Tekton M-Lore Speaker Review

[lordhumungous]

Zu Audio has made a business from awkward, bad measuring speakers too. I think it's just something we are not going to understand here.

I guess their claim to fame is they make high sensitivity speakers! LMAO.

 

[fpitas]

I guess their claim to fame is they make high sensitivity speakers! LMAO.

And do that by using pro drivers. Which can work out well if the drivers are carefully chosen and the crossover is appropriate.

 

[raindance]

As far as I know. The Double Impacts are a 4 way design.

1 tweeter = high frequencies
6 tweeters = mid-high frequencies
2 6" woofers = mid-bass
2 10" woofers = bass

The 7 tweeters are supposed to replicate a coaxial design. Only the center tweeter does higher frequencies. The 6 surrounding tweeters only do the mid-high frequencies.

I think the designer applied for a patent for the concept, it is supposed to emulate a dual concentric design.

 

[Ilkless]

Tekton are the guys offering the "ring of tweeters" speakers. Would be interesting to see how one of those would fare on the Klippel. Not very well, I suspect, but worth a try.

Also, this brings to mind that almost all the speakers I've seen measured and reviewed here seem to be point source designs, or, in the case of center channels, MTMs. I think it would be good to see a few line sources reviewed as well. Maybe one of the classic Infinity Kappas, for instance, or anything else out there like, for example, the Don Keele CBT24 line array.

I think they would make a great review subject if a member has one they could send to Amir.

Issue with CBTs is they are made to stand on a floor, so there may not be the right loading on the measurement platform.

 

[jomo]

That's the whole point It's utterly unsuited for the task. Just get a Seas or Peerless tweeter with an fs <800 Hz. Should work much better and doesn't even have to be that much more expensive.

Also the Eminence woofer BTW. For that budget (or even less) there are plenty of other more modern woofers out there, much better suited for this kind of setup.

What part of the measured data says that the tweeter is not up to the task? The tweeter distortion is very low and the tweeter compression is pretty good. The tweeter/woofer distortion in the area of the crossover is also extremely low. From the data, it looks like they could have pushed the tweeter crossover lower which could have helped with smoothing the directivity curve.

As for the Eminence pro woofer, it's efficient, plays loud with low distortion above 100 Hz. Perfect for a sub crossing at 100 Hz.

From what I see in the data, this speaker could make a good home theater speaker used with a receiver running Dirac or similar to clean up some of the bumps/dips in the response. I just wonder how much better the speaker could have been if the crossover was reworked, woofer made flush and the port moved to the rear. I think I'll make one myself to find out.

 

[voodooless]

What part of the measured data says that the tweeter is not up to the task? The tweeter distortion is very low and the tweeter compression is pretty good. The tweeter/woofer distortion in the area of the crossover is also extremely low. From the data, it looks like they could have pushed the tweeter crossover lower which could have helped with smoothing the directivity curve.

That’s the whole point: the directivity issue. You’ll need a tweeter that can be used much lower. As it is used, it performs okay, but it’s still an unnecessary compromise.

I just wonder how much better the speaker could have been if the crossover was reworked, woofer made flush and the port moved to the rear. I think I'll make one myself to find out.

This and a more appropriate tweeter, preferably with a waveguide would make for a much better system. Though for the money, there may be better woofer choices.

 

[lordhumungous]

The Tekton Electrons I have are most fickle speakers I have ever used. You name the speaker brand and I have probably listened to it

Sometimes I like them but most of the time i dont .

I have no idea why. I do know they need tremendous care in partnering amps,dacs,etc

 

[hyfynut]

Interesting, given the limitations of a design with the chosen drivers and config, this is pretty good. Could have been much worse. Just not a great idea, but not fully terrible in my view.
I will say I have always thought Tekton had an interesting catalog. A real Muppet show. That is both good and bad of course.
I have a set of Tekton Impact Monitors. Those sound pretty good & measure very well with my limited test equipment.
Someday maybe up on the Kipple.

Anyway great test, thanks again.

Maybe you could send them in to amir...

 

[ampguy]

Wow, I have these exact speakers in the basement, same color as well. I'm not surprised at the low accuracy measured, but am mostly surprised it got reviewed here at all! It's using an Eminence guitar or bass amp speaker, with a time aligned tweeter (btw, there are options here when ordering, assuming the no options default was used), they also offer to up the resistance with resistors which would be an interesting experiment, but I've always used as is. All I can say, is subjectively to me, in this particular room, the sound better than more accurate JBL 530s (also in the room but used for HT L/R), and KEF LS-50s that I previously had down there. Powering them with a Marantz Japan made PM7005 int. amp. Mostly use Roon or a record player for source, but also have a CD and cassette deck hooked up.

** correction - The Tektons don't use the loading resistors, and possibly no tweeter upgrade, it's the Zu Dirty Weekends that use them to make the 12 ohms 8 ohms ** I was comparing the Zu DWs before I purchased the Mini Lores. I haven't listened to Zu speakers.

