Anyone heard the Tekton Impact Monitor's?

CB22

CB22

Senior Audioholic
Just curious, has anyone here heard them? These look like some pretty interesting speakers when looking at how the tweeter mid-range function. Their site says, "Proprietary controlled directivity - acoustically superior proprietary polygon-oriented, seven ring radiator mid/high frequency array. This array disperses a precisely focused acoustical power pattern of that of a horn or waveguide without the audible ringing influence of horn flare walls constraining the soundwave for acoustically superior mid-range high frequency performance." Can't say I really understand what this means, except how its supposed to have good mid-range/ treble.

Came across two positive reviews and looked at their specs:
  • Made under U.S. Patent 9247339
  • Proprietary 3-way loudspeaker design
  • Dual 6.5" Transducers
  • 94dB 2.83V@1m sensitivity
  • 4 Ohm design for optimum performance (8 Ohm available please inquire)
  • 40Hz-30kHz frequency response
  • 120 Watt power handling
  • Height 24.5"x Width 10.125" x Depth 13.0"
These impact monitors are almost almost 25" in hight! That's bigger than the BMR and the BMR is a big speaker, ~20" if I recall correctly. Pretty big for a bookshelf speaker.

Reviews here if interested:
https://hometheaterreview.com/tekton-design-impact-monitor-bookshelf-speaker-reviewed/
https://www.cnet.com/news/big-for-a-reason-the-tekton-impact-monitor-speakers-will-blow-you-away/
 
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ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
I was supremely interested in Eric's work. Especially the Double Impacts. Almost flew to UT to audition at his shop. That's when I had the option to audition the Phil-3s (locally). ;) You know the rest.

Tekton seems to have happy customers. Wish there was more reviews of his stuff and third party testing. I enjoyed the few conversations we had, Eric and I. Though his marketing angle seems to frustrate people, I really got the sense from our conversations that he was focused on innovation in a perceived stagnant market. If you look at some of the Double Impact reviews, you'll get the gist of that too, possibly. There's also the reviewer that uses Teal Blue Pendragons as his reference speakers.
Also, there was a guy a chatted with here that was happy enough with his Pendragons that he was ordering DI's from Eric, and putting his Pens on Surround duty! Return customers say something, too.

;)
 
everettT

everettT

Audioholic Spartan
Not my cup of tea, but many seem to rave about them
 
everettT

everettT

Audioholic Spartan
I don't blame ya. You're living the high life with those Song 3 Encores. I'm sure it doesn't get much better than that. Did you wind up getting subs?
On order see ya somewhere in April lol. The Tektons havent ever measured well for those that have been reviewed, but still sound pleasing for some. I havent heard one I've thought jumped out at me and none ever sounded bad, just not for my ears. I'm a huge fan of a flat responce so if sound tailoring is needed it's simple. You dont have to EQ the poop out of a speaker to get the sound you prefer.
 
killdozzer

killdozzer

Audioholic Samurai
This is where the reputable JA says they don't have expected dispersion problems. However, his review doesn't really put them where their website puts them.
 
everettT

everettT

Audioholic Spartan
Not sure of your intended goal but I've heard this speaker in the bookshelf version and it is in my top 5 for critical listening. Jim dosent have it listed except in the TL tower, but I'm sure he would still do it. IIRC it had a 3db around 42hz, with good usable output to about 36hz.

http://www.salksound.com/model.php?model=Ellis+1801-TL
 
everettT

everettT

Audioholic Spartan
This is where the reputable JA says they don't have expected dispersion problems. However, his review doesn't really put them where their website puts them.
I think James, shady, had a favorable opinion as well. Cant remember which show but I do remember a comment about the array.
 
ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
This is where the reputable JA says they don't have expected dispersion problems. However, his review doesn't really put them where their website puts them.
Ultimately, it was this squirrely "are-they or aren't-they" that lost me. I would still like to hear them, but not at the expense of a trip to UT. ;) Or anywhere else, really.
I think James, shady, had a favorable opinion as well. Cant remember which show but I do remember a comment about the array.
Ya, but in a separate post on the same thread he commented about having heard those impact monitors, he also lost it on the patent and internet marketing angle. ;) Kinda cute, really.
 
I

ichigo

Full Audioholic
The vertical axis response is worse than a crappy ribbon tweeter, the horizontal response isn't really much better than a single tweeter with a good waveguide or horn. It also ends up being a gigantic speaker.

Seems like a solution in search of a problem.

I've heard the Tekton Double Impact Be and it sounded okay, the highs were forceful and shouty but I feel you can get something similar with a horn or a waveguide without the tradeoff in vertical dispersion.
 
K

keepamonte

Audiophyte
I have the Impact Monitors LCR in my media room. I added on of his Enzo subs to my SVS25-31PCi and my in-ceiling surrounds for a nice 5.1 system. I am very pleased with the sound. Was very frustrated locally on speakers to audition and the crazy costs. I'm no audiophile but I am completely happy with my purchase.
 
GrimSurfer

GrimSurfer

Senior Audioholic
A patent is just a piece of paper that establishes a line for the later defence of a product. It by no means suggests you'll win against a party that can establish earlier providence. Not does it mean that the problems that are identified have been solved.

When I read Tekton's patent, I was struck by its liberal use of normative statements. What was suggested as revolutionary sounded to me like stuff that had been tried before, by other manufacturers, with mixed results.

Eric seems to swing this patent around like a cudgel, linking it to every one of his products. It is from that perspective that I kind of see it as more philosophic than scientific. The fact the patent number appears on a spec sheet appears to me to be a bit odd too... never seen a company do that. At least not under the heading of specs.

But that's just my personal view. Google it and read it for yourself.

The claimed sensitivity of 94db/W/m sounds impressive, though the 4 ohm rating suggests it might be a tad difficult to drive. That said, one could read's the results of JA's measurements of another model from the company and come to the conclusion that a certain degree of optimism is at work. Or one could ignore or dismiss JA's measurements entirely. (I know which one I place greater faith in but leave it to readers to decide this on their own).

This is not to say that failing to live up to an ad claim for one product means that another product will come up short too. It does, however, open a number of possibilities that cannot be reasonably resolved until somebody completes an independent and methodologically rigorous review of this particular product.

I raised this in another forum with Eric, who basically fobbed me off. He had every right to do so, but I would have thought that anyone with full confidence in a well developed product would have shut me down with a series of independent test results.
 
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GrimSurfer

GrimSurfer

Senior Audioholic
The vertical axis response is worse than a crappy ribbon tweeter, the horizontal response isn't really much better than a single tweeter with a good waveguide or horn. It also ends up being a gigantic speaker..
Combing issue? Arrays can be prone to this kind of thing unless the distances and offsets of the drivers are very well executed...
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
The vertical axis response is worse than a crappy ribbon tweeter, the horizontal response isn't really much better than a single tweeter with a good waveguide or horn
What? The measurements for the Double impact are pretty good. Horizontal dispersion is not bad at all. And vertical dispersion is what you would expect from an MTM. The on-axis response is quite good.
 
killdozzer

killdozzer

Audioholic Samurai
When I read Tekton's patent, I was struck by its liberal use of normative statements. What was suggested as revolutionary sounded to me like stuff that had been tried before, by other manufacturers, with mixed results.
This^^
 

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