High sensitivity mains in a surround setup?

[LiveJazz]

So I've been diligently doing my speaker research, and I'm fascinated by (but not necessarily sold on) some interesting high-sensitivity speakers, namely the Zu Audio Omen and the Tekton M-Lore. Is that a path worth investigating for a system that would be used for both music and movies?

From what I can tell, there a few problems with using speakers like this in a surround setup for movies:

-They don't tend to come with matching center channels.
-Based on reviews, they're supposed to sound very unique in that they are "live" and music oriented (ie unmatchable for most centers from other companies).
-They are very sensitive, so if I did try to find suitable matching speakers for surround myself, it might be hard to match sound level for a good result.

What do you think? Anyone use highly sensitive main speakers in a surround setup, and if so, how did you do it and what are your results?

 

[markw]

You might want to listen to them before making your buying decisions.

Hi sensitivity doesn't necessarially equate with a sound you like. From what you've said, they have a "unique" sound.

Power is cheap but living with a sound you don't like can be expensive.

But, if their imaging is good, you might be able to get by without a center by using a "pantom" center configuration but, be warned, the center image is confined to a small sweet spot directly between the mains. As for surrounds, for HT, they are less critical than the front three (or two) speakers

 

[Swerd]

Power is cheap but living with a sound you don't like can be expensive.

Amen to that!

I have (briefly) heard the Zu Audio Omen. They are flawed speakers that in my opinion are good for neither music nor movies. Save your money.

I haven't heard the M-Lores, so I can't comment on them.

 

[LiveJazz]

Thanks for the input. I'm frankly not sure I'd like the sound too much anyway, and as usual the ability to test is an issue with niche products like these. The sound I'm picturing in my head is something related to an industrial concert speaker.

 

[ImcLoud]

I own a set of full size lores, and I have to say they sound really good... If you call eric he will make you a center for around the cost of one mlore... I power my lores with a 40w tube amp and you can't stand in the room past 3/4 volume, they are very efficient... I was thinking about having a matching center made for a 3.1 in my bedroom but never followed through with it. I would say the Tektons are worth the price and wait if you are not in a hurry...

I was considering having Eric make me a complete 5.1 setup, a set of m-lores with an m-lore center, 65t surrounds, and have him make a passive down firing sub enclosure that I could bolt a JL audio W7 sub into and use a crown class d amplifier with.... I believe the total price came to $1700 for the Tekton stuff and then $1100 for the w7 and crown xls amp... He was going to build a good surround speaker in the 65t enclosure, build the center, and build the W7 enclosure to some specs I found on the internet that others have had good luck with, then paint everything with flat black hot rod paint and I was going to have it all pinstriped with antique white by a friend of mine that does all my motorcycles and hot rods... I just havent had time to put any more thought into it... If I pulled the trigger back then it would be done by now.

http://www.stillrunnin.com/assets/magazine/sr4/onearmbandit/one-arm-bandit-pinstriping.jpg pinstriped speakers would be great for the rec room, they would match the hot rod...

I don't think you will go wrong with Tekton, and you will have something no one else has, that is worth something, Im sure it would sound amazing, start with the m-lores and see how you like them, then make the decision to go further....\


I was tossing around the idea of using my umc1 preamp with 3 of these to power the mlores http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049P6OTI/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I have a couple of them already and I have hooked them to my lores, it makes sooo much sound for that tiny little amp its insane, and them little amps sound very clean, and hold up like you wouldnt believe my son has one that he uses on his tv and ipod that has to have 5000 hours on it at a good volume it never so much as flickers....

But anyway, just some thoughts from my overworked brain, may be one of my next projects if I put some effort into it...

 

[LiveJazz]

^ Thanks very much, that's excellent information. I didn't know Tekton was such a small shop, and that everything was built to order. Very interesting.

 

[ImcLoud]

I was actually speaking to Nick from Emotiva about them over the weekend and he said he couldn't believe Eric is still building every speaker himself by hand!!! But he wont have it any other way...
good sound bit to listen to...
Tekton Design - YouTube

There comes a point where after you listen to what everyone else owns, you just want something a little different, with a name that isn't plastered on the wall at best buy or where ever else they sell audio equipment... And supporting a guy that makes all his own stuff, in the USA, and you can call and talk to on the phone, and will make you a custom cabinet in a color you want- is great, the fact that the speakers sound good, are super efficient and are priced very competitively is just a plus... You take the ores, the drivers and tweeters would cost me around $500, then figure the wood, spikes, ports, crossovers, grilles, paint, name plates, ect would cost me $200 and he sells that product for $1000 I have no problem paying someone $300 to design, build, and assemble the speakers, especially when you hear them and they sound awesome... I have had multiple people come and listen to my lores because they were in the market for some of tektons products, and all left amazed... I actually went to a gentleman's house after he came to mine to hear his new Pendragons and they sounded really good, he was powering them with a amplifier he built himself, he was very happy with everything about tekton and he spent much more than me...

