Manati,
I will second giving the Cerious cables a try. I find them to be a great match with the DI's. Congrats on your new speakers and the musical enjoyment they bring.
Tom |
I guess I have a different take on the drivers used in the SE's. I love my DI's and ordered the SE's without knowing what specific drivers are being used but instead based my purchase on teajay's and Mikes sonic assessment of them. My only concern is how they sound as its all about the music for me. Ive heard some extremely expensive speakers with some of the most exotic drivers availability that sounded sterile to me whereas the DI's have rather simple drivers and they are some of the most musical speakers I've heard. I understand that many want to know the specifics of the speakers they're purchasing and I don't think the SE's drivers will remain secret for long as someone will eventually dissect them to determine their identity. To be honest my knowledge of drivers isn't significant enough to base my purchase decision on them, instead I trust in Eric's innate ability to bring forth the realism in music with his driver choices. I'm not implying that my take on this matter is superior, I just wanted to share the perspective I'm coming from......i.e. the technically ignorant perspective 😉
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That's my understanding also sbayne. Using low mass drivers to deliver sound with much greater speed and control is the main emphasis of the patent, not the drivers themselves.
Powered subs in the DI's? You must like bass 😛 That's a scary but cool thought. I'm sure it would be interesting hearing the likes of Jupiter or Duelund caps but I imagine Eric would have incorporated them in the Ulfbehrts or SE as the PMD line is his "cost is no object" line.......or maybe he is, as I have no idea what caps are in them! |
I think the DI's have laid to rest the idea that paying more for audio automatically gets you better sound. That's a big NOT! At least with the DI's you know you're not paying for a lot of marketing, advertising and overhead, but you do get what matters most.......great sound.
The Aric Transcend amp is still burning in yet still sounds amazing. The combination of the LTA MZ2, Aric Transcend and DI's belies the notion that one needs to spend exorbitant amounts of money to obtain world class sound. |
Congrats premnath. Like you I value the opinions of teajay, Mike and Charles and it's led to some great purchases on my part, with the DI SE's being the latest and I'm anxiously awaiting their arrival. The DI's are the best soundings speaker I've owned to date and I look forward to hearing the SE's in my system.
David, I believe Aric is up for building just about any tube amp you might want and more importantly he's capable of doing so. I absolutely love his Transcend KT 120 but just might have him build me a 2A3 SET for something different.
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Do I detect a case of car envy here?
So any reviewer that prefers an audio component over a vastly more expensive one has no credibility? The status quo, rubber stamp positive reviews of the big name, big money products lack credibility in my eyes.
Now onto the real question shadorne, which has been asked previously, just what actual listening experience of the DI's do you have? Mine are painted in Mercedes Diamond Black, I suppose that will make them sound better? 🤑
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Shadorne
Any reviewer that prefers the sound of audio gear that is vastly less expensive than the uber expensive gear lacks credibility?
If expensive cars outperform less expensive cars then expensive audio gear must outperform less expensive gear?
These points don't sound ridiculous?
Btw, your silence is deafening. You fail to share your personal listening experience of the DI's that allow you to make the satement that any reviewer that expresses an opinion that the DI's outperform speakers costing many times more lacks credibility. Please, share your wealth of experience with the DI's that allow you to state they can't sound as good as more expensive speakers.
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I'm with Charles on this. I have absolutely no issue with someone sharing their opinion on a product even if it's in disagreement with my experience.....IF they've actually listened to said product. One can learn a lot reading dissenting opinions but one can't have a true opinion about a product without having actual experience with it......and stating the DI can't be as good as speakers costing much more and that any reviewer suggesting as much is ridiculous is especially illogical. According to that reasoning I could buy some Bose speakers, slap my own label on them, price them at $100k/pair and they would automatically be assumed to be better than the DI's. Not only that, any reviewer that said the DI's sounded better than my newly created $100k speakers would instantly lose credibility in shadornes mind. Anyone basing audio performance solely upon price, especially without even listening to the products, is more interested in status than sound. |
I don't think you can go wrong with any of those options David and I look forward to seeing what you end up with.
