Zu Omen or Tekton Lore

Is this why Radio Shack sold alot of "super tweeters" in the 70's? For people who older single driver speakers?

The key is that the main driver (90%?? of the music) is connected directly to the amp. No crossover to muck things up.

1 1/2 way is a correct description of the Zu and Tekton speakers. A near full range main driver with a tweeter for help on the top end.

Speaking with Zu experience. The main driver runs full range without a crossover, covering 30hz-12khz. The supertweeter then has a capacitor and resistor inline from the main driver ensuring it fills in the highs from 12-20khz.

Not a traditional 2 way design but maybe 1.5way!

Interesting thread. I have been following this thread for sometime now.
Out of curiosity - how do the Lores compare to the Zu Essence? I have never experienced a single driver speaker before. But some of you guys have made some interesting remarks here. BTW, both the Zu and Tektons have a tweeter + "another driver". So why are they called "single driver" speakers? Maybe I am missing something. Can someone throw some light on this?

I found this interesting, maybe it's been seen here before.

VIDEO

Also, what is cost for a finish upgrade?

I have around 80 hours on the Lore and the bass is phenomenal, the midrange is so pure and real without any coloration as for the high well it is absolutely fantastic...I will write a detailed review as soon as the speakers hit the 200 hours mark..Dan

I have the Bubinga veneer . The work on them is near perfect , and everything I thought they be cosmetic wise. It was definitely worth the extra money.

Restless_times: just an FYI, Eric will do a satin finish at NO CHARGE on the following colors: black, white, grey, blue, and burgendy. So there you go! No real need to spend the extra money unless it is high importance to you.

I have a pair of walnut Lore's in the queue (Don't have them yet). If you do a basic google image search of "Tekton Lore" a pretty nice maple finish comes up in the results. In addition, it looks like Eric posted a new video at the Tekton website of a pair being finished in veneer. It was on the front page, but if it is moved I am sure it is still at the blog section of the website. I got a pair of the satin black fostex based Tektons a year ago and I really love them, at the time I didn't know what to expect as I had never dealt with Tekton before and had never purchased speakers "unlistened" to, so I was hesitant to pay extra for a finish on something I didn't know if I would like. Now I am very confident in the fit and finish of his designs and would not hesitate to get a finish you desire.

Hey Lore owners, any of you guys go with a finish other than the standard satin black? Do you have any pictures? After MONTHS of reading I have decided to make a purchase, but still not sure if I want to pay the finish up-charge. At the end of the day, the sound is what matters but I'd being lying if I said I didn't like a sexy speaker.

Cwazz - what are you driving your Lores with, and what source? Also, Zman told me about this trick... tilt them back slightly and the bass will tighten and sound more natural. You may be used to a different type of speaker's bass???

Room, placement, and front end + cables can have everything to do with that. The Lore's bass is not muddy. Give it more time to loosen up also.

I have about 50 hrs. on my Lores and I am guessing that is still not enough . I am a bit disappointed on the bass , not the lack of it , just sounds a bit muddy to me so far.

"03-22-11: Cwazz
Just for the record Eric reccomended Kimber 4tc to me , for the Lores ."
Cwazz (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

Does eric have a recommendation cable wise?

I have had my Lores since October. Eric was very accommodating. I needed them shipped so they would arrive on a certain day and he went the extra mile to make sure it would happen. They are very easy to drive. I'm using a restored 30 watt vintage Scott amp and I have more than enough power. For the money they are an absolute steal. They ran me a little over a $1000 shipped to Philadelphia. I think 30hz is a little optimistic on the bass. I think the mid 30's is more reasonable spec. The vast majority of music doesn't go below 40hz anyway. I'm in a medium size room and as far as I'm concerned the bass is fine. I think anyone with a low powered tube amp should definitely consider the Lores. As I said before they are an absolute steal for the money.

They do have what I consider cones instead of spikes.
I put a platform under mine because the carpet and mat I am useing would not allow the cones (spikes) to go through to the floor.
That is one thing I think Eric should address on his design.

Do the speakers have spikes on bottom?

All in due time.

Zman - review at audioreview pending... ? Would luv to hear you share. God bless!

All this talk of everyone getting their Lore's has me very anxious now. I ordered mine a little while back, but I did order them with a veneer option, so that obviously creates a delay. I ordered a pair of Fostex based Tektons from Eric about a year ago and have been super happy with them, but now I am very eagerly awaiting the Lore's! :)

Congrats Boniccie - don't forget to give us a nice write up!! They take a good 200 hours to fully break in so be patient. You wll notice them playing more effortless and having the ability to move more air as time goes on.

To all of Lore guys - please post your reviews at audioreview.com I was the first to review the Lore there and I am sure Eric would appreciate it. This is surely "the find" at such a great price, and I wouldn't want to see the price increase due to lack of a following, etc.

God bless all of you!!

