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EQUIPMENT FORUMS >> MINI TORII >> Mini Torii with Tekton Design Lore
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Message started by Don W on 09/27/11 at 23:49:42

Title: Mini Torii with Tekton Design Lore
Post by Don W on 09/27/11 at 23:49:42

I'm very close to pulling the trigger on a Mini Torii. The speaker I'm most interested in to go with it is the very efficient Tekton Design Lore. Does anyone have experience with this speaker?

Title: Re: Mini Torii with Tekton Design Lore
Post by Rivieraranch on 09/28/11 at 22:27:11

TEKTONS are good, but I would look for a DECWARE product to complement the Mini.

Title: Re: Mini Torii with Tekton Design Lore
Post by Don W on 09/29/11 at 06:22:46

Well, frankly I've been afraid of the Decware line because of the sensitivity rating listed in spec sheet which for most models doesn't seem so good. The web site for Mini Torii says a speaker with 96db sensitivity is ideal, but the Zen Ziglers, for example, are rated 94db. I don't understand; it seems like a contradiction to say the two are a perfect match. Now, I have been reading the postings on the Zigler speaker forum and there seems to be total agreement that these speakers are fantastic with Decware low power amps.

So my question is how can that be? Will they play loud enough? Will they sound good when played very soft? What does speaker sensitivity really mean, anyway? The Tekton Lores have published sensitivity of 98db. One line of logic would sugest because of that they are more ideal match for Mini Torii than the Ziglers. Why isn't this true?

Title: Re: Mini Torii with Tekton Design Lore
Post by Lon on 09/29/11 at 12:10:19

Welcome!

Well, one reason is the crossover design. The crossover is a very simple design in the Decware and Zen Ziegler speakers, it doesn't "drain" a lot of power. The speakers present a manageable load to the amplifiers. It's possible to have a very efficient speaker with a complicated crossover that will not perform as loudly as one might think.

Another factor is room size. I used to drive my Radial RL1s and RL2s with a Select and then an Integrated and the sound was marvelous and loudness quite sufficient in my dedicated listening room, which was not large. When I was able to move the system out into my living-room/dining-room area, considerably larger (yay! Its' better than a dedicate room) I could not achieve loudness levels I needed for video and music. Moving to the Torii was the answer for me then. I never once thought of getting another pair of speakers; the speakers Bob builds are going to be in my systems all the time. They're that good.

Title: Re: Mini Torii with Tekton Design Lore
Post by Rivieraranch on 09/29/11 at 23:58:50

I had a pair of Tektons and sold them. These were not the ones you are mentioning. However, a lot of the single driver speakers suffer from a quality known as "shoutiness." This is a word that Mr. Deckert apparently coined, but when I read it in one of his papers I immediately thought of the TEKTONS I had sold. They were nice, but "shouty." The DECWARE speakers minimize this shoutiness quality found in some of the other single drivers.

Won't get loud enough, eh? Are you kidding me? I have a Mini Torii with MG944 speakers and it would get ear splitting loud if I turned it up enough. As it is I only turn it up a small amount and it gives more than enough volume. At lower volumes there is detail (in volumes!).

You are agonizing over published specs that have nothing to do with how the loudspeaker will perform and sound to your own ears.

Title: Re: Mini Torii with Tekton Design Lore
Post by Don W on 09/30/11 at 00:22:00

I rekon "ear splitting" would be loud enough!

RR, I believe it was you who said he prefers the Taboo as headphone amp for Audeze over Mini Torii, because of Lucid Mode. So how about as driver for the Zen Zieglers? Which do you prefer and why, if I may ask?

Title: Re: Mini Torii with Tekton Design Lore
Post by Rivieraranch on 09/30/11 at 11:57:22

My amps do not have headphone modifications so I am not the one who chimed in on a preference for either one.

I have MG944 (now known as Zen Zeiglers) with my Mini Torii and the combination is just fine.

Title: Re: Mini Torii with Tekton Design Lore
Post by 4krow on 09/30/11 at 18:48:11

I have found relief for 'shout' to some degree with the 'Gizmo' sold by Decware. I am sure it works better on some speakers than others, but maybe the Tekton would be a candidate. This is the same device used with the FRX drivers, but equipped with a variable load(potentiometer).

Title: Re: Mini Torii with Tekton Design Lore
Post by brians7 on 10/25/11 at 07:41:38

The Mini works good with my speakers. they use the same woffer. The wires no longer come out the port. I was working out the crossover.
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm24/brians7/PictureorVideo001.jpg

Title: Re: Mini Torii with Tekton Design Lore
Post by Don W on 10/25/11 at 12:15:56

Just to follow up on this post, I have ended up with a pair of MG-944 speakers I bought used from a seller on this forum and have a Taboo with headphone mod and vcaps on order. I do a lot of headphone listenning and the Taboo just edged out the Mini Torii because of Lucid Mode.

Title: Re: Mini Torii with Tekton Design Lore
Post by Rivieraranch on 10/26/11 at 00:25:07

Now all that you need is a CSP2+ which you can alternate headphone listening with and use to boost the TABOO to its full potential.

Title: Re: Mini Torii with Tekton Design Lore
Post by Don W on 10/26/11 at 01:04:40

I'm going to try it without the CSP2 for awhile and see how it goes. I talked with Steve about it before making my decision and he says that with the vcaps the Taboo is good without a pre-amp if the source is at least 2V which mine is. That's not to say it wouldn't be nice to have a CSP2, just that it might not be necessary. According to Steve, the Taboo is more transparent without the CSP2, while, on the other hand, the CSP2 has a way of "fixing" the digital overtones of a source DAC serving MP3s. I've got a really (I hope) nice DAC on the way which I am excited to hear with the Taboo and do direct comparison with my Burson HA-160D. It is the dB Audio Labs Tranquility SE (that I found used for a great price.) I'll keep you all posted when the Taboo gets here...

Title: Re: Mini Torii with Tekton Design Lore
Post by Rivieraranch on 10/26/11 at 12:37:03

A ZBOX would also fix digital overtones, but would not provide an alternate headphone option or preamp function.

It is true that the TABOO is most transparent alone, however, if you voice the CSP2+ with the proper tubes it can become more neutral.

My TABOO also has V caps in it and it works fine without a preamp.

Title: Re: Mini Torii with Tekton Design Lore
Post by Pale Rider on 10/28/11 at 00:11:02

Seems to me:
1. The CSP2+ will give you a seocndary headphone option along with the Taboo, but likely offer the most additional, though likely pleasing, coloration, over which you will have much control;
2. The ZBOX will soften the digital edge of an incoming digital source, but will offer no gain, and is not likely to make a Taboo sound any better with whatever headphones you like;
3. The ZSTAGE will allow the Taboo to truly blossom [as it does with my Audez'e LCD-2 cans], but won't offer a secondary headphone outlet. The ZSTAGE may be simplest of all to voice in that respect. I have run my Taboo through one of my ERR pairs just for fun, and volume was not a shortcoming, and that was without the ZSTAGE [mine is being sent to gatornavy]. I tried it with and without the Ultra, and it got plenty loud.