I've never heard either (of course, nobody has heard the Omen yet), but I have a pair of the Tekton Katz Meow. I can say that I am impressed with the build quality, and Eric Alexander seemes like one of the good guys in Audio. He states "Benign 8 ohm load" and it seems so because the speakers seem to be a great match with my 2A3 SET. The Katz are a good speaker for my gear, room, listening.
My room is 12' x 13' x 9', and I've tended to have larger speakers than maybe I should have in the room. The Katz are similar in size to the Lore, but 8" driver vs. 10" on the lore. He specs the Lore down to 30HZ (40HZ for the Katz), and I'd believe it. The Katz have plenty of good and tight bass, and sound very good overall.
I guess all that means is that he makes a good product and he doesn't BS on the specs. |
THX Mr. Sebrof
no doubt about Tekton quality or value
Zu seems to choose more aggressive marketing as well - no dealers, 2 floorstanders under 2K
Both companies seem to attract similar group of audiophiles.
However, I am really interested in these two particular models. Here is why:
1) I pre-ordered Zu Omens
2) opportunity knocked and it might be possible to audition Lore speakers.
3) extended range drivers in both speakers appear to be very similar pro-drivers minus the fancy CNC phase plugs by Zu.
4) cab size, driver/tweeter location - all too similar.
Main differences are in the cab loading, slight difference in cab volume, tweeter implementation (ribbon v.s metal dome)
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Hi. I went to eric's shop and got permission to make a little video where eric talks about the lore. I dressed it up with windows video maker. I Thought it might be of interest. just check out you tube. search under tekton lore. I did not have any real professional equipent just a $70 video camera and windows video maker. |
Nice video.
What did you think of the Lore? |
I actually used to work with Eric twelve years ago when he was the lead sound engineer at Kimber Kable. Well many, many, years later I bumped into him again and we started talking. Anyways to make a long story short. I wish my video camera had more details. The paint job is great. I also got to sit down and listen to the Lore. They sound very nice. He didn't scrimp on the tweeter either. If you notice it's an audax for the high freq. I looked at madisound and they are $108 a each.
On a funny side note. I also worked with Sean from Zu 12 years ago. Sean was the sales person for Kimber at the time. Really nice guy.
I've had the luck to hear both companies products.
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Zu Omen shipping was confirmed - should arrive around Nov.19th
Hopefully I'll be able to compare these two side by side in my own listening room.
But regardless of the outcome, Zu Omen and Tekton Lore might be one of the better values in today's hifi. (excluding DIY that is)
BTW
Anyone received their Omens yet?????
P.S
Cool video clip. |
> Anyone received their Omens yet?????
A friend got her's about a week ago, I helped her unpack them. I was only able to listen briefly, but I was impressed at how they sounded fresh out of the box when driven by an 18 watt Almarro integrated. She thinks they're terrific and and that they have that certain "something." |
Got them up & running for over a week now.
Going through with break-in process. 160 hours out of Zu recommended 400 hours.
Initial impressions are very favorable but there are issues which might be concerning & noteworthy to potential buyer.
All issues, initial impressions, pictures etc. can be found on Audio Circle forum. Check it out if you seek a bit more of an "in depth" look into Omen speakers.
- if anyone has a specific question, please ask.
Cheers
Mariusz |
Hi. I'm hoping to get some help. I tried posting on another forum but no response so far. I went and heard both the mini lore and the lore at eric's shop a few weeks ago. It was fun, I had a good time listening to the speakers. There is suppossed to be a review in the works, but nothing has materialized yet. I am a fan of eric's work and am a little biased I think. I really want to hear what a professional reviewer thinks about these 2 new models. I've bugged him a few times myself about getting some reviews sent off. Perhaps if there are any other tekton design fans out there they might send him and email. Perhaps if he gets a few more request we may get a review soon than later. |
I've ordered my Lore's and they should arrive in the next week or so. He says 5 day turnover but I don't think that's going to happen.
My previous speaker was a Monitor Audio RS6. A VERY highly reviewed speaker with just cause. They were fantastic speakers. When the Lore's arrive I will give my initial impressions compaired to the MA RS6's.
