Tekton vs. Salk Sound?

Ok, the original thread was from 2017, but there's still some relevance for someone considering these two brands. I've met Jim a couple of times and he's a great guy who builds top-notch speakers. But other than the Exotica line, Salks need some juice to drive them. In general they're not going to work real well with low-powered tube amps. Tektons are a lot more versatile.

@mapman 

Agree.  I think John is one of the better guys in the business, honest and they have good support.  Jim Salk is the same (and I am sure there are others).

Both are very honest about their speakers etc.

The thing is that once you have good sound at least in someone’s mind then the only other factor is how much do you need for your room. So I like that model in a company very much.  It’s how Ohm markets their speakers.  Don’t know of any others that do that. 

Tekton - what I think of Tekton is a modern day Klipsch in many ways, though with poorer customer service even though it’s a smaller company.

Tekton’s so some things pretty well, they play loud, relatively cleanly. They are relatively dynamic, and can have a bit of a "wow" factor when you first hear them. They are not bad, though they are not the absolute world beaters some here would lead you to believe. If you like what they do, they are fine. What I found is that much like Klipsch used to be - as you move "up" the line in price (and drivers), you get MORE of the same. Having heard much of Eric’s line-up - the Double Impact is the sweet spot. 3k or so, and they do a number of things well, they can play loud etc. IMO a very good party speaker, and is not limited to that.  (but would make a great party speaker also as they can play loud and clean and it's not like it's a spectacular cabinet you might get dinged up). 

As you move up from there, you just a lot more of the same. The law of diminishing returns with Tekton, in my opinion is very very steep. Over the course of a month I had the chance to hear the D.I. The D.I.S.E., the monitors, and the Ulf’s.

The D.I. and D.I.S.E. were in the same room, house, system and music played. It was very, very, hard to tell the difference in the two. The D.I. I thought for a 3k speaker - damn, it does a lot pretty well and is pretty fun. The D.I.S.E. - I felt the same way, and felt there is no way it is more than even 5% better.

I heard the ULF’s at a known reviewers house the same day. Again, very, very similar to the D.I. Which makes sense. But there was absolutely, positively no way in my mind even taking into account that there is ALWAYS a law of diminishing returns, that it was worth 4x more, not even 2x more than the D.I.

I kicked around a set of the Double Impacts because I did feel for 3k they offered a lot, but they also missed a lot. Moving up the line didn’t get me improvements, it got me more.

OHM for instance actually is honest about this in their line-up. Say what you will about OHM, John is very honest. His speakers sound the same, but as you move up the line you get more. Pick the room size and your speaker size (though I think they point you one size too small, but I like bass).

With Tekton the cabinets and finish are average at best, and you can do your own research on customer service, just know that by in large - Eric is never wrong, and it’s never his fault. You don’t have to take my word for it, just search the internet. I wouldn’t say don’t buy Tekton at all, but I would say if you go above the DI’s just know what you are getting into and know the drawbacks. If I were still in college, I absolutely would look for a pair of used Double Impacts. Fun speaker, good value, not overly refined and at that point in my life I wasn’t looking for that.

So, you get a lot of good with the bad with Tekton.

Salk - Exquisite cabinets, top notch drivers, and phenomenal customer service. Downsides might be that right now the SS 9.5 is his top speaker and for some they won’t deliver the absolute bottom end bass and ability to move air that bigger speakers and drivers might deliver. Jim’s speakers sound great, but speaker sound is truly in the ear of the beholder. What I might think sounds great, you might think doesn’t sound very good.

I can tell you with Salk there are clear differences in the line-up, and I can absolutely point to getting more for your money than the big companies by simply looking at the quality of the cabinets and drivers used.

That’s what does amuse me at times about all of this. We all value different qualities in sound reproduction, all listen at different volumes, and have different rooms.

I have owned the Tekton’s and heard the Salk speakers many times. I think they both sound great. Both are Big Bang for the buck speakers. If WAF is important then the Salk might Nobel the go to. The Salk built cabinets and impressive and superior to the Tekton cabinet work. The Tekton tweeter array in most impressive sounding.

thread from 2017

🙄

You don't need to spend $10-15k to get a $10-15k speaker. All you need is Tekton Moabs. Of course, if it really is important to spend all that money there is always the Ulfberht. However, just so you know, when I was all set to buy Ulfs the one guy who has heard them both in his own system and who bought Ulfs (before Moabs came out) talked me out of them saying the Moab is so close to Ulf for half the money its just not worth it. 

