Tekton Double Impacts

I just received my Tekton DI's today. I got them hooked up, still messing with placement here and there. They are a little imposing in height. I ordered the low gloss black rather than spend more on the gloss color. I did speak to Eric briefly. He was very enthusiastic, so much so in fact I began to recoil a little. My expectations were getting kind of high, i told him so, and he said, "Well, remember, these are only $3000.00 speakers after all so..." We kind of left it at that. I had auditioned a few different speakers a couple of years back and I wasn't particularly impressed. I had the Gallo 3.1 reference speakers with the SA. They are the ones with the dual voice coils. I liked them but I didn't love them.I traded up for the 3.5's and I thought there were some decent improvements. I changed speaker cable, power chord, IC's a few times and couldn't really get out what I thought should be coming out of my system. I read a lot of reviews. A LOT!! And I read them over and over trying to glean any information to get a better idea of what I had, or what I could get to enhance my system. I read speaker reviews by these pro reviewers and I couldn't figure out how they could hear all that stuff they were describing. Timber, tone, detail this and that. I kept thinking WTF am I missing. I just found out! I now know what this is all about because my system has the one thing it was missing, a good, no a great, speaker. These are tremendous. They absolutely sing. They are the most beautiful sound I could ever have imagined. They are gloriously musical, very detailed, very laid back in their presentation, just beautiful. They have the $300.00 upgrade. I am done looking for speakers! I then changed out a couple of different IC's to compare. I could hear EVERYTHING about the IC's. I am in love with these speakers! 
System- BAT VK500 amp, VK51se tube pre amp, VKD5se tube CD . Damn, it does sound sp awesome! No room treatments, just sofa, chairs and carpet. I might change the IC's but they are also very detailed and transparent. Holy crap, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't heard it myself and it was because of you guys on Audiogon on this thread that caught my eye. Thank you Agoners!

lak,

Double Impact Upgrade Clarification:

1. The 'standard' Double Impact - a true expression of extreme performance within the niche of 'affordable hi-fi and home theater'. The cost is $3000 delivered for the pair. This speaker is available in any color under the rainbow and is featured in my "Soft Gloss" finish. This is the loudspeaker reviewed by Terry London

2. Additional upgrade package: add $300 for Cardas inputs, Mil-Spec internal wiring, ClarityCap or Solen (depending upon real-time availability) within the tweeter section. Includes an oversized Jantzen or Erse Sledgehammer inductor (depending upon real-time availability) within the woofer section.

3. Next... add $1000 to the total for piano gloss black or white finish or any German or Italian matched automotive paint color.
​
Please call us directly to add upgrades and finish options.
Eric Alexander
President
I copied this from Tekton's website for you.I do have the this upgrade. There are other upgrades they offer as well but I didn't get them because I need to hear these speakers at a certain cost. I am so utterly impressed I could leave them alone and listen to them as they are, or, over time, maybe add some upgrades.
Greg

charles1dad,
Here is what is so surprising to me. I have listened to other speakers and other systems on occasion. I was never really blown away like i am with these. I have never heard anything like these but I suspect one would have to spend the big bucks to get this kind of resolution, detail, airiness,and depth. These  are sweet! I was really taken aback AND, truth here, my wife cried when we listened to James Taylor live cd. She  was touched and started talking about her past. This is how real this sound is. For $3530.00  delivery included, and got here in three days. Now, tell me who does that? Eric reads these posts , as you know, and all I can say is he killed most other speakers AND he blew them out with price too! I think that if I had heard this kind of detail in any other speaker on any other system I would have been trying to figure out how to get them into my system. The BAT amp produces 450 watts per channel at 4 ohms and may have something to do with the great bass, which I have always expected but never really saw that potential. I am left with an amazing feeling about the music. I get to listen to my beloved collection with new ears. I am hearing so much I have never hear before in this music that I have listened to so many times before. Eric made magic!
Again, thank you guys for starting this thread. WOW is all I can say!
Greg

Are we learning that the DI's are extremely transparent and detailed and that they actually show up shortcomings in audio system chains?
Greg

kdude66,
Uhh, that was a rhetorical statement on my part. I knew in the first minute as well. The DI's kind of propel one to make tweaks for even more engaging sound especially since one can hear every little change. That is what makes it fun!
Greg

@kdude66 why did you change the DI Wilfred to eminence and which model did you chose? What was gained? Tighter bass response? Hmmm. Thank you Kenny!
greg

@kdude66  that was wolfer, not Wilfred ! Spell check. Argh!
greg

@ rockytophigh
Some bass eh?

