Former Tekton owners: What have you moved on to?

I moved from lore s to tannoy. Very happy with tannoy. 

which Tannoy? 

Went from Double Impacts (no upgrades) to Dynaudio Special 40’s and standard Tyler Acoustics D1X’s. I have since replaced parts and drive units in the D1X’s with Eton Hex Symphony II, Arcosia and SEAS Millenium. They are best speakers I’ve had so well worth the time and investment (total cost was below some previous speakers.)

I still love the addictive Double Impact sound but I needed more refinement in my main setup and I don’t have the room for 2 pairs of big speakers.

james_w514

very interesting. Did you have to change the crossover on the D1X to work with the new drivers? Also curious to hear the Special 40. I did love the dynamics and unrestrained nature of the Tektons also, but as you say the refinement wasn’t there for me in the upper mids and treble esp.

They are ridiculous performers for the price. Srajan's 6Moons review from a few years back gives a good idea of what they can do.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/gallo11/1.html

I own a pair of the Gallo CL-3's. To look at them you would never expect such big, deep sonics to be produced. Very tight bass, wonderful midrange, and a huge soundstage.
 My only fault with them is the CDL is like a super-tweeter, highs are very extended and revealing.

I've been toying with the idea of trying the Tekton Enzo's. My setup is in my living room (16' x 12'), and I need to limit the speaker height to about 40 inches. Reviews state that the Enzo images well and provides transparent and realistic sonics. I'm using all tubes.

lowrider57

Are you running the Cl-3’s reverse polarity? Makes an enormous difference for the better in terms of smoothing out the freq response. Actually everything is better across the board. Anthony Gallo recommends trying it that way. IMO he should have made that mandatory. Run like this, the CDT tweeter is more revealing and smoother at the same time than the one in the Lore Refs. I found the highs in the Tektons to be pretty unrefined. Not sure which tweeter he uses in the Enzo.

The upgrading of crossover parts and wire in the Double Impact speaker really takes the speaker’s refinement and sound to a whole different level. So much more potential than stock as an FYI.

Best set speaker I have owned after about $2000 worth of carefully chosen upgrades. Easily bests my previous AZ Crescendo and Harbeth 40.1s.

The design of the speaker is outstanding and The perfect speaker for A DIY guy to make into a very special music maker.

I guess one could say I moved onto a highly modified Tekton DI. 

@stereo5 Why would that be the case? If somebody likes the DI's then you, or anyone else for that matter, who has a different opinion is simply a different opinion. Not a big deal. I like my DI's for many different reasons sonically. I have also changed some of my components to better the sound and these do very well with changes. PC's, IC's SC's, as well as components all make a remarkable difference and are reflected in the sound. I have great bass, great sound staging and separation, very good detail, and wonderful sonics with tubes. I will also be modifying my speakers as well over time. Everybody has different ears and different sensibilities towards sound but the great thing here is the Tekton DI's respond so well to all changes.
Regards,
Greg

Not sure that what you describe puts DI's in rarefied territory, anyway the Ops question was what have Tekton owners moved on to  

I'm a former Tekton Double Impact owner. I moved on to Ulfberhts. But I guess technically that doesn't make me a "former" Tekton owner.

And +1 on what @greg22lz said above. Just like amp sounds. To each his own. But with the 60 day trial, I would think most would have realized they didn't like them in that time period and returned the speakers rather than buying them to start with.

@stereo5  You made the comment about pissing off the "Tekton Fanboy" with your post and I responded to it. It wasn't off topic AND you don't even own the DI's, nor have you heard them so what is your point? You had a "Tekton" of some type and you didn't like it? You are trolling with your original post. Your post is is simply Gas Lighting. 
Regards,
Greg

@clarinetmonster2 
Yes, I reversed polarity on the CL-3's. It is smoother and imaging is spot on.

I switched to pair of Spendor A6Rs. Got a great deal from Gene Rubin. Warmer, less fatigue, and more engaging & romantic, without giving up any detail. To my ears, at least.  

I moved my Tekton Lores out into the living room for HT duties. For this, they are great.

@stereo5 , HAHAHAHAHAHA...yes!

By starting this thread, I was hoping to find people that liked Tektons and lived with them for awhile, but then found something they liked better. Since Tektons have very specific strengths and a unique sound signature, it's always interesting to hear what people bought after them. It’s also interesting to hear about the modded/upgraded Tektons. I certainly wasn't trying to start conflict. Thanks for the responses so far. 

I went from tekton 6.5t monitors to ProAc studio 148. The 6.5t were on rigid yet minimalist linn / sound organization stands and are for sale in the Seattle area as shipping with stands are spendy. I remember many a great nights with those 6.5t monitors done nicely in macore cherry finish and the speakers that replaced them were easily 3x the cost. 

As a Tekton owner I find this thread interesting. Actually its more interesting than what is being said on the current long standing Tekton threads. Its sorta tapped out right now tbh. But to allow comments that can ignite emotions are not needed and shows a lack or maturity.

