Tekton Double Impacts

@vitop I’m in Houston. Where can these be heard?

I think I might have pinged you on another forum, actually. Ha!

These mini-Ulfs sound exciting, as well. It would be great if I could hear the DIs, though, as I’ve never heard them, but ready to pull the trigger (at least I think I am).

Wow, so I finally read through all 32 pages. It was quite a read and quite a journey for many of you (this is after reading many more pages on other forums). Wheew!

So, yeah, I’ll get to audition the DIs on Wednesday or Thursday of this week, thanks to @Bullitt5094. If I like them, I can’t see me NOT making the immediate leap to the mini-Ulfs. Any objections?

A couple of things, @lancelock I, too, have the Benchmark AHB2 amp. I’ve long subscribed to the "gain with wire" theory. Did you ever go back to driving the DIs with just the AHB2 to see how it sounds?

Now, I realize that SS gear adds its own harmonics, usually of the less desirable even-order; however, with a THD+N of 0.00013% (verified independent of Benchmarks own numbers), any imparted distortion and undesirable harmonics would be well below human hearing.

It’s just me riffing. Plus, that’s a lot of quality watts coming out of the ABH2.

Speaking of watts, I’m surprised that nobody has spoken of using Decware tube gear with the DIs. I mean, we’re talking about highly lauded tube amps, in configurations to meet most of the tube hungry crowd. Made in the USA, too, baby! I don’t own any Decware amps, but I’ve always been curious.

@grannyring I also wanted to comment on the Lyngdorf stuff. It’s great, isn’t it? I’m glad you’re getting good results with the DIs. With the room correction in the Lyngdorf, do you feel it does everything you need it to do in order to hear the speakers and not the room? Myself, I took a similar path, albeit one that cost me an arm and a leg, with the Linn KDS/3. That’s the latest Linn streamer/DAC/Preamp combo. It’s the same principle, to keep signal digital until the last possible moment. Another real benefit is that you can go straight RJ45 from your router, keeping the packets perfect and uncolored, instead of going USB with something else in the middle. It also has room correction, called "Space Optimization" which is done without a mic.

Anyway, out of trying many DACs: Chord, MSB, Trinity, dCS, Schiitt and Metrum, this was not only the best sounding DAC out of all of them, but also with the added features of all-of-the-above, it really turned my crank.

I’m now using Audio Physic Avanti 30th Anniversary Jubilee speakers.

I think that’s about to change, though. :-)

P.S. - I just wanted to thank everybody in this thread for their 2 cents. Everybody has been real class acts. You've brought a lot to the table and made yourselves available.

@lancelock , yeah, if you could, check it out...though I wonder - It’s like the rep from Benchmark said - the AHB2 is only as good as the source you’re amplifying. I have no idea what sort of DAC your use, but I’m curious.

I’ve never been anti-tube for speaker listening, but I am for headphone listening, having never found a tube amp that didn’t render the audio a bit flubby. Again, that’s with cans, only. Myself, I’ve actually learned a lot about tube gear from reading this thread. But, I guess you’ve got to crawl before you can walk, so I had best audition the DI first.

@Corelli , thanks for making this thread happen.

Edit: Whoops, above in my long ass post, I meant to type "odd order harmonics" are not what's desirable in most SS amps
 

@david_ten  I 've heard the M12, yes, only after I purchased my KDS/3, though. A good friend of mine is a Bricasti dealer and he offered me one well under retail. I thought it sounded very nice. The dual mono design really makes a difference.

What's ultimately enchanting about the KDS/3, however, is it's doing what Chord is doing in two different boxes, in one box + streamer, getting out of the USB path. At 16x RBCD, in the Linn and Chord FPGAs, in theory you're now closer to rendering 16-bit audio than ever before. In that respect, I don't give a hang about DSD, unless it's a unique mastering that was transferred to DXD then DSD. These are rare.

Anyway, I'm getting OT, but, you're probably right about the mini-Ulf. That is to say, if the DIs are all what they're cracked up to be, then the mini-Ulfs should be a no-brainer.

Like yourself, I have never made the jump to tubes.

