After what's happening with Eric at Tekton, I'd boycott Tekton altogether now.
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Yes, definitely demo but unless he has the same amp, dac etc. he’s going to experience it differently which is another reason not to trust a demo, review or word of mouth.
I ended up with Response 3’s and they are wonderful, I can’t see ever giving them up which may be why you rarely see them for sale. Phil |
philbarone "But I’ll tell ya one thing, I’ll never buy into hype again or listen to people on the World Wide Web whether for audio or anything else I’m spending my money on. All around it was a bad experience and the owner over at Tekton didn’t help matters." I can’t agree with much of what you say, but I respect your opinion because it is based on experience with Tekton. And I can agree that one should not buy into hype about any product but actually try to listen before buying. One speaker brand "smoked" another is kinda where we part ways. It really is a matter of opinion even if one states "I probably have good ears". Klipsch makes good speakers and the OP, if he tried, could audition these speakers to see if he likes the sound. It would be much harder to demo Tekton speakers as the OP would have to have an offer from someone in his area who owns a pair to listen to them. Of note, if the OP lives in Northeast Ohio I would be willing to demo them. Of my friends I have had over to have a listen, they all like the sound of the Double Impacts. BTW which Proac speakers did you end up with?
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Maybe I can understand if you only listen to loud rock or even blues but aside from that Fagetaboutit, the Klipsch Forte Fours smoked them on every genre BUT they were 1500 dollars more. It wasn’t a personal taste thing and I had other musicians listen to them and given the fact that they were supposed to be audiophile grade speakers, none of the guys I had over liked them for whatever reason and smoked is smoked, the only word I can think of to describe it and I probably have good ears. I should add that I never minded the wait but it is a factor for some people especially given all the choices out there. But I’ll tell ya one thing, I’ll never buy into hype again or listen to people on the World Wide Web whether for audio or anything else I’m spending my money on. All around it was a bad experience and the owner over at Tekton didn’t help matters. |
Speakers are highly subjective. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. I don’t usually listen to someone who complains about wait time to get speakers, how they look, how good their ears are or how terrible a speaker sounds. Conversely I don’t pay attention to words like mind blowing, freaking awesome or gobsmacked when someone talks about the greatness of a speaker. I usually will listen to details about how the speaker sounds without the other ridiculous stuff. A speaker is a container with drivers and a maybe a crossover. It’s something you like or don’t. I have heard both Klipsch and Tekton and they both make very good speakers. It’s really the sound you are looking for. I think the Klipsch are easier to drive and you have to like the horn sound. Actually both can be driven with tubes, even low watt amps. I have Tekton DI SE in one system and Vandersteen 2CE Sig II with stereo Rythmik subs in another. They both sound good to ME. The Tekton are more forward and will fill up a room with sound, very musical and yes they can compare to horns in that sense. The Vandys are more laid back and also sound great. Try to have a listen to both these speakers, if you can and with as close to your setup and music as possible... |
I have a pair of Tekton double impacts (upgraded) for almost 3 years. I love them. I listen to ONLY Rock and Roll. I have a rather large area in my shop designated for music. The acoustics are incredible, don't know why. ( 20'x30') Speakers are about 12' apart and my listening distance is about 12 to 14' Very Holographic and dynamic sound, and accuarate. Listen at mid 90's spl. Pink Floyd, Def Leopard, tHe Cars Rush, Great White. Grew up during 60's System is as follows: AMP, ATI 6002 (2 channel system only) Benchmark line amp LA-4, Meitner MA-1 DAC, Project RS2T CD transport and a n SVS SB 4000 Sub, also stream qobuz. A decent amount of money spent. I have no idea why, but the sound is GREAT. In my system, The Tektons are very Good. Everyone of my current upgrades added dimension, THAT YOU COULD HEAR. Most recent, the Project transport. Robert TN |
Just one more thing to think about no matter which ones your buy/try. The bigger and heavier they are, the more they will cost you to send back (and shipping is very expensive right now) if you don't love them. AND if at some point you decide to resell, the buyer will want that high shipping cost deducted from your selling price...sure, you can say "buyer to pay shipping" but look how often the big Tektons and other speakers take to resell. |