They have terrific bass, superb imaging, dynamics galore, and everything you throw at them sounds just beautiful because they have the best midrange, way better than you have any right to expect for such a reasonable price.

This is all possible because Eric has developed a technology so new and different hardly anyone understands it. But this is how he's able to build speakers with relatively inexpensive cabinets and drivers that far outperform anything similarly made. Others have to use expensive proprietary drivers and construction techniques precisely because they are working in the old outdated paradigm. Oh well.

Put them on springs, by the way, this will not only improve the sound but decrease structural transmission that is the real source of your noise concerns.

I've heard them all mr. Know-it-all.

FOCAL & TEKTON are GARBAGE compared to SALK.

The SALK SS 9.5 BLOWS ANY FOCAL/TEKTON AWAY !!!

50+ year Audiophile here so I KNOW WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT !

FOCALS ARE SHRILLY CRAP COMPARED TO SALK !

 Spoken (shouted) by someone I'm sure has never heard the new Focals.

You should get out more and post less........

You could check out the Salk SS 9.5 model.

FOCALS ARE SHRILLY CRAP COMPARED TO SALK !

@dhanks  Doug, I had also checked out your desktop system while I was looking at the main system, but the additional thread is nice to have as a link here.

Cool to see the 1s in that type of listening setup and working for you. I wouldn't have expected that.

I wish! The headphones. : )  They have made me a believer re Focal's implementation of their beryllium drivers and of the drivers in general (now I'd be much more open to something like the Persona). 

David. Utopia loudspeakers or headphones?

Thanks, David.

I also made a thread for my new office system:

https://www.audioaficionado.org/showthread.php?t=40585

Congratulations, Doug. Very happy for you!

Terrific photos and write-up of your system and new speakers. Nice to see you using the Gaias to great effect. Superb dealer support as well. And he guided you to the some savings. Sweet.

I've got the Utopias and can relate. 

I ended up going with several things and have learned a lot.

I tried the Salk Sound Song3s and I thought they were pretty good. I also got a pair of McIntosh XR100 speakers, which were even way better.

I got the opportunity to try the Focal Sopra 2s and were even better. I decided to stop while I'm ahead and keep the Focal Sopra 2 speakers and sold the XR100s and Song3s.

https://www.audioaficionado.org/showthread.php?t=40563

+1 on @hifiman5 's recommendation. 

I'm using Herbie's Giant Threaded Gliders to great effect with my Tekton Double Impacts.

@dhanks   If you decouple your loudspeakers/subs. from the floor beneath them you can keep the bass vibrations from traveling to the other side of the townhouse.  I have two powered subs. in my system which used to drive the rest of the family bonkers on occasions when I played real bass heavy (explosive) material.  After decoupling with Herbie Audio Labs Giant decouplers, no problem!

Decoupling allows many audiophiles in apartments, condos, duplexes or townhouses to listen full range without bugging your neighbors.

These two companies seem like big bang-for-your-buck type companies. I'm looking at Tekton and also the Song3 and Salk Silk Tower but concerned about room configurations, especially with the big woofer on the Song3.

I have the Salk Song3 and feel they are a tremendous bargain and with certain music (mellow stuff) I couldn't ask for better. I could stand for a little more OOMPH with Zeppelin,Black Sabbath etc.  Are you in agreement, @dhanks?

@dhanks :

I used to own Jim’s SongTowers and now own the Tekton Double Impacts. I have not heard the Song3s, but am familiar with other speakers with a similar driver set.

You owe it to yourself to give the Tektons (especially the Double Impacts) a listen. The DIs are essentially the same price as the Song3s in base configurations.

And you will not need to augment with a sub unless you absolutely want to, which seems to be a no go proposition due to your living situation.

I was holding off on purchasing Devore O/96s (an aspirational speaker for me, for some time). They retail at 12K. Though I would have loved to have brought a pair of the O/96s into my main system, the delta in savings has afforded me a Preamp, a Power Supply, and ALL new cabling.

Something to consider.

All the best in your search.

I've been told there's a Salk group over on Audiocircle. You might try there.