HI Sionlim.....I am in San Francisco also.....shoot me an email m1organ at gmail. I would be happy to have you over sometime for a listen.....
As far as the bass comments, I was not trying to say the Lores have insufficient bass, but merely saying they have much much less than the Pendragons. Also I was saying this in regards to Sionlims comments about not needing a lot of bass. I have owned both the Lores and the Pendragons btw. In my bedroom, which is maybe 12x15, the Lores were ideal. In my living room of 20x40, the Lores were too small and the bass lacking except in the nearfield where they were superb!
The bass in the P-Dragons is actually almost too much as I live in a Victorian....thank goodness one neighbor is 90 and deaf and the other travels alot! |
I can see where the Lores may not be enough for your room. I'm in a 22x14 room with the speakers on the long wall. I sit around 8.5' from the speakers and my sofa is right up against the rear wall. I went from the Lores (which I loved) to the P-Dragons (which I didn't) and back to the Lores. The Dragons just completely overwhelmed my room. No matter what I did I just couldn't get them to sound right. I suspect that part of the problem may have been the 4 ohm impedance. I'm using a fully restored Scott LK72-b amp. At the time of purchase I didn't know the Dragons were a four ohm speaker. Had I known I wouldn't have bought them. A more modern tube amp may have helped a little, but I still had the room to deal with. I'm committed to the Scott so the Dragons had to go. I learned a very expensive lesson. |
Hi all ! Rsfphil.....My room is just a touch smaller than yours and have been tempted by the Pendragons . I kinda figured out my Lore's have great bass in my room and not to mess with the Pendragons . your comments above reconfirm for me to stay with the Lores . There has got to be something wrong with these things tho....I am driving a pair of $1000 speakers with $14,000 worth of equipment....kind of blows that rule of spending 1/3 or whatever of your budget on speakers . They just cant be this good...lol |
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Morganic and Sionlim you live 2 hours from me in Roseville just out from Sac.
I would have thought most of you where on the East coast. |
@Morganac,
thanks for the invite i will cordially accept. Other than this weekend as i am heading to Tahoe to look for the now elusive snow! I was looking at the Lore S as well. I do believe that the Pendragons might be tad to big and bassy for me, but i can switch them out with main set in the living room. I love full range speakers and every speaker that i threw out seems to be more HI Fi in nature. The last to go was the triton 2 very bass heavy and was impossible to control, also the neighbors were not happy with them at all.
THe past year i went through 2 speakers which i coulden't live with the Tritons and the Mag 1.7. I did go to another audiogoner place to try the VR 33 not hi fi sounding to me. but i left uncertain as it seemed to want more power than the Ayons can give. So the high DB of the tektons and price to performance ratio are very enticing. I was going to order a new set of interconnects and spk cables as well, and together they are more expensive than the Lore!
choices i decided - and be free to comment or advise are
morrow audio MA4 balanced-tried their cheapest and it killed the Kimber PBJ and Audioquest in all areas.
Black cat- as Socrates seems to like em.
Virtue Audio- cheapest of the bunch , but stereomojo loves em and i like mojo because they advertise what i like most-heh heh heh if u get the drift
And last but not least skyline 1200 as a few reported its like amazing in all areas.- but expensive
ive given up on all BRANDED way insane prices of the staple stuff.
PS its the first time im actually spending money on cables as i never had any left after spending on the back and front end of a system.-so exciting!!! |
If you guy's head a little further north shoot me an email and stop in for an audition and a beer. |
This thread has had me drooling over the Lores for some time now. Well, I finally placed my order last week and Eric said they should ship soon(ish).
I also have a Decware CSP2+ tube preamp on order to pair with my Odyssey Khartago, but that'll be another few months yet until it's ready. I'm hoping the tube preamp, SS amp, and lore combination has good synergy.
I'll post some pics of the unboxing event when the Lores arrive, and share my pre-warm-up thoughts on how they sound with my current set-up.
Needless to say, the anticipation is slowly killing me :) |
02-10-12: Rischa
"I'm hoping the tube preamp, SS amp, and lore combination has good synergy."
