“Invest” in Tekton?


I’ve been a member of Audiogon for a while but haven’t really had the need to utilize the forums until now... I’ve perused the forums pretty extensively the past couple of days but haven’t really found my specific question.... First some background: I’ve had my current system for quite some time (PSB image: 5t, 9c, 2b, subsonic 6; Denon AVR3311 as preamp; and a NAD T955 amp) and have been pretty happy with it... yes, I tend to hold on to my stuff for a while.... I recently decided to explore the option of upgrading/updating my speakers and was pretty interested in some midlevel stuff (SVS Prime, Emotiva, PSB X2T, Paradigm 8, 9, or 10 something…) but ultimately decided the $2000-$3000 price tag wasn’t worth the investment as they were all roughly in the same league as my PSBs... Somehow, I stumbled upon the review of the Tekton double impacts... don’t even know how I found it but there I was... I kinda chuckled to myself when the reviewer started comparing them to $20,000 speakers and then started calling them better at some things... I was a little pessimistic about the review because in my aforementioned research every speaker was the greatest thing since sliced bread.. (To be honest, in my eyes, the professional reviewers lost some credibility because every speaker was just great, couldn’t find a bad review no matter how hard I tried...) Anyhow, the comparison to speakers 7-10x in price piqued my curiosity so I started snooping around for any Tekton reviews I could find and lo and behold, everyone loves them and the comparisons to speakers multiple times their price were plentiful. Ok, so the Tektons are good and now I’m more interested than I should be…

So here’s the rub… I’ve never even considered spending $5000-$6000 on a speaker system (5.0-5.1). Never in my wildest dreams… I’ve always had a theoretical limit of $3k and never gave anything above that a thought. Along comes Tekton with speakers that are in the 5-6k price range (5.0-5.1) but are being compared to speakers $20,000+ and the fact people are putting them in the same league as speakers in that price range, and saying they are better in some instances, is intriguing…

So here’s where I am asking for some assistance. It seems the Tekton lineup is a unique opportunity to acquire reportedly superior sonic performance with apparently unparalleled value. However, $5-6k is a TON of money in my world.. It won’t break the bank but admittedly, it bends it pretty significantly and spending this kind of money on speakers definitely wasn’t a consideration even a week ago… Personally, I am seeing this as a once in a lifetime purchase (am 43 and would expect these to be the last major speaker purchase of my life) but I do need to justify to my betrothed. My original sales pitch to her included the analogy “it seems they are selling Lamborghinis for the price of a Mustang…” and “I really don’t think there will be another opportunity like this” (when did I start selling timeshares???!!!) There are other barriers with her as well (e.g., “They’re how big?!”) but she does have somewhat of an understanding of how much I like music and stereo stuff.. somewhat…

So my actual questions:

  1. To those that have actually heard the speakers, (transducers?)… do you really feel they are leaps and bounds better than typical speakers in the 3-6k range (generally speaking…)? For comparison, I liked the SVS Ultras but due to price and size (yeah, I know how big the Tektons are..) I put them in the “maybe someday” category. To be clear, I’m not asking is “x better than y?” but rather “Do these $3000 speakers really belong in the same class as $20,000 speakers????

  2. In your humble opinions, is this really a rare/unique opportunity with unparalleled value that is a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” or are situations like this (incredible value for the money) more common?

  3. I can’t even claim to have a basic understanding of electronics, I’ve read up on ohms and what not and my eyes glaze over.. I spoke with Eric and he, without hesitation, stated my NAD T955 would be plenty sufficient to run whatever options I went with. Thoughts? I intend on using the NAD until it dies (hopefully no time soon) and will deal with next steps when the time is right…

  4. I am super nervous about ordering something so expensive unheard, If anyone is interested, I would like to have a discussion relating to my type of music and listening environment/levels.. (not including in this post to keep size down..)

  5. Any other relavant information I haven't considered, particularly in the area of justifying a purchase such as this?

There are probably 100 other little tidbits I could include in this but I am trying to be as brief as possible and I still wrote a novel… Anyhow, any productive assistance would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

la10slgr
My two cents...

You want system balance. Regardless of how good the speakers are, they are only going to sound as good as the rest of your system permits. You might be better off getting  some Tektons a bit lower in the food chain and using the balance of your money upgrading your source or electronics. It's all about the whole system, not any one part of it.