Ha! Right on! I love mine! I am bloooowwwwnnnn away too!

The textures from the DI's are incredible to me. I have been an avid music listener all of my life. My first system was an Onkyo A-10, Gale speakers and a Technics turntable with an Ortofon MM. I got a loan which my father cosigned and that was it! I make fine hand made furniture for a living and I have always had a passion for music and sound. I don't have the big budget that some do so I have resigned myself to collecting one piece at a time. I liked what I was reading about BAT gear and found some good used stuff here on Agon. Then these speakers and I'll be damned if they really aren't the greatest things I have ever heard. I liked the Gallo's but they are a far cry from my non descript black boxes made by a guy who has been working just as hard at what he does as I do. I purchased art from another craftsman and that thrills me to no end and they are very very good speakers. So, thank you Victor Khomenko, Eric Alexander, Kenny Carpenter and the boys at AGON for your instructive comments that lead me down this path. I am forever grateful to have the wherewithal to listen to music as if I were front and center in Weil Hall with Yo Yo Ma, as I have been! 

@evolvist.  I opened the top only. I Laine them down and gently pulled the styrofoam out far enough to get my hand on the pocket on one side. I grabbed the cardboard flap with my teeth to keep the box from sliding toward me while pulling the speaker in the styrofoam toward me. Obviously, if you have help, your partner can pull the box toward them from the bottom while you pull the speaker out from the top. An easier way would be to cutter bottom and push the entire contents out with your foot while holding the box flap . The feet are taped into the styrofoam at the top by the way! 

@evolvist, I have all most too much bass, but not quite. I really like the lower register especially when those instruments are present!
Greg

hfaddict,
I get tons and tons of bass, on the verge of too much. Always recording dependent of course. Rock is usually too compressed to get a lot of bass out. Live recordings are simply amazing, stunning, and the bass rocks it. I have found that sitting in the sweet spot that the bass is perfect, outside of that it is ok, unless the volume is pumped. Cabling and fuses can make a difference there as well. Thank you for your informative post! 

Hfaddict,
one more detail, looking at the pix you posted, try moving them away from the back wall further. Air mass movenment!
Greg

Et al,
I just have to add that the DI's are so detailed that sometimes when I hear some musical aspect, a drum hit, or low background voices, tin startles me. It sounds like it is coming from outside the room. I look around and realize it is coming from the speakers. TOO real!
Greg

Funny here!!!! WAF,  " wow, they... are.... kind of... well... large...ummm.  
Then later that evening James Taylor Live double CD is playing and it is so real and engaging that she was tearing up. Next day, " we need to make these blend in.... !!! She loves them!!!

Off topic,
Mark Feldman ' What Exit' on the DI's is out of this world good. 
: ) or is it just me?

Next upgrade will be cerious speaker cable to see if they beat out the Speltz level 3 reference speaker cables on the DI's.

@aolprodj ,
hard to imagine the SE's are that much better than the upgraded DI's.   I find so much depth in the DI's that the leap from these the the SE's seems unreal.

Eric, et al.,
I too prefer the sound of the impact, (Double Impact)  ; ) of live music. The best sound, to me, is the true sound of ACOUSTIC instruments. That is the benchmark. ALL amplified music has coloration and the difficulty is in reproducing acoustic music via electronic delivery systems, and here is my point. With my current system, BAT and DI there really aren't any live broadcast systems that come anywhere near what I have in my living room. It used to be that I could enjoy this quality of music in Weil Hall at Sonoma State University but alas no more. The new director has wreaked havoc on the sound system there. ALL music amplification outside my house is a huge step down for me unless it is acoustic performance. My dream? I would love to see Eric produce a line of speaker for night clubs, small venues, stages, etc. that will rival my couch sound!!! Why must we endure the torture of terrible music everywhere when the possibility of great sound at a reasonable cost exists? I am forever ruined!