I have a few tube amps (2A3 SET, PP EL84, SE EL34...) and the Lores sound good on all of them. I even have a vintage SS Yamaha receiver (R-2000) and the Lores sound good with that as well. I believe it's because the Lores are such an easy load that the amps loaf along and play their best. |
Hey Rischa, glad to hear you're giving them a go. I don't think you'll be disappointed. A word of advice to make sure and mess with placement a good bit. They sounded great to me out of the box and without toying with placement to a great degree, but I have found great additional refinement in finding the right placement for my room acoustics and seating position. Bass weight, soundstage depth, and to some extent high frequency balance can all be affected significantly by movement. Close to front wall and you'll get a lot of bass, farther out into the room, not nearly as much weight. Soundstage depth is remarkably improved by moving them out into the room. And most critically for me, the whole presentation just became a lot more natural, spacious, and refined when I tipped them up a bit with some wood under the front spikes. I went many months without that tweak and was shocked when I first heard it.
Apologies if you're already very familiar with positioning tweaks and how to get the best sound. Just thought it was worth repeating in case, and also for the benefit of others. |
Hi Goraman....where are you located? I would love to hear the improvements that you made with your Lores. Wanna email me? |
Morganic I don't know how to find your email address on this forum mine is goraman@surewest.net |
Hello,
Does anybody in the Dallas-Fort Worth area own the Tekton Lore or any other of the Tekton speakers being discussed in this thread? I would love to listen to any of them before I make a purchase decision and certainly would appreciate the chance of an audition from a kind fellow audiophile.
TIA,
Jose |
02-12-12: Yoseana
Hello,
Does anybody in the Dallas-Fort Worth area own the Tekton Lore or any other of the Tekton speakers being discussed in this thread?"
North of Austin, I have Lores and Katz Meow V1 |
Back from the un-snow mtn's of Tahoe. Seems to me the Lores will suffice but hate regretting. So morganc here i come ready or not! - i just emailed you and waiting for the reply
Pendragon-Even the name suggests too much POWER ! |
Anyone bought Lore's and wished they bought M-Lore's, or vice versa?
Sounds like my 13x17' room is on the cusp and could go either way. Eric actually recommends the M-Lore's as a more appropriate form factor (so as not to visually overwhelm the room).
I, however, am loath to give up the extra bass extension, and if I don't like them in this room I think the larger Lore's would be the better fit in my larger upstairs listening room (however I'm already satisfied w/ Vandersteen 2ce's there).
So I bounce back in forth in my mind. Wondering if others in the same boat feel they've chosen rightly or wrongly. |
The Lores are so well balanced I really can't see someone going very wrong.And size wize they don't over whelm.
I disagree on this with Eric spend the extra bucks and get the real deal! You won't be sorry you did. I would never give up the rich bass extension of the Lores for a very slightly smaller speaker. |
Wow, this thread has gone really quiet lately! Thought I'd try to bring it back to life a bit with some final thoughts about the Lore vs. Lore-S comparison.
I now have my original Lores back in the house after a couple weeks of giving the Lore-S a try. I really don't have much more to say on the dynamics vs. fullness issue. The Lore is definitely more dynamic than the Lore-S, and it fills a room better. I also think the Lore has a more tactile sound to it, probably part of the greater dynamics, both micro and macro.
The Lore-S has a warmer tone, and fuller sounding instruments on the whole. It seems to give greater dimension to the instruments, while also separating them better than the Lore does, and with greater sound field depth. The high frequencies were certainly there, and with greater nuance and detail, but they were more recessed than with the Lore.
Now that I have the Lore back at home, the sound field does not seem as deep. I hadn't expected this, as I guess it didn't strike me upfront about the Lore-S, but I guess I got used to it while they were here.
Still, the dynamics and room-filling sound of the Lore gives music through it a greater presence in my room, and even though the instruments don't have as much weight or dimension, I love the articulation of the Lore. I guess it's what we all call that "live" sound that they have. The Lore-S had all the details, but they didn't seem to carry the same energy and emotion as with the Lore. The Lore isn't as revealing, probably, but still very revealing, enough for me, but with greater emotion and musical energy.