And @grannyring like the Lyngdorf, Linn is largely overlooked this side of the pond. I've heard the 2170 and I thought it was a fantastic product that does a remarkable job.

I look forward to using Linn's Space Optimization on either the DI or the mini-Ulf, should one fit the bill. I mean, all of these voice in this thread, with so many different tastes in music, downstream gear, and experience can't be wrong.

One thing I've noticed, though, is that nobody has mentioned heavy mental of hip-hop with the DIs. Now, I'm not a metal head, nor do I listen to a bunch of hip-hop. I'm more of a classic rock, small ensemble chamber music, classic jazz, acoustic guitar, prog-rock music lover, but it isn't beyond me to put on some Metallica, Maiden and Beastie Boys from my youth. :-)

@lancelock  thank you for the assessment. It's very much appreciated. I had no doubt that many of the tube amps mentioned here did a great job. I was just trying to get a feel for something that's a little closer to home.

Funny thing, I'm actually bringing my AHB2 over to try out the DIs in an audition tonight.

Cheers!

***THIS IS WHAT I WROTE LAST NIGHT***

Well, I just came back from @Bullitt5094 house, having experienced the Double Impacts for the first time.

The whole experience was very cool, and Bullitt is a super nice guy with a way cool home theater system. Being that his DI rig doubles as a both HT and 2 channel listening, he gets a lot out of these speakers. I was even offered beer! Outstanding!

So, listening to the DIs my first impression was, "These are bright!"

But wait! - Bullitt is way too critical of his own gear (contrary to his belief, his gear isn’t bad at all), yet at the same time I had brought my amp, the aforementioned Benchmark AHB2.

So, we’re like, "Okay, let’s see if the amp makes a difference."

Firstly, we hooked the amp up and the music was coming out in a very weak mono. Not even really mono, as some of the instruments were missing in the mix. Little did I know, my own amp has a mono/stereo switch and it was accidently flipped.to mono.

Secondly, the DIs were not bright anymore. An evenness grew from the DI’s soundscape that further clarified things. Bullitt expected this would be the case, and he was right, really justifying his recent purchase of a new pre and amp that’ll be in soon. So, it was great because he got to hear a bit of the sound that he should expect when his new kit comes in.

As for me, I got to hear a great deal of the DIs and I was impressed. Talk about slam! This was some voodoo stuff! Boy, those mids came out great with the AHB2 in the pocket.

HOWEVER...I’m not quite convinced yet, which is why we have plans to bring them over to my place, in a much smaller room, running from my Linn KDS/3 -> AHB2 -> Double Impacts. Remember, my Linn has Space Optimization, which is a unique room correction that doesn’t use a mic. So, you measure the speakers by distance from various locations in the room, tell it what the floor is made of, the walls, windows, etc, etc, and it takes the room out of the equation, as opposed to getting readings from a much more fallible mic setup.

At any rate, we’re having fun with it. It was a blast! In fact, a couple of days ago I shipped away my Audio Physic speakers, so I don’t really have speakers at the moment, but I’m picking up some Dynaudio 340s as loaners until I get what I want. These Dyns are no slouch speakers, so I should have them just in time to do a shootout between Bullitt’s DIs and the Dyn 340s (which, by the way, have been measured by Linn for ultimate optimization). In others words, the Dyns will be fully optimized, and we’ll kind of wing it with the DIs. So if the DIs win, this is a very good sign.

Otherwise... @vitop, are you saying that the mini Ulfs will be taller, but thinner, than the full sized Ulfs? The full sized Ulf are 7’3"! Anyway, you should get them in so that when I roll by San Antonio to pick up the Dyns, I can stop by your crib to listen to your mini Ulfs. Haha. :-)

@Vitop ...Well, if Eric considers the Ulfs to be the best speaker that he's ever made then I'm thinking why not get the best, yeah? There would be no need to pussyfoot around with the DI/Electrons if there's another model higher that's still in an affordable range.

At the same time, if Bullitt's DIs blow my socks off with my gear, in my room, I might just go with the DIs. They certainly would stand like sentinels in my room, though.

Choices, choices...

