Tekton Lore Reference speaker review ! - Crazy good but not so crazy expensive speaker
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- Опубліковано 2 тра 2020
- This is my review of the Tekton Design speaker - The tekton lore reference. One of the best budget speakers that performs way above its price category.
see where tekon lore reference is on our tier list: www.patreon.com/posts/gear-ti...
Tekton Lore Reference: www.tektondesign.com/lore-ref...
Disclaimer/ Personal interest in my reviews - Please read "About" section on / nbts
Tekton double impact review: • The Best Speaker Award...
Tekton Pendragon review: • Why 3 tweeters for a s...
Tekton Pendragon vs Double impact: • Tekton Double Impact v...
LTA tube pre-amp review: • LTA MZ3 Tube Integrate...
Sound artist integrated: www.china-hifi-audio.com/en/s...
Jay's soundstage reviews: • Jay's Soundstage! reviews
Cables I use:
Memento-be RCA cables : www.china-hifi-audio.com/en/c...
FOND power cable: www.china-hifi-audio.com/en/c...
Alpha power cable: www.china-hifi-audio.com/en/c...
Whisper SE speakers cables: www.china-hifi-audio.com/en/c...
Alpha XLR cables: Alpha XLR cables: www.china-hifi-audio.com/en/c...
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#speakers #hifi #audiophile - Розваги
Alot of you guys are asking for links to cables and such, check the description. rock on ! 👍✌👊
Disclaimer/ Personal interest in my reviews - Please read "About" section on Patreon.com/nbts
The Sound Artist amp is Chinese-made but dirt cheap for its power rating, especially for class AB operation.
let the speakers talk a bit jay please need to hear its voice hehe peace
I agree that these cables are a great value and loving them in my setup. Thanks for the recommendation Jay 👍
Great Value for $750, I always appreciate a honest,solid audio review like this.Thanks Jay.
The moment you said, 'paper driver', I was all in. No wonder they get such great reviews... the paper drivers no doubt have something to do with that.
Thankyou for this eloquent, lyrical list and commentary.
You are clearly fully immersed in the infinite variousness of what makes great audio.
The best review I’ve ever heard - balanced, passionate, technical & immediately accessible.
Thankyou
I bought the Tekton Lore Reference speakers because of your review here. I've been very happy with the speakers for 4 years now, and don't see any reason to change speakers. They sound great to me, very dynamic and exciting sound.
Thank you for continuing to review the Tekton’s, I’m sooo close to choosing a model. If at all possible please review their subwoofers, i wold love to know how he compare to some of the other audiophile grade subs out there. Stay healthy.
Excellent review, one of the best I’ve heard,. Your passion for this hobby really comes through.
Next paycheck, I buying a pair. So far, your reviews have been really accurate. Thank you.
You just sold me on them. Let this next two months go by quickly, while they get built. Cheers on this super well detailed video. Respect.
Thank you for the great reviews and taking a look at price points that is within the lower level audiophile / music lovers ability to purchase.
Tektons are just awesome looking speakers. Hey Jay thanks for all of your work on the awesome videos. I always leave a "Like"! Have a great day man!
Awesome review man, these are gems clearly
Very good review . The standard Lores are excellent as well . To my ear sonic characteristics are like a small venue live setting with a great sound system . Excellent imaging , timbre , sparkle in the highs , very realistic vocals , piano , strings. Deep natural bass with great texture.
Great review Jay. Tekton makes great speakers at various price point that you have reviewed. You really should try the LTA-F7 pairing with the Encore. It’s too good to miss.
Hi Jay. After seeing the review on these speakers I’m going to buy them. I was going to buy the LRS but I think my equipment will be a problem. The way you describe these they sound fantastic. I really enjoy watching your reviews! Thank you so much! I’m going to call tomorrow and see how long it takes to get a pair.
I owned a pair of these and sold them only due to WAF, and bought a pair of SF Venere 1.5, sexy speakers yes, but the Lore Ref trounce them all day long. I regret ever letting go of the Lores and am now making it my mission to get them back into my living room. Great review btw.
Dang with the upgrade of a beryllium tweeter and wood wrap dang now thats awesome ! No stands needed love that ! These will be on my Radar !
First year of production they were bookshelves. Now your saving easy $150. Good stands. Love see how 6 of the micro with dual SVS-SB2000. 7.1.2 system.
Have had these for 5 years, and have had no desire to upgrade at any time. The bass on these things is crazy good - fast, tight and deep. The treble is plump, juicy and tonally correct. I am running them with a 60 watt tube amplifier. I have never heard them do anything nasty even at seriously loud volumes. While the treble is not as smooth as my Monitor Audio Silvers, they have a presence and 'you are there' tone. These are great speakers for rocking out. Just my .02, and thanks for reviewing one of the lesser reviewed in the Tekton line.
I've been using hi fi systems that use a tube preamp and a sold state power amp since the early eighties. It's the best of both worlds.