Keep in mind with all of the above that I'm not a big small band, singer-songwriter, jazz, or classical buff. I listen to a lot of modern alternative, rock, etc stuff. I do listen to some smaller group and acoustic music too. Some of this is actually really well recorded, others of it definitely not. I also listen in a 16X24 room, with some good sized openings to other parts of the house, fairly well treated.
Bands and songs I'm very familiar with and used in my lineup for comparison:
Ani Difranco - What How When Where Why Who
Paul Simon - You're the One, and Hurricane Eye
Ray Lamontagne - You Can Bring Me Flowers
Fiona Apple - Carrion
Bonnie Prince Billy - Wai
Fleet Foxes - Sim Sala Bim
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Bats in the Attic
Soul Coughing - City of Motors, and Down To This
Stevie Ray Vaughan greatest hits - Little Wing
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
Ween (live in Chicago) - Mutilated Lips
Micky Hart (Global Drum Project)
Florence & the Machine
Keller Williams
American Beauty soundtrack
I'm happy to be back with the Lore. I have a tube amp coming to take the place of my Dayens Ampino solid state amp. I wonder if that will help close the gap in dimensionality without sacrificing the presence and emotionality due to dynamics and micro-dynamic articulation I currently have. If not that, I'm interested in trying the new Red Wine Signature 15. I'm also quite interested in what Goramon has shared regarding crossover tweaks and what he and others have noted about dampening. That could also help close the gap while retaining the overall character I like better about the original Lore.
Onward ho! |
I forgot one last set of thoughts. I find the placement of the Lore pretty sensitive to very small changes and kind of hard to get the right balance of center fill and soundstage width/depth. When you get it right, it's really good, but it takes work.
I did not find the Lore-S to be nearly as placement sensitive. It sounded mostly the same whether flat or slightly tipped up, and not that different between a couple different positions I had used with the Lore. The differences were not nearly as large as with the Lore in those different spots. Probably relevant for those who don't have as much placement flexibility. |
Thanks Genjamon....to continue your discussion about placement to the Pendragons, I have found them to be very sensitive to small changes also and I have just spent much time moving them and yet I still that I need to keep working to get them just right. Their bass can easily overload a room and the soundstage and dynamics all change with each tweak.
I have not tried tipping them up or down as I do not know what size footers that I could use with them. I will have to give Eric a call tomorrow...... |
Well, I also forgot to mention that I didn't find the Lore-S very sensitive to interconnects or speaker cable swapping, not as much as the Lore is. I have the copper version of Sweet Reveal cables from Tuan over on Audiocircle and some level two Morrow interconnects (silver coated copper) I swapped between, and I also have some litz braided single core copper speaker cables I swapped with some Clear Day shotgun solid core silver cables. Didn't sense a whole lot of difference on the Lore-S, while on the Lore I very much prefer the solid copper interconnects over the Morrow. Haven't yet made up my mind on the speaker cables though, as the litz ones just arrived at the end of the Lore-S audition. |
Greetings
Thank you to all who have contributed to this thread. I have the Lore-S speakers for 2 months now and am very satisfied. I came to a choice Zu vs Tekton Omen vs Lore. The debate lead me hear. Both similar but the Lore was a better value and surpassed the Omen. I could only go on what I read hear and other sites. I was unsure about speakers I could not listen to before buying. I called Tekton and Eric answers the phone. Actually called several times and he always answers the phone. Big plus. Nothing better than talking to the owner designer and builder of your speakers.I explained to Eric the best speaker I liked was the Vandersteen 2ce Sig2. I wanted a more lively sound and the ability to have them vanish as the source. Eric felt his yet to be released Lore with Seas drivers would be the best fit for me. I needed tone, imaging, depth and detail. The Lore-S delivers on all accounts. Thanks Genjamon for your comments on the Lore-S. You described them accurately. I listen to a wide variety of music rock, classical, country, blues, At moderate and lower volumes they are very pleasing. The highs are very smooth. I found a slight tilt back helpful. To be exact, lift the front up 5/8 inch. The sound stage became taller, wider and deeper. I built platforms similar to the ones from Mapleshade. 1 1/2 thick x 14 x 16 with 3 brass points. The two in front are 1 1/4 high and the rear one is 5/8 high. The speakers are 9.5 feet apart with only a slight toe in. The result is a very spacious musical event. Eric has a winner here. His veneer work is art. And if you want he can do just about any color. Give him a call. |
Thanks for chiming in, Wind. Good to see another person's thoughts on the Lore-S. Eric has developed a pretty interesting range of speakers here, and it's good to know how they might compare to each other. We're still missing some Lore and M-Lore comparisons, and then there's the Oriel as well. Maybe someone can fill us in eventually on those. |
Cardas binding posts on the Lore.
