[Music Alchemist]

Some footage with the grills off:

The Ulfberhts are Tekton's flagship speakers, I wouldn't put too much stock in those prices. The DI's and the Ulfberhts are much better sounding than the Pendragons, the tweeter arrays on them are the secret to their sound quality. If you want a more compact speaker with much of the sound of the DI's, try the Electrons. They replicate the DI's sound very nicely, just in a smaller package. A miniature version of the Ulfberhts will be coming out in a few months, for about $7500. Eric is testing them now, and making improvements. On the Audiogon forums you will find a lot of information about the Tekton speakers from current owners and reviewers. Hope this helps!

Thanks so much for sharing!

They are gorgeous. I was hoping you'd share what yours look like without the grills...and now I set the YouTube default image as my wallpaper for inspiration. (I'm a loser, I know. hehe)

I'm actually in a large house with much larger rooms, but I tend to spend most of my time in my bedroom on the computer. I encountered someone who's using his Double Impact in a room even smaller than mine, and he says they sound great even in such a tight space. I don't need it to work in a small room per se; it's just a bonus I'd appreciate, since then I wouldn't have to go to another room for listening sessions. I might move into another house before upgrading my speakers, at any rate.

An upgraded Double Impact with grills would be my most likely next move. I would want to have at least $20K (preferably $30K) in the bank (and a fully treated listening room...and property insurance...and a security system...) before investing in the Ulfberht, so that may take some time. (I'm kicking myself for recently blowing through an inheritance.)

One of the main issues for me is the weight. I'd probably need to get another person to help me move them around, because I barely weigh more than the speakers!

Yes, I did days of research on various forums. I came across some of your posts as well. It was interesting that one of the DI reviewers didn't like the Pendragon much. I think the Pendragon has an elegant aesthetic, at least. Upon further examination, its lower price is a moot point when you factor in all the options. (~$600 plus $500 for an automotive finish.)

If possible, it would be very helpful (not only to me, but anyone searching for the scarce info) if you could write up an in-depth comparison between the Ulfberht and Double Impact so people can have a better idea of how significantly they differ.

 

[333jeffery]

Basically, the Double Impacts give you 70% of the sound that the Ulfberhts do. The Ulf's excel at bass and detail. They have the finest bass I've ever heard, not just more bass, but very refined and textured bass. They will go as low as your other components will allow. Tekton describes them as the "hammer/butterfly" of speakers. That is quite an apt description, as they have a delicate touch when the music requires it, yet can punch you in the chest when the low notes really start to kick-in. Detail and nuance in recordings shine through, revealing things that I never knew were on my cd's. For example, I took out my copy of The Cramp's Gravest Hits and played it through the Ulf's, expecting to be disappointed by what I thought was a crummy old recording. Wow, was I wrong. Lux's voice leapt out into the room as if I had never heard it before. The Ulfberhts have that kind of ability. The Double Impacts will get you most of that, but leave out the finer details. They are the "sweet spot" in Tekton's lineup, offering excellent bang-for-the-buck performance.

Zero Fidelity just posted a useful review of the Double Impacts on Youtube:

 

[Music Alchemist]

Basically, the Double Impacts give you 70% of the sound that the Ulfberhts do. The Ulf's excel at bass and detail. They have the finest bass I've ever heard, not just more bass, but very refined and textured bass. They will go as low as your other components will allow. Tekton describes them as the "hammer/butterfly" of speakers. That is quite an apt description, as they have a delicate touch when the music requires it, yet can punch you in the chest when the low notes really start to kick-in. Detail and nuance in recordings shine through, revealing things that I never knew were on my cd's. For example, I took out my copy of The Cramp's Gravest Hits and played it through the Ulf's, expecting to be disappointed by what I thought was a crummy old recording. Wow, was I wrong. Lux's voice leapt out into the room as if I had never heard it before. The Ulfberhts have that kind of ability. The Double Impacts will get you most of that, but leave out the finer details. They are the "sweet spot" in Tekton's lineup, offering excellent bang-for-the-buck performance.