Oh and to answer Stereo5’s question. It doesn’t upset me that someone likes a certain speaker more than a Tekton speaker. That’s probably not the answer you were hoping for. Sorry ;)

I too will probably disappoint as discussing alternate speakers to Tektons not only doesn't piss off this owner of three different Tekton speakers but piques my interest. While I've moved up the Tekton chain from the Enzo's to the DI's to the DI SE's I find it interesting finding out what others speaker experiences are.....with Tekton and other speakers. I've often wondered what other HE speakers would be like, especially Tannoy or a modified Altec Lansing and I'm sure there's many more I don't know about that would interest me. 

Thanks to clarinet-monster for starting this thread, it should be quite interesting. 

I am a long-term Tekton owner. I have owned three Tekton speakers. I sold a early Fostex single driver model. It was terrific mini-monitor for office. I still own the Mini-Lore and Lore. They are really good speakers and perform well above their price points. They are now in my home theatre. I was lucky that my brother was moving to Europe and sold me his DeVore 0/96s and Harbeth SHL 5s. So, I haven’t exactly moved on. I especially trust grannyring, his ears and technical abilities. I will soon get a listen to the Tekton DIs and will make a decision on purchase. I will say the DeVore 0/96 will be very difficult to top. The DeVore's are wonderful speakers. Harbeth also. Best, mikirob

mikirob

Wow! You are lucky to have so many fine speakers to choose from. I've heard so much about the Devores. How would you compare them sonically to the Mini Lores, as that would be my closest reference I suppose.

@clarinetmonster2  Good thread topic. Speaking for myself, it is always great to learn and grow my knowledge base. Very helpful with downstream decisions and choices.

 @mikirob   I auditioned and demoed the SHL5+ and both of Devore's: the O/93s and O/96s. All three are lovely speakers. And I would be happy owning any or all of them. : )

Having had the Double Impacts with the upgrade package, to my ears (and memory) and preferences the DIs outperform all three at least in ways that I value and prefer. The 96s clearly beat the 93s. They were well setup and run with premium Line Magnetic gear. For it me, it was a toss up between the 96s and 5+ (also run with good gear [Bricasti/Pass] and in a well setup room). Different speakers in not so subtle ways. For me, the 40.2s would be the correct target, but I did not get audition them.

I had tried the Electron, but ended up returning them before the trial period ended, they were to replace my (vintage now?) B&O Penta's. In the end I preferred the Penta's smoother/more even range of sound, so I could not justify the $2750 for the Electron. To be fair, the Electrons were definitely clearer, but the B&O have better tone IMO.  Call it familiarity bias if you like. I guess my old speakers replaced the Tektons?

david_ten

"Having had the Double Impacts" Do you still own the DI's or something else? That statement sounds like past tense.

I still own them, but have upgraded to the Special Edition Double Impacts.

Ah ok. Those are more than twice the price and It's not entirely clear to some, why that is. I'm sure they sound great, but what exactly are the upgrades over the standard model?

The cabinets are slightly deeper. Upgraded drivers, cross-overs, etc.

They also come with a metallic paint finish (which is gorgeous by the way).

And they are available through dealers like @audioarchon etc (which also accounts for some of the mark-up).

NOTE: since you mention: 

Those are more than twice the price

When you add the metallic finish to the mix, the total cost is 6500 vs 4300 (sans grills). A 51% premium over the base DI, similarly finished.

I recommend checking the Tekton website just to be sure on the pricing, specs, etc. 

I owned Tektons impact monitor for 24hours and sent them back, yuck is all I can say.  Hideous and they have bizarre signature sound.  Moved on to Maggie’s, kef, and Tannoy prestige.

This are my speakers andra1, Omega rs8 super cone , Technics monitor review by Herb Reichert, Diapason adamantes? Norh 9 modified, omega 3i, Wharfedale 10.1 And 10.2. Pioneer sb22 and 21. Since I bought the Tekton Impact Monitor I played them more than my other speakers, Sorry I can’t move on, Tekton all the way....👍

Not even broken in? A tad too rushed for proper evaluation of any speaker that is brand new. I think you know that.  

Maltuse, did you really buy one? Audiophiles does not return stuff that quick? Granny is right?

I believe he bought them. I just think he needed at least 100 hours of play or possibly worked with speaker position. Plus its seems he didn't like the look of them. 
 For me it took over 175 hours for me to be comfortable with my Electons. But at the end of the day...DO I really care that he returned them?... NAH

No I don’t care. Just want newbie aphiles to read about how important time and proper system matching to a speaker is. Takes time to get the best out of a speaker.  Time and effort.  Plopping a speaker in and listening for a few hours will never help one end up with the best sound for their ears and preferences.  It will frustrate. 

@grannyring 

Word!