I just picked up the Lore and met with Eric. What a great guy you absolutely get the feeling from the first minute you meet him that he is not here to sell you a pair of speakers but he is here to share his love and knowledge of building a world class speakers with you..I took the speakers of the boxes and they are damn heavy i know it is way way too early to talk about how good they are but i can tell you this from the first LP or cd i played i can feel the bass in my face and a fantastic midrange. again i know it is too early and Eric told me just to let them run for 15 hours or so at a moderate to bit higher volume and by tomorrow i will get at least 70% of what the Lore can deliver. I can't wait to hear the difference.. To all of you Audiogon members who are looking for new speaker,do yourself a favor and CALL ERIC.I will post a follow up later this week

The Q cable I am using is similar to 4TC, in that it is a twisted configuration, but transcends it because it is a type 2 litz which means it is a "twist of a twist." Not only is it effective as shelf shielding, but it completely eliminates skin and proximity effect. It is evident by how nothing sounds rolled off. I testify to you that this is a world class cable. 4tc is not. This is a case where you really have to forget the reviews and magazine ads and try for yourself. If you research what works best with SET and low powered setups, it is frequently Litz or just look at what Tommy Horning puts in his amazing Horn Hybrid speakers – silk cut Litz.

Just a thought, if I was to go with solid core, I would be much more apt to go w/ Zman's design over Speltz. Reason: he go's the extra mile with the Cryo treating and twisting it. Speltz is just a solid core wire – nothing to it really.

Eric use to work for Kimber.

Just for the record Eric reccomended Kimber 4tc to me , for the Lores .

Zman,

Even though I already knew you produced cables very similar to Paul's, I didn't take it as shilling.

Now that you mention it, I have recently upgraded a few components up-stream. The only real constant (if you check out my system) has been my speakers and cabling. It's these items that have 300+ hours, everything else considerably less. Sorry to get off topic.

More to the point: A friend owns Eric's Katz Meow, and if it's any indication of the Lore (8inch driver vs 10inch driver), then I'm certain you wouldn't be disappointed with it.

Evan

I also want to make note that my last statement was in no way shilling. I was just establishing credibility to the comment I made.

I think it may be something else opening up in your system.
The wire Speltz uses has very little dielectric on them and the dielectric is what the burn in is about.
Dielectric is the insulation around the wire and acts like a capacitor. Storing energy and releasing it. The burn in attempts to allow the signal to pass without the effects of the dielectric but never really does.
I know about these things because I also manufacture a cable very similar.
If you have 300 hrs on your entire system, maybe it's something other than the cables opening up.

In response to Boniccie:

I don't own Lores, I own Eric's OB 4.5 monitors and I use Paul Speltz Anti Cable speaker cables. I love these cables, but expect a very long burn-in on them. I mean long. I'm at about 300+ hours on my entire system and just recently the cables really opened up.

Hope it helps,
Evan

Gpowered thank you so much for the recommendation i will look at the Q today.Did anybody try using Paul S. anti cable with the Lore?

Use a good copper Litz wire. Type 2 copper Litz from Q Audio is the best cable I have heard, and really "woke up" the Lores. Made me realize I was listening "rolled off" prior to using it. I am still in disbelief how "real" everything sounds now.

I called Eric and placed my order for the Lore earlier this week and he said they will be ready next week. I can't wait to listen to them.I am currently using meadowlark swift and I am sure the Lore will be a great improvement specially with SET amp..can someone share what speaker cables are good match silver vs Cooper?

"Just ordered the Lore's, actually a buddy bought them for me"

If he was a real buddy he would have bought the NAD BEE 565

Sounds like this thread is really picking a steam!! The Almarro amp sounds awesome! The QS mini mites are working out great too. A beautiful match for the Lores. The mid range is "electrostic-like," but the biggest surprise has been this new IC and speaker cable from Q Audio! It is a twisted Milloit braid with no fillers or plastics, etc. - designed to elliminate skin effect and proximity effect. I am telling you I have never heard highs and instruments like this before! Nothing is rolled off at all. Listening to Allison Kraus & Union Station live tonight about blew me out of my chair! Gorgous sound - haha I can't believe this is an $850 speaker. You guys that have a set on order are in for a treat. Give them 150 hours break in! I am still hearing differences in over 200 hours.

I hear Zman has has a great cable too!

I've emailed the poster of the NAD cd player to ask him to give me a in-depth review of the differances of the Sony and the NAD and he was almost stating the NAD was his favorite.
That's what prompted me to buy the NAD.
Gooddomino, email me and I'll forward you his response.
I'm sure he wont mind.

Zman - read the same thread as you and therefore ordered a NAD BEE 565. My BEE is coming tomorrow. Just ordered the Lore's, actually a buddy bought them for me, yeah! It will be interesting to hear from fellow Lore owners as to what hardware and cabling choices make them sing.

Your Manley's should be a great amp for the Lore.