http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?p=301858#post301858 |
At moderate and lower volumes they are very pleasing. OK, so given the music genres you listen to, how would you describe them at higher volumes? |
The Lore-S at higher volumes I would describe as composed. They do not seem to change that much just louder. You feel the dynamics more but the details and tone were the same. |
Hard to take a company serious that lists a speaker's price without grilles. |
My Lore is on the way to Hong Kong! Although I'm no audiophile, reading all the great comments here made me decided to give the Lore a try. BTW, Eric has great International shipping rate, it only cost US$333 with grill to ship to Hong Kong by Fedex! Wow that's very economical for 120lbs+ of goods. |
Still no one w/ M-Lore's?
I know Eric is busy building them, the two reviews out there have driven orders, but so few user comments... |
FWIW, I have ordered Lore's (patiently awaiting their arrival), but still I wonder if the smaller driver of the M-Lore doesn't produce a purer, more articulate mid-range? |
03-01-12: Obrown
"Hard to take a company serious that lists a speaker's price without grilles."
Hmmm, not sure what that means??
I see you are looking for Zu speakers. As someone who has owned both I suggest you take Tekton seriously. |
If I remember correctly, grills for Lore's are $70 + $20 for shipping (they are packed separate from the speaker to prevent damage).
Sure it hurts to pay extra for them (I did), but if one doesn't want them it's nice to know they're saving that money. Works both ways. |
Well, after a week of album rolling with the new binding posts
I can make a final comment on the Lores ability to preform with upgrades as time and money fits.
By far my advise is to leave the inductors as they are 18 awg. and the DC resistance is part of Erics formula for great bass extension.It is not easy to remove the cross over so if possible replace the caps,resistors and internal wire at the same time.I have been in these speakers a lot rolling caps and upgraded everything but the inductors. I would save the posts for last but they do make a difference so don't count them out.
What is the end result after so much time and soldering.
A far more detailed and smoother Lore with a fuller,richer sound that I can describe as both Dynamic and Lush.
The Lores respond very well to being upgraded, and go well beyond another level of music reproduction.
Some of the most revered brands offer upgrades for example Audio Note UK has levels of upgrades so it doesn't mean you bought bad speakers just because they can be improved on!
Whats nice is that the Design and driver selection by Eric is so good it can be taken to another level at a reasonable cost.Some speakers just don't respond much no matter how much time and money you put into them, the Lores respond to every upgrade.So Happy Soldering guy's! Build your own Hot Rod Lore and Enjoy the results!
Please share your upgrades with us,get it on guys! |
Wondering if anyone could speak to how they're trying to affect the Lore sound w/ DACs, cables, etc. What do you find that you're trying to increase/decrease in terms of highs, lows, detail, etc.
I'll be starting with low-fi SS power, which I'll look to replace w/ a budget tube amp in the not too distant future, but first will come a DAC. The two emergent candidates are the Grant Fidelity TubeDac-11 and the Schiit Bifrost. (Both ~$350) I'd love to know if anyone has thoughts on which might have better synergy w/ the Lores? My hunch is the Bifrost may be the more clinical/resolving of the two but I'm not sure of that. |
Your DAC choice will have a far bigger impact than any pair of cables.I would look at the Little Dot DAC from China in your price range.Why? because of the huge tiroidal transformer and Wolfson chip not to mention the way Sword Yang carefully implemented it all in his design.I chose the LD1 over the Cambridge Dac Magic because the little dot simply had a far better sense of scale and dynamics the little wall wart could not deliver in the DAC Majic another nice DAC in it's own right.