The only way you can figure this out is to listen to them and see if the added expense is worth it to you.  Whatever somebody else thinks is meaningless.  You may not like this answer, but that's what it is.  
I believe Tekton offers a return period, so I suggest to take advantage of it.  Remember, it's not just whether a speaker is "better", it's how the speaker works in your room and with your equipment, not in some perfect theoretical space that doesn't exist.  
Hello All,
Now I completely agree that you always need the best upstream components that fit your budget and system synergy also always comes into play as well.I was looking to upgrade from my Zu Def's and I also had a pair of Janzen hybrid Valentina's that I recently sold.
About a month ago me and my wife took a trip too visit a magico dealer and demoed a pair of the Q5's that were a demo pair but at the top of my budget.After a 1 hr or so listening session my wife asked me what I thought about them and I told her I liked them but I think I will think about it.

Then I started reading all the reviews about the Di's and thought I will buy a pair and see.This is my first day with them and only a few hrs on them.But I can already tell these are keepers and these are the best sounding speakers I have ever owned in my 30 yrs in this hobby.

I will write up a full review in about a week or so on the other thread.
If you have any specific questions about them feel free to ask.

I'm usually not impressed with most gear especially speakers but these Di's are truly special all hype aside.

Kenny.

Hi Walter,

Thanks for chiming in!  I'm an analogy kinda guy so it seems you are saying I am putting some monster truck tires on a regular pickup?  I hear you on that and am totally on board with the concept of system balance.  I was already wondering that myself (which is why I am asking the things I am asking)...  My first clue was seeing everyone's set up and they are all talking about amps I have never heard of and here I come along with my NAD... Not that there's anything inherently wrong with it (I do love it) but yeah, different leagues...  What Tektons were you thinking of?

I have already put together various packages with/without a sub. 
I talked to Eric and he initially recommended the DIs but also recommended the Electron and Enzo 2.7s for my purposes.  However, by the time you put together a 5.0 or 5.1 there is only about a 10% difference between the DI pkg and the Electron pkg. As for the Enzos, it's a little harder to calculate (can't determine if the pkg does/does not include a sub among other variances) but there does seem to be some savings there...

Chayro:  Thanks for the response.  Totally agree hearing them is the best option but short of driving to Orem Utah not much of an option as 15% restocking fee at $5,000 = $750...  Ironically, I saw they (Tekton) will be at a convention in LA in June and I will miss them by 1 day... 

As for sound quality, note I wasn't asking about that as I understand all of the concepts you presented (took great pains when writing the post to avoid doing just that!) just wanted to know if people really felt they were that good.

kdude66,

thanks for the input and will be interested to hear your impressions. I imagine you have a list of components that are pretty spiffy?

The di's are a speaker that could be put into any modest system and still sound fantastic.They have good enough bass that I don't have my subs even on.
I moved back too 2 channel from full blown home theater about 9 yrs ago,we don't miss it a bit.

This a speaker that a person could easily build any kind of system around, It's that good.This is the first and only tekton speaker that I have heard,some of the smaller ones do look interesting though.

I use a pair of bel canto ref600m amps with a bel canto pre3,with a ps audio direct stream dac and a Wilson Bensch circle turntable with a zyx cartridge.But if I still had only My Simaudio Intergrated I'm sure I would still be happy.I owned and used the sim for 18yrs and just recently sold it.I have a smaller 2nd system where my older gear usually ends up.

Ive been blessed with lots of very good gear over the years and wish the Di's would have around 25 yrs ago.

It's all about the music for me,and I hope I helped you make your important decision.

Kenny.
Love your post! I am thinking the same thing about over the top reviews. I am now deaf to them and question how long this particular speaker will be a darling. I continue to read about them, but have not heard them as yet. Too many have cried "fire" in the past and no fire was there.

I don’t doubt the owner comments or the integrity of the professional reviewer, but the fact is all the passed hyped reviews have impacted many of us in this hobby. Hard, no nearly impossible, to put much stock in these reviews any longer. I seriously doubt the DI speaker sounds better than the AZ Crescendo ( as one review states) in the areas important to me and others. I just doubt it. Goodness I so dislike typing these words, but just being honest about the state of industry reviews and hype.

I do think that for $3000 you really can’t go wrong and most likely would not do any better. Now are they $25,000 speaker killers? Well you see my skepticism.

Love to hear them, but the cost is too high to return if I don't like them. Both the monetary and hassle factor with such a large speaker. 
FWIW, there was a user on another forum who bought the Impacts based on all the hype, but ended up sending them back.  He preferred his Acoustic Zen Adagios.
Yes yes I read the same. The Adagios were upgraded with better caps only....Mundorf Supremes. He liked the AZ better due to its more natural warmth and improved meat on the bones. Both of these things are very, very important to me. 