And as they break in.
I'm fortunate enough to have a fully treated music room so I can give a rough review to there full potential and there weekness.
Eric assured me that they would out performe the Zu Essence or Soul Superfly.
I know, the guy building and selling the speakers is not the best place to get an un-biased opinion.
But I have never heard anything neg. about the Lore from people who have heard them.
We will see.
On paper they out perform the Omen and the Soul.
For $850. I couldn't pass it up.
I'll keep you posted.
John |
Eric showed me the frequency response and they looked very good. The mini lore also fasinates me. The size seems to be almost perfect for my listening room. I did not get to see the fr on the mini lore, but they sounded nice, and the price seems nice also. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Have you heard any of zu products?? |
I put my Lore order in 1/28 , Eric told me two weeks . The drop in price to 850.00 dollars was the deal clincher , considering I have not seen one reveiw bad or good on them .
Charlie. |
Hi. I have my Lore's on order as well in beautiful white and he said they should ship next week. I have been speaking to a guy that has them and his impressions are favorable with about 120 hours on them. He is driving them with a SE84 Decware amp that puts out max 2 watts per side, with good results. Email me if you want to see his impressions. I wouldn't be too concerned with what the reviews say. I have used many loudspeakers over the past 2+ years, most of which have had excellent reviews, yet most of them left something to be desired. The high efficiency thing is really a benefit. I have owned:
MA 5i
Paradigm Studio 60 v4
Dynaudio Focus 220 II, Confidence C1, Audience 70 and 42
Von Schweikert VR4 Jr II
Quad ESL 989
PSB Synchrony One
PSB Gold Stratus I
Rega RS7
Silverline SR12
Martin Logan Ascent
Looking forward to hearing a single driver speaker and getting into SET and low powered amps! Remember, the reg Lore used an Eminence driver and is much like the well regarded Hammer kit - many people swore by it back when Eminence sold it with the modified driver. I will post a review at some point!! Looking to driver mine with a set of Quicksilver Mini Mites |
Gpowered.
When you mention the Modified Eminence, what are the mods?
Eric also mentions the Eminence being slightly modified.
Thanks.
John |
I am not sure exactly, but I have a local friend that has it. I will find out the details and post back. What I do know is the guy that ordered the mods for Hammer has passed on so Eminence is no longer making it to that past spec. Word is that is doesn't sound quite as good as it did before. We are hoping that Eric's Lore will be a step in the right direction. We will know shortly! |
I got a pair of Lore speakers at the end of December. I have been a Magnepan user for the past 12 years. I've had MG1.6's and Magnestand MMGs in my system. Before committing to larger, more expensive models, I wanted to experience a high efficiency type speaker. I took a chance and ordered the Lore (I compared to the Omen but like some of the design decisions of the Lore better).
Waiting on the speakers was frustrating. I ordered mid October and expected them in a couple of weeks. Two months later when they arrived the grilles I had ordered were not included. At this point I was really not wanting to like the speakers.
An hour later I had a smile on my face. I'm really impressed by these speakers. The dynamics and quality of bass are much better than the Magnepans. Midrange and treble quality are about the same. I was worried they might have a "boxy" sound, but they do not. I was worried that the height of the speakers would be a problem but the acoustic center appears to be higher than the MMGs. From the box they sounded slightly "dark", but with break-in and tilting the speakers back slightly this has gone away.
The amp I'm using is a 500W class-D amp (purchased for the power hungry maggies). I would have thought this would be a terrible match for the Lores, but Eric told me that he expected them to be a good match. Based on this, I would expect most amps to sound good with these speakers.
I'm very pleased with my purchase at this point. Thoughts of upgrading to bigger Magnepans are gone. I'm not sure at this point what my next step will be. I had considered the lores to be a low cost test of high efficiency but they are good enough to stay in my system for a while. |
B rodgers - thanks for your great review!! BTW did you ever get the grills or did you just let that go?? What was he wanting to charge for that option? |
B rodgers.
You've given me hope in my speaker choise.
It's always good to know that a floor staning speaker can put a smile on the face of a Maggie owners face.
It's always a challange to compete with the soundstage of Maggies, and to know you were happy make me happy.