I can only speak from experience which is limited since I’ve only had four pairs of audiophile grade speakers and my first pair were the Double Impacts with a PrimaLuna EVO 300 and 400. However, I am a professional musician and a respected instrument maker (PhilBarone.com) so I guess my ears are pretty good. The DI’s with two PrimaLunas did nothing for me and every time I put them on I turned to my wife and said “I hate these”. I moved them around fifty ways to Sunday and did every possible thing t make them work. I finally dumped them and bought a pair of Klipsch Forte Fours which were a huge improvement but were more money and great for most jazz and blues but not for classical music although the best recording I’ve heard with all my various combinations was with Glenn Gould playing “the Art of Fugue” which is an organ piece. I got rid of those since about half of my listening is classical and a friend of mine found a rebuilt pair of Proac Response Threes which are simply amazing with my Conrad Johnson mono blocks. They are simply mind, freakin’, BLOWING. During my three year search, I was in close contact with a great employee over at Pass Labs by the name of Kent English who told me that the Tektons would be best with one of their amps which are solid state so I bought one of their x350.8 models which was sometimes amazing but after listening to it for a few months I found that it had a house sound so I sold that and ended up with my Conrad Johnson’s. But I want to be clear, Kent was very honest and extremely well-versed in audio and he was very nice and gave freely of his time so maybe that’s someone to consider talking to. He won’t BS you or try to sell you. After quite a lot of research I’ve come to a few conclusions. A) Don’t buy anything based on reviews because many, although not all of the people writing reviews have incentives to write positive reviews and in order for you to get the same results, the rest of your gear has to be the same as whoever is writing the review and they may not like what you like. I have a friend who wrote for four audio magazines who said that reviews were pure BS since the manufacturers pay for advertising space. He got a few very nice rigs for free for writing positive reviews. B) Always buy your gear used as long as it’s in good condition and this is especially true of the Tektons since there’s so many of them on the used market and you can probably get a pair for much less than new. You might also want to consider why there’s so many used ones on the market. You can also buy a new pair on here from Tekton for less than their website price if you insist on going that route. C) In all likelihood, don’t buy anything based on what people on forums say because they can be inexperienced or have poor ears. I’ve worked for many professional musicians who gigged regularly but had terrible taste which is why so many products that are crap pervade our markets. If you do decide to buy Tektons new, take into consideration how much they cost to ship back to Tekton should you decide that you don’t like them. In my case it was $760.00 for both and I can assure you that they count on people not sending them back for that very reason. I should mention also that the customer service over at Tekton was nonexistent and the women over there didn’t have a clue of what she was talking about although she was very nice. However, the owner over there was outright rude and condescending and was of no help whatsoever. I tried very hard to like them. It also took me almost four months to receive them. In the end I was very fortunate to have met someone on here by the name of a Steve Jones who managed a high-end audio store and who felt sorry for me when he heard I bought the Tektons. Steve steered me in all the right directions and located several unbelievable pieces for me including my Proac speakers and my amps and preamp. Steve has been an amazing help and has more knowledge than anyone I’ve encountered and probably saved me at least fifty thousand dollars as I fell down the audio rabbit hole and he’s never asked me for a thing since he honestly enjoys helping people out. Steve is the founder of the audio forum on Facebook and I’m sure he’d be happy to help you out and for what it’s worth, Steve doesn’t have anything nice to say about Tektons. You didn’t mention what your musical preferences are or the size of your room which would be helpful. Best of luck to you and if I can be of any further help don’t hesitate to contact me at the phone number or email on my site. Phil Barone |
@philbaroneSounds like you have impedance mismatch with primaluna evo 300 and DI, the Eve 300 has 16 Ohm taps, they are probably not wired optimal for DI’s 2~4 Ohm load.