 

[shadyJ]

From what I gather reading the Tekton thread on avsforum, Tekton seems to be having problems keeping up with their orders and have seen massive delays in shipping dates and lots of broken promises. As for Zu, I like the idea of using high sensitivity coaxial drivers, but these measurements are terrifying. JTR is doing the same concept here with their single 8, and I think they will measure a whole hell of a lot better than the Zu speakers. A high sensitivity speaker that has my attention is the Pi Fours, they are a proven and widely imitated design with lots of good measurements to back them up. Gedlee and AudioKinesis also look like some interesting, high-sensitivity designs, I would love to hear some of those speakers. Anyway, Gedlee and Pi may not have the hype and fancy websites of Zu or Tekton, but they are backed by stacks of good measurements and a long-standing reputation for reliability.

 

[ImcLoud]

From what I gather reading the Tekton thread on avsforum, Tekton seems to be having problems keeping up with their orders and have seen massive delays in shipping dates and lots of broken promises. As for Zu, I like the idea of using high sensitivity coaxial drivers, but these measurements are terrifying. JTR is doing the same concept here with their single 8, and I think they will measure a whole hell of a lot better than the Zu speakers. A high sensitivity speaker that has my attention is the Pi Fours, they are a proven and widely imitated design with lots of good measurements to back them up. Gedlee and AudioKinesis also look like some interesting, high-sensitivity designs, I would love to hear some of those speakers. Anyway, Gedlee and Pi may not have the hype and fancy websites of Zu or Tekton, but they are backed by stacks of good measurements and a long-standing reputation for reliability.

I looked into them JTR units, but $900 each, that's almost $2000 for a pair of speakers with no tweeters no cross overs {?}, I can't wait to hear them, but don't know anyone with them as of yet... and Tekton is definitely behind, and that comes with the entire "eric is making your speakers himself" thing... Cant have someone hand making your speakers and have them ship the next day... I think they are worth the wait personally..

 

[shadyJ]

The JTR speakers do use tweeters and crossovers. The are a coaxial design using B&C drivers, the tweeter is planted inside the woofer, this can give you a superbly even off-axis response (see KEF Uni-Q). As for hand-making speakers, to me, the method by which speakers are made is irrelevant (as long as it isn't slave labor), the end result is what is important. Don't take any offense, I know you enjoy your Tekton speakers, but the end result from ordering from them is a big wait time and no available measurements. That makes it difficult to recommend them, especially considering the alternatives are using better design decisions to control off axis-response.

 

[ImcLoud]

no offense taken, we are talking about soeakers not my kids, lol....

I think there are a few guys that measured the tekton stuff now, Im not sure what it looks like because its a bunch of squigley lines to me, so the 8ht has some kind of compression driver behind the dust cap, I didn't know that, they don't tell you much on the web site..

As far as waiting, yah it sucks, but it is what it is, I would rather have the owner of the company building, assembling, and checking my product than some machine or $15 per hour high school drop out... If the OWNER is making sure they are perfect, chances are they are going to get to you perfect... I can tell you when I install a boiler personally it always comes better than my guys, and some of them have been doing this much longer than me, but because its my name on the truck, permit, and invoice I make sure it is perfect, where a tech making $25.50 an hour is just getting to the end of the day... Sure the jobs come nice {otherwise they would be looking for a job} but when I do them they come perfect, because I will measure the pipe 3 times, I will take the time to mark a level line on the wall and work off of that instead of the ceiling or floor like every one else... The owner cares about the outcome, the worker works for his paycheck. I go home and think about todays work yesterdays work and the work I have for the next week, they go home and think about dinner, watching TV, Cutting their grass, going on vacation, Hanging out on their porches, or what ever they do when I'm not paying them. Just how it is... ask Dave from ascend, he doesnt make his enclosures and has issues with them {I had an issue with one of mine coming apart}... If he was personally glueing and screwing them Ill bet he would have less issues..