The Transcend amp with KT 88's sounds wonderful on the DI's and I'm looking forward to hearing the SE's on it also. Im going to try some KT 150's with it later today. A 2A3 SET amp intrigues me also and I very well could be talking to Aric about building me one also. The idea of having the Transcend amp for more dynamic slam and the 2A3 for more midrange purity is very appealing to me. Never thought I'd be considering two different amps for my system!
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Don't do that David, you may not like the answer you get 😆 Aric already knows I'm nuts as I've already inquired about having him build me a 2A3 SET. I it's given that most of here are crazy, but it's a good crazy. I've yet to own a true SET and the 2A3's greatly intrigue me so maybe I'm destined to own both the KT 120 SEP and a 2A3 SET.
From everything I hear your Pass combination is amazing......but then teajay replaced his Pass pre and amp with the MZ2 and 2A3 SET, so the possibilities are endless. If only I my pocketbook was also 🤑 |
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Someone earlier mentioned a Berning 6b4g amp. Could be onto something interesting here.
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Thanks muzikmann, I knew it was a new poster to thread here and I should have taken the time to find the posts. And yes, the fact that David Berning uses it as his personal amp says a lot. Of course David is using the 6b4g in his ZOTL design. So many amp options and so little time......dare we bring up the Lyngdorf as yet another option?
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After listening to the KT 150's for a few hours I put the KT 88's back in and the KT 88's are much more to my liking. The KT 150's provided a very big sound with extended highs ( too much so for me) but lacked the sweet midrange and overall musicality that the KT 88's provide in Aric's amp. That makes me wonder just how much more midrange magic a 2A3 or 300B SET from Aric would offer. The Transcend amp is my fav of all the amps I've owned and very much remind me of the sound achieved when Charles brought his Frankensteins over. I can't say that the Transcend is as good as the Frankensteins as its been a while since they were here but it brings about the same sense of realism in music that I remember the Frankensteins providing. That's saying a lot for Aric's amp! Suffice it to say I'm VERY happy with Aric's amp and it makes a great pairing with the DI's......and I'm sure it will with the SE's also. Time will tell.
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Hells Bells, what's with all of this AC/DC talk? I don't have any of their cd's, maybe I should :) |
A lot has been posted here since last night. Fun times.
Yes Charles, I am having a ball with Aric's amp driving the DI's. Once things settle down on my end I'm looking forward to having you over for a listen. I think you'll like what you hear as I'm getting closer to the sound of your system....and that's a good thing!
Grannyring, thanks for sharing your thoughts on the DI's. I find it strange that some find the DI lacking in bass as don't at all. Maybe it's my room or my ears but would never describe the DI's as lean on bass but I respect your evaluation of them. I wish I had the guts to modify components like you do as it sounds like fun and it would be interesting hearing the results. Your use of the 10g WE wire is interesting, I only used 14g and 16g. You even modified your Lyngdorf? That's a product that is very intriguing. I looked into getting one but it being so unconventional and seemingly too good to be true made me shy at pulling the trigger on one. While I'm very happy with the sound I getting now, the Lyngdorf is crying out to me andi won't be gun shy next time. I wish you the best with your health, get well soon.
Teajay, thanks again for another great review. I'm glad my room isn't large enough for the Ulfbehrts since I can't afford them 🤑 I'll have to settle for the measly SE's ;) |
Perfect timing as I just commissioned Aric to build me a " no holds barred" 300B SET. The KT 120 amp of his is VERY good but I'm going all out with this custom 300B build in hopes of finally obtaining my forever amp. I'll be going with the EML 300B XLS tubes with NOS 6SN7's and 5U4's. I believe this will be the perfect amp for the DI SE's......or at least close enough for me. |
Lol Jcarcopo, I hate to admit it but I sure love some good tube glow.....especially the pics I see of tube glow enhanced with blue LED's. Eye candy is good too!