I tested the Klipsch Heresy IV at a Seattle dealer, they were driven by Jadis Orchestra Black EL34, it was not my cup of tea, the Heresy was too exciting sounding, they made my head hurt after awhile. I am thinking to get a pair of Tekton the perfect set 15, just to test it myself, I know there are a lots of Tekton haters here at the gon but hey, people have the right to be different. My current speakers are Tannoy Turnberry and Zu Druid MK5. |
My Klipsch Heresy IIIs are amazing...makes me wonder if they imbued the "Capitol Records 75th Anniversary" version with some extra mojo (doubtful), but I tried the Heresy IVs well into break-in and they had upper mid frequency anomalies that irked me (you don't wanna be irked by specific upper mid piano roar) and I sold them along. The IIIs have a far more complex titanium diaphragm loaded mid horn (the IVs just stick the polyamide driver right on the mid horn opening with a small cloth cover, the IIIs have a much more convoluted horn loading...and I like it...) that could be the key benefit here, and having recently added a Pass XA25 to the system, well, it's friggin' mind blowingly good. 2 REL subs are already there, but the Schiit Freya/XA25 combo seems unbeatable with the Heresy IIIs for my tastes resulting in a vacation for my trusty SEP tube Dennis Had Firebottle...note also how innocuous the Heresy speakers size is relative to the coherent and gigantic sound they put out. |
I own Tekton DIs and have been happy with them, had them for about 3-4 years. I haven't experienced a lot of speakers but have owned Alon IIs, Divas, Maggie 3.6 (I think) and some bookshelf SVSs. This is totally subjective of course but the Tektons are my 2nd favorite speaker I've owned and they are my current speakers. I think they do a lot of things well--probably the thing I like the most about them is they fill the room with sound--I feel immersed in it which none of the other speakers quite did. But interestingly enough I find myself looking to buy some new speakers, try to step up and have been thinking about Klipsch Heresy speakers, but it's just a thought at this point, haven't heard any but am going to see what I can find this weekend. BTW, I like the look of the DIs, but I've always been a little warped. |
I like the sound of the Forte iv's except for that high volume treble... I can turn the Thiels way up and never know it - no distortion. With the Forte's, something is just not right. Not sure if it is my amplification or that the Forte's would benefit from improved crossover parts like the Cornwalls are reputed to do. Thinking about trying a First Watt F7 amp and then maybe a crossover upgrade; or vice versa. At lower volumes the Fortes are good so it is not the sound of the horns that is bothering me. Fortes definitely have better dynamics than the Thiels. Thanks for listening, Dsper
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dsper, this doesn't address your Tekton/Klipsch question, but may relate to the Thiels. In my experience charles1dad is absolutely correct, "So most likely complex crossovers probably siphon off more amplifier power." For years I owned a pair of Duntech speakers. They were rated at 90 dB, but had very complex first order crossovers designed to maintain time and phase coherency. That would be similar to your Thiels. Dunlavy recommended at least 100 wpc, with 200 "for musical enjoyment". Over the years I tried a wide variety of amp types and power ratings. I finally settled on Parasound JC-1 monos, rated at 800 wpc into the Duntech 4 ohm load. They taught me about complex crossovers.
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I just picked up a brand new pair of Forte 4’s today. I used to own the 3’s. I had them around 2 years but sold them. The only nit I would pick with the 3’s is that I thought they could have been a little more “refined”, I currently have a pair of JBL L100 classics, that I like a lot too (sold a pair of Martin Logan 11a to keep them) I like listening to rock and the like, and the JBL’s do that better than the Martin Logan’s. (And the depth of the ML became an issue too when moving them in and out). So I’m looking forward to see how these sound over the weekend. |
Okay everybody, Not sure anyone cares but I do :)! I pulled the trigger on a pair of Forte iv's. This was after extensive listening (3 or 4 extended sessions with music I know) to the Fortes and Cornwall iv's, both with Mcintosh electronics. For me, it came down to the bass, which I thought was tighter sounding on the Forte's. Also, the Cornwall wall of sound was just too much for me and I thought the soundstage depth was slightly better with the Forte iv's. So, got the Forte's home about a week ago. Running them with a CJ LP66S amp and CJ 17LS2 and Don Sachs DS2 preamps. Front end is PS Audio Memory Transport and Mojo Audio EVO B4B DAC. I like the bass, but it is not as tight as my Thiel CS5i's. Not a problem; this gets to essentially bass reflex of the Fortes versus the acoustic suspension of the Thiels. Like the soundstage width but it is not as deep as the Thiels. The Thiels are more coherent but that is a trade-off for the dynamics, I think. but could be wrong? There is more detail with the Thiels but that is a tradeoff with the Thiels being too polite. The Fortes are almost too much in the treble, while the Thiels are too polite. In my opinion, do not play poor recordings with the Forte's! The CJ preamp tones down the treble energy, but it sacrifices that last bit of aliveness coming with the DS2. My room is about 35 X15 and the Forte's can fill it better than the Thiels. So, I just turned 70 and am starting a new journey. Any thoughts, comments, suggestions? Thanks for listening, Dsper
