Tekton Double Impacts vs the competition....
@tommypenngotti just curious how the Tekton speakers are treating you? Still digging them? I auditioned the Electrons, but ultimately decided they weren't for me.@audionoobie - I'm loving them , although I go through a weekly rant discussion with my sound engineer who recently bought the Harbeth 30.1s . He claims they are the most superior speaker in every way and speakers like the DI SEs are "hyped" :) I think they sound great , but Im still investigating them, my system is not 100% complete yet...thanks |
Great report, tommypenngotti! I was pretty confident that you would love them, and I am glad that has turned out to be the case. The SE's are incredibly dynamic, with startling clarity. Say 'hello' to Van Halen for me:) I hope you enjoy the SE's for a long time. They'll reward any improvements you make in your system now and in the future. |
Ok , so the Tekton DI SE's showed up flawless ....not a scratch to be found. The cabinets are beautiful (although quite large) they suit me perfectly (big speaker , big sound) Hooked them up to my Marantz PM-11S1 and then my Sony STR-V7 . They are amazing . The first thing I noticed was the sound field and clarity was just unreal . The lows were very powerful and I really don’t think I need a sub. It honestly at times felt like Van Halen was in my living room . I’m still experimenting with EQ/ Sound treatment etc....so far pretty darn happy , thanks for all your guys help! (Extra special thanks to waltersalas ;) |
Salk. Better looking. Better sound. http://salksound.com Models for much less than the $3k DI ugly boxes. Sound better too. Did I say that? |
Kristofa +1 exactly my thoughtTo be fair, the speakers are already ridiculously ugly, so you might as well normalize the overall look of the room at this point and not worry about looks of any specific details. |
Tekton has a new speaker? If you are a SET fan this may interest you. https://www.tektondesign.com/the-perfect-set.html |
Yes if you place the panels low enough they will do the same thing but I had problems with wall outlets. Use speaker cloth to cover and stretch it so it looks clean; can get this at any Michaels-type fabric store. Only use "green" insulation-type material in your panels -- fiberglass has health issues. |
kristofa: They are overlong (16" W X 30" L) bases with a 1/8" plywood support (16" W X 32" H) screwed at right angles to the back end of the base. On the front of this right angle (speaker facing), one sheet of 1" chair foam batting and two sheets of 2" EcoTouch home insulation are tack glued. Then the back piece/foam is covered in speaker cloth, tack glued and stapled. Once you have the materials and basic idea, takes an hour or two to build. AND, regardless of the simple design, THEY WORK. The DI cabinet pressure is not affected but the 180 degree out-of-phase port noise is killed. Will very lightly reduce the total bass volume but will substantially improve accuracy and presence. I use REW EQ to bring the bass volume back exactly where I like it -- about 5db high from 16-80 hz. BTW, have also gone over to the half grill alteration discussed towards the end of the epic DI/Corelli thread. Have used this for two weeks, retuned my room response, and will not be going back to a full grill. Check it out. |
tommy: Two small but significant tweaks that many of us have made are to 1) baffle the back two ports with some kind of acoustic material and 2) insert Herbies Glider Feet that cushion the boxes movement. For the first, I have constructed a 16" X 32" custom baffle that is affixed to the wooden stand on which my DIs sit. This will lightly soften bass volume while, significantly, increasing its accuracy and presence. ONCE the baffles are in place, the speaker can be placed as close to the wall as you like. Mine are about 18" from a treated wall. For the second, go to http://herbiesaudiolab.net/spkrfeet.htm and check out the Threaded Stud glider. It will not only help bass accuracy, but will, surprisingly, improve soundstage quite a bit. Eight of them run about $130 and are well worth the price. There are plenty of variants and don't think you need to do this right away -- you might find adjustments in your room that are even better. |
I know its silly , but I didn’t know anything about Tekton when I started this hunt for "higher end speakers" . I started heading down the familiar paths , Klipsch etc... a sound engineer friend who I trust implicitly told me Harbeth speakers are the best speaker he’s ever heard hands down, so I demo’d the SHL5+ and honestly they sounded great but didn’t hear $7K. I always am a little leary of brands I’ve never heard of ...Tekton had a tremendous amount of positive feedback and a few naysayers..we’ll see! |
good advice , I answered all questions and it leans towards 50% split on both sets! To spend an extra +$3200 on the SE’s , they’d have to have knockout comparison value . Both sets back to back and there’s an obvious winner ! Like ...why would you even consider buying the DI’s because they sound so much better.... |
The DI with upgrade is $3300 The SE is $6500. To add to what @waltersalas and others have already shared, consider the following: If your budget is tight then go with the DIs. If your budget does allow for the extra spend on SEs but there are other components you can (and want to) upgrade or add, then use the extra $3200 towards that, and go with the DIs. If you feel your current system is more ’basic’ in nature and you don’t want to upgrade your gear, then go with the DIs. If you keep your gear for a long time and foresee yourself keeping whichever speaker you choose for the long run, consider going with the SEs. If aesthetics are a priority, rather than incur the added spend on the DIs, I’d suggest stretching your budget to get the SEs (as the price includes the custom automotive paint finish). If exit strategy is a priority, then go with the DIs as they fall within a price range that many many more folks are comfortable with and they will be easier to move. If your listening mostly includes genres or artists that are not as well recorded, go with the DIs. Making these points as an add on to the already great feedback you are receiving. Hopefully they are helpful. All the best. |
WALTER : Thanks for your descriptive response . This is a difficult point for me...I don’t do well when there is a product that gets high marks and there is another "higher end" version . Leaves me not wanting to buy the lesser model and look for something else. $6500 is quite a steep climb from $3K...I don’t see too many Tekton deals around , they seem to new and people like/ hold on to them...thanks |
I had the DIs and have since upgraded to the DI SEs, but I do not yet have a fully informed assessment of the differences because my SEs are still going through the break in process. Based on what I have heard so far, I think what you get with the SEs in a nutshell is a more dynamic, more resolving, speaker, with deeper, more impactful bass. The SEs are REALLY going to tell you what is going on upstream in your system, so any changes--positive or negative--are going to be more pronounced with these speakers than with the DIs. Some might say the SEs are "less forgiving," but it may be that they are just more accurate. If any of this sounds dismissive of the Double Impacts, please understand that I am speaking here in relative terms. The DIs were outstanding in my system, and in my opinion a crazy good deal at their price point. I could have lived with them long-term, but stumbled into a good deal on the SEs and jumped on them. As I said, my pair still has a ways to go to get through the ups and downs of the break-in process, but my view is that the SEs just give you more than the DIs and are speakers you can grow into--they'll get better and better as you make other improvements in your system down the line. I hope this is helpful. |
