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 am using a cheap hdmi from the JRIver to the MX151. I just recently moved to hdmi away from usb . I ordered a Purist Audio HDMI last Thursday . I was running Purist audio Ultimate usb to a usb to spdif spdif converter and a Purist Audio Dominus digital to the MX151. I must admit it was a more laid back sound that way, before i switched to HDMI , but the new HDMI will be here next week.
I never was riding a "high horse" but also believed that in a SET design to get the "inner glow", timbres/colors, liquidity and intimacy we all love you had to use 2A3/45/300b tubes. However, with AricAudio's SET which uses KT-88's I'm getting all those virtues plus better sound-staging and low end dynamics on the Ulf's then with other SET's using 2A3 or 300b tubes.
Well you make some good points Terry. His Rogue amp however and cabling are not forward. The DI speakers are more forward sounding as I am sure you know. They do indeed lean towards sounding forward. His preamp does offer the SOTA Lyngdorf room correction and this really helps this speaker sound as it should in a given room.
In the end the DI speaker does lean, I do mean just lean, on the forward more analytical side of things.
My Crescendo speakers are heavily modified and more resolved and airy compared to stock. They still deliver the tone and perspective I prefer however.
I drive my Crescendos with 100% digital gear. No tubes. Lyngdorf 2170 and a Sound Science Music server. The resulting sound is beautiful, full bodied, relaxed, vivid and sensual. No tubes. no DHT, no 2a3...
I say this because DHT tubes are not maditory for a system, total system, to deliver the kind of lovely tones some say only come from small tube watts.
Thanks for a very interesting field report! The two relatively minor criticisms of the DI's compared to your AZ Crescendo's, which I think are wonderful music makers that I have listened to many times, I believe are more based on grey9hound's room placement and upstream gear.
1) To have the DI's only 18 inches off the front wall would almost certainly negate them being able to produce a deep sound-stage or what you called depth in the sound-stage layering. I ran this experiment many times and to get the sound-staging/layering you were missing takes at least three feet off the front wall.
2) The DI's are more of a pure conduit then your Crescendo's which are voiced to be slightly warm/full, just like my old reference Lawrence Audio Cello's were, and what you were hearing in my opinion was the preamp and amplifier voicing not the DI's overall sonic signature. That's why my go to combo on the DI's, I think we have similar tastes, is either the Triode Labs SET 2A3 or the Aric Audio SET KT-88 driven by the Micro-ZOTL to get what you call, "more beautiful and lovely sound to my ears".
Sorry, there really is no P/P tube amplifier that gives you what a reference level SET provides in what you are referring to in your above quote. No offense to grey9hound's McIntosh MX151, however I find this preamp not to be very musical compared to other line-stages that I have auditioned.
In my professional review on the DI's one of the speakers I compared them to are your great Crescendo's that I love indeed, what you heard the DI's do better then the AZ speakers we agree on, the overall statement about not quite being as beautiful/lovely I believe is based more on the upstream gear then the DI's which are more neutral/transparent conduit then the AZ's and you heard the electronics more then the speakers.
Do any other SET amplifier owners have a dubious opinion of SET amplifiers that utilize a tetrode/pentode as the power tube? I mean come on, its called a single ended triode amplifier for a reason and shouldn't a Triode be employed if for no other reason than name continuity alone; notwithstanding obvious sonic benefits of simplicity, intended application of the proper tube for the proper circuit, and me personally, I don't like my electrons having to jump through additional hoops or grids to get to my ears. Seriously though, am I being a purist snob here? Am I alone in the sentiment that a real set amplifier should have, at the very least, a real triode tube employed? Do you roll your eyes when you hear the words "triode mode" as a switchable option on what is most definitely not a set amplifier, at least imho. Please discuss. I'm dying to get off my high horse and just need to be talked down by some rational banter. 😂 I mean I'd suffer with a parallel set amplifier, but that's where I draw a line in the sand.
Oh,BTW the Power cables on the MX151 and ST-100 are the Purist Audio Design
Dominus Fluid cables. The Analog cables from the MX151 to the Rogue are the Purist Audio Dominus Fluid XLR.
In talking with @aniwolfe he made it very good point. If you’re listening levels are say in the 70s, in terms of db levels, the immediacy of the speaker may be very comfortable for you. I listen in the 70s but also into the 80s on my system.
I also want to state that the speakers had some toe-in. Dennis can give the actual amount of toe-in. It was moderate.
Thank you grannyring. I think you are spot on as far as the sound goes. The setup with the DIs is not warm or wet tubey sounding .even with the Rogue St-100 It sounds real .It is not a "romantic" sounding setup. I have had cables and gear that lends to that , but the other thing is that ,with the 60s Telefunken 12AX7 tubes that i put in the St-100 , , everything is "clearly" there and laid bare ,so to speak..They are very revealing especially in the top to upper mids. I think that with different equipment you could get a warmer , tubey sound.The Rogue ST-100 is not warm and tubey sounding . It has just enough tube character to be smooth. never harsh and slightly sweet , but only slightly, and not at all syrupy sweet though..The rogue has the Dyanmics and punch of a solid state amp. I think the speakers would sound sweeter and more romantic if they were feed that kind of gear. As a matter of fact I think they tend to reveal what your gear is .. good or bad . I personally love the the St-100 because of its traits and the Double Impacts reveal that nicely IMO. Thanks again Bill
LOL Tom. We still get along famously, as you know I am looking for my next conquest in terms of taking a great sounding set of speakers and bringing them to the next level.