The Lores are perfectly balanced but can be taken to another level of detail.So there is no problem with highs and lows but the level of information that makes it through them.
If you want to get to that level you will have to do some soldering or have it done,or you could just be happy with what you have.Having said all that get your source and amp right then look to sorting out where you want to go with the Lores.Time is your friend,there is no hurry,just research before you buy.Best of luck! |
"Still no one w/ M-Lore's?
I know Eric is busy building them, the two reviews out there have driven orders, but so few user comments..."
I'm looking to replace my PSB Stratus Mini's with a small efficient floorstander and am also greatly interested in the M-Lore. I might just have to try a pair out and do my own comparison since user reviews are so hard to come by. |
I really appreciate the advice, Goraman.
I may hit you up for more info on your tweaks down the road, but I wont bother you on that yet, cuz I'm not at all electrically inclined, so when I do I'll need it all spelled out in excruciating detail.
I should probably make sure I even like the speakers first ;-)
Cheers. |
+1 on Floosh's comment about tweaks, Goramon. I do want to move forward with those tweaks, but am not very confident with my soldering skills and also would want some details on component ordering. Great summary and suggestions though. I'm left wondering if I couldn't just get someone (maybe Eric) to make me some drop in replacement crossovers to swap out myself... |
You will like them,but if you do not have good soldering skills and the ability to draw a diagram before you disassemble, so you can reassemble with the new upgrade parts. Then get someone who dose to help you and do it all at the same time.Remember ("DO NO HARM").
You should start learning to solder on something you get at a yard sale or charity shop not a $1.000.00 pair of brand new speakers.My first soldering job was in 1974 making my first crystal radio set.A great project for a first timer.
Suggestions.
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=374-100
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=390-545
These 2 items will take you along way in your new hobby.
|
My Lore arrived Hong Kong yesterday, briefly spend some time with it last night at low volume. My first impression is WOW! The Lore plays everything at ease and equally balanced no matter what volume level I set. Can't wait to see what the Lore can do when fully broken-in.
BTW, I'm not an audiophile and I'm only using my AV Receiver Yamaha RX-A2010 in Pure Direct mode to drive the Lore. Thinking of getting the Miniwatt tube amp later. Thanks for all those who have recommended the Lore in this forum. |
Even if someone else builds your crossover,it is soldered to the speaker terminals.Practice soldering and find a mentor(maybe a local HAM amateur radio operator) to guide you.If you are going to live in the world of HiFi learn to solder and use a multi meter to check resistance,voltage and UF/PF.and the basic symbols so you can read or draw a schematic.
Any 4th or 5th grade kid can learn these basics and it will save you a lot of time and money through out your life.
There are loads of books and youtube videos to guide you on your way after 3 months you should be ready to tackle the Lore cross over if your serious about learning these basic skills. Go to a HAM swap and look for an older retired guy and just tell him you need help,most of these guys love to help teach someone who wants to learn.Sadly alot of these guys will pass away never getting to teach what took them years to learn,a real loss to everyone.Heat the work not the solder and keep the tip clean! Flux is your friend!
Now get to it! |
Im breaking in a new Jolida FX tube DAC I searched through my old stock of 12AX7's and rolled some tubes at this point it seems to like the early 90's Ei's.
It is sonicly very similar to the Little Dot DAC 1 and DAC Majic just smoother.
I'm sure it will get even better because both the DAC and tubes are in there 2nd hour.
And the Clarity Cap ESA's take 200 hours to break in alone.
I'm done with system building. It's really far better sounding than it has any right to be at this point. |
It is even more clear to me then ever that the Lores can become as revealing as any high end speaker.
After listening to different DAC's both at home and in a Boutique audio store on speakers with much higher price tags,I am even more impressed with the lores than I have ever been before.With so little spent on upgrades these speakers are just to dammed good to be true!
They reached a level that simply is analog as any live performance with the new Jolida FX tube DAC, 0 grain just smooth as silk pajamas and no detail left obscured.
