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Two speakers enter; one speaker leaves.

Let me rephrased: Two speakers made in Utah; one speaker shipping out to New England.

Reference to Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome aside, I haven't seen a thread focused on a direct comparison of either:

Tekton Lore ($999) vs. Zu Omen ($1499)
or
Tekton Enzo ($2000) vs. Zu Omen Def ($3199)

Maybe not a totally fair comparison for either, but I am going to pick one pair listed. And no, I'm not auditioning. I'm ordering purely on feedback from what I hear from you, wise audiophiles/music listeners.

This choice is only about the sound and not about the value. That said, spending $999 certainly leaves more dough for other pastries.

What else? I'll be using these with a push-pull 8ohm 25-watter and turntable only in a 14'x16' study/den.

Music? I like it all. Wish it weren't so, but yea, I do contemporary female vocals as much as I do gritty 60's soul-jazz. Put a little Hendrix, Christina Aguilera, and Theivery Corporation in the glass. Shake. Pour. And that's my drink.

So what's it gonna be? Airy, but not forward. Meaty, but not bloated. Detailed, but not analytical. Big sound-stage, but not placement finicky...

the Tekton Lore or the Zu Omen
or
The Tekton Enzo or the Zu Omen Def

Btw, if you've never heard either, comment anyway. I'm easy.
jspagat
7 responses Add your response
jspagat OP
4 posts
 
Gentlemen, I agree with you wholly. It is folly to buy without listening and yes, the system is certainly a huge factor. And what's more, room acoustics matter more than anything.

No one is capable of doing the necessary amount of "homework" to reach absolute certainty. Everyone buys based on limited data points. How many people do their "homework", buy a piece of equipment, then change that piece or something else because the sound did not meet their hopes and expectations?

So I am prepared to start over if it isn't a game ending purchase. Isn't that what this site and is all about?

And yea, I live in folly, as I think we all do. Auditioning helps. Beyond that, its trial and error. Luck doesn't hurt either.

And BTW, with regard to asking for listener opinions, I contend that if two pair of speakers were each auditioned with every upstream component ever made, some patterns of observation would emerge from the pool of listeners. I do put some, albeit limited, value on this kind of information. And plus, it's fun to hear how people experience their equipment.
tubegroover
2,320 posts
 
I'm with you Bigkidz on general principal although I haven't heard any of the above speakers. It is absolute folly to purchase a new speaker without listening, don't do it, do your homework unless you are prepared to start over again if things don't work out, are you?
bigkidz
3,312 posts
 
Man, I hate these threads. One cannot comment on which one is better unless you know what their system is comprised of. I have heard Zu speakers sound bad on one amp and then really good with another amp. Same goes for many other speakers or components in a system. I currently own three speakers, Vandy 5s, Meadowlarks Nighthawks and Alon V MKIIs. Each of them requires a different amp to make they sound their best. If you are buying anything without hearing it in your system, then you are a better person than I am. Even different amps from the same mfg sound different. I hope this was helpful.

Happy Listening.
eslaudio
118 posts
 
The Lore is a bit easier to drive, but with the amp you're using the difference will be negligible. I drove both the Lore and Lore-S plenty loud with an 8 wpc 300B amp. The Lore is a larger speaker than the Lore-S and has deeper bass. It is also a bit more "live" sounding if that makes sense-- more dynamic but also rougher around the edges. The Lore-S has smoother (though not rolled off) highs and is tighter sounding. It also has more detail/transparency due to the more expensive drivers. I would recommend giving Eric a call to see what he would recommend given your room and listening preferences. He's a straight shooter in my experience and won't steer you to a more expensive speaker just because it's more expensive.
jspagat OP
4 posts
 
Thanks for he input. I'm now trying to decide between the Lore and the Lore-S. It looks like the Lore is easier to drive than the Lore-S. I think it might be best to sacrifice a little detail from the upgraded tweeter of the S in exchange for the higher sensitivity of the Lore.

Any thoughts on the difference between the Lore and the Lore-S?
sebrof's avatar
sebrof
834 posts
 
There was a long thread here on Audiogon that compared Zu Omens and Tekton Lores

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?cspkr&1286073654&read&keyw&zzzu=omen=or=tekton
eslaudio
118 posts
 
I've owned both the Lores and the Omens. I sold the Omens after six months of trying to like them but never really feeling any magic was there. I kept the Lores for a year and only sold them to move up the line to a pair of Lore-S which are smaller and therefore fit a bit better in my space. Over the years I've owned a variety of speakers up to around $2500, but have enjoyed the Tektons most of all. They're dynamic, easy to drive, unfussy about amplification, and fundamentally musical. If you do end up getting a Tekton speaker, I highly recommend spending the extra money and getting a wood veneer upgrade. Eric does amazing work and everyone who sees my Lore-S in cherrywood comment on how good they look.
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