I own heavily upgraded Crescendo speakers with every cap and resistor upgraded with Jupiter and Duelund level parts. They are so beautiful sounding and exude natural warmth. I concede the Tekton speakers may be more resolving, but at what price musically? Interesting.  

Hey Kenny,

I have some questions that I would like to ask you regarding some of your comments.  Would you mind if I sent you a pm?

I bought a new pair of Tekton Pendragons (2500.00) September 2015.  After 10 days of listening to them, I had had enough and sent them back.  I didn't pay a restocking charge, but the 295.00 to ship them back really caught me off guard.  Everyone raved on and on about them.  In my room and system, it sounded like lo fi junk.  I got absolutely no bass from them and I was driving them with a Parasound Halo Integrated that outputs 160 wpc into 8 ohms and 240wpc into 4 ohms.  I saved a little more money and bought a pair of Golden Ear Triton 2 speakers.  Very happy now.

grannyring,

I'm sayin' !!!  I wish the reviews had a little more.. context I guess, for lack of a better word...  I don't like how a entry/mid/high level speaker can all receive the same 4.5-5 star ratings..  Off the top of my head something like the same ratings systems they are using but adding a bronze/silver/gold level to indicate the different levels of gear would be most helpful.  for instance (again, off the top of my head): PSB X2Ts received 4.5 stars within the silver category indicating yes, they are very good at the silver level but by no means are we saying they are as good as Superduper speaker ABC which received a 4.5 at the Gold level..  I'm sure a lot of people can read between lines just fine but with the praise being given to the mid level gear it blurs the line with the high level stuff...

re: your comment "I do think that for $3000 you really can’t go wrong and most likely would not do any better. Now are they $25,000 speaker killers? Well you see my skepticism."

that's the kind of information I am looking for, thanks

seikosha,

you know, through all of my research there wasn't really any mention of the impacts (non double...)  I've seen them on the website but that's about it..  thanks for commenting

stero5,

 Thanks for the input.. Regarding the pendragons, If I remember correctly from a thread somewhere (quite possibly here within audiogon) there was someone else not too impressed with the pendragons... As it stands, those are not on my list...

Enter your text ...
My experience with Tekton was similar to that of Stereo 5's.  I'd heard so much hype about the Lores and Mini Lores.  I finally had a chance to hear the Mini Lore.  I don't know if my expectations were too high, but I walked away wondering what all the hooplah was about.  It was an okay speaker, but nothing to get excited about.

I guess to clarify, I am looking at:

Double Impact - kind of a pipe dream based on my circumstances but you never know..  obviously these are what I was alluding to in my original post and I have been known to make sacrifices to get what I want.. (anyone have a goat they need taken care of for a while??)

Electrons - definitely interesting but very similar pricewise to the DIs 

Enzos (both old version and new) - more realistic pricewise and am in the process of gathering what info. I can.. (I can only do so much research per day!!!)

Post removed 
Totally agree with posts above. Speakers are SO subjective. I would really try to find a pair to listen to before you make a purchase. Even if it means making a weekend trip. Having said that, the Tektons do not appeal to me, but neither do Legacys, PSB, Paradigm, etc..
Completely agree with those who suggest listening first. Buying without listening is like a motor vacation without a map - exciting, but expensive.

The best component to build a system around is the speaker. 

I totally agree that you must try to hear them if at all possible. If that means risking return shipping etc. it is still wise to take them on a trial basis. Good Luck

The magic is the tweeter array.  So I would disregard comments about models that do not incorporate this feature.  After all, the OP was curious about the DI's, not lesser models
Post removed 

thanks everyone so much for chiming in.  So, here's what we have learned (I think..):

1. People strongly recommend auditioning (an obvious consideration if I do say so...).  Anyone live in Colorado and have some Tekton Double Impacts, Electrons, or Enzo 2.7s lying around and willing to hang out for a lil bit???  I'll being adult beverages!!!

2.  People aren't necessarily a fan of their other models, Luckily, the ones that got "poo-pood" aren't on the list!!!

3. Those that have heard/own the DIs (and a vote for the Electrons) feel they are pretty amazing overall and seem to recommend them without hesitation at their pricepoint but seem to stop short of calling them $20,000 speakers..

4. Gear better than my current situation is strongly recommended, but not necessarily an absolute requirement.

5. Did I miss anything?


By all means, keep the comments/recommendations coming!  I'm definitely of the mindset that having a larger sample size yields more accurate data..