Great review, I'm very curious about about these
Great video with all the details. Thanks!
They are excellent base that can be improved vastly by enhancing the sealing of the cabinet with tar, a better material for the port, top notch parts for the crossover a better decoupling of the cabinet from the ground.
Hi Jay, I've bought the Atoll IN200 Power Amp because of you; also the Sound Artist coaxial speaker; and now the Lore Reference because of you. That's your influence. I need to work harder to keep up with you. But so far, all the video advice I've taken from you is dead on, so for all that is tuning in, you are in good "ears." Thank you Jay. Hey, will you sell me your DIY speaker?
I have the mini Lore $575 pair. I’ve had them a little over a week and I absolutely love these speakers!
how are they with a naim xs2 amp ?
Keep up with these awesome vids
Thank you Jay! Just received my Refs and SoundArtist Amp with CopperColour cables and must say this is a perfect match! Hard to top this setup with BS Node for $2K. I owe you one 🙏🏼
I bought mine late 2016. Maserati Red. Connected to EmoPre and McIntosh MC2505. Love, love them. They can get a little fatiqueing at high volumes, but when I swap them out I miss that "sparkle" and want to switch back. Anything acoustic, concert, sounds wonderful.
thanks great review
Nice review. I had the Lore Reference and ended up with the Enzo 2.7. I have it in my bedroom system for late night low level listening with a 2 watt per channel Decware tube amp. Dreamy.
Using a dac?? Let me know your setup. Thanks.
@@xjmzrq I use an Audio GD R7 DAC. In addition to the Decware amp I have an Audio Note 300B integrated amp to power the tekton. My source material is Tidal through a Bluesound node 2i running into the DAC
cosmo naut very very nice setup. My budget isn’t quite there, but I was considering the Cambridge CXN V2 as a streaming source for the Decware amp. As a matter of fact, that recommendation came from Steve Deckart via email. He said that combination “will bend you brain.” So yeah - that definitely got my attention.
Just bought a pr. Of Red Lore Reference with upgrade package! Been wanted to pull the trigger on this for a few years. Glad I did today!
Hello Jay, I enjoyed your review and got interested in the amp. Is the lore better than Buchardts 400? Thanks again.
Efficient speakers excel at attack and decay because it literally takes less power to start and stop them and less energy gets stored in the voice coils.
Yes. I call it "agility". To sound lifelike, speakers must preserve the texture of the original instruments and ensemble soundstage. Speakers that lack agility blend all that texture into a smooth, silky "baby food" glop. All the flavors (frequencies) may still be there, but its limp and lifeless.
Finally someone review this speaker
Amazing review as always buddy it’s awesome that you were put out this information I was ready to spend close to the same price on bookshelf speakers with stands when I could probably just pick up a set like this
I want a simple set up where I could just stream music from and the occasional CD I was wondering what amplifier or preamplifier would you recommend that will be under $1000 I’ll like to keep the budget with the speakers on the 2000 this will be perfect for me and the wife will kill me LOL
This brand is really impressive, really good sound and not going to crazy price ! NICE JOB !
Thanks for this review. Well done! Since you say that the imaging is more like a bookshelf and better than the Double Impact, do you have plans to review the Impact Monitor? If not, do you have any insights into that speaker that you could share? Cheers.
Great video.
Would you recommemd the Sound Artist over the willsenton? Great review btw
Would you be able to compare the double impact VS the elektron. I'm not sure my studio can handle a double impact but maybe an elektron.
great review; you really left me curious about these speakers and this brand. when you mention: "refinement in the high frequencies"...does your pair have the upgraded beryllium tweeters? would really like to know... thanks~!
How do these sound compared to the CSS Criton 1TD you built?
I own a pair of Lore Reference with Clarity Cap upgrade. The tweeter is a SEAS!!, bass driver is made by Eminence and is made to Eric's specs. Rest of the system is as follows- Oppo Sonica DAC/ streamer and pre amp, power amp is an Acoustat TNT 200, dual mono amplifer. Upgraded and restored by former Acoustat tech in Florida. I bought the Acoustat new in 1984! I had Acoustat 2+2 speakers. I originally purchased the Lore Ref. 5 years ago for a guest quarters on our farm. Sold the stats in the 80's I won't part with my Lore Ref. All music sourced from Tidal HiFI.
Yazoo is great and I especially like "Situation" when evaluating a system.
Hi Jay, lost count of the number of times I've watched this particular video. Reason is the Lore Reference is among my top wishlist for speakers due to your review. I've just decided to order the Pier Audio MS-480SE after watching the Audio Excellence Canada video (also countless times LOL). Now, I'm torn between the Lore Reference, the GoldenEar BRX & the KEF LS50 Meta to pair with the Pier Audio. Would really love to hear your views. Thank you so much for all your videos.