Not sure what I'll do with the KT88, David. Might keep it for a back up. Might sell it. Might give it to my son. It really sounds good and I'm probably crazy for trying something else but after hearing Charles' Frankensteins in my room I just can't get that sound out of my head. The kt88 comes close but I'm not playing horse shoes :) After talking with Aric and others I decided the 300B is the way I wanted to go. The 2A3 might be a better option but I really liked the full, dynamic sound that both the KT 88 and the Frankensteins provide. I'm not sure if the 2A3 would provide that or not and while the 300B only provides a little more than 3 db more headroom, it just might be the additional oomph I need. I was very close to going with a 2A3 build but it's all Charles' fault that I'm going the 300B route 😆🎼🔉
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I have the very first pair of Double Impacts made and have been enjoying them for months now. They are seemless from top to bottom, have some of the best bass I've heard in a speaker, throw a huge soundstage, are very dynamic and have liquid mids with very detailed and airy highs. I've owned Vandersteen 3a's, Revel Salons, Magnepan 1.7i's and Legacy Audio Focus SE's and while they were all great speakers the Double Impacts are my fav. I was leery that a $3000 speaker could perform so well, but after comparing them side by side with the Legacys they won me over. If you're looking for a very musical speaker that disappears behind a huge wall of live sound, the Double Impacts are well worth looking at. FWIW, I drive them with a 24 watt Decware tube amp. |
Corelli, it's difficult comparing the DI's to the Maggie's as they are such differant animals and it's all about personal preferences. The Maggie's were amazing with such stunning detail and with how they totally disappear. What they lacked for me was dynamics, which Tektons excell at. At the time I had the Odyssey Candela pre with their Kismet Monoblocks. They drove the Maggie's well but compared to the Tekton Enzo's I had at the time they lacked that dynamic slam I was looking for.
Since then my tastes have gravitated towards high efficiency speakers with low powered tube amps.......I was looking to move to a 300B SET amp until I came across the Linear Tube Audio ZOTL 40. With high powered SS amps the DI's are dynamic giants but I've fallen in love with the NOS tube sound and the DI's sound amazingly good with them. With either low powered tube or high powered SS amps the DI's will provide much musical pleasure.
So while I loved the sound of the Maggie's, I don't miss anything about them especially since I've taken the smaller tube amp route. Hope that answers your question. |
A few reasons David. One, while the Frankensteins are superb I have total faith in Aric to design and build an amp that will bring about the same musical bliss. Two, simple finances. I've been spending too much on audio lately and at $3600 Aric's premium build should provide the level of sonics I'm after at a price I can afford. Three, I have an established business relationship with Aric and admire his knowledge, honesty, talent and integrity. Lastly......Halloween is a scary time of year for Frankensteins :)
evolvist, I'm all over the map with musical preferences......jazz, blues, folk, country, world music and getting into classical....but acoustic live music is my fav.
Sbayne, I think Aric will do just that and I'll certainly let everyone know about Aric's 300B amp as soon as I get it....well, after it burns in. |
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Greg, some of my favs.....not all are totally unplugged.
Rickie Lee Jones, Naked Songs
Cowboy Junkies, Trinity Sessions Revisted
The Howlin Jenny's, Live
Nils Lofgren Live
Loreena McKennitt, Nights from the Alahambra
Alison Krause and the Union Station Live
Sinatra at the Sands
Sarah Jarouz, Live at the Troubadour
Morgan James at the Coca Cola Club
please feel free to share your favs as the DI's convey live music very well. |
Hi Charles,
Sorry for taking so long to respond, I lost track of this thread. I doubt the Frankensteins would drive the DI's well, but I'd love to hear them together. While the DI's are rated at 98.6 db sensitivity as Israel Blume points out that only tells part of the story in how easy a speaker is to drive. I'm thinking with their four way design and possibly erratic impedence curve, they are more difficult to drive than Coincident speakers. Someday I hope to have an all Coincident system but finances dictate another route for now. My Decware Torii sounds great as long as I don't push it too hard which limits the volume, so I'm going to try the Linear Tube Audio pre and amp as I have heard them on the DI's and they came very close to the Frankensteins with the Super Victorys I heard a while back......a VERY realistic live sound, as if the performers were in the room performing. As a matter of fact, Terry Londons upcoming review of the DI's should be with the Linear Tube Audio MZ2-S pre and ZOTL 40 amp as they are in his reference system.