Compliments of kdude66

Here is repeat of a much earlier post to address your question,

They did sound great right out of the shipping boxes,but I haven't owned a speaker yet that I did'nt mod and get better sound.


Even though I did buy a upgraded pair of Di's from Eric,I have upgraded farther with even better caps,inductors and resistors and some wiring.

I started with the crossover on the woofers,
The heavy duty Jantzen coil is fine I didn't change it but I did change the single cap and got rid off the sand cast resistor,I don't like that type,I think they can be noisy.From day one when I got the speakers I didn't like cosmetically the blue colored woofers with my black metallic paint so I changed to the Eminence beta which gave me black cones the stock ones are the alpha's with blue cones.The physical size including depth are the same but the specs are slightly different.The beta's are 2 Db more efficient in their specs of the driver in free air and they give me better bass and dynamics at very low volume levels and they equal or are slightly better defined bass at higher volumes.I also biwire mine with a single run of western electric 10ga wire that solders directly in the crossover,and I use the same wire to the woofers.The beta woofers cost 60.00 a piece from us speaker.I hear just better defined bass maybe tighter and does measure 2 to 3 db down at 20hz in room.

Now that's the easy stuff,I took a look at the crossover for the tweeters and mids and decided to change all caps,resistors,and coils to better parts IMO but I did'nt change any wiring,It's ok and would be a lot of work.

Even though my speakers sounded very good once broken in I couldn't leave them alone because I knew I could make them sound better,I basically gained overall smoothness and a tiny bit of clarity and coherence without hurting but only improving the magical midrange that these speakers have by design.

I wouldn't honestly recommend that everybody that owns a upgraded pair of Di's would want to incur the expense and time involved for the noticeable but modest gains in sound.
Basically what I'm saying It's a lot of work and it took me 2 whole days to do mine.

Take the time and remove a couple of tweeters and maybe the lwr mid and look at the crossover and you will have to decide if you want to tackle it.
One option might be just to change the little bypass cap on the tweeters input to better quality.

Overall I would say I gained a solid 3% gain in improved sound in every sonic apspect that I can think of.

With these sound improvements It doesn't make me in no hurry to upgrade to any other speakers,but my digital front end has seen some improvements as well in the last couple of weeks and as my budget allows I'm going to purchase a Music Vault M7 music server and I hope to have the best digital that I have ever heard,I was a analog guy for many years but I have'nt spun a LP in 3 weeks and I'm not missing it one bit.

facten,
I posted something from kdude66 not my comments.
Greg

kdude66,
well, thank you Kenny for your informative posts. I have enjoyed your insights and I wish you peaceful listening! 
Greg

Wow, no matter how many times I call and ask for the grills I paid for from Tekton I can't seem to get them! WTF?

Just say you don't sell them and return the Money?

mac48025
Great recording James Taylor Live
Kelly Joe Phelps
Chris Thomas Kind(not live)
Alison Krause and the Union Station
Cassandra Wilson (Really good!!)
Meshell Ndeocello, any CD is superb 
Jack DeJohnette live with Ravi Coltrane and Matthew Garrison

mac48025
acoustic live, I love as well. Who are you listening to?
Greg

DI update,
the DI's have been running non stop since my purchase. So far they have loosened up and become more relaxed and fluid. the bass seems better to me. The only change that was made was in the first week when I decided to remove the anti-cable pc and replace it with my Zu Mother pc. big difference there. I am finding that my music is all discoverable again. Recordings are either good or not so good. Engineers tweak them. Some have too much bass, some are very compressed and need volume to kick everything up and out. Some are just incredible. These speakers are truly impressive, even without the grilles ; ).  Addressing the posts about quality parts, service etc., could there be improvements? Sure ! We can see areas where they can be modified but for the money, for much much more money in fact, they can't be beat. This is the first time as one who listens to music and detail that I can really enjoy the sound, the sheer musicality of my system. The tone, texture, rhythm, nuances, and tremendous bass. Round punchy enveloping bass, unlike any other speaker I have heard. I could never afford what it would cost to beat these. 
BATvk500 amp
BAT vk51se pre
BAT vkd5se cdp
Zu Mother power cords
Speltz anti-cable silver reference balanced ic's
Speltz anti-cable level 3 speaker cable, soon to be potentially surpassed by Cerious Technologies Graphene Extreme speaker cable
no power conditioner
Two 20amp dedicated lines for amp,phase correct
All under ground electrical on grid
zero noise

