Hey Stone,  I know your Impacts have been gone for a little while now but wonder if you wouldn't mind sharing your experience in regards to placement.  My room is similar in dimension and I have always worried about 'rear' ported speakers and honestly stayed away from them.  I am currently using a modified pair of Zu Omens (which work really well) but am overly intrigued with this new Tekton design.   Having just read completely through your experience, I am even more so now.   Did you find that with the rear ported design (I am assuming it is as the others) placement was somewhat finicky with keeping the bass from being boomy, etc,..   I also noticed you have some OB's,  do they work well in that smaller room?  I have considered trying some Spatials as well but am not sure they would be done justice in my room.
Many thanks for any light you can shed!  -Best, Johnny

I appreciate the response.  I figured that being rear ported they would be a little finiky.   That surprisingly has been a nice trait about the Zu's and how they are ported,..  From a bass standpoint placement in relation to the back wall isn't so much a problem.  I do have treatment in my room as well as builtin books shelves to the ceiling on two walls that act as a natural diffuser.  Works extremely well!     I have been wondering if treatment directly behind some OB's would work well in my case.  Guess I wont know until I buy some and try,  lol!  As much as I want to like the Tektons something is really drawing to the OB design...  Ah,  decisions, decisions,..  life could be worse.    my other dilemma is whether or not to sell the behemoth 219 and go for a ZMA,..  I really love that 845 SET sound though,..  It was actually the little Zen-84CS that put me on that path, and look where it got me  ;D  Thanks again for the input!  Go enjoy some vinyl,  I think I'll do the same,..  maybe a little Seth Walker to get the evening started right!  -Peace

LOL,  I bet you would (ZMA>219).,.  I gotta say though,  two different beasts,..  I've owned the 84CS,  Rachel and a MKIII,...  each I loved and each had it's merits but different still from that 845 sound,...  to each his own,...  I still think about that D. sound and the ease of ownership though,....  Alone to replace the tube set in the 219 is ~$900 and that's good tubes but not 'special'!  plus,  it isn't something your just gonna move around at 145lbs.   The ZMA's really have appeal to me I'm just afraid I'm gonna miss the 845 sound like last time when I sold the LM-518 for the Ayon,... and I would say the Ayon was more in the Decware camp sound at least Tori sound wise (I haven't heard he ZMA) compared to the 845,..  either way all good stuff,  I can/could live happily with any of but yet I still find myself looking around..    for one reason or another.  For now though,  speakers are the next endeavor..

Thanks Js, for the tip about Andy. I will check him out.

Thanks again js, I did find it (Andy).

I have been tempted over the last half decade to bring in, an Line Magnetic and a Ayon. However, I have been so happy with the Zen Mystery Amplifier (close to four years now)........no need.

You should try Randy's/Caintuck Audio OB.....I am very pleased.





Listening Room:



Room Treatments from Michael Green & Home Brew


Sony as Transport (DVP-NS57P)


Illuminati D-60 Digital Coax IC ~.5 meter


Shunyata Research Zitron Alpha Digital Power Cord to ZDSD {Significant}


Decware ZDSD DAC / Recorder ++
***************************************************************
W/Steve's Output Transformer's/kicking to the Curb quite a few superb DAC'S
***************************************************************
(@ -20 Ref Level, 0.0 Input volume and @ 16/192)


WBT RCA Kimber Select KS1030 ~.5 meter


Audio Research Pre w/remote volume & mute LS-2B MkII
NOS Platinum/Mullard 7308/E188CC / Cryogenic

(ARC Pre rotated in and out...approx. in, only 25-30% of the time)


WBT-0102Ag RCA Kimber Select KS1030 ~.75 meter


{ Tungsram PCC88/7DJ8.....in inputs right now~stellar}!
Decware Zen Mystery Amplifier
~BIASED at *56* mA~
NOS/Platinum/Mullard E188CC/7308's in my A12 an B12 Input positions Cryogenic~NOS/Platinum/Telefunken E88CC/6922 for Inverter Tubes~NOS RCA 0A3's & matched Quad/Tung-Sol KT66's