Kalali, I had the Tekon Enzo's without the new patent and thought they sounded great. I really can't discern any difference that the patent might add.....that doesn't mean it's not doing so. |
Charles,
Hello neighbor. It really is a small world. How kind of you to offer try your Frankensteins. They are my end goal amps but I would need new speakers for them. I'm enjoying the DI's too much to let them go at this point. I'll probably keep them for my theater system. I can't afford the Coincident speakers this year so going with the Linear Tube Audio gear will get me a good way of the way there. You're more than welcome to take a listen......even if it's a step down from what you're used to listening to!
Im with you Corelli, the boastful patent claims are over the top to me but it's the results that count and I've been more than pleased with both of the Tekton speakers I've owned.
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Teajay, your impressions of the DI's are spot on with mine. I still had my Legacy Audio Focus SE's when I recieved my DI's and spent 3 weeks with both until deciding to sell the Legacys. Many couldnt believe I preferred the DI's over such a good speaker, but I did and do. Next I'll be adding the Linear Tube Audio MZ2-S pre amp and ZOTL 40 amp and I thank you for your great review of both. While I love my Decware Torii mkIV it limits me to SPL readings of lower to mid 70db before sounding strained and harsh. Sometimes I like to listen a bit louder and I'll also like the extra headroom the ZOTL 40 will bring......along with its beautiful live musical sound. Can't wait to read your review of the DI's with the LTA gear and finally hear a professional extol the virtues of the DI's as I've been doing since getting mine last September.
Charles, once my LTA gear is in place and burned in I'll give you a shout to come and listen. My system sounds quite good now but the LTA gear should take it to the next level......maybe close enough to the 300B SET sound to make me happy for life!
I agree totally with Jeff's assessment. Break in is quite quick with subtle improvements occurring up to about 100 hours. I was using the Yggy DAC to great effect until getting the PS Audio Perfectwave transport and DAC. Tekton and Schiit are two of the best audio values out there.
LASTLY, as good as the DI's are has anyone seen Tektons new line of PMD speakers? Three Professional Monitor Designs priced at $10k, $20k and $40k a pair. Tekton is venturing into stratified air with these. Can they really sound that much better to justify the increased price? If so they will be unbelievable!
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Teajay,
It sounds to me that the Linear Tube Audio products with my Double Impacts will be a very formidable combination. Your reviews of the micro ZOTL and ZOTL 40 went a long way towards me making my decision to go with them. I thank you for that. And you're right, together with the DI's it might not just be one of the best audio values around but maybe one of the best systems out there. I can't wait to add the Linear Tube Audio amps to my system and I'm sure your upcoming DI review will only have me chomping at the bit even more!
Mike,
You're a distributor for both Tekton and LTA? Sweet. I just might have to make the trip from the Motor City to the Windy City to check your place out. When you say you'll have the "upgraded" Double Impacts do you mean a PMD version? While I wont ever be spending the $30k plus they will probably go for, it would be interesting to hear them. I would think for ten times the cost they must have more than just upgraded drivers and cross overs.......maybe a totally new cabinet with substantial bracing? Inquiring minds want to know :)
Jetter,
I'm not a fan of the boastful claims either but I wouldn't let that stop me from getting some amazing speakers and an unbelievable price. Eric has a lot of reason to be boastful, even if I prefer a more modest approach. I would recommend that you ignore the website claims and concentrate on the claims of those who have heard the speakers. While those of us that own the DI's are equally boastful, it's more palatable than one tooting his own horn :) |
2channel8,
sorry for the confusion, that's not what I meant at all. While the Enzo's are a great speaker they are not in the same league as the DI's. I only meant I could not detect any discernible sound attributed just to the new patent. It certainly may be there, I just couldn't detect a distinctive sound signature difference between the pre patent Enzo's and the post patent DI. Having said that the DI's do you everything better than the Enzo's from a deeper, tighter bass to their naturally organic liquid mids to their airier highs. There is more micro and macro detail, a larger sound stage and more precise imaging. The DI's disappear behind a seemless wall of sound and that's easy to become lost within. While I loved the Enzo's, the DI's take things to a whole new level and are well worth the extra $1400. Hope that clears things up.