Thanks again!

Of course you have to be nuts to drop big money on a speaker you never heard.
That said, pair of 700$ Rega RS-1's monitors will show the difference between a pre
and amp costing 4k and a Lamm setup costing 80K . And anything in between . Tried on my uber-rich buddies system several times because he
didn't believe it , he does now .
Amps trump(no pun intended)  speaker every time . At least on acoustic music .

I don't think that I would call the DI's a 20 to 25 k speaker beater in general.

But me and my wife did take a small trip to a out of state dealer to listen too a pair of magico Q5's that were a demo pair.We listened too them for about 1 hr or so and we brought with us 6 records that they let us use.They do have a excellent build quality,but I decided to think about them and look at other speakers.Then I started reading about the DI's and thought,sure a lot of hype about these but I would like a pair anyhow.Even though I have only had them for 2 days I truly love them better than any speaker I have ever owned in the 30 yrs that I have been in this hobby.My first big speakers were a set of Khorns with mac amps.

With all that said I guess,in my situation they did beat 24k speakers,even though I would have payed cash on the spot for the magico's,I strongly felt that the overall Sonics were only 3 to 5% better than anything I've owned or heard.You have to ask serself is it worth it.I'm just a working guy too and the diff. in money is going to be better used going into my retirement account.

The playback of music is and always will be highly subjective.

I have taken many chances in gear purchases over the years,mostly for the good and I really don't stress about it.I took loses recently on a pass xa30.8 and a first watt j2.Even though these are really good they did'nt better my ref600m.It's just part of the chances in life that we take sometimes.If I don't buy and try I might not have the opportunity to ever try diff. gear and then I would always wander.We have no dealers in my state they are average home theater.

In the meantime I'm going too enjoy my new Di's,They are simply that good.

Kenny.




la10,
I think you are on track. You really ought to carefully read the other DI thread. 
To those who feel it's nuts to order a $3000 dollar speaker without hearing them, I could not disagree more.  Can you really judge a speaker in a noisy, rushed, audio show.  Or set up poorly at a dealer.  On equipment you've never heard.  I think not.
Yes, I struggled a bit with the idea but sites like this make it easier as long as you are talking with people who have extensive FIRST HAND experience with the equipment.  Not people who are guessing.
Worst case scenario if you sent them back (you won't) is you are out $300 shipping. Not the end of the world, you had fun for a month with some new gear. 
Are they $20k speakers?  I don't know and I don't care.  What I do know is that I am is so impressed with these speakers they can see me to my grave.  I'll never feel like I was missing out.  All of a sudden the $3k seems like a much smaller sum--seriously!
Been in the hobby over 40 yrs.  My single overall best purchase.  I love buying gear that has such a high performance/price ratio.  With that in mind, I'm sure that I would be way disappointed if I traded these for a $50k speaker!
Well what is nuts to one may not be to another as it all depends on your circumstances. $300 is a lot of money to some. Just as the hassle and weight of dealing with large speakers is a real problem to someone older or with back problems etc.., Also the risk of shipping damage, and yes it happens, adds to the potential hassle factor. We are all very busy. It is all relative. For me, based on my relative realities, I would need to hear them . I don’t believe the hype as I have been there and done that one to many times. Yes, I am finally a skeptical Aphile. Experience has forged this wisdom in me😊

I strongly encourage the poster to find a way to hear them first. Great idea to find a local owner....




Granny,

I understand your position,but if you know your not going to buy them for various reasons why even bother too participate in a thread that you have no real interest in.

I know you have had lots of gear over the yrs,I see your adds all the time.I've enjoyed several of your insights for yrs but not this one.

Just my opinion,

Kenny.
No problem Kenny. You don’t agree with me and that is fine. We need to be able to disagree and still have a voice and get along. All is good.

I am however most interested in this speaker so I must correct you. I do in fact belong on this thread. I have talked to the builder based on my interest and certainly qualify to post here 😊. They may well be in my home within a month once I hear them. I am certainly a potential buyer. I am like doubting Thomas and need to hear for myself as I have learned from experience that one man's gold is another's dung. I never said I would not buy them.

Any speaker that sells for $3000 and is said to sound better than $50,000 speakers will get my attention because I am a curious person especially in all things audio.
To everyone that has talked to or emailed Eric and had discussions about the DIs, do you have a backline or special hidden email, etc?  :) ... I have been wanting to order these throughout the week and have gotten no response, which based on another post in this forum, is a bit concerning.  