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Phil, It sounds like you have something seriously plaguing your system. I find the Double Impact is pretty neutral. Sort of gives you what you throw at it. I'll admit I have replaced the capacitors and resistors in my crossovers and did some cabinet treatment and now they sound more open and refined. Im driving mine with Primaluna Dialogue Premium separates that's why I figured I would comment. Changing the 2 center 12AU7's in your Evo 300 changes the sound considerably if you haven't tried that already. But you describing them sounding that bad is odd. I hope you figure it out |
I've typically come to know that the people with strongest opinions about the best and worst in audio are the ones to run from. It means there is something very particular they value and have found and need to tell the world about it. I've found it's rarely of much interest or relevance to me. I remember a digital amp that was really hot a couple years ago. Guys were selling big tube systems, doing handstands, preaching about this amp. I bet less than 20 percent of them still own it today. I recall if someone didn't like the amp they were told it wasn't broken in- or they had the wrong power cable- or either didn't have it turned on all the time. I tried it and it was crap. Luckily it was returnable. The variety of gear and personal tastes never ceases to amaze me. I'm suspicious that there are investors that pop up in these forums. Almost like a nerd version of a social media influencer that tries to steer people. Maybe like term limits, Audiogon should have post limits. I've seen little value from many of the high post types- some fun community for sure but less in the way of the knowledge that they should have. I suppose they post more than they listen. |
I recently received my Tekton DI's and am utterly dismayed by how they sound when compared to the press they get. First, they're not a three-thousand dollar speaker, they're more like a twenty-three hundred dollar speaker when you take off the shipping and if you want to return them, in my case it's $385 each. I find with my PrimaLuna EVO 300 they don't project, lack clarity, lack lows, lack dynamics and they almost sound like surround sound speakers, okay for a restaurant or department store and if you listen to muzak. Also, the recording must be excellent or they're flat and generic but on really good recordings some people may find them okay but not great unless you've been listening to like a hand-held radio. I've been in the music business forty years and let me tell you what happens. A company puts some money behind a mediocre product with advertising, gets a few fans to feel loyal, maybe with perks, gets a bunch of inexperienced customers behind it that think it's god's gift and gives incentives to the knucklehead reviewers and it sells like crazy but they always peter out, always. Oh, and the customer service at Tekton sucks the big one. I didn't mind waiting 3 1/2 months but when I thought I was doing something wrong the owner at Tekton became defensive and combative. They don't return emails or phone calls. It's a mess. But, let's not forget, Eric Alexander IS a drummer so maybe we should excuse him.. Aside from sounding like a maniac today (forgive me and thank you very much) let me make one suggestion, DON'T buy a speaker unless you demo it. Now, does that make any sense? |
I currently own Tekton DI's and Viking Acoustic Grande Voix dual horn speakers. The Viking are 98db and driven by a mono tube amp and pre-amp and a Lampi Pacific tube amp. Send me a private email if you want my opinion on Tekton vs a Horn. I do not want to publish on this general forum out of respect for each speaker maker. |
@jjss49 got spatials recently, which are excellent but still not really proper flea watt amp candidates... ugh... Interesting, I recently got a Clayton S-40 amplifier and have been very interested the Spatial line of speakers. The 'new' Spatial M3 Sapphire will start shipping in June. Humble apologies to the OP for not exactly keeping with the subject matter. So little is written or known of the Spatial brand, especially the newer models. |
@philbarone, Did you listen to the Klipsch Forte before you bought them? Do you have them yet? It's crazy how people hear things differently. I had the DIs and have since moved on but would not describe them how you did at all and quite liked them. I also think the "as good as 30k speakers" is overblown for sure. I would like to get my hands on the CW4 or possibly the Forte 4 at some point. What did you have before the DIs? Not fight picking just curious. I see you have them for sale on Audiogon! Too funny. May have wanted to wait till they sold to post the above. |
@jbhiller I'll resist the urge to say too much as this isn't the thread for it. But, if anyone wants to hear a great amp under $3k, the Crimson is it. yes indeed, i still have mine, it is part of the rotation so to speak |
I might have already commented on this so forgive me if this is a repeat. I'm so grossly disappointed by my Double Impacts it's pitiful and I've tried everything imaginable to get them to work. My amp is a PrimaLuna EVO 300. I'm a musician (Local 802) and made hand-made mouthpieces for some of the greatest sax players who ever lived for almost forty years, am fairly respected and let me tell you, these speakers suck and if you believe people like Steve Guttenberg who gets all kinds of perks from the audio companies then you might want to reassess your source of information because ALL those guys get something in return for their reviews. Several of these guys said that the DI's are as good as speakers costing 30K! Do you believe that? When I called Tekton to ask for help, Eric Alexander was rude to me before I could even get a work in and told me to return them but ALAS, it costs $385.00 to return EACH speaker! So, in reality, if they cost that much to send them to me then they're really only a $2300 speaker. So I'm dumping them and have already bought a pair of Klipsch Forte 4's. If you can't audition a speaker, then don't buy it. |
