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 was hoping to finally hear the Double Impacts at Axpona this year. Despite all of the buzz here, and having a dealer in the Chicago suburbs, Tekton will not be showing for a second year in a row at Axpona. It is only one of the largest shows in the country. What gives? I guess it is another head scratcher from Tekton. I am quickly losing interest. Oh well.
I’m guessing he doesn’t have time to do any shows. The build list has got to be long since I’m on a 16 to 20 week wait. So why pay for a room at Axpona?
csmgolf, agree with you, why bother to give anyone who wants to see or hear the speaker their only chance before buying it. After all, it must be expensive to buy a room or booth.
I have been to both RMAF and Axpona. Travel 1300 miles to RMAF or 300 to Axpona when the vast majority of the exhibitors are the same at both shows? Travel another 1000 miles to hear one speaker? I think not. They have a dealer in the immediate area and still don't have a presence. I have auditioned one Tekton speaker that many on the internet praised, the Pendragon. I am glad I heard them first. While they were not bad, I would not purchase them. The trial period would only interest me if I heard the DI first and I found them to be significantly better than the Pendragon. Then it would be a matter of whether they work in my room or not and I would be willing to try. Shipping speakers, especially large ones, is a PITA and I choose to avoid it when I can. If the aspiration is to prove that you have the best speaker in the world and you want to be one of the big boys, then be where the big boys are and show your stuff. It just doesn't seem that difficult, particularly when a dealer is right there. All of this is just IMHO.
My 2 cents. Home auditions are the way to go especially for speakers. Next best is an extended listen at a dealer or someone's home who owns the speakers. Way too many variables to make a meaningful decision at a show. Just take Eric up on his return policy and if you don't want to do that because the speakers are too heavy - just move-on.
Hi jcarcopo, I've learned that it isn't worth the energy and emotion to get upset about what others do regarding audio decisions. Sbayne nailed it, home audition is unquestionably the best way to evaluate an audio product. It someone feels it isn't worth the required effort and some inconvenience "move on" . Sbayne is right. Charles
You know, about 80 pages ago I said that the return shipping charges would be worth the fun of playing with a new toy for a month. More importantly, and also noted before more than once, has been what's stated above. I can't imagine auditioning a speaker in an unknown environment and having confidence it will sound great in my room. Your room has far greater impact on the end result than many other changes we make in our gear. So what's the big problem here. Unless you live near a dealer (few of us do) that stocks the gear you want, it's not like you're going to pack them up and return them locally. No, your going to ship them back. Tekton in hardly unique in this regard.
In addition to everything that has been stated, arrangements can also be made for in home pick up in the event the speakers are to be returned to Tekton.
There is an old saying "you can't please all the people all the time."
I just don't understand why people are so upset. I am considering these as a possible replacement for a pair of Mosaic Acoustics Illuminations. If you have never heard of them, look them up. They are a $25,000 a pair set of speakers made by Dale Pitcher, one of the best designers in the business. I was able to get a great deal on a used pair. I first heard them at Axpona 3 years ago and thought they were the best at the show. Saying that you can't get great sound at a show is hogwash, particularly if the speakers are great. If the DIs are what people say they are, the positives will be able to be heard at a show. I understand enough to know that my room would be the final say so, I have been doing this a while.
The Illuminations are the most demanding speakers to set up that I have ever experienced. Moving them by 1/4 of an inch makes a difference. The tweeters are movable for time alignment and 1/16 of an inch makes a difference. It has taken months to get it right. They are outstanding speakers capable of transcendent sound. They are also massively heavy. 150 plus pounds for just the bass cabinets. So it is not just a matter of slapping the DIs in my room. I have to move the other speakers out which are multiple pieces and a complicated break down. Believe me, it is no small task. Particularly when you are doing it by yourself. Then if the DIs don't beat out some great competition, I get to move them back in plus ship a large set of speakers. Even though current position can be measured, there will be tweaking to get them back to what I am getting from them now.
My drawback with the Illuminations is that a subwoofer is a must. I hate using subwoofers for stereo, period. As exacting as the rest of the set up is, so it is blending a subwoofer with them. However, the imaging, sound staging, purity of tone, and coherence within their usable range is amazing. I am looking for a bit more simplicity and bass extension/power without giving up much of what the Illuminations do so incredibly well. The fact that I am even considering the DI at all says that I believe there is a lot of potential. The DIs have been shown at a couple of other shows. When I question why they are not being shown at one of the largest shows in North America when they have a local dealer, I get attacked by owners that act like I am insulting them personally. Bizarre stuff. I want to hear them first and am willing to travel within reason to do so.
