Tekton Double Impacts

@radiohead99   Any updates?

The ’experiment’ with Scott Sheaffer’s Found-Music 2A3 amp driving the Tekton SEs has blown all of my pre-expectations to smithereens!

I want to THANK Charles @charles1dad for being steadfast in his encouragement and support as I considered SET tube amplification options a few months ago. There are others who have also been helping me through my recent audio journeys, and I will thank them personally and more directly, once I pull together a mini-review of sorts.

There has been discussion of low watt SET amps (perhaps) ’not’ being the ’best’ choice --- on TJ’s, now very active and insightful, Perfect SET speaker thread. I beg to differ, respectfully.

I am getting (read, fantastic) full range, high volume, superb sound quality results with a 3.5~4 Watt amp that was custom built for an 8 Ohm speaker, with an optimal impedance pairing range of 6 to 9 Ohms...

AND THIS ON the Tekton SEs which are a 4 way 4 Ohm speaker with 7 array tweeters, 2 mid-range drivers and 2 bass woofers, per speaker.

I’d also like to remind everyone that I am also driving the SEs with the T+A PA 3100 HV integrated amp which is designed as a near zero negative feedback high voltage amplifier.

The T+A PA 3100 HV outputs 500 Watts into 4 Ohms RMS (per channel) AND has a peak output of 700 Watts into 4 Ohms (as provided by T+A’s specs).

Two very, very different amplification chains. Both with supremely satisfying results.

[Note: I am using the fully balanced Grandinote Genesi Preamplifier ahead of the Found-Music 2A3, with custom Cardas XLR adaptors, to allow for SE IC connection]

Another update. I acquired the Found-Music 2A3 monos and the Grandinote Genesi preamp with the goal of a 'second' system (same room) but with different amplification chains and two sets of very different speaker types.

I recently brought in the Cube Audio (Poland) Nenuphar single-driver speakers as a possible solution for the Grandinote > Found-Music pairing. After 200 hours of runtime on the speakers, I conducted a lengthy A/B between the SEs and the Nenuphars with exactly the same system chain (refer to my post above). 

The SEs are clearly the better one-speaker solution, and were superior in a few areas....however, for my needs and my preferences I find the Nenuphar to be a much better fit. 

The Nenuphar is a 'focused' solution but what it does well, it does exceptionally well and checks off on what I have been looking for with regards the Grandinote/Found-Music amplification chain. As you can tell from the post above, the SEs also shine with this amplification chain. 

The question now is whether to keep the SEs or to upgrade to a different Full Range speaker to pair with the T+A PA 3100 HV integrated amp.

Based on listening to Ezra's @audioezra  Ulfberth BEs driven by Bricasti M28s...it is one of the speakers at the top of my list. Based on feedback from Allen @aolprodj  and Mike Kay of Audio Archon, Ezra's system kicked up to another level when he replaced his then front end with the Bricasti M12, also feeding the Bricasti M28s.

For those of you with experience with the Ulfberths and / or the Encores, or with something else Eric is most certainly working on, let me know your thoughts. Thanks.