Zero Fidelity just posted a useful review of the Double Impacts on Youtube:

Awesome, thanks again. Can't wait to hear them.

I actually watched that review a week or so ago.

 

[Canadian411]

I read lot of good reviews on these speakers, they said it competes against the speakers in $18,000 range.
I am in the process of upgrading my main listening speakers, and wonder if anyone had a chance to compare Double Impact against the followings ?

- Sonus Faber Olympica III
- Focal Electra 1028BE
- Focal Kanta
- Martn Logan ESL 11A / Classic 9

I also listened to harbeth, I didn't like the sound stage and the look. SF are really good looking speakers, I wish I had money to buy Amatis but I won't spend that much money.

My question is, is DI sound more musical or more for home theater speakers ?

 

[333jeffery]

The DI's beat the Sonus Fabers and the Martin Logans. I can't comment on the Focals. The Double Impacts' sound depends on what components you hook them to. If you hook them to a small tube amp, you will get a sweet, emotional sound that is very pleasing for jazz and vocal recordings. If you hook them to large solid-state amps and preamp, they will fill a large room with very dynamic and powerful sound, great for rock and orchestral pieces. They reveal everything that is upstream of them. At the recent RMAF, they received very enthusiastic responses from folks that tried them.

 

[333jeffery]

Here's a professional review of the Ulfberhts:https://hometheaterreview.com/tekton-design-ulfberht-floorstanding-speaker-reviewed/?page=2
Enjoy!

 

[Music Alchemist]

For those interested in learning about the new $6,500 Double Impact SE: http://www.tektondesign.com/double-impact-se.html

Another newer model is the $2,500 PMD Studio Monitor: http://www.tektondesign.com/pmd-studio-monitor.html

 

[333jeffery]

The Double Impact SE's are getting a lot of praise on Audiogon. They are a good alternative to the Ulfberhts for folks that don't want to spend the extra money.

 

[Music Alchemist]

First impressions for the PMD Studio Monitor from pro audio engineers are out!

http://www.tektondesign.com/uploads/9/8/4/7/98478018/pmd_monitor.pdf

My current plan is to start with that one since it seems like the ideal compact speaker for me that could be used in just about any room.

It has the same high frequency domes as the Ulfberht, but only three instead of fifteen.

The Ulfberht would hopefully be my endgame (I'm crossing my fingers that it actually is the best speaker ever made like the designer claims, so I wouldn't need to spend significantly more to get the best), but would have to come later when I could easily afford it and have a suitably large listening room in a more secluded house where neighbors wouldn't hear my music.

 

[333jeffery]

I placed an order for the PMD Studio monitors a week ago and am looking forward to trying them out. I wanted some small speakers for a bedroom setup and these fit the bill. If Eric ever releases the Mini-Ulfberhts, they will be the speakers to get for most set-ups.

 

[Canadian411]

Does Tektondesign speakers come with the speaker feets ? or can it be attached with the 3rd party ones ?
Specs looks fantastic but I am really not sold on the look of these speakers.

Anyways, do you guys know how much they charge for the custom color paint ?

 

[333jeffery]

Most Tekton speakers come with spikes, but you can use any threaded feet you want. Herbie's threaded Gliders are popular on them.

The custom paint-jobs range from $500 to $1000 depending on if you want metallic automotive colors.

 

[Music Alchemist]

I have a question about the drivers used in some Tekton speakers.

I noticed that the Ulfberht, Double Impact, Brilliance, etc. are listed as 4-way (despite having three types of drivers), and the Impact Monitor (and presumably PMD Studio Monitor) is 3-way (despite having two types of drivers).

So is each high frequency driver 2-way even though they look like a single driver? How does this work?

 

[Benny-x]

The "ways" has to do with the crossover(s) and how the entire speaker has been configured to reproduce sound.

This is ultra simplified, but:
1-way; usually only one driver, plays all frequencies (called a full-range speaker)
2-way; bass, mids+highs
3-way; bass, mids, highs
4-way; bass, mids, highs, ultra-highs

Feel free to fill in more if needed, but that's it

 

[Music Alchemist]

(Never mind.)