Thanks zmanastronomy. I may look into the Almarro if my current amp does not work well. Do you know if the Almarro allows for the use of a separate preamp into the Almarro's amplifier section? I like my current pre, a Supratek Syrah with phono. Thanks.

The Almarro A318B is a high current SET that produces SET mids with very strong bass. The highs are pristine.
It has 18 watts per channel.
I bought it after reading a 6Moons review that comapred it to amps costing upward of over $10,000.
I've never regreted my purchase.
It does rock, jazz, solo and everything in between.
I just bought a NAD C-565BEE cd player that has gotten some very inpressive reviews. I'm looking to upgrade from my Emotiva ERC-1. A freind brought over a Sony XA5400 cd player and we hooked it up in my system. It cold smoked the Emotiva, so naturally I had to get a better front end.
A Audiogoner posted in one of the Sony 5400 threads that he liked the NAD just as much as the Sony. And the NAD is much less, so I'm going to audition it this weekend.
The Lore speaker responded very well with the better front end.
So for now, my amp and my lores have a place in my music room for quite a while.

Thanks for the ideas guys. I will let you know what I think of the Lores. Also, I see that Gpowered is using Quicksilver Mini Mites and Zmanastronomy is using Almarro A318B's. Any idea how the two compare and what types of music each favors? Eric likes EL34 tubes for the Lores. I currently use Manley Retro's with 2 paralell 300B's per channel which may also work well on the Lores. Thanks for any comments.

Mlg - I can send some pics of my Lores in Satin white if you want. Email me. Very clean look. As far as internal cable, I went with Van Den Hul C12, 12 awg internal wire, but I am sure 4TC is fine. You may want to stay with what you like to use for sc's, that is if you can stick with something. Most of us jump around.

Just to answer a few posts back: the Lore does not have a "house sound." It sounds exactly like what you feed it with. It's quite amazing in that way. If you get them and they sound warm/bright, it is due to what is upstream.

I recommend tubes all the way with these. I am using Quicksilver Mini Mites - a great match!!

Mlg, a full review is in order once you receive them. Also, I would be interested in the sonic difference between the Lore's with your current cables and with the new cables. I think the gloss white will look great. I would not worry about resale value too much. I'm sure if people keep buying the lores up, they may jump a bit in price but, stay well below the Omens. My business got so busy, I had to raise prices to keep up with demand.

I'm going to be ordering my Lore's in the next week or two and am wondering what types of amps or integrated amps,tube or SS, are optimal for the Lore. I currently have a Rogue 90 amp and Krell KSA 50S amp. My preamp is an Eastern Electric Minimax and I just bought the Lightspeed attenuator to try.If I have 2K used in my amp/pre setup how would that money be better spent to find an optimum amp/pre for the Lore's?

Thanks!

Mlg, I think Gpowered got his in white. He sent me a photo and they look real sweet.
For the price point, I don't think you'll be selling them any time soon after you hear them. They are quite good.
I'll PM you about some cables. Welcome to the Lore club.
Looking forward to your impressions.

I have been following this thread and yesterday I ordered a pair of Lore speakers. After Zmanastronomy said they were not a pretty speaker, I decided to spring for the gloss finish, in black. Eric said it will take two weeks for the gloss finish to be ready, and now I am thinking of changing to gloss white since it may go well with my audio room. Have any of you seen the gloss finishes, and what do you think of them. I am a little concerned about resale value, especially for white. Also, I asked Eric about speaker cable and he said get Kimber 4TC. Eric used to work at Kimber. 4TC cost a fraction of my current speaker cable. Thanks for any comments.

I agree with Morganc that you'd probably be happy with either.
I have and love my Omens that I bought for $999. If I were looking today I would opt for the Lores but that's just me.

btw I don't believe there is an answer to the "are they $999 speakers selling for $1500 or ate they $1500 speakers that originally sold for $999.

Aberyclark: "I'm curious if the ZU's are $500 better sounding (which is personal taste of course) than the Lore's. "

There are a few additional things to consider:
1. Zu includes free shipping both ways with a 60 day return policy.
2. Resell value.
3. If I were looking at the $1500 price range, I would get a B stock pair of Superfly's (Zu just sold one this week for $1800). The Superfly HO Driver is better, it also comes with Mundorf caps, and has better internal (silver) wire.
On the other hand, I have not heard the Lores, but would love to and I hope to soon. If I were single I would just order a pair but my LR is full! The price to performance of the Lore is very high right now and I bet you would be very happy with either:)

I'm curious if the ZU's are $500 better sounding (which is personal taste of course) than the Lore's. At $1500, you are getting close to XQ KEF series (I know, a different type of speaker). My thought process works like this, are the omen's $1500 speakers, that were offered for $999 or are they $999 speakers they are able to sell for $1500. It doesn't matter if they sound good to you. But, since I cannot try them both locally (I know both have great return policy), it makes sense to try the Lore's first. I wish more people who have heard both would chime in