2. speakers
  3. 1387147341

Teton monitors from Wavetouch Audio - A Must Hear

In the market for a pair of monitors recently, to gain more living spaces that being taken over by the growing LPs collection and the Wilson Sophia that I have put up for sale, I start doing some audition, googleing and look around. I know it's going to be a tough task finding any speakers that could produce the sound I have used to for many years from the Sophia.

To make sure I don't make a mistake and miss out on the big names, the likes of Harbert, Tannoy, B&W, psb, sonus....I start hitting the showrooms of LA. All of them are good, decent speakers but they don't strike me as possible replacements for the giant Wilson, three times their sizes. Then I found an unknown brand advertised, kevlar, horn tweeter and exotic rosewood in all. The rosewood always got me, I contacted the owner for a listen. A copy cat of B&W it turn-out and the speakers were bought in lots for testing and experiments by Alex Yoon of Wavetouch Audio in LA. Alex then let me take a peak listen to something he was 'putting together' as he said, and fine-tuning for review at StereoTimes. I hastily agreed. We headed for the studio where he does his work, the size of a four-car garage.

There I was introduced to a pair of tiny monitors, the 'Grand Teton', I later learned, in rich, exotic Russian birchwood that one can tell of top-notch quality, carefully and meticulously put together. We spent the next two hours listen to tracks after tracks of acoustic, instrumentals and vocals music. The monitors fill the huge studio with music as if a pair of 5-foot tall floor standing were in used. Soundstage were ceiling high and 6-foot deep. Vocals were in-your-face with each instrument precisely positioned as if we had attented a jazz rehearsal in a garage. I immidiately inquired about a pair for home audition. This could be the Wilson replacement, I said to myself with reservation. May be Alex had the room treated or using special equipments. But his gear is very mediocre.

Two week past and Alex deliver the monitors for audition. The same pair but has now been finely tuned. Personally position the monitors in my living room, Alex going over some adjustments tips, give me a week to test the monitors and head back to LA. Two day of comparison between the Grand Teton and the Sophia side-by-side, guitar, piano, vocals and everything in between. I contacted Alex and convinced him to leave the sample, don't come back for it and it was purchased with proceed from the Sophia sale. The Grand Teton is now in my living room replacing the giant Wilson for 1/10 the cost, 1/10 the size and not a note missing.

Quite a task for its size. Highly recommended and a must to audiition if you can arrange for one. It will be time well spent just to listen to it.

Music Fanatic,
Irvine, CA
connect400
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
Uberchurl and Audioman58 have both started and contributed to other threads, but the first five posts here are a total shill-fest: 4 one-post-wonders plus the speaker mfr.

It seems to be that way all over the Web. The only online mag review is StereoTimes. It has the same starry-eyed enthusiasm as the one-posters in this thread.

It seems to me that if a $3500 monitor were indeed a Wilson and Magico killer, everybody would be all over it, and Mihorn's biggest problem would be handling the backorders.
wolf_garcia
6,595 posts
 
Yeah...there's some shifty biz in this thread, and it should be nixed pronto. I've noted previously that the "yoon tone" baloney on the Wavetouch Audio site is one of the purest piles of sonic psuedo science crap I've yet to see anywhere...and I've been at this stuff for a long time. Seriously...if these speakers are actually worth anything somebody should take control of this outfit and fire the nutjob who wrote the website nonesense. If this weirdness is from the designer there's no excuse for it unless he was hallucinating.
sutpen's avatar
sutpen
11 posts
 
I wish this thread would stick to comments from people who have actually heard these speakers. I have been listening to them in my EL34 system for a little over two months. They delight me every day.

I have found they are very musical playing small group Jazz or Classical. I don't enough experience to venture into audiophile vocabulary: I've only been at this a few years, have yet to listen to any top-end speakers. Playing Jim Hall/Paul Desmond the sounds seem to come from actual instruments; each with its own space. The vocals from Anonymous 4 are lovely. So too any violin or cello.

I would like to see posts from other owners as to what amps they are using to drive their Grand Tetons. Is more power better?

I do not care if these speakers are the product of brilliant design, pseudo-science, or pure chance. I do not care if they are marketed by kind gentlemen or shills. I want to advance in this hobby. Can someone suggest how to make these sound even better than they do now? Can someone suggest what speakers might be a good step up for me once I've saved up some money?
wolf_garcia
6,595 posts
 
Still a bit of weirdness in even the last post...can't be trusted...strange...who says "kind gentlemen?"...hmmm...
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
3,832 posts
 
I just want to make a few comments here, I have been an Audiophile since
1970s. I have bought all the magazines read recommended components
As well as bought them . Manytimes good reviews especially in magazines
Can be very political,and $$ costly. In the case of these grand Teton
Loudspeakers these speakers are just starting to become known and way under priced as well as under the radar,their webpage asking price of $2,500 is very much underpriced IMO. They may look a bit odd on the mid driver one bullit tweeter but there is a method to it's madness .lock on imaging and soundstaging are excellent midbass fora 5.3 driver and going down into the mid 40s it is hard to figure out .on top the AMT tweeter
Is very dynamic and detailed.look at it, it's 2 nd order Xover, Jantzen inductors,Mills resistors ,and all point to point wiring,.the cabinet Alone has 42 pieces of a Russian Birch ply.this speaker is only selling at this price untill he gets another review or two. Where can you get a hand built speaker
With a 42 piece cabinet for under $5,000 or even $10k ?
This speaker will be selling for much more monies in the near future.
Please remember the summer is slow . I challenged Alex for a
Special Edition model ,since I have vast experience in capacitor,and resistors.a statement monitor Alex has been working on. I am in line.
I am hoping real soon .this model will have a totally independant crossover
Box with a whose who of great parts . Price wise ?.probably around $4k or more.
In the mean time WaveTouch gives you more then a month to check them out in your system ,not in a show Room under controlled conditions.
If in or near New England from N.Y to ME. I am in central Ma.
If you have not sat and spent time with these excellent Loudspeakers
Then you have nothing educated to say but mindless chatter.
With a 40 trial and a money back guarantee what have you to loose ?
More to discover