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Charles,
I'll let Aric discuss the technical aspects of the build as I'll most likely get it wrong, but yes I also believe he will create what I'm looking for in an amp. Thanks to you and your Frankensteins I had a lofty goal to aim for. I look forward to having you hear my new system....and bring more cd's as I love hearing music I'm not familiar with. I'm really enjoying the music of Bobby Hutcherson that you turned me onto.
Thanks Greg, I enjoy trying new music and I'll be ordering cd's from your list later today.
Im as surprised as you are that I went this new build so soon. I was so focused on either going with the KT 120 or 2A3 amp that I never really considered a 300B. Aric's KT 120 gets me a good way towards the SET sound I so loved from the Frankensteins but I decided to get all the way there and when Aric suggested he could build me a no holds barred 300B I jumped at it. At times I'm quite deliberate in my choices but I'm often very spontaneous.....and this was one of those times. My dilemma now is what to do with this exceptional KT 120. It's too good to not use, it's probably too new to sell at a decent price, so gifting it to my son makes the most sense.....the spoiled brat. Lol. Not really, he's a good kid, if one can be considered a kid at the age of 31.
Tom |
Jay, the speakers are 6' o.c. with the listening position about 8' from the speakers.
Thanks for the recommendations Greg and Charles. I have some new CDs to look forward to Monday now.
thanks Aric, you explained the amp build far better than I ever could! There are many here that will understand the build much better than I as their informed questions will demonstrate......as Charles has already demonstrated.
tom |
I haven't been online much lately and it looks like I've missed a lot of good stuff. It's also great to see this thread maintaining its civility while sharing many different upstream gear options, different room conditions, differing listening preferences and different Tekton models.
Congats on another winner Aric! I have both Aric's 300B and Transcend amps along with the 12SN7 Linestage he made for me and I love them all. I planned on giving the Transcend amp to my son after getting the 300B but I'm loathe to give it up. I already gave him my Tekton Enzo's so I don't feel too badly ;)
Based on Charles' recommendation I ordered a pair of EML XLS 300B tubes today and I can't wait to hear them in my system.
I havent had had time to listen to my system in over a week and that absence makes it sound better than ever. I guess absence really does make the heart grow fonder.
Like Lance I'm using the Soundocity outriggers with the Gaia I Isolation footers on first my DI's then the SE's. I used just the Gaia ones alone at first and noticed a clear sound improvement.....blacker background exposing even more minute detail and a tighter, more musical bass. Upon adding the outriggers I didn't notice an appreciable sound difference but they sure made the speakers much more stable than with the Gaia's directly into the SE's.
Good to hear so many enjoying their Tektons and hearing about all the different gear used ahead of them. I also couldn't agree more with the many glowing reviews they keep getting.