Eric told me that mine will be shipping on Wed..
I'll keep the post going with my initial impressions.
John |
He refunded the $50 for the grilles. He offered to send them but it would have required me drilling attachement points on the speaker. I didn't want to risk damaging the finish. The speakers are done in maple and look great. |
Sounds good. The speaker is not designed to run w/ a grill anyway, although having a 4-5 mth old and a 2.5 year old, it sure would be nice when not in use. Can you send a pic of your finish? Thx |
B rodgers - think of all the possibilities of low watt tube amp and SET amps you could run now. Forgot the Maggies (subjective), which require big power. Looks like you just took a serious short but in the right direction. I've never owned Maggies, but heard the MMG's and 3.6's. I have owned my share of Logans, a pair Quads, and Carver Amazing Speakers. They are fun but big, power hungry, and may not have the amazing focus of a single driver. Of course it's all about tradeoffs, but the high efficiency thing is an entire different world that begs for exploration. Happy listening! Jeff |
Also-if you're considering Lore and Omen don't overlook the older Katz Meow that Eric has had and may still have for $900 or so. I have Omen and this Katz model and really like them both. I've been out of town on a couple of extended trips since I got the Omens right after Christmas so I still need some time with them but I'm sure I'll keep them. The Katz are money. I've had them since last summer.
How either compares with the Lore I don't know. |
B rodgers
The SET amps have a lot more trancient attack than the high powered digital amp.
And the mids are smooooth. With plenty of detail. But the fact remains that these 98db speakers are born with an SET in mind.
I think it might be a step in the right direction.
Just sayin. |
i've had the Lore since mid November and have put around 400 hours on them. they are driven by 250 SS watts fed by a ModWright pre and various digital front ends. i considered the Omen but bought the Lore, without hearing them after speaking with Eric, because of the perfectly benign 8 ohm impedance and front port design. my rig is in a 25x16x8 room, long wall setup, Cardas arrangement in a 9 ft equilateral triangle.
this is my first venture into high sensitivity speakers. other current speakers include ProAc and Silverline. i considered my other speakers a bit too 'polite' for much of the rock music i like to listen to at higher volumes. the Lore do not disappoint, they rock. the soundstage is as wide as the recording allows, the imaging and coherence is there, there is plenty of detail without being artificial.
i also have an el34 tube amp and an Peachtree idecco but have not tried either yet because i'm happy with the current setup. i would like to try a SET but am in no hurry.
the Lore certain does R&B, jazz, new age, electronica, ambient with equal ease. my son is a guitarist and music engineer, he says the Lore does guitar better than any of the other speakers i own.
as usual, YMMV depending on your room, system and ears. but for me, the $850 has turned out to be a boon given it is easily the least expensive component i own.
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I'm highly interested in the Lore. Any more opinions on this speaker from recent buyers? |
Mine should be arriving tomorrow.
I'll post my first impressions then. |
Zman -can't wait to hear about your impressions of the Lore. Congrats on your new speakers. |
Ok, heres a short summary of my first impessions of the Lore's.
I will give a better review after break in.
Right out of the box they were very dark and compressed sounding. So I put some heavy hitting music (Tool) on and called a freind of mine to tell him how I think I made a mistake.
I was on the phone for about an hour and my friend assured me that new speakers need burn in.
In my mind, I couldn't see the speaker changing THAT much.
My previous speakers were Monitor Audio RS6's. That were very open and ballanced.
So I went back into my music room and set in the sweet spot and the differance was night and day.
So for the rest of the afternoon I was measuring the placement and laser aliegning the tow-in and yada yada.
After everything was perfect I sat down and listened to many CD's from Jazz to Rock to solo piano.
The soundstage was very wide and deep. The imaging was very pin point. They imaged much better than my RS6's.
The Lores disappeared like no other speaker I've heard.
The tonal ballance was beautiful. The Lores handled everything I threw at them and done it right.
They were delicate when they needed to be, and they were forceful and aggressive when called upon.
The bass is very full with out being obtrusive.
The male vocals never went into the bass department. That's a very good thing.
Well, thats all for now. I'm more than just a little stoked about these speakers. Eric's not getting them back.
