfectly stated, I wouldn't change one word!  👌 

@hiendmmoe - I also have to disagree with your basic premise. I have not heard these speakers myself, but I'm not willing to dismiss them based on the cost of the drivers.

While I agree that, in most cases, a higher priced driver is likely to have lower distortion at a given SPL, the fact that Tekton tends to use a lot more drivers than is typical can easily overcome this disadvantage.

In my experience, transducer distortion is non-linear with power, meaning the distortion goes up faster than the SPL as a driver is pushed harder. So even if a given driver is not as "good" as a high-priced speaker driver, the multiple high-efficiency drivers are working a lot less hard in the Tekton (particularly the multi-driver array used for the midrange) and therefore are likely to be able to deliver a higher level of performance than a speaker with a much smaller number of somewhat better drivers.

From everything I've read and heard about these speakers (particularly the DI and Moab), these speakers deliver an excellent sound quality level for the dollar and are comparable SQ-wise with speakers that cost considerably more. 

Even without hearing them, I believe this could easily be the case based on their design.  A large cabinet with lots of drivers can overcome a lot of limitations from the modest quality drivers. 

The other thing to take into account is that Tekton is a direct-to-consumer business. While this doesn't completely eliminate the costs of the "middle-man" since Tekton has to handle the customer issues directly, it does mean there is one less business in the middle that has to earn a profit. 

If I wasn't happy with my DIY GR-Research open-baffle speakers, I would definitely be looking seriously at the Tekton speakers (particularly the DI and Moab). 

Hiendmoe,
You may not be a fool, but you're using flawed logic to criticize a speaker without hearing it. Hard to image I have to explain it, but a speaker produces SOUND. So, to not hear that sound is to be clueless about said speaker's qualities. OK, back to your trolling.

To call me a fool because I have an opinion based on what I’ve read and seen seems to say a lot of the people who feel threatened by my post. As I’ve strolled through various post’s relating to the OP it’s apparent there’s a certain number of members who keep this thread a live. With that being said, I’m happy you feel the way you do about these speakers, but also remember if someone disagrees with your belief’s that doesn’t make them a fool. Fools are usually the ones that think others must always think the way they do, because they are always right!

@canibefrank fine, then you owe me $8500 😂 

canibefrank,
Say what?

all yor Tekton are belong to me

@corelli  Great hearing from you as well. Hope you and your family are healthy, safe and in good spirits. Things are not looking good in Michigan also. Despite everything, all is good here. Orleans and Jefferson Parish are both reaching their peaks (so we hope)... fingers crossed on our region moving past that and forward soon.

Had Tom planned on the weekend prior, he would have made it. Unfortunate timing on his trip to New Orleans. It would have been great meeting him in person, enjoying an evening of music, and getting his take on the state of the system.

My system has come along really, really well, though at significant expense. : )

I miss the camaraderie of this thread!!!

@heind
You are SOO Wrong. 
Don't be a fool. You cannot come to the conclusion that you have without hearing the speaker !
You make your self a fool with your writings and assumptions 

Heind, how would you know? All the people with first had listening experience sure couldn’t know as much about what they sound like as someone who arbitrarily decided they can’t be any more than a fad? I’ve read about everything I could find on the internet about tektons myself. Almost all give high praise, and are detailed about what they are praising, and those details don’t seem radish at all. Also read where two professional reviewers for noted magazines made Tekton their reference speakers in their own systems. The negative reviews I have read were either by people who havnt even heard them, and went on to explain how and why they could not sound good, or by people who seem like their fixated against them for their design, or love for another brand that some have said the Tektons were better than, without giving details of what about the sound disappoints in the way that those who enjoy them seem to be able to give their reasons. I’m sure some people will prefer other speakers, as everyone has different preferences in sound, and i for one enjoy many different types, and try not to pigeon hole myself, just let my ears decide. 

@david_ten   Always good to hear from you David.  Hope you continue to enjoy your journey into SE/fullrange driver world.  I have no doubt your system works some magic.  More importantly, hope you and your family are well in these uncharted times.  I did speak with Tom not too long ago and he mentioned meeting up with you to audition your system.  Given recent events not sure if that happened.  In any event, both of you have been a great asset to this thread.  Best wishes.

Google Photos reminder this morning...April 4, 2017...DIs arrived and unboxed. Great memories and a turning point in the audio journey. Thanks, Eric Alexander and Terry London!!!

@corelli Thanks buddy. Yeah I'm very happy with them. Life is good. 

Based on what I have read I have decided Tekton is a Fad..lotsa of people must be drinking the koolAid..
based on what I  have read..
Those of you that have replaced speakers costing much more have bought into the Fad..
drank the koolaid..
the Tektons will probably disappear soon..
they can't be that good based on what I have read..
I know everything that you read on the internet has to be true..
.except for this about the Tektons.
So,based on what I have read I will not purchase anymore Tektons.
.I am glad I sold my Pendragons  that I really enjoyed when I was hurting for money.
I am so sorry that I bought the Mlores and Lore References that  I enjoy daily
Based on what I have read..I drank that koolaid too.
I feel so silly now!

@jcarcopo  I am glad you continue to enjoy your Encores.  I am totally with you man!  Once you arrive at a really good place, do you really need to keep looking?  Reminds me of when I use to cut down my own Christmas tree.  Would walk around the whole farm thinking that the one on the horizon looked so much better.  Often came back full circle the first good looking tree I spotted when I first arrived!

@hiendmmoe   You know, it really isn't very helpful to post on a speaker you have never even heard.  If you read this entire thread, you might have gained some insight into what makes this one of the biggest gifts to music lovers of all time.  The value is unheard of.  But if it makes you feel better, Wilson is waiting.  Don't mean to be rude, but you make some fatal assumptions in your analysis of Tekton.  In life, you DON'T always get what you pay for.  Some are driven to give more.  Some are driven by corporate greed.  

@brad1138  One thing I can tell you is you won't go wrong with either.  I have had my DI's for over 2 yrs and they only get better.  Never have I felt that I am missing out.  Sure I have looked at the Moabs, but I keep dragging my feet as I am so content.  I've been in this for half a century and the DI's are the single best decision in audio I have ever made.