Happy Listening,
Tom |
Thanks for the explanations Al and lowrider. While I don't have a lot of technical knowledge regarding audio equipment, I enjoy learning about it. All this time I was focusing on sensitivity specs without giving thought to impedence. That explains why my tube amp is having a harder time driving the 4 ohm DI's than the 6 ohm Enzo's even though they're both about 98 db sensitive. I'm told the impedence curve also influences how hard a speaker is to drive? The flatter the impedence curve the easier it is to drive? Thanks for your help. While I care more about sound than specs understanding how the electronics and the speakers react to one another is very helpful in choosing the products that will work well together. Thanks again. |
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Mofojo,
Steve Deckert of Decware helped me with placing the quadratic diffusers at the first reflection points on the ceiling, one side wall and on the back wall along with building floor to ceiling bass traps in each corner and hanging heavy velvet curtains on the side wall without the diffusers. We also decided to cover all of the exposed ductwork with acoustic foam. The room sounds great. Building a dedicated room was one of the best audio investments I've made. I wish I could share some specific wisdom for your room, but I pretty much followed Steve's advise. My room is in the basement with low ceilings, 7'6", so I guess the bass traps are more necessary. Placing diffusion at the first reflection points seemed to really help along with carpet and padding on the concrete floor. After that experimenting with absorption throughout the room, especially where the walls meet the ceiling would be the extent of my advise. Hope that helps.
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Congrats mofojo. I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised at just how good they sound. You're getting them next week? Not too long ago there was a 6-8 week wait.....but maybe that was just for the custom paint.
Lowrider, I never understood why Eric has some of his speakers sensitivity rated at 2.83 volts @ 1 meter and others 1 watt @ 1 meter. I don't think the speakers are quite as efficient as their specs but like you pointed out they're probably still in the 92-95 db range. I believe Stereophile tested the Enzo XL at about 92 db and the specs list them at 96.5 db. Which ever number is correct matters not to me as they sound great no matter what the actual number is.
I will say the DI's seem to respond well to giving them room away from walls, but that's probably the same for all speakers. I moved mine 6' from the back wall....actually it's more like 13' since there's a 6' opening between the speakers into a small room that I house the components.....and 4' from the side walls and they've opened up more than I though possible. The soundstage is deeper and wider and the speakers completely disappear. All I need now is an amp with more oomph. The 24 watt Decware tube amp sounds great but strains too much if I want higher volume levels. The amp was plenty for the Enzo's but the DI's must be harder to drive. |
Good to hear they are shipping right away. I believe you'll have to sign for the delivery....maybe not.
The Odyssey will be sweet with the DI's. Before going to tubes I had the Kismet Monoblocks with a Candela and the dynamics and sound levels I could achieve were insane. You will have a lot of fun with the Odyssey/DI combo. I want to do a second system like yours....Stratos with DI's. Warning......make sure the volume is turned very low when first hooking things up! I never went past 10 o'clock on the Candela dial. You may want to strap down any small kids or pets standing in front of the DI's if you crank up the sound :) Beware that any noise issues you have in your system will become more evident with these efficient speakers.
A future automotive paint job later sounds like the way to go. Ford Electric Blue sounds sweet. I want to go with BMW Phoenix Green they only use on the M3 on my next set. |
I had two Vandersteen subs that I used for years with a variety of speakers but not with the DI's.......and they aren't missed at all. The DI's have some of the best bass I've heard. The bass goes low, it's tight, fast and blends seemlessly with the other drivers. Would adding subs make them sound even better? Probably, but I'll not be in a rush to do so........even as enticing as the Tekton Brisance subs look. |
Thanks Al, so in other words there are more factors involved that determine how easy a speaker is to drive than I'll ever understand! :) I appreciate that you take the time to explain the technical aspects of our hobby to novices such as myself. Obviously Eric understands all of this very well as he continually amazes me with his speaker designs......and offering them at prices I can afford.
teajay.......I'm not exactly sure what qualifies a speaker as being reference speakers, but I consider the DI as one also. Having owned the Legacy Audio Focus SE ( $12K retail) at the same time I had the DI's and ended up selling the Legacys, I was able to directly compare the two. The speakers were more similar than differant with each doing some things slightly better than the other. I happened to like what the DI's to better more. That's saying a lot as the Focus SE's are very formidable speakers and is four times the cost of the DI. I can't wait to add the Linear Tube Audio pre and amp to my system to really make my DI's sing. |
jetter, they're pretty big but I don't consider them massive. I had them in my 20x15x8 family until building the dedicated listening room and while they definately stood out they didn't totally dominate. The wife even got used to them.....and that's saying a lot! The problem is if they were a foot smaller they wouldn't be DI's anymore :) The Enzo XL or Enzo are shorter and sound great but aren't up to par with the DI's. I went with Mercedes Diamond Black which makes them appear a bit smaller.