Seriously,what more could you want from any speaker at any price?Sweet highs,a smooth mid range and clean tight deep bass that you can really feel even at very low wattage.
If your on the fence about buying a pair of these speakers,Please allow me to push you over as your not going to do any better than the Lores at any where near the price.
If I haven't said it before "Thank You Eric" |
Goramon, I'm thinking of buying a Schiit Bifrost but that Jolida is on my radar as well. How's it w/ supplied tubes and how much would one have to pay for "proper" tubes, and what might they be? (I'm New to tubes.) |
The stock tubes sound great they are reissue Tung Sols.
It also likes EI's and 1950 RCA black plates. NOS tube prices have gone insane in the last couple years so stay with reissues if you don't happen to have some vintage tubes from years back laying around. |
12-21-11: Fusion10
1. My room is about 13 x 11 - on the small side. Is the M-Lore too large? I worry because when I tried a pair of Monitor Audio RX2, with the 8" woofer and rear port, it overloaded the room. May I ask on the placement of the RX2 in the room? How far are the RX2s from the front wall and side walls? I presume the speakers are on the short wall. Thanks. |
Finally got my Lores today. They sound great. I mostly listen to jazz, and the Lores are perfect for reproducing the dynamism of a live jazz performance. I'll post further impressions when I've had more time with them, and they've had a chance to break in. But so far, couldn't be happier. |
Hey, can anybody/has anybody compared the Lore-S vs Katzmeow ???
Eric described Katz meow as kind of like a B&W killer and the Lore-S as detailed and refie. I'm not really sure what that means in regards to eachother so I thought I'd ask around. Any descripter would help.
BTW I'm listening to Maggies, I like ML's and heard some Snell C7's I thought where really great today. I seem to value a good dose of natural effortless detail and a deep soundstage.
Which one's for me Lore-S or Katz? |
Scuttlflux, Your talking apples and oranges.
Both your maggies and Martin Logans are Electrostatic plainers
a very different sounding animal compaired from the acoustic suspension driver world.
And you left out the very best example of Electrostatics of all,the Sound lab Majestic 945's these are so real sounding it will simply blow your mind in a largish room 6 ft. from a treated rear wall.I heard a pair driven with big Manley Labs monos on a cork floor.I have owned Sound labs smaller panels and heard other models in the PX series as well as the older Aroras and Dynastats and can promise you they are far better at producing a huge holographic sound stage than any other pannel. http://www.soundlab-speakers.com/majestic.htm
Here is some serious monos to pair with them also the big Walcots are good.
http://www.manley.com/neo500.php
I used a 355 watt per channel amp as the impedance is what kills you when it swings 300ohms on a full range monster with over 600 inches of tweeter and drops to under 20hz!
Now,having taken the extreme path via electrostatics lets get to reality for most of us,I sold that kit when my son was born.I didn't need 800to 900 volts running under a membrain thinner than cellophane on a cigarette pack, lethal with poke of a finger or toy!
I have not heard the lore S but own the Lore and it has the dynamics,speed and punch that you may not get in the Lore S or Kats. Speed and punch is one of the characteristics people love in electrostatics,the other is detail and the Lore is capable of that too but you will have to send Eric better internal wire,better caps,resisters and binding posts to make the Lore as detailed as the panels we just discussed.but it can be done at around the price of the lore S or a little more.Unless your happy to do it your self,I did.And I would not trade my lores to have my panels back and I drive them at just a couple watts 90% of the time.10 watts per channel is plenty loud in a 20X16 treated room.
If you want stock and the only choice was the LoreS and Katz
I think you would do better with the larger cabinet of the Lore S. but I have not heard either one of those and I don't really know for sure what it is you are sonicly seeking. |
I would say the Lore-S has effortless detail, soundstage depth to spare, and a good warmth. Lore has the dynamics and can fill a room more, though. I was persuaded by the idea of pursuing greater detail from the Lore via Goraman's upgrade approach rather than keep the Lore-S and sacrifice the dynamics I had become used to.
I am not familiar with planar speakers, so can't comment on how Lore-S would compare beyond some very brief run-ins at RMAF the one year I went in 2010. |