Hi csmgolf, I can’t speak for anyone else on this thread but I don’t see any response to your posts that rise to the level of an attack. You post on an open forum and naturally some will reply to your comments. You expressed your thoughts and this generated feedback. Where are the attacks toward you? This is just normal forum back and forth dialogue on an acknowledged discussion site. Charles
@charles1dad Calling it an attack was probably going to far. But there has been innuendo that I am sniping the company, too lazy to put the effort into audition the speaker in my own home, and that I am just being difficult. That is not the case. I just want an opportunity to hear them first. Zu Audio is a perfect example. Many people swear by them on this very site. They have a return policy also. Fortunately for me, I have heard them probably a half dozen times or so at shows. I have never once heard them sound good to me despite what others say about them. I am thankful for the opportunity to have heard them and to be able to rule them out because I was very interested in them. The audition of the Pendragons that I mentioned above was extended and at an owners home, not at a show. It was a couple of years ago. Good in some ways, but I heard some issues. That is why I want to hear the DI before I do anything.
@klh007 Thanks, I did not see them on the exhibitor listing. I will check them out.
csmgolf, Point made. I agree that there are some speakers you might hear at a show and you know pretty quickly this is not the speaker for you. In that case, shows can be effective at narrowing the field. Now if you hear several you really like......well, that's where the home edition is critical for me. Many owners of the DI/SE's find them full range, no sub needed. With large scale works, I do not. I use a pair of subs that really fill in from 20-30hz. So take the 20hz spec with a grain of salt. Many rooms will not achieve anything below 30hz. But for many, that is irrelevant depending on musical preference.
csmgolf, Believe me I understand your position on hearing speakers of interest at shows. This does act to a certain degree as a screening process and is better than no exposure at all. My point is that if there is very serious interest in definitively judging a speaker home audition is the undisputed best option.
Regarding Zu speakers my listening impressions at audio shows (4 separate occasions) have been the same disappointing result. Just unimpressed. Each occasion was the same. Very loud rock music and driven with solid state amplifiers, outcome= poor sound quality. Perhaps I needed to hear them with acoustic jazz at reasonable volume levels driven by a good tube (or solid state) amplifier, who knows? Charles
@csmgolf , Thanks for detailing what your in home audition would consist of. It would take considerable effort for the audition process. Clearly something to avoid if the D.I.'s would not match your taste.
I also believe with Tekton being a smaller business at this point and up to their eyeballs in existing orders they might feel that the company is best served by not participating directly at Axpona this year.
Corelli brings up some excellent points pertaining to subs that you may draw a conclusion from without in home work.
If you do progress to the point of in home I'm pretty sure without checking that the in home trial is for 60 days.
What tweeters are used in the Double Impact SE? I wish my Enzo 2.7s had better tweeters. If the tweeters were more transparent, more airy, these things would be damn near perfect. Why doesn't Tekton offer an SE version of their other models?
Well gang...I have made the decision to purchase (and placed a deposit on) the Double Impact SE's. @david_ten and @teajay , I really appreciated your advice, as well as bluntness! All of your contributions to this board (and me personally) have been valuable to say the least. @audioarchon, thanks for having endless patience and just being an awesome guy (he knows a bit about audio too). Can't wait until they arrive and i can post my impressions. Now, to figure out which Amp/Pre-amp I am going to get. @aricaudio will likely see some of my money as well. :)
@csmgolf I'm sorry if I implied anything untowards to you. You're apt assessment of the Zu speakers as well as @charles1dad delicious reiteration simply means that you are definitely family and one of us. I stand by my offer. I'll gladly pay your return shipping bill if you don't keep the Tekton. I'm that confident.
@jcarcopo No problems. It was not my intention to stir anything up. I am about seeing the small guys succeed. It sounds as if Tekton will be there with Parasound according to KLH007. There are 4 hotels in the immediate vicinity of the show that are already sold out that weekend. I cannot think of a better way to get a large group of people that can afford the DI to hear them. Hit it out of the park at the show and business could take off even more than it already has (i.e. to the point of expanding production facilities and team). I appreciate the gesture, but the cost of return is not the biggest deterrent for me at this point. If I were to hear them and really like them, I would likely save up and go straight for the SE version. If you're gonna go, go big.
@danoroo maybe an easier answer to your problem would be to pull the crossover and replace some of those nasty caps! Suspect it might be a fun and easier project than what Bill did with his DI's.
I agree with @corelli. Eric’s tweeter array responds really well to cap upgrades. Add some correctly spec’d and installed Jupiter or Duelund caps to the crossover and you will be shocked by the excellent music you get. And no doubt, Bill really knows his stuff.
@csmgolf If the SEs were available when I pulled the trigger I would have gone that route as well. At this point I don’t have any regrets because I’ve never heard the SEs and hope to keep it that way to preserve my bank account. I keep holding out for the elusive mini-ulfberhts, but they haven’t materialized yet and neither has the money I would require to afford them. I spent so much money on my set tube amplifier and upgrading my digital front end that I hemorrhaged enough money for this crazy hobby for a lifetime. The audio bug 🐛 will invariably force my hand, it’s only a matter of time. I hope you do get the SEs, you simply can’t go wrong with them. I apologize for misjudging you initially, I actually thought you were trolling us initially, now I realize you’re just inquisitive, like most of us here.