Have a great day.
John |
Glad to hear about your favorable first impression of the Lore. Sounds like they broke in quite fast. Happy to hear about the good bass response. A 10 inch drive and ported cabinet of that size should do bass well and it sounds like it does!How's that treble with the bottom mounted tweeter? Are they placement fussy? What color did you go for? How's the fit and finish? I'd likely get mine with grilles due to kids....did you get the grilles? |
Zman - I went through pretty much the same thing with my Tekton Katz Meows last summer, although it was over the course of days and not hours. I'm currently putting the finishing touches on my new Omens that have maybe 100 - 150 hours on them as I write this. Both great speakers for the asking price no doubt.
Have you heard other Full Range Single Drivers before? The Katz were the first for me and I'm sold, at least for a while.
What amp are you running the Lores with? I have a 2A3 single ended jobbie that works well with both the Tekton and Zu. |
I'm not sure there broke in yet. I have an impression that traveling from Utah to Florida in a cardboard box surrounded by styrofoam builds a static charge that dissapates quickly.
I am using a stereophile burn in disc that will speed up the break in period.
I've tilted the speakers back about 2 deg. and have them towed in about 5 deg. My golden triangle is a little over 6 feet.
The treble is good. Not to glary or to rolled off. But I'm sure the caps that are used on the tweeters will take time to burn in.
I tilted the speaker back to compensate for the tweeter being below the driver. It worked out great.
I do not have grills.
The finnish is Satin Black. It's not a pretty speaker but the fit and finnish as been stated before is top notch.
I'm using an Almarro A318B amp with an Emotiva ERC-1 Cd player w/MAC UltraSilver+ IC's.
My speaker cables are JW Audio Cryo Nova.
My power cords are MAC HC Soundpipes.
It's not exotic, but it sounds great in a fully treated room. |
One of my new Lores arrived today. The other will be here in the morning. I ordered them in satin white and they look stunning. Very "clean" look to them. Quality is way up there for the price. I am driving mine with a Decware SE84 for now. Possibly worth noting, I had Eric wire mine up with Van Den Hul C12, 12awg internal wire. Not that it will make that much of a sonic difference but Eric is great about accomadating so I figured why not wire it up with something to my liking. He used a OFC 18awg copper standard which I am sure is fine. I will report on the sound as soon as I get some hours but I am exepting great things.
I chose the Lore over the Omen because of the horirble Zu measurements out there that scared me (no offense to Zu owner and I have not heard them for the record), and I was partial to Eric's design because he addressed phase and cabinet dampening at the this price point. |
My honest initial thoughts after 15+ hours are very favorable. This a very balanced speaker with a deep soundstage. Imaging is among the best I have heard - very tightly focused. Excellent dynamics and adequate bass. The system responded better to Type 2 Litz copper IC's opposed to silver, but it may be a better design with the copper IC 's. I am getting a very refined presentation that I hadn't experienced anywhere near this price before. One thing apparent is at 98db efficient, I can hear everything else in the system as well. Finally, we have a transducer that lives up to the hype at a real world price. This one just may get me off the merry-go-around. More to come... |
Zman and Gpowered,
Please post any further thoughts when you can. I'm trying to get a handle on how they may sound. I owned (just sold) Omens and loved them so much I am ordering a pair of Omen Defs tomorrow, but even before I sold the Omens, I was thinking on just adding a sub (mainly for HT) and being done.
So, I wonder about the Lores since they are on sale, and assume they will be more similar than not to to regular Omens.
I'll probably stick with the Omen Defs as I think they will be just outstanding, but wonder about the Lores and a sub!? |
Eric addressed some of the things that from what I heard from the majority that have Zu, you may have to step up to SuperFly to get. He addressed phase issues and better cabinet dampening. He told me he didn't leave any stones unturned, and now that I have them and am listening... I agree it is fact. These are excellent. You shouldn't need a sub with any of these for music. In fact, you may lose the accuracy and beautiful tone of the excellent Eminence driver in either design. Of course for HT I could understand you needing some rumble... |
I've read from a SuperFly owner that the SF doesn't image as pin point as he would like.