@grannyring I've experienced that one-box solutions like the Lyngdorf and DEQX have better results rather than shoehorning a solution into a computer, fed through software that integrates into a third-party software like JRiver and Roon.

I'm not saying that these DSP boxes and software with mics don't work, nor do I know everything about room correction. I don't. It just so happens that I have some experience, but that doesn't mean anything. It's experience, yet it's limited to my personal optic.

That said, over on the Linn forum there are a few users who use Space Optimization who do final tweaks in other software with a mic.That being the case, you can see that some Linn users feel that Space Optimization is not the be-all-end-all. It's probably not. The only thing that I was pointing out were some of the trappings inherent in a mic solution.

Also, because I use one solution that I own doesn't mean that I have some sort elitist complex. That's far from it. I don't care what the gear is, as long as the user gets the desired results for them. That's all that matters, is listen with happiness. :-) 

Interesting that Terry brings this up. I happen to be going over to Raven Audio tomorrow to check out their tube amps, as well as hearing their DIs. :-)

They are even letting me bring my AHB2 to compare their amp against mine, into the DIs. How's *that* for customer service?!

Dave seems like a cool guy!

@teajay , will do!

Also, I noted your enthusiasm over the Role Enterprise speakers. How would you say those hold up to the DIs?

Speaking of the AHB2...

I went to the Raven Audio shop today, courtesy of Dave Thomson, the owner.

Raven is in Onalaska, Texas, about 80 miles north of Houston, where it was a trip well made.

Meeting Dave was a fantastic experience, as we waxed on about the intricacies of sound reproduction, SS vs. tubes, and of course the Double Impacts, as well as the Legacy Audio speakers he carries. Dave was even gracious enough to allow me to bring my Benchmark AHB2 amp to compare with his own amps.

The DIs that Dave has are not the upgraded model, and he maybe has 50-60 hours on them, still, they sounded rather good, yet I don't think sitting only 6ft away from speakers is for me. I think I have my own sweet spot where the sound pressure is pretty mild, even cranked to some hefty levels (don't we all?) Nevertheless, his DIs served as a fantastic conduit to compare the AHB2 along side his Osprey and Blackhawk amps.

To tell the truth, the AHB2 didn't give an inch of ground in its grip on the drivers, neither did it sound colored, nor did it have any peaks nor valleys. It performed great. Then again, the Osprey and the Blackhawks didn't have the aforementioned traits, either, that would get in the way of the music. Indeed, the amps sounded very much alike, which is a testament to Raven Audio tube amps in that there isn't a single hint of flubbyness, bloat or syrup from his tube gear. Dave's amps did, however, impart a sense of ease: a nebulous sparkle to the music, yet with no coloration, and they were as quick as can be. When I'm talking fast, I'm talking very fast!

I came close to opening my wallet.

Then came the Legacy speakers. Well, really only one floated my boat, the Focus SE, but I believe it would be too much for my 13x12x8 room. The DIs, on the other hand, required no room treatment. Indeed, they were situated only 10" from the front wall, with the side walls being unequal, in pretty much an open space. So, hey, the DIs held their own. They are certainly easy to place.

So, yeah, I might just open my wallet yet at a Raven Audio piece. Good stuff!

As for the DIs? Right now I'm weighing my options since there is no shortage of time. I'm studying and still getting the lay of the land, leaning heavy toward Tekton, even the full blown DIs for my small room, because they're so easy to place and dial in.

@waltersalas , so you ended up keeping the Double Impacts over the Daedalus Ulysses, or was it too much of a toss-up, or did you keep both?

I'm sorry if you already answered the question definitively, and I missed it, but there is a lot of stuff to read in this thread. :-)

@muzikmann, if they are the adapters made by Benchmark I've not been able to detect any degradation.

https://benchmarkmedia.com/collections/cables/products/benchmark-rca-to-xlrm-adapter-cable

I've had prior experience with other adapters of this sort, and I didn't like them, yet although these Benchmark cables are light, they sure do the trick for my ears...and my ears are anal (which sounds really weird when I write that out). 

So does everyone on this forum own a $4000 headphone? :-)