At this point I am not sure what that next speaker is. It may very well be the SE version of the DI speaker. It is very possible this speaker will be a tad more refined and maybe more to my preference for a more beautiful or sensuous sound.
I do know I will have to hear them in person before I will be able to decide. No rush for me as my current speakers won’t be going anywhere until I know for sure. Perhaps they’ll never go? We will see.
I'm so glad that you got to hear the DI's for yourself and thank's for your well explained summary of this very unique design.
It's always a good thing for all of us to be open minded and open eared and try new things,sometimes we find something new that we like better and sometimes we don't but we have gained the knowledge and experience and that is priceless in our quest for that perfect sound that we as individuals desire.
Well @grey9hound was kind enough to allow me, at total stranger, to visit his home and enjoy his company, his system, and Romeo his wonderful canine companion. Romeo and I hit it off spectacularly!
Here are some details of Dennis’s system:
McIntosh MX151 Pre-amp. It comes with the Lyndorf Room Correction software.
JRiver Media
Rogue Audio St-100 stereo tube amp tricked out with NOS Telefunken 1960s 12ax7 tubes
Voodoo Audio Reference speaker cables
Purest power and IC cables cables the circumference of my arm! Forget the models, but very high quality.
The room is a basement room with concrete under carpet and two concrete walls covered in paneling. The room is open on the left side to an adjoining space/room. Not sure of the room’s exact dimensions and perhaps Dennis can clearify. Speakers looked to be about 8 feet apart center to center and we sat about 9 feet back with a wall directly behind us. Speakers were perhaps 18 inches from the wall behind them. Dennis will need to confirm actual measurements.
His JRiver Media software is just amazing and Dennis has complete mastery over it. The features and adjustability seem limitless from my virgin perspective. We listened to his ripped cd files which covered music genres ranging from electronica to female vocalist. I could not bring any of my music as I do not own CDs, but stream from Tidal and play my ripped and now sold music collection. He did have several artists and recordings I am very familiar with including Van Morrison who is my favorite artist.
First, the Tekton DI speaker is the most interesting speaker I have ever listened to. Eric the designer/builder has a speaker that portrays a sonic perspective, that to my ears, is new and somewhat unique. What he has accomplished for $3300 shipped (upgraded model) is astonishing. He has my sincere respect. Not sure how anyone could come away with a different conclusion after a serious listen in a reasonably set up system.
Please understand my thoughts are based on a well seasoned perspective having owned all manner of gear and systems over the decades. My last five speakers include;
Soundlab A1s driven by Atmasphere MA1s
Lahave Audio Khara driven by numerous tube amps including DHTs
Coincident Total Victory II driven by several SS and tube amps
Harbeth 40.1s driven by tube amps and the Lyngdorf 2170
Acoustic Zen Crescendo highly modified and upgraded my myself - driven by a Lyngdorf 2170 also modified by myself. This is my current set up.
I will cover the bass first and this will take little time and few words. In Dennis’s room the bass response was remarkable. He played some electronica at db levels well over 100db that pulsated my body and the room. It was remarkably deep, powerful, and articulate. The DI speaker gives a wonderful foundation to many recordings, even the ones we all love that often sound mediocre at best. On all types of music the bass was fast, impactful, and always articulate. My Crescendo speakers cannot match the bass exploits of the DI. This was clear folks. In fact with room correction and in Dennis’s set up, no speaker I have owned comes close.
The next attribute I quickly took note of was the immediacy of this speaker. Here is where it is rather unique and ground breaking. Song after song, genre and genre, the immediacy of the performance was uncanny and arresting. The instruments seems to be right before me and spread out nicely right to left.
These two attributes, bass and immediacy, make the DI speaker a fun and exhilarating experience. They make audio and listening fun!
For $3300 I know of no speaker that comes close it it’s overall level of sonic performance. Let’s go a little deeper now.
Ever watch that Seinfeld episode of the "close talker"? The person stands unusually close to others when in conversation thus invading personal space. The immediacy of the DI ended up giving me this feeling. This first few rows perspective was evident recording after recording. I would have liked more stage depth. How much of this is due, if at all, to the room is impossible for me to know at this juncture.
While my current AZ Crescendo speakers are not as impressive in bass response, speed, and uber immediacy, they sound more beautiful and lovely to my ears. Here is a somewhat poor example, but it at least sums up my feelings pretty well. The DI speakers are a fun, fantastically exciting and vividly engaging date for me. I would in the end marry the Crescendo speakers 🙂
This is only MY subjective opinion so please know that. I for example don’t usually like FAST in my gear. When I hear some piece of gear is fast it often ends up sounding less beautiful and sensual than I prefer. I am fine with things moving a tad slower and letting the notes linger and roll a tad.