Aniwolfe
which recordings? Cd titles would be helpful.
greg

Aniwolfe
yes recordings werent weren't great because of their dynamics I think. Lots of sounds all up and down the spectrum made it difficult for accurate recording IMO  however I am not a recording engineer and there are a few on AGON that might want to chime in?
greg

Aniwolfe
I will listen to some of those and get back to you. I do have great bass reproduction on many other titles though!
greg

Aniwolfe
geberally speaking, most of what I listen to has good articulate defined bass. I will listen to some of these tracks to see what I hear.
greg

Klh007
Yah, Speltz has them for 3500.00, too much for me!

Treebeard1 you have to sign for them. Inspect them for damage before signing! Damm, I wish I could get my grilles!

aniwolfe
The only track I have is roundabout and I have consistent d]strong resolved bass line all the way. Every blessed note!
Greg

@aniwolfe,
Can you hear the low level detail on"The Fish", Yes,  in the backgorund? Like a symbol bell, or some other dull bell ?

@treebeard1 no, just look at the boxes for visible damage. If you call the fedex delivery station(local) they will give you a delivery window.
Greg

Aniwolfe
I think it is supposed to be ion the center soundstage slightly left but far in the background

Upgraded from Speltz's Anti-Cable level 3 reference speaker cable to CT GE speaker cable between my BAT vk 500 and the DI's. These are just ass kicking cables!! Black black background, super delineated and defined bass, very natural sound tone and timbre. Beautiful soundstage. Taller wider deeper. Zero harshness to be found. Choral voices all separated in an astonishing manner. Found out I can connect my desktop to my pre directly. YouTube live everything imaginable and the sound is incredible. Keith Carlock drum solo was like being there live and acoustic. The resolution is just beautiful. These are the most natural sounding cables I have heard and they are very very close to the real thing. A saxophone sounds acurate. Piano is just stunning. Violin is almost perfect and I am willing to bet that changing out the IC's will bring the sound much closer to real. There is something very delicate sounding about these cables. All the information is there. My brain was actually shocked at first because of the realism.
Thank you Bob! You ain't gettin' these back from me! 
Greg

333jeffery
well, that is good news. Been waiting a couple months and was wondering when they might ship out. Called karma repeatedly and no firm date was given so resorted to calling every week!
greg

All you guys talk about not enough bass, or needing more bass. I went the route of tube pre and SS amp. Bass rips!

Tube output cdp with tube pre and ss amp. Seemed like a good combination at the time but I am curious about the 2170 since so many positive comments have been made about it

@grannyring 
Ha! +1. I think the interest in these is incredible because the speakers are incredible!! 

ozzy,
Eric answers until about 12:00 or 1:00, Karma covers the 12:00 + and the rest of the day. They will take your order but if you wish to speak to Eric try mornings. He seems like a great guy to me. Had a couple of conversations with him and he really is enthusiastic about his work. I ordered the standard low gloss black and had them in 4 days. Speaker grills? Tuesday, in two days, 60 days from when I received my speakers. Since I am a self employed craftsman I absolutely understand Eric’s position.
Greg

Can anybody tell me what the upgrades are on the DI SE? Specifically?
Greg

@charles1dad 
would that be the hybrid silver copper cap?
not sure exactly which one you used.
greg

@charles1dad 
possibly the PIO copper in foil CAST?
greg

@grannyring 
I would have second thoughts about posting as well but the fact is these are great speakers AND there are anomalies that WE, the consumer, are trying to understand. In addition, and this is kind of big, these speakers are being recommended by Agon members as something special and yet we seem to have different versions of the seemingly same product and I find that disconcerting. I guess it is then fair to compare notes to see how the XO's, as well as wiring diagrams, differ from speaker to speaker. 

@grannyring 
Interesting, the comment was removed!