Tekton DIs or Legacy Focus SEs?

I made it a point to audition both as they were two highly rated speakers that performed above their price points. 
I made it a point to listen to the music as well as movie dialogue and I picked a movie that had dialogue that gave my present speakers (and pretty much every other speaker I auditioned) problems in resolving the finer details.

And just to be up front, I love ribbons and planer speakers. That is pretty much what I have bought.

The short version was that I thought they were very close. I went back and forth with the midrange and treble especially with the music and the hard to resolve dialogue. I was surprised that the Tekton not only held it's own against the ribbon but I actually thought it might have even more resolution - but it was close wither way. The tweeter/midrange array does it's job.

I did not hear any of the warmness that was mentioned. I thought it was very neutral, but that is going to be something that only your ears can tell you.

Also, the version I heard was the standard $3000 buy direct from Tekton version. I know the dealer version has some different internals and it is more expensive, but I'm not sure it's worth it --- but I have not heard them back to back. The standard $3000 version was what I heard and it was the equal to the Focus and no comparison to the Signatures which are actually closer to the Tekton price point.

As far as finish and looks, there is no comparison. The Legacy speakers are much nicer to look at. Real wood veneers, etc. Very well done. The Tektons I heard had the standard soft glow finish paint. I personally don't like that finish, but they offer an upgraded automobile finish gloss that is about what the Wilson speakers have on them. They are an upgrade (I think $500 but not sure). I would go with that and you have a nice looking (but not wood veneer speaker for a whole lot less money.

You should listen to both if you can before you decide.

Thanks. I appreciate it.

I would have to place one of them next to a wall and I am concerned with the the side firing driver, but I still plan on hearing them.

hifial:

I agree with your assessment. If either of the two speakers tends a little (and I mean a very little) towards warm, it would be the Focus. I thought the Tekton to be more neutral also.

jayctoy -

I agree. I was fortunate enough to hear both the DI and the Focus at the same place with the same equipment. Pulled out the Focus and put in the DI and used the same source material, cabling, amps, etc. For me, it was a fair comparison. That is what I was after.

David --

The reason I have always purchased ribbon and planer speakers is for the very open, detailed and airy highs and mids. I was predisposed to the Legacy speakers because of that. I ended up being surprised. 

I honestly could not hear that "normal" ribbon differentiation on the Focus.

I did hear it in spades on the Aeris. It has a hybrid open baffle design and the sound was quite remarkable. a 3D audio presentation.

I am not sure how neutral it was. I am still conflicted about it, but I can tell you that I loved it.

audiotroy -

I am not sure how to explain how anything is softer than another. I just listen to it and make a determination of how it sounds to me. Probably the same as anyone else I imagine.

What it is supposed to sound like, I don’t know. All I know is how it DOES sound like. And if you take away any preconceptions and do a double blind test, I think many would be surprised.

I like both of these speakers (and I REALLY like the Legacy Aeris). I know I put some hard to resolve dialogue on both speakers and heard them close... heard them far and if I had to pick one over the other for resolution it was the Tekton. That’s all I can tell you. I don’t have charts, graphs, electrical diagrams or anything to "prove" it to you. I just have how it sounded to my ears. If that is something you don;t agree with, that’s fine, but it still sounded the way it did to me.

Neutral to me is that I don’t hear any semblance of harsh or muddy or bassy. It means what I perceive to be clear uncolored sound that does not emphasize highs, mids or lows. Just a very balanced and clean sound without anything that I could hear that was "added" by the speaker.

And I am not going to respond to having to defend my perception of one over the other to you any more. We can talk about what I heard and how it sounded, but I am not really interested in saying I am right or that one is better than the other. The OP asked a question in regards to a comparison of the two speakers and it happens that those two speakers were among my finalists and I really made it a point to compare them so I thought I could help.

That is as far as I want to take it.

David -- it really is a great speaker. I was not able to hear it directly against the Wilsons, but I did hear several of the more expensive Wilsons and I preferred the Aeris. Yes, definitely a speaker you should hear even if you have no intentions of buying it. It is worth the listen IMO.

One more thing I should add. I have not heard the Tekton Ulfs so I can't say how they compare to the Aeris -- that is a comparison I would LOVE to hear. As much as I like the Tekton speakers (ESPECIALLY when you consider the added bonus of price), I am not sure that they could sound as open and airy as the Aeris because of the design.

I found it difficult to compare the Aeris to DI because the sound was so different. First, they have a room correction Wavelet box they go through. So I have a preconceived bias against any processing and I wonder, "how much of that 3d sound is the speaker, and how much is the processor?" and then the next thought is "If that is the processor, is it also changing the sound and adding to it?"

Despite all of that, I could not hear anything but clean sound. The problem with the comparison is that the sound was so 3d like that it just sounded so different than the DI or the Focus to my ears, it was difficult to make an analytical comparison. I was just kind of lost in the sound. And when the sound kind of wraps around you, it sounds different than what was coming out of the other speakers. I honestly would have to sit down and compare longer to try and see how I felt about the neutrality of the Aeris compared to the others. If I could stop being amazed at the sound presentation long enough to try to be analytical, lol

Ron:

I have not heard the Golden Ear reference yet but I want to. I really like the footprint. My use will be home theater and I just don't like their center speaker offerings. I like the ones in the Paradigm Persona line and the Legacy line.

Can you go over what you liked more about the Reference than you did with the DI and the Focus? That would be interesting for me. Also, did you listen to their center speakers?

Thanks

Nitrobob, can't answer all your questions but Eric recommends the 4 ohm version. I would call and discuss it with him if you have concerns about that.

That is also what I understood David. I may be wrong.