Impossible to say the DI speaker beats out $20,000 speakers, as by what criteria is this judgement being made? By a speaker’s sonic muscularity and staging gymnastics? We all have different check lists and there is no one checklist of attributes that rises to the one standard for all to be judged. Listen for yourself and have fun. Goodness this is one fun ride of a speaker folks!
Remember this summary is based on my preferences, in one particular room, with one particular grouping of components. The DI speaker is an amazing achievement and a plus for our industry. It should have higher priced speaker builders a little bit anxious. If not, they are not paying real attention.
Hi Bill (Grannyring), What's your impression of the Double Impacts driven by the Rogue ST 100 in grey9hound's systemm? Did you bring your own familiar recordings? Charles
Hi All, I wanted to introduce myself. I'm Aric Kimball the owner/sole proprietor of Aric Audio, and say thank you for some of the nice comments on the amps that I build. I wanted to say, that I specialize in building high-end Tube gear that can compete with gear costing many times more. I build all of these myself by hand- using point to point wiring, and with only very high quality components. I have lots of products on my site, and since these are built to order- I can also customize products to your needs. If anyone has an interest- feel free to contact me through my site (www.aricaudio.com), or you can message me using the message feature here as well. Best wishes, Aric
That is why I hand picked the location of our new house 3 yrs ago,we have the first house and a corner lot in our neighborhood and we draw the first ac pwr from the incoming lines and I installed my own dedicated 20 amp circuits in both listening rooms using nice hospital grade outlets.
Makes the best coffee that I have ever had and the the music seems to sound better too anytime of the day.
Ezra just put his order in with Aric to build his SET mono-blocks, therefore I'll bring both the SET 2A3 and SET KT-88 amps over to get my take on the SE's, until he gets his custom pair.
I'm thinking about putting in a dedicated line straight to my coffee maker. I've noticed that the coffee I brew at night is much smoother, with less jitter & wow and a more cohesive brew altogether. Matter of fact, I find the difference between coffee brewed at 10 PM versus 10 AM is like night and day.
@teajay Terrific news. Will Ezra have the Aric Audio monos in his system at the time the DIs are set up? If not, what will he be using for his amp?
I'm curious about your take on speaker sensitivity and drive-ability with different amps with respect to the SEs. Will you be taking your current and favorite amps to his place for your listening sessions?
Looking forward to your impressions of both the DI SE's and mono-blocks, teajay. Sounds like Ezra is going to have one sweet system. Are his amps a mono-block version of the Transcend SET KT-120 that you have? Or are they upgraded even more? I'm VERY much looking forward to adding SET KT-120 amp to my system to have my own, albeit budget version, of an Eric/Aric combination.
For all of you MZ2 users out there you may want to look into getting the Vinnie Rossi MINI PURE-DC-4EVR power supply. Recieved mine today and am pleasantly surprised with the sonic improvements it brings to the table. Even blacker background, which I didn't think was possible, revealing even more musical details. More air surrounding notes, especially the highs. It's not a night and day difference, but a very nice and welcomed improvement. Mike at Audio Archon was a joy to deal with and to my mind undersold the benefits of this unit.
Today, Eric fine tuned the first pair of DI SE's that are going to Mike's (Audio Archon) customer/friend Ezra! The pair will be shipped out this Monday, so Ezra will have them towards the end of next week. I'm a lucky individual that I'll be able to hear the SI's because Ezra lives a couple of minutes away. I surly will let you all know what they sound like and can give you a good take where they fit in the Tekton stable of speakers because of my direct experience with the DI's and the Ulf's. I submitted my review on the Ulf's last week to hometheatereview.com and it should be published in about two weeks.
Ezra also has ordered from Aric (AricAudio) a pair of SET KT-88 mono-blocks with "cost no object" upgrades in all internal parts. The combination of the two Eric/Aric creations will be one "smoking system" that I strongly predict will produce beautiful music, indeed!
@stfoth It's the real deal. I think there are like eight of these left in the world. You think you've had coffee? You ain't never had no coffee like this!
This sounds like just the ticket. A military grade carafe. Now I need to find an imported one.
$8000.00 sounds reasonable. Those things don't just grow on trees. aw hell.... Now I need one that grows on trees so I can see how a biodegradable one will change the taste.
If you're serious about this, vitop, I have a New Old Stock carafe that was produced by Sunbeam for military use in the 1940s. These are almost impossible to find, and you have to watch out for Russian and Chinese knockoffs.
I'll be rolling the different vintage carafes to see which one makes the coffee tastes better. Looking for a discontinued pear shaped one from the 30's. I am sure it will make the coffee taste smoother and more liquid.
I think you've just summed up the whole audiophile experience in just a single sip.
I’ll be rolling different vintage carafes to see which one makes the coffee tastes better. Looking for a discontinued pear shaped one from the 30’s. I am sure it will make the coffee taste smoother and more liquid.
Fancy shmancy coffee makers are all well and good, but if you are using the stock power cord with those things, your coffee is going to be flat and unengaging, no matter what you put in it. And don't get me started about kitchen treatments.
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