That being said, you may have to go higher in the Zu line to match the excellence of the Lore.
And at an insane price point ($850).
I've heard some crazy expensive speakers that don't come close to this starter priced speaker.
I'm amazed at what I'm hearing.
I would also like to state that this isn't tunnel vision talking. |
Thank for the reply's! I had my Omens imaging like crazy, and think that is more a matter of "fine tuning" setup. I will think about the Lore's, but think the Omen Defs are the way to go for me.
I have a buddy with the Super Fly's, and he is not 100% sure the SF's are much if any better than the Omens. But we have
never A/B'd them here, but he did listen to both at RMAF
and as he put it, the Omens were the Bell of the Ball.
Hard to say!? It is a great price on the Lore's though so
we'll see. |
Telescope - if you are looing for big dynamics then perhaps the Def is the way to go with 2 drivers. But I am willing to bet the Lore is going to be a more refined speaker. Hope you are getting a nice deal though because twice the money is quite much for just one additonal driver. The driver's are worth $100 each tops. Just a thought. |
Hi Gpowered, Thanks for the reply. Yes, actually more dynamics (among other things)are what I am hoping for over the standard Omen's not that they need it but if they build it that's what you would want right?
The Omens are very refined also and I wonder what the Lore's can bring to the table compared the the Omens based on their very similar designs. The Defs would seem (at least to me)to bring just a whole lot more out of what the standard Omen offers without changing the sound. I think of it as "twice the Omen".
But, I will give Tekton a call tomorrow before I order the Def's just to see, as the other option is...Lore's & a sub.
( Sub for Movies)
Thanks again! |
I don't know about the Omen Def's, but I don't think the Omen has any dampening material inside the cabnet.
That's one of the reasons I looked at the Lore.
And the fact that Eric addresses the phase timing at such a low price point.
I also like the front porting over the bottom porting.
I might eat all my words once I heard the Omens, but on paper the lore should be a more refined speaker.
I was really wanting the SuperFly when I started my quest, but at twice the price at holiday pricing it was a no brainer.
I'll give the eye candy to the Zu speakers though.
Gpowered loves his white paint but I chose the basic black because of cost restrictions. There a little disapointing after owning some beautiful rosenut speakers.
It's not Erics fault, I chose what I chose. And I don't want to imply that the fit and finnish is sub par. There done well. Maybe I can just buy a pair of boxes in a wood finnish in the future from Eric and just transfer all the hardware over. Who knows. |
You will need a sub for movies regardless. Main speakers can't do the lfe effect like a sub can. Likewise, a sub is near impossible to blend into a stereo if you desire all of advantages that a high efficiency single driver transducer has to offer. The extra driver (added dynamics, bass) could be at the expense of the "magic" that a simple single full range design has to offer. Take a look at all of the best high efficiency speakers out there and I am not sure I can think of any with multiple drivers. Not saying the dual driver is bad, because some prefer the dynamics but it may not be as articulate in the upper bass, midrange, and I can't imagine it disappearing and imaging like a single driver can. But power and dynamics it will do. i don't think bigger is better here, and if it is lfe you desire again a sub is necessary unless it is a powered sub speaker like a Def Tech or something. Best of luck and no matter what, have fun! |
I have Tekton Katz Meows and Zu Omens, never heard the Lore. Both fantastic speakers that I believe give a lot of value for the money. I could easily live with either if I had to.
As far as value, craftsmanship, etc., the Lore and Omen should be very close. A bottom port here, a different driver there, and you'll get a slightly different sound but I believe the differences will be within the "individual preferences" window.
My Katz (8" driver) are more refined than the Omens, and can get eerie with some music, like spooky holographic. The Omens can come close to that, but also allow for a wider variety of music. They play loud much better than the Katz and play rock much better.
How anything I just said applies to the Lore we may never know :) |
I'll throw my $.02 out there as I have heard both the Superfly and the Omen Def. The Superfly driver is a little different from that in the Omen line and though the general house sound makes them quite similar, they are a little different. The Superfly excels with dynamics, has a very rich midrange, and is less sensitive to placement than my Omen Defs. The Omen Defs have very good bass when paired with the right amp, and are fantastic with jazz, rock, electronica, and of course vocals and acoustic guitar. The Defs are very dynamic, and very transparent. The imaging and soundstage are great, though it took me a long time tweaking with the placement to get them dialed in.
