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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
mitch4t's avatar
mitch4t
1,603 posts
 
I'm sorry but no. The physics of acoustics, no matter where the plywood is from, says that small speakers can't push as much air as large speakers.

Simao, I did audition the speakers at Alex's place and was offered a free in-home trial. I declined the offer of a home trial specifically for the reason you stated above. My room was just too big for these speakers. I knew that they'd never be able to move the kind of air that I want and what I'm accustomed to. If I had a conventional-sized room, I'd seriously consider them. They were that good.

My Room
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wolf_garcia
6,639 posts
 
I rest my case, with thanks to Simao!
simao's avatar
simao
1,757 posts
 
Mitch - yes, your listening room is far too large for just about any set of monitors - with out without a good sub. Wilsons would be right at home, but Tetons would seem dwarfed by the space around them.
after_hrs
128 posts
 
"The spelling errors and grammatical errors seem indicative of a template being followed by someone for whom English is not a native language."
Seriously, my guess is out a few million people in L.A. county alone there are hundreds if not thousands non native audiophiles.

Interestingly, If you read the few other posts on other threads 400 has responded to there seems to be no tell tell of English being difficult. Maybe he was a little lit when he started this.
after_hrs
128 posts
 
"Wilsons would be right at home, but Tetons would seem dwarfed by the space around them."

It is true that GT's physically would "look" dwarfed in a space a large as Mitch's but I have heard Gen2's augmented with a good sub fill a space over 20'x 32' with over 12' high ceilings and sound incredible. High passing @ 80hz-100hz will produce very satisfying results. The focused dynamic energy and tonal purity in the mid all the way up when unaffected by the lower register is jaw dropping. My Gen2's are in a space approximately 18'x 22' with 10' ceiling and although there is some lack of pressurization and deep bass I rarely think about it as the critical sound staging, dynamics and world class tonality keep me immersed.

There are several top of the class diminutive speakers that are capable of filling very large spaces better that most mid-fi and some hi-fi floor standers, perfect8 cube for example. Oh what technology and imagination together can accomplish.

Also,
Making points about the grammatical details of the OP is one thing... but ANYONE who contends definitively about what this newer designed GT series can or cannot do without an optimized audition is... off.
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