Yes jjss49, I was a bit awestruck at the Crimson v. the Primaluna. The 300B has something special in its clarity, but not enough power--despite the CWIVs high sensitivity. I'll resist the urge to say too much as this isn't the thread for it. But, if anyone wants to hear a great amp under $3k, the Crimson is it. jjss49, didn't you try the Crimson too? I thought you did a quick review that was spot on--or I'm losing it! |
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@jjss49 , two caveats with the CW IVs. 1. Source and amp matter more than I thought; 2. positioning is critical to getting them to potential. I was very surprised at this. I have three amp options: 1. Vincent SA-T7 pre -> Carver Crimson 275 2. Primaluna Dialogue HP Integrated 3. Elekit 300B No. 1 is my favorite. |
Perhaps the lower bass issue has to do with the use of pleated paper surrounds on the woofer. These types of surrounds do a terrific job of damping vibrational energy of the cone, and thereby make them sound very clean in the higher frequencies that the speaker is called upon to reproduce, but, they also limit the excursion of the cone so that for any given diameter of cone, they cannot produce as much very deep bass. I happen to like the sound of woofers with pleated paper surrounds, but, I am not one to insist on gobs of very low frequency energy. My speaker runs twin 12" woofers with pleated surrounds. |
@jbhiller glad to hear you are impressed and are really liking your cw4’s... there seems to be emerging agreement that the driver upgrades have really helped the cw4 outperform the earlier versions, addressing the prior gen’s shortcomings what are you driving your cw4’s with? it is amazing to me that despite the size of the speakers they still need some lower bass support from subs... but no big deal though, if it gets the music just right as for tektons, i heard a set in a friends home they are definitely ’live’ sounding, and like the larger klipsches they can present some aesthetic issues with their form factor/bulk... as i get older, silly as it sounds, i prefer smaller speakers, lighter amps, than i can handle without risking tweaking the back and making joints sore! no doubt both speakers have their ardent fans as well as critics... excellent gear does that... really pushes the buttons of users and thus engender love/hate, rarely indifference... |
I feel greatly let down by my Double Impact speakers and the service I received from them. The women there didn't know anything about speakers and the owner was rude. When I received them I couldn't believe how disappointed I was and I paired them with a PrimaLuna EVO 300, a four-thousand dollar amp. I tried different placements but nothing and I listened to a ton of different kinds of music. Even BB King with a full horn section wasn't exciting. For me, the sound doesn't travel but rather it sounds like something is happening across the room. They're better at high volumes but there's still know definition in the sound. The highs aren't high and the bass isn't defined or low and they sound sort of like surround sound speakers. I'm selling them since it'll cost me $375 EACH to send them back and I purchased a set of Klipsch Forte 4's to replace them. And you can bet your life that the people at Tekton know that you won't send them back when you find out what it costs. Don't believe the hype, it's baloney. All those people reviewing them are getting incentives and to compare them to speakers worth 10 thousand dollars and more are snowing us. In the end, just believe your ears. Have a wonderful day, Phil |
Cornwall IV owner here. I'd be super curious to hear a Tekton product. Boy, do they spark up hot debate. It seems one thing that might be a downside to them is build quality and construction. That said, the cost of admission is pretty reasonable. I'll hold my subjective views on their looks aside, as they are just that--subjective. As to the CW IV, this is not a squawky/shouty/shrill horn speaker. It must, however, be paired with the right source and amplification to hear their capabilities. Unfortunately, the CW IV is a bit cumbersome to just try out in the home. Even though dealers allow 30-60 days trials, getting them back to the dealer if you do not like them is more expensive given their size. Folks above are exactly right about the CW IVs amazing dynamics. It can be startling at first. Just as important to note is the size of the musical image they cast--with the right recordings they sound simply huge, delicate and delicious--those are qualities I had trouble getting with systems running smaller drivers. There really is something special about what those large drivers do, giving you big, full bodied but not bloated sound. And, folks are right, these are not bass mongers. They do have tuneful, lifelike bass. I do use an REL T9i to round out that lower octave. With the disclaimer that it's a video, check this out-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXdQ_2oKN98 Having this in my room has given me shivers and smiles during late night listening. |
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