Maggies to Tekton?


Hey Audiogon-ers.  I've only posted a few times, as I mostly enjoy reading the threads and comments.  I've been a 20+ year Maggie owner, and I currently have the 1.7s in my "new" (post divorce) house.  I'm a big Maggie fan, but lately I've been craving something different...something with oomph and excitement - a dynamic speaker that will get my mojo going on jazz and modern rock.  The Tekton line-up piques my interest, especially the affordable models - Mini Lore  and Lore Ref.  I mean, damn, for under a grand I can take the plunge.  Plus, they have a  60 day return policy!  My amp is the McIntosh MA 252, and I have a Sony HAP player for digital and Music Hall 'table for LPs. My questions:  For the extra money, is the Tekton Lore Reference the way to go?  Is there another affordable, high efficiency brand that I should consider?  Is there anyone out there who has gone from Maggie to another (dynamic) brand and hasn't regretted the move?  Thanks! 
jrod68

I have Tekton Impact Monitors, Spatial Audio M3s (the original version, not the upgraded versions), and the Maggie 1.7i’s all in my basement right now (I also have a pair of Magnepan LRS’s), and have been comparing them for the past three months. I thought the Tektons were my last speakers. I love them. But I came across the one-year-old Maggies on a local classified ad at a price that was $1k less than the new price. I couldn’t resist giving them a try, and I fully expected the Tektons to beat them. At first they did. But I upgraded to a silver jumper and a gold-plated fuse, and also upgraded my cheap cables. With each tweak the Maggies improved noticeably. They need all the current you can throw at them. At the suggestion of a well-respected audio engineer, I even took my power conditioner out of the system and plugged my PrimaLuna Prologue Premium directly into the wall to get better current flow (It made a huge difference. My ancient Adcom conditioner was actually choking off the current flow). With these tweaks, the Maggies eventually emerged as the best of the bunch – much to my surprise.  Both the Maggies and the Tektons are quick and detailed, and sound similar in many ways. The main difference is that the Maggies deliver a more natural and richer tone, and perhaps a touch more holography with the images. And the sound stage is unbeatable.

But there are some caveats. My Maggies are 8.5 feet into the room. Placement makes a big difference with Maggies, and in my room, they need that much space (my room is 15 feet wide, and 50 feet long!). I’m also using a pair of Goldenear Forcefield IV subs, and they are essential to the sound. The Maggies actually produce better sounding bass than the smallish Tektons, but they just don’t have the slam that a box speaker has. I cross them over at a very low 45 - 50 HZ, so that most of the sound and texture are delivered by the Maggies, but the slam and fullness are delivered by the subs. It works wonderfully.

So my recommendations: First, try the upgrades I’ve suggested. Second, and this is critical, get some good, quick subs. These additions will bring a ton of excitement to the party. With the subs, even the LRS speakers sound huge and amazing. But if you’re just itching to try something new, go for it. You’ll enjoy the Tektons as well. And yes, I’ve obviously got too many speakers in my life. As soon as COVID is controlled to the point I’m comfortable letting people come into my house to audition them, I’ll be having a sale.


I’d like to back up what wester17 wrote about the small tweaks for the 1.7s. I installed a fuse bypass kit (in over 30 years if using Magnepan speakers I’ve only blown one fuse and it was my fault), silver jumpers, and Sound Anchors stands. These tweaks, along with experimentation in placement, make a big difference. I too plug my amp straight into the wall. I have a sub as well, but I rarely use it. Proper placement in a good room allows these speakers to produce more bass than most give them credit for.