Granny,

I can respect that,I know a little about your current system and previous gear.If you are interested in my thoughts if I think the DI's would be a good fit for you,I would need to know more.

1.Music presentation preferences.
2. Music choices.
3. Room size.

I haven't heard the cresendo speaker but I think I have a pretty good grasp on how they might sound.

I think we may desire some of the same things.

Even though I got a upgraded pair of di's I think they will be even better with wire and cap changes similar to what both of us have experienced with other speakers.

I don't know if you or others are aware but Eric is coming out with the SE version of the DI's that will be dealer only.

Wish you all the best,
Kenny.
Thanks Kenny. My room is large at 34x24 with 10 foot ceilings. I like my sound full bodied, warmish, and big sounding. I don’t want the speaker to yell out "notice me" but rather I like to be drawn into the music with a speaker that is always at ease and not firing out at me. Any sort of glare, ringing, brightness, tipped up highs and the like will have me turning off my system. I suffer from tinnitus.

I enjoy resolution and dynamics, but cannot tolerate any thinness or extra brilliance in the upper mids and highs. I really enjoy a meat on the bones speaker like my past Harbeth 40.1s and my current AZ Crescendo. I also enjoy Soundlab M1s. As the volume is turned up the performance should swell and swell enveloping me in layer apon layer of glorious tones, dynamic contrasts, and beauty. Not asking for much😁

I listen to to all kinds of music except country and rap. Love acoustic guitar, female vocals, jazz female vocals, old school jazz, Van Morrison, Rickie Lee Jones, solo piano, classical chamber....

I listen at 75-83db usually and sometimes take it up to 85-90db for shorter period of time. Speaker needs to sound full bodied at 70-80 db.

Hope this helps you. The poster will also learn a lot with your response.
Granny,
I see that we prefer mostly the same,including music.

I truly believe that you would find the DI's to your liking and meeting all of your preferences.

Even out of the box,the DI's were at ease,nothing forced in your face,and they just disappear.I only have 25 hrs on mine and hav'nt played every type of music I generally listen to.I still need to experiment a little with placement in my room but I think I'm pretty close.I envy you with your big room,it's the size of our old house.We moved 3 yrs ago to smaller and room is 20x25 which opens to the kitchen.

I think you may be familiar with Eva Cassidy's music,The di's really bring out a sense of delicacy and more emotion in her strong voice,then any other speaker that I have owned.

The di's have great low level resolution meaning early risers,and hold up at higher levels.I hav'nt pushed mine extremely hard or had a chance to listen to a full orchestra recording at high level.
I have a very good feeling that they will hold up just fine.

You mentioned that you thought they might be bombastic in the bass and be possibly overpowering.I found the bass to be just right for me in all aspects and haven't had the need to fire up my subs at all, but some may want more.

We would probably differ in component matching but that is a whole diff. story.If you lived closed to me I would have you over to listen but I know we don't.

Basically I think I will be happy with the DI's for quite awhile,I would'nt consider any speaker a forever speaker for me.

Just my 2 cents,I hope it helps your decision,
Kenny.
kdude66, saw the info about the DI SE's also; you mention dealer only; does anyone have a list of dealers; can't seem to find one on the site...would be interested in the SE's at 6k. 
I had a 5.1 setup with Zu Omen Defs as the fronts, SVS Ultras as the rears, SVS center and SVS SB Ultra 13 sub. This system produced some sweet music.
In February I purchased the DI's and have sold my entire 5.1 system. I have only good things to say about ZU and SVS. Both make excellent speakers and they are also good people to work with. However, in my opinion the DI's are just that good. They are the perfect speaker for me. Best bass I've ever heard, incredible differentiation of instruments and powerful dynamics. I power them with a Wyred4Sound STI 500 integrated amp. The DI's are 4 ohms so this amp puts out near 500 watts at 4 ohms. Happy listening.
 
Phaun,
I've only seen one dealer for the SE and he posts regularly on this site.Without reading through a bunch of pages,I can't recall his name.I should have saved it for future reference.

I have always got Eric by phone or email but this was before the axpona show last weekend.I would imagine he is very busy.

You may want too start a diff. thread for your SE question.
Kenny.
The only problem is if you change your taste in music or something more refined 
Sounding resale value is not that high. Just make darn sure and get s Full money back guarantee.
Post removed 
Granny,
Based on what you stated you would probably like the DI's.  Would I tell you they beat 50K speakers--see my previous comment.