 

[fpitas]

If you get the big notch at 180Hz fortuitously lined up with a positive room mode, and get some other room modes going deeper down, maybe the bass will come out OK.

 

[ampguy]

Category: Flagship

Test description.

tektondesign.com

Category: Full Towers

tektondesign.com

what on god's holey green earf is going on here???


does Tekton own a majority stake in Dayton tweeters???

these speaker designs make my neck itch

Haha, I own these (Mini Lores), but the speakers with dozens of tweeters crack me up, though I've never heard them. I would stay away from these and Zu for anyone interested in accuracy, but if you want a big sound that takes you back to your teenage rock listening days, or even listen to hip hop with a Sub (I have a 12" SUB with my Mini Lores), take a listen. Also, don't put them on stands like Amir did, use the huge 1/4 spikes they come with. They also have an option for grilles for $55 more, I have them but have never used them, not worrying about them affecting the sound quality, but worried the cats will scratch them up.

 

[ampguy]

Want a mini club like sound in your 12' x 20' basement for under 1K? Get these + a Dayton or Monoprice 12" sub. I can't think of anything else that would match. Put the speakers on the carpeted floor with the spikes, use the speaker levels out to the sub (REL method) Crossover at about 100Hz, a little doubling up never hurt anyone. Put on a Hip Hop playlist from Qobuz or wherever.

 

[musicforcities]

1.5" or 2" is usual in this category to allow 150-200w of power handling.

That dust cover looks wider than 2” unless I have my scale off. I think it’s just part of the old school paper cone look. I remember those, usually larger, in a million 1970-80s speakers. most best left in the dust they turn into. Though when growing up we had a pair of mid 70s splendors that were pretty great (no paper cones on that one, some translucent material).

 

[musicforcities]

Then there's these:

Tekton Design Enzo XL loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Tekton Enzo XL's frequency response in the farfield; and an Earthworks QTC-40, with its small, ¼"-diameter capsule, for the nearfield responses.

www.stereophile.com

Tekton Design Impact Monitor loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

www.stereophile.com

yikes!

Houston we have a problem…

And the text that runs with the measurement section of that review is vintage stereophile—there is no bad speaker. This one can be summarized as: “hey, it measured better than I thought it would. They managed to overcome the inherent flaws in this overly complicated design to make an almost average speaker that is only about 10db less sensitive (around 90 rather than claimed 99db) claimed and thus pretty average there too. Or you can buy a cheap Klipsche horn shriek machine.”

 

[lordhumungous]

Houston we have a problem…

And the text that runs with the measurement section of that review is vintage stereophile—there is no bad speaker. This one can be summarized as: “hey, it measured better than I thought it would. They managed to overcome the inherent flaws in this overly complicated design to make an almost average speaker that is only about 10db less sensitive (around 90 rather than claimed 99db) claimed and thus pretty average there too. Or you can buy a cheap Klipsche horn shriek machine.”

I don't know the sensitivity claim of the Electrons i have but they are hard to drive which surprised me based on the Electron spec

 

[Jim Creek]

Haha, I own these (Mini Lores), but the speakers with dozens of tweeters crack me up, though I've never heard them. I would stay away from these and Zu for anyone interested in accuracy, but if you want a big sound that takes you back to your teenage rock listening days, or even listen to hip hop with a Sub (I have a 12" SUB with my Mini Lores), take a listen. Also, don't put them on stands like Amir did, use the huge 1/4 spikes they come with. They also have an option for grilles for $55 more, I have them but have never used them, not worrying about them affecting the sound quality, but worried the cats will scratch them up.

The Tektron Eric Alexander Bespoke Series is scary-techno. No price is revealed but they look like 6 figures.

 

[thewas]

The Tektron Signature Series is scary-techno.

The positions of the tweeter mid arrays in this one don't make really sense to me, as they could be placed quite closer to the middle high tweeter, now they unnecessarily imitate the positions of a normal MTM which doesn't fulfill the distances needed for a real D'Appolito.

 

[fpitas]

The positions of the tweeter mid arrays in this one don't make really sense to me, as they could be placed quite closer to the middle high tweeter, now they unnecessarily imitate the positions of a normal MTM which doesn't fulfill the distances needed for a real D'Appolito.

I have to think a lot of this is for show, rather than some serious sonic benefit.

 

[Jim Creek]

The positions of the tweeter mid arrays in this one don't make really sense to me, as they could be placed quite closer to the middle high tweeter, now they unnecessarily imitate the positions of a normal MTM which doesn't fulfill the distances needed for a real D'Appolito.

Is that Bespoke Series made of sheet metal construction? That baby must resonate like a wash machine from the 1960s.

 

[fpitas]

Is that Bespoke Series made of sheet metal construction? That baby must resonate like a wash machine from the 1960s.

That gives it character.