The Superfly I found to be 5% more engaging especially with jazz and vocals. Each amp, and each upstream component that I change brings
an immediate and palpable change to my system. |
About 35 hours in now and the Lores are getting better and better. After experimenting with placement, I have found they sound much better pulled out from the back wall. They are about 3.5 to 4ft from the back wall now and I am getting a tremendously deep, 3D soundstage. This is what I like! The drummer is clearly in the back of the stage, while the bass guitar is 3D off the right a bit, and vocals just in front of the stage but slightly recessed, as it should be, depending on the recording. To my ear, most conventional speakers make everything sound similar. These are front ported so they can sit close to the back wall and still have decent sound, but I think one would lose the holographic magic that a single full range driver can accomplish. Bass and tone are excellent, BUT!!!... I had to get placement just right for that to happen. At first, I couldn't understand why they just didn't sound musical. It was because placement was off. It seems to play all music well so far. Not a whole lot to complain about, with the exception that they are fussy about placement. I would ensure you can set up away from the back wall so for some of you that may lead to some WAF negotiations, lol. |
Gpowered,
Sounds like the Lores are super sweet! With these speakers, it's all about set up. I to found 4' off the back wall to be the spot with the Omens. I went with the Omen Defs after all. |
I'm still bugging Eric about getting a pro review done. Has anyone else emailed or talked to Eric about when one is going to appear? |
Well, I've got over 100 hrs and these things are scary.
The depth and invisability of the speaker is hallucinatory.
I was listening last night after mid-night when the AC is as clean as it's going to get and it was spooky to say the least. Imaging was so linear. I've never been that engaged in music before. The bass is so articulate that in my small room (10X13) it is a non issue. Still full and deep, but soooo good. I've emailed Eric and let him know what a gem he has with the Lore's.
A audiophile freind of mine came over and brought his Sony XA5400 CD player and I suddenly realized I need a better front end. My other speakers didn't even come close to these. The cross over less speaker has way more bennifits than I thought possible. |
Great review, Zman. I have about 70 hours on mine now and they are really opening up now. Very dynamic and resolution is unbelievable. I am still driving mine with the Deware SE84c SET, but my Quicksilver Mini Mites will be here Wed. for a face off. The system is very revealing, thus any changes I make in the chain (speaker cable, IC's, powercords), all seems to make a substantial difference in tone and overall sound. Moreso than any other speaker I've owned and that includes some that are 5-10x the price. That says allot! For any of you considering a well known conventional brand up to $10K, I would seriously look at the Lore!! This is coming from someone that has been down those roads and this purchase has me missing none of the loudspeakers I've ever owned before.
The Lore's strengths are:
Very balanced and seamless design
Superb mid range - vocals sound great!
Good lower end - but more in class of qaulity, rather than quantity although it isn't deficient
Very musical
Great tonal shading - now this one that is a must for me! As with most speakers, this is easier accomplished with a good tube front end
Value - truly off the charts!
The Lore's weaknesses are:
I will have to get back to you on this one... I honestly can't think of anything that I am "missing," other than perhaps to see what these do with more power
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Cpapace - Eric did tell me that he had one scheduled, and I believe it was with Stereophile. But you do understand how this industry works, right? If not, heres something for you to consider:
Reviews are fun to read and have their value in some cases when the flavor or intent of the designer is revealed somewhat accurately, but most reviews are "paid for" and there are other industry strongholds in place to consider. One usually has to spend money on advertising his/her product in a magazine before the mag will even think of reviewing them. So then, if someone is pumping advertising revenue into your account, are you going to trash them and give them a bad review on anything? Take a look at most reviews today and you will see my point. The reviewer will focus on the positives and the general theme is that the product is fair to excellent value but is not going to take down the giants.
They have to protect the big guys - it keeps the industry strong and in good order. Your best bet is to listen to end users like us. Forget the reviews. They all should be subjected to toilet reading... IMO. |
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