Aniwolfe it’s clear, Maltuse saw them in the picture, So He knows how they look, It’s sad to waste shipping money to return them IF Indeed Bought the monitors, looking at his previous post .He understood that 24 hrs will not do it.I agree He miss the opportunity to have one of the best speakers for 2k maybe more.,

Tom I still believe He did not returned a thing.He did not bought a Tekton period.The way I read his post, it tells me He did not. More of a troll..,

You’re right, I did waste huge money on shipping.  Don’t get me wrong they had some positive qualities but the hype is just that, hype.  I know a good speaker when I hear one and that was not it.  They are unspeakably ugly as well.  This becomes quite evident in real life much more so than you can tell from the website.  The 24 hours was because I knew they wouldn’t work right away, no need for break in.  Some really aggressive and arrogant responses to people’s opinions on this forum.

I’ve had a Lore since early 2011 - was my main speaker for about 4 years. After 2.5 years, I fully rebuilt the crossovers and internal wiring with boutique caps and silver/teflon wire - bypassing the binding posts too. This took the sound quality up quite a bit in refinement.

In early 2015 I went with Spatial M1 Turbo, which was a substantial step up IMO - exposed the Tekton sound to be a bit on the thin side, and much better soundstage.

Later in 2015 I got a deal on some Daedalus DA-RMa V2 large monitor speakers. These were in turn another step up from the Spatial, with warm, natural, detailed, refined sound in spades. I’ve had the Daedalus for the past two years and haven’t found their limits yet - with many electronics upgrades yielding substantial performance increases over time.

That said, I know Tekton presents quite a lot of value for money, and am really curious about the Deep Impacts - especially the upgraded versions. My current space is honestly on the large side for those Daedalus monitors. I could really use the Ulysses in my current space. So, I may have to give the DI SE a try at some point.

Still have the Lores - they're great in the TV room, driven by a 2.5 watt Miniwatt S1 amp - great pairing that provides some valuable warmth and smooths out the hash from cheapo source electronics nicely.  

Oh and I would add that break in may be a real enough thing but it doesn’t change the sound that much, if a speaker is radically changing due to break in then there’s a problem.  The only caveat with that are the magnepans which really do need serious break in.  I know various “audiophiles” will disagree, but that’s my experience.

@malthuse

Look at genjamon’s post below yours and you will see a constructive way of helping people on this forum. What you said holds zero weight in my book. At least let people know in a mature way what the pro’s and cons are? How did they compare to your Maggies  or Harbeths etc? Engage your audience!

I'm breaking in Impact Monitors, now.  They absolutely have a distinctive sound and very much react to different amplification.  I'm really enjoying them, so far, but I can certainly see (hear) how they may not be everyone's cup o' tea.  45-50 hours in, and they've definitely smoothed out some already.  I'll give them a good 150 hours or so and also re-run them through the different amps and then see how they work with a sub, before making a final call.  I think they are keepers for the price, and I am fortunate to be able to have multiple setups, so they don't have to be all-rounders.

The bass is the biggest question.  There's plenty of it, but it's flubby.  But, that deserves further attention to placement, stands, re-running the different amps, etc., before making a final call.  It may not end up being an issue, because I intended to cross them over and incorporate a sub.

Anyway, to Malthuse's credit, sometimes, you just know...right away.  Ugly is relative, but I can certainly also see how someone could think that.  I'll be covering up the spider eyes when the grills come.  Even though I knew the dimensions and saw pictures, they are bigger in real life than I thought.  Curious about Malthuse's critique other than ugly and bizarre, even if only determined in a day.  What worked, what didn't, associated gear, etc.  Maybe that belongs on the Tekton Monitor thread, but curious.

In the end, the question for me will most likely be whether they get bumped for something I already have...Spendors, Cantons, Salks, Omegas, etc.  Kind of the inverse of the thread title.  Most likely they'll go in rotation.

It seems a prevailing sentiment is, oddly, that one can say upon setting up a new speaker (like the Tektons) "It was immediately obvious how much better these were from my previous speakers!"

But if someone says "It was immediately obvious these speakers didn’t have the qualities I was looking for" then, well, that’s called into question because what fool judges a speaker so quickly? Break in and all that.

(Personally I always get a good reading on a speaker upon first setting it up.  Yes further tweaking will dial things in, but the essential voice and qualities are immediately apparent and in my experience, remain throughout my ownership of the speaker).

It seems a prevailing sentiment is, oddly, that one can say upon setting up a new speaker (like the Tektons) "It was immediately obvious how much better these were from my previous speakers!"

@prof.  Sometimes, I think, that's "new toy" syndrome.

@prof

Its an interesting topic for sure. I think some reactions are driven by the joy and enthusiasm we get from a product. So when someone says they didn’t like it, we find it hard to understand.

I just wish when someone likes or doesn’t like something, they can elaborate in a more interesting manner.

" I owned Tektons impact monitor for 24hours and sent them back, yuck is all I can say.  Hideous and they have bizarre signature sound.  Moved on to Maggie’s, kef, and Tannoy prestige."