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Mike,
When you said updated DI, I was thinking a PMD DI which are in the price range I was guessing at. When will we hear more about this new upgraded DI? Is it something that our current DI's can be updated to? Inquiring minds must know! :) Any info anyone could give on them would be appreciated.
Terry's good natured challenge would be a great one to hear the results of. I've never personally heard the Wilsons, but many seem to compare Tektons sound to them. It would be very interesting to hear how they actually compare. Something tells me the DI's would make a very good account of themselves. When I first got my DI's and shared my impressions of them many doubted they could be as good as I was describing or that I preferred them over my Legacy Audio Focus SE's. Comparing them to your Wilsons would take things up a notch or two......or three!
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Mofojo,
there are two rear bass ports and the four small ports on the front next to the mid drivers. |
Congrats rubytuesday. Great looking room and gear. There are so many great choices to drive the SE’s and your LTA gear will sound great with them. I drove my SE’s with the MZ2 for a while and it sounded great.....within the limitations of one watt output. Even with only one watt it was surprisingly dynamic and loud. The ZOTL 10 should sound amazing as will your vinyl as the SE’s will flawlessly reflect whatever you place upstream of them. Please keep us posted on your impressions as the SE’s break in.
Lance, great to hear how well the SE’s are working for you. I think once your speakers and amp fully break in you’ll be in for something quite special. I’ll be very interested in hearing how they perform with your vinyl rig.
I also think Mike Kay of Audio Archon is a real gem in the audio world. Knowledgeable, helpful, honest, trustworthy and a joy to deal with. I've purchased a number of items from him, including my SE's, and I look forward to purchasing more from him.
I agree with teajay, it's difficult to quantify increased cost with increased performance. I can definitely say the SE's are better sounding than the SE's but not twice as good. Spending twice as much rarely gets you twice the performance. It's not actually twice as much though if you're comparing upgraded DI's to the SE's. My DI's ran $3,750 and luckily the SE's were only $6000 when I bought them. For me the additional $2,250 was well worth it and would have no problem spending much more than that for them as they're that good! Having said that, the DI's are amazing and can understand those that are happy sticking with them. |
Agreed corelli, the DI/SE design certainly is something special. When ordering my DI's I had no idea what they would look like or sound but trusted in Eric's talents and it was a gamble that definitely paid off.
One of the many things I enjoy with these speakers is how well they reflect any upstream changes made in the system. I installed the EML XLS 300B tubes today and was immediately rewarded for doing so. The Sophia Royal Princess are great tubes but right out of the box I'm enjoying the EML's more. More bass, even better tone and more detailed. Seems like the soundstage is wider and deeper also. Thanks to Charles for the recommendation. |
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Congrats 333jeffrey, I found the same type performance with the Concert Fidelity DAC. I didn't realize just how much of a difference a DAC could make. I had the Yggy and Perfectwave DAC previously and as good as they are they don't compare to the smooth, organic and realistic sound of the Concert Fidelity. Looks like you've found the same in the Rockna. |
Stfoth, Aric is definitely worth giving a call. High quality parts, hand assembled by Aric himself and he's extremely competent and trustworthy. He's building a 300B SET for me right now.
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Looking forward to it teajay! Double Impacts with the Linear Tube Audio pre and amp.......that will be my system soon. Can't wait to hear your impressions of them together. Thanks for the heads up. |
I thought my original Enzo's had an amazing slam factor......until I got my DI's and they took it to a whole new level. I imagine the SE's I have on order might have even more slam factor and I can't even begin to imagine what the 1812's provide! What's really impressive about all of these speakers is that while they are very adept at delivering that slam factor, they are also detailed, nuanced and nimble with great tonal balance. |
Mofojo, I'm in Michigan also just north of Detroit. You're welcome to come hear how I have my DI's set up should you wish. Have fun playing with your new toys!