ZMA adjusted at 20% to 30-40% max ~ from 0 Gain ~ w/ZDSD Direct
ZMA adjusted at  80-90% or 100% gain ~ w/ARC Line Stage, running via Remote Volume Control



***************************************************
Kimber Select KS6063 Speaker Cable 8ft WBT-0681-Ag Spades
***************************************************
Kimber 8TC new/white & clear jacket/to remind me of how fluid/timbre correct and good the KS6063 are



Acoustic Zen Adagio - Black Pearl (Modified)
.....enjoying from 8 ohm ZMA Taps


Caintuck Audio Eminence Alpha 15" OB BASS Unit
at 53Hz, with my Velodyne CHT 130 watt plate amp and 0 degree phase.....at 1/4 volume on plate
Plate Amp....regen'd clean ~ plugged into P3

(Open Baffle 15", not in use all the time....approx. 50% of the time.....the best integrated bass)!







Acoustic Zen Adagio's x-over's Modified/Full Range with Mundorf MCap Supremes-single Cap to each Tweeter/4.5k cross
(Gutted: 3kHz/18dB/Octave, Linkwitz/Riley Crossovers....with all crappy parts = gone)


XLO Pro Power Cord to ZMA
PS Audio P3 Power Plant / Pangea AC-9SE from wall to P3
(Transport, ARC Pre, and ZDSD, Regenerated/*120*~ Multiwave off...ZMA on High Current Output).

++ ZDSD DAC, kicked to the Curb: Auralic Vega, PS Audio PWT & PWD, PS Audio Direct Stream DAC, Chord Qute, NAD M51 (twice) & Schiit Yggdrasil.


~All NOS Platinum Tubes from Upscale Audio/Kevin:

(Great Britain) Mullard 7308/E188CC ~  2 pair (both pair Cryogenic)
(Germany) Telefunken E88CC/6922 ~ 1 pair (painfully expensive/worth it)
(US/Great Britain) Ediswan CV2492/6922 ~ 2 pair (one pair Cryogenic)
(Hungary) Tungsram 6922/E88CC ~ 1 pair
(Hungary) Tungsram PCC88/7DJ8 ~ 1 pair.

From Cryoset:
(Russia) 6N23N/P-EB ~ 2 pair

(Russia) 6N23P's ~ 2 pair/came with ZMA.        

Yes mark! Steve is going to charge me a fee.  ;D
I don't post it all the time.

Tekton is trying to come in at a certain price/performance point.  However my only concern is that the quality of the drivers that he uses.  For the amount he charges they look like a great bargain, but I wonder how much more competitive they would be if he used TOTL tweeters.

For instance there are 11 drivers on the Double Impact and $3000 is a heck of a price for all that.  But how good could those drivers be at that price point?  I wonder how much the could be improved upon by using better ones?

Exactly, the driver's were not up to snuff....nor were the fit and finish of the Tekton's. For example, no router circle that the mid and woofer sit in. They were just screwed in on top of the hole.

But, they are at a price point as I mentioned in my value statement (Reply #52) and of course they are not my modified Adagio's.....Mr. Lee's in-house custom made Adagio Tweeter alone, crushed the Tekton Impact an DM947 Tweeter's.

ILance,..  do you prefer the DI's with the AHB2' over the ZMA?   Assuming you've run'um w/both.

Just when you thought 11 drivers were enough for the Double Impacts ...

The new TektonUlfberht:



I had to count these things  like 3 times to make sure ... there are 21 drivers shown  for each speaker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the offer,..   I'm in the process of upgrading my Zu's w/new drivers and some other various internal mods recommended by Casey.  I have a friend that lives nearby who just bought a pair of the Electrons.  His initial impression has not been overly favorable BUT they are still breaking in.  I hope to hear them later this week or weekend.  If they do settle down and I like,  then I could be interested but honestly, don't wait on me,  if you can sell or have another buyer then don't think twice.   Thanks for letting me know!

Hi...REW is free and JRiver is cheap. They will make more improvement in your overall system than many multi-thousand components. It does require that you keep your music sources as digital rips in JRiver -- but this has som many advantages that once you get used to it, you will not go back.