Good day all, and with all apologies to grannyring.
During the last couple of weeks as I have been thoroughly enjoying the break-in process of Aric Audio's, The Motherlode, I have had many private inquiries about the piece. I have tried to reply to all of them, but in the interest of efficiency, I have cut and paste my latest response.
Now again, I am far from a reviewer, so you will have to excuse my lack of use of audio superlatives. First and foremost, Aric is fantastic to work with! He could have easily said, "look, I have several preamps in my lineup to select from that I know punch well above their weight", but he didn't. He was happy to work with me and take his background and knowledge in what works and apply that, coupled with a grade of components that Bill(grannyring) had suggested that would rival that of The Dude. I have never even heard The Dude, but I knew that my Pass preamp was not doing it for me. So I have a bout 150 hours on the tubes, Dueland and Jupiter caps, and it sounds nothing short of amazing! Big, expressive, detailed yet rich, huge 3 dimensional soundstage with great separation between instruments, dead silent in all line levels and phono stage. It is by far the best preamp that I have had in my system and listening room, and I have had and borrowed a lot of high end, expensive gear...it just sounds Natural and LIVE! Here is what I would say that best describes my thoughts on what I am hearing from this piece to date(and it is not even close to being broken in yet), if this piece had a $15K price tag on it, I would consider it an audio bargain... And I only paid $4800! I am not a paid spokesperson for Aric Audio, but what he is putting out in terms of tube gear, should have the likes of Audio Research, Ayre, Atma-sphere, and the like, rethinking their approach to the business. I will never again buy from a mass produced company!
Later this year I am going to have Aric build me a completely spec'd out SET amp.
Laaudionut, What output tube have you decided to base the SET amplifier on, 2A3, 300b,845,211? I’m certain that Aric will build you a superb custom power amplifier worthy of your Motherlode. Friendly suggestion, get the best output transformers you can afford😊. Charles
@charles1dad , Aric and I have not decided on the tube specific as yet. He mentions that he is working on some projects that push our decision one way or another. As mentioned, this piece is a bit further out for me.
@corelli, HBD indeed! This thread has been wicked instrumental in taking my system to an extremely pleasing level. Thank you!
@danoroo, I mentioned the lack of a southern event to Gary Gill (Owner of Capital AudioFest) at a DC HiFi Group meeting Saturday, and he agreed one might be beneficial, but his schedule is full with job plus CAF so he couldn't even consider doing one. Maybe some manufacturers located in the southern US need to cooperate and begin with a small event? Perhaps danoroo should start an event in Texas?
This speaker has caught my interest like it has so many others. My initial impression was if the concept works so well, what would be possible with upgraded drivers, components and cabinetry? Would that just make this another $20K contender? Then I see the SE and think, great but at over twice the price? I have speakers I am happy with but have seen the reports of others selling speakers they had no plans to part with and I want to listen for myself. If I fell for the DIs I can sell my current speakers to cover the cost, but do I make that pretty easy choice and order the DIs or do I take a much more (for me) serious step and go for the DI SE? Throw in that grannyring says his mods beat the SEs and I am stumped. I know there are a few who have heard both and maybe a couple who have heard both plus grannyring's mods. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Hello Joe, Without exception each account where someone has heard or owned both models they unequivocally say that as good as the Double Impact is the SE is the superior speaker. If you can comfortably afford the SE I’d suggest going that route. Decide what type of amplifier sound you most desire (as you’ll heard it with this speaker). My philosophy is get the best that you can responsibly afford and don’t look back.
I’m pleased with my current system to an extraordinary extent. If I decided to just start anew (If only to have something different) I would very seriously contemplate the Double Impact SE and mate them to the Line Magnetic 508ia or a Viva Solista and be done. Charles
Charles, Thank you for your response. i appreciate the advice regarding the DIs vs. the DI SEs. But you do raise another issue, choice of amplifier. In my current set up I like the amplifiers i have now, Parasound JC-1s, but it seems the consensus here is toward tubes with either DI option. I am fine with tubes, the JC-1s followed two different pairs of VTLs, but of course I was not anticipating a major system overhaul! Is anyone using high power SS amps with these?
Joe, Honestly I don’t believe that a consensus of amplification has been established. Very happy DI owners have posted here and a pretty fair number of them are using solid state amplifiers with much success.
As has been pointed out often on this thread, the DI allows a very wide range of amplifier types to be used with excellent results. One of this speaker’s more noteworthy attributes. 3 watt SET or 600 watt class D (and all stops between) the DI has worked well across an enormous spectrum of amplifiers.
I’d certainly give the Parasound a chance with the DI/SE, you just never know unless you listen 😊. Charles
Joe, If you like the sound of your amp do not think about changing that variable right now. I can reassure you the DI's perform well with all sorts of electronics as this thread points out. Their efficiency allows the option of low powered SET gear but hardly demands it. I've listened to both tubes and higher powered SS gear. While I appreciate the virtues of both, overall I prefer my Marantz Reference integrated.
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