I also have some tinnitus and do not tolerate any edge or fatigue factor in my gear.  With the DI's there is none.  But there is detail.  The only question is will they be 'fat" enough for you.  I find them very neutral with very high quality bass.  But I would not call them overly warm.  I would not call them in the least bit "thin" either.  I find them just right.  You may want something on the warmer side of neutral.

In the end your gear and room may decide it.  That was the point of my previous comment--you  won't know until they are in YOUR room.  And really, every time we turn over  some gear, there is usually much more loss than a return shipping charge.

Audio has changed.  Many of us have no practical way to audition gear.  Brick and mortar has nearly vanished.  But much can be learned on the net. I've been a bit shocked by how well this has worked for me.  Have not returned a piece of gear in many many years.
Hi kdude66, a fan boy is a person who purchases a product and becomes an avid promoter.
Jetter,

I know that,I was just messing with you.
Thank's for clarification though.

Kenny.
@la10slgr:

I commend you on your thoughtful approach to making your choice(s) and for reaching out to other members for feedback and guidance.

My advice will match some points that have already been made, and will be contrarian in other ways. These are some things I wish I had impressed upon myself 20 years ago!

If you find this too direct, I encourage you to consider that: This is also a letter of advice to myself. : ) Which I hope makes it less personal.

1. Only you know your musical and sound performance preferences. Your room is unique. Your current system is also unique to you. How you utilize it, is also specific to you. How your partner’s sound, music and aesthetic preferences factor in are also unique.

Therefore, whatever is said, including what I am about to, should be unwaveringly evaluated through your own filters and situation.

2. Expect your sound and audio related IQ / EQ to move forward and higher (hopefully) over time and with experience.

a) Don’t get hung up on this speaker purchase being a life-time long one. Did you say that to yourself when you got the PSBs? If so, it’s a trick we often play on ourselves to justify the spend and keep the partner happy.

b) You are 43! You’ve got another 40 plus years of good hearing left in those ears of yours. Likely more with medical and tech advancements over that time period.

c) As you get more established, the discretionary spends (on anything really) generally get easier.

3. If audio is something you truly love and ARE INTO: I would, when the time is right, skip past the analogies with your ’betrothed’ and have a conversation about what you love, and enjoy, and dream of, so she realizes, IF THIS IS THE CASE, how important and essential it is to you. There will be lifelong benefits from doing so.

4. Most audio equipment is good. In fact most, even at the lowest of price-points, is remarkably good.

a) We (and I am exhibit 1.) expend a lot of time trying to figure out what is better. This isn’t necessarily a ’waste’ of time, though it depends on how the one goes about it. But it most certainly can get in the way of listening enjoyment. Figure out what balance works best for you.

b) Understand what ’enjoyment’ is and means to you.

5. Conventional advice, especially in the short history of electricity based audio, has been that the speaker is the most important component in the audio chain. Linn is known for it’s historically opposite approach.

a) I started with a full embrace of the conventional approach at the time (which btw is fracturing, or is, at the very least, not as rigid now). I wish I had not.

b) There is a very, very long chain that the electrical signals pass through before reaching the speaker.

c) Think and reflect about point b), perhaps even read up on these areas so you can decide for yourself....if it were my money, I’d spend it on the source and power supply/cabling, and see how your current speakers perform. If you are still not happy with the PSB system, then go with new speakers...your ’upgraded’ speakers will appreciate and reward you for the enhanced front end and power.

d) You may be very surprised how your PSBs (or any other reasonably priced speaker) will sound with a much higher performing front end and cleaner power. Take yours to one of your local dealers and hook them up so you can make that call for yourself.

5. The room, the room, the room. Treat it, well. : )

6. Speaker placement and seating positions.

7. Speaker isolation.

8. Speaker Cable.

9. You want to change your speakers, but you haven’t truly clarified why!!! This is from your original post (I apologize if you have clarified this further into the thread): "I recently decided to explore the option of upgrading/updating my speakers".....)

a) Your post is mainly about value, spend, and performance to price ratio. If you can dig down into WHY your are replacing the PSBs, etc., I think members will be able to give you more specific and perhaps more useful feedback.

b) The ’why’ may also help you in realizing that it might not entirely be a speaker issue.

-----------------------------------------

Despite my indirect efforts to dissuade you from a speaker spend, let me state, For full disclosure and disclaimers know and unknown, that I do own the Tekton Double Impacts and am very happy with them.

I’ll close with how I started: These are some things I wish I had impressed upon myself 20 years ago!

BUT THEN THERE WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN THE JOURNEY.

Happy travels. Best wishes and good luck.