Corelli, it's going to take some time getting used to the DI's after the Maggie's. As much as I loved the 1.7i's I sold them after 3 weeks as I just couldn't live without the dynamic impact of the Tekton Enzo's I had at the time. Two very different sounds from the Maggie's and Tektons. Hope you're already enjoying the new speakers.
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Dan,
Thanks for the extremely thoughtful and well stated post. I believe you've hit the nail on the head. I have to chuckle at the no talent a$$ clowns ( sorry, one of my favorite lines from Office Space) that think they have all the answers as to why this speaker can not sound any good without ever hearing them or understanding how they work. I totally respect anyone that has listened to them and found them not to be their cup of tea. No one speaker will please everyone, but the SE's are the closest I've found in doing so. Very disruptive products indeed and a real boon to those of us that can't or won't spend tens of thousands on speakers.
Arics producs fall into the same disruptive product category in my opinion. Together with the Tektons one can own an amazing system for much less than one would think for the sound quality obtained.
4700 plus replies to this thread? Who'd have thunk it? Religion and politics next? Ummmmmmm.......let's stick to audio 😀🔉🔉🍺🍔🎼 |
Thanks for your update bullitt. Very informative and interesting. The Lyngdorf seems to suspend traditional belief......how can one seemingly innocuous unit perform so well on so many levels? And do so at such a reasonable price? Very intriguing to say the least and I appreciate you sharing your experience with it. Looks like I need to try a Lyngdorf next year.
I agree with your assessment of LTA's products and service, both are top notch. I'm enjoying the MZ as a pre amp with my Aric Audio amp. Sorry to hear about your experience with Odyssey, I was fortunate to have had a great sales experience with them.
Great to hear different perspectives on driving the DI's. Thanks again for your appraisal. |
Wow grannyring, thanks for such an informative and detailed post. You are giving me the motivation I need to try doing some of the mods to my DI's......especially since I'll have the DI SE's in case I screw up my DI's trying to mod them. Thank you so much for the detailed parts list and reasons for your changes. I wish I could find someone like you to hire to fully mod my DI's like you have.
With bullit's, Kennys and grannyring's endorsement of the Lyngdorf it's a product I will definitely try out next year ( my audio budget is shot for this year!). It's a difficult product for me to wrap my head around as its hard to believe one small box could do so much......and do it so well. But then it's hard to believe the DI can sound so good for so little. To think having only a source, the Lyngdorf and DI's and have it produce amazing music, well, it baffles my mind. I need more components than that! Lol. It will be like my Bang & Olefsun system I had many moons ago, but better sounding.
Thanks again gents for sharing. |
While I'm loving the sound of my DI's driven with tubes and will most likely stick with them for a while, the simplistic all in one Lyngdorf solution is so very intriguing. I also appreciate its understated design. It's something I definitely need to try in my system. Grannyring's system with his modded DI's and Lyngdorf sounds like a steal.....offering state of the art sound for a total cost of less than $10k plus a source? What are most of you Lyngdorf users using as a source? Anyone using the Lyngdorf cd transport?
While ive gone the tube route, I appreciate hearing the good results others are having with SS or SS with tubes. It's great having so many viable options.
Thanks to grannyring I've been bitten by the diy bug now! It may take me months to properly research and plan but I'm thinking I'll be re-doing the crossovers and internal wiring on my DI SE's eventually. Question for grannyring, Tekton used to offer Mundorf silver oil caps as an upgrade, if I can get my DI SE's upgraded with them do you think it will be a decent improvement? It might help tide me over until I figure out and develop the confidence I need to mod them.
Thanks,
Tom
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Yes, the Professional Monitoring Device speakers.
Brilliance PMD $10,000/pair
Pendragon PMD $20,000/pair
Ulfbehrt PMD $40,000/pair
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