You really got me thinking with the Lores. I have owned the Double Impact base model and I'm very curious as to how they may compare. I have also owned a pair of the Totem Acoustics Hawks, which may be my favorite speaker so far, and I had them side by side with the DI enabling me to make good comparisons. I have to say that the Hawks held their own against the DI in a situation similar to David & Golliath. Certainly there were a couple of passages were the DI outshined the Hawks but man when we consider the size and driver differences then the Hawks turn into giant achievers. I recommend you checking out a pair of Hawks, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Going back to the Lores I think you can now understand why I am so intrigued with them. I may end up getting a pair.
I also own the hawks. Love em!
I have the sound artist amplifier. Right now I'm running it through a pair of vintage akai sw 157 ii speakers and I really like the sound. That being said, I'll be upgrading speakers and so am naturally considering the speakers you recommended as good pairings for the amplifier. Between the magnepan LRS pairing and the lore reference pairing which one did you enjoy more?
Ahhh, all these Tekton videos have me suffering from upgradeitis bad. I have enjoyed NHT Classic Fours for over a decade. Trying to decide whether going for the Pendragons or the Double Impacts make sense or if I should just hold on and wait for the upgradeitis to pass. Discovering this channel (while it may prove expensive for me ultimately) has helped the quarantine time pass more quickly!
You pull the trigger on either speaker??
I’ve owned the Lores for two years and they sound amazing for $1k. Really good. But if. I had the coin, I’d absolutely get the electrons (room not ideal for DI) I think that design is next level. But with the Lores, they really reflect the quality of upstream gear.. while still sounding great on mid-fi power.
@@xjmzrq no. Still saving up and being deliberative.
Jay Antle Me too. I’m moving from an AVR to an integrated amp & dac (well, streamer w/ dac really) first - and will look at new speakers in another 3-6 months. I have a bunch of vintage gear to clean up and sell - and that’s where my speaker budget will come from. I did, however, pick up a pair of lascalas for dirt cheap and updated them with Crites recently. I’m enjoying them but will also sell to help fund what will likely be a pair of dbl impacts.
Were you able to listen to these with the willsenton tube amp? And if you did, did you enjoy them as much as that pairing with the tekton double impact?
Hey Jay, what are those little miniature speaker-looking items sitting on the floor in front of the amp? I've never seen those before. Also, would you be willing to review Tekton's Brilliance speakers someday? :)
Thanks for the review, Jay! Thinking about purchasing these speakers along with the SoundArtist as my first foray into the hobby. What CD player would u recommend i use with this set? Thanks!
On the China-fi site check out the Opera line of players. I have the Consonance and love it.
an interesting speaker with eminence pro driver surface mounted! - I love no frills, and this company seems to have a similar usp to schiit, which would seem a good aesthetic pairing.
cables; I am a believer in sensible - be interesting to see what you think of 'pro' cabling like van damme.
one diy passing thought I had was to combine 2 sets of romex with thin silver plated interconnect wire - combining 'opposites' at low cost, and with 2 runs per side low/no cap.
I am currently using naim nac5 (which seems similar to romex!) - which i will hasten to add i bought 2nd hand before it inexplicably doubled in price a few years back - my best hifi 'investment'!
Wish someone would review the SET15 which can be run off 1 watt amp
Pretty impossible to have a pair of these in Italy, so, you know, nice video, I'm your subscriber, but I gave you a like on the thrust.
Hi Jay, have you ever done a review of the Mini Lore Monitor? Thanks for all the other great reviews.
Jay, have you heard the Mini Lores? I'm on a tight budget, and I'm tight on space, so just wondering how these compare? If it's just a difference of bass, I'd be fine with that as I'm not a basshead. I like detail though (as long as it's not fatiguing), so if you loose detail with the Mini Lore vs the Lore Reference, I might go for the Reference instead.
How well would they sound on 300 wpc Emotiva or any digital amp? I keep hearing tube flea power amps.
Did you try driving them directly with the Hegel? If so, what was your impression?
I have the Elac Debut Reference Bookshelf which sound great just curious if the Lore would be a step up.I didn't know about these when i bought the Elacs.
Thanks for your great review. I see you have the parasound integrated , did you have a chance to play the Lore R's with it and if so how any comments of the pairing. THX GBB.
What Parasound? New D class is very nice.
I hope you be ok too. Nice video.
Ive own these speakers for 5 years and really enjoy them BUT the cabinet resonates alot and also alot of port shuffle noise when playing bassheavy tracks or watching movies without subs... But drums sounds awesome like you said 😉
Love my lore reference!
Jay. I keep coming home to this review of the reference Lore. Also a fan of the the other Tekton reviews. I wish you could compare the reference to speakers like Kef R3 bookshelf, Buchardt 400? You say that this speaker “punches above” bookshelves in a very high price category. I really like Tekton in what you have said. Could you please make some comparisons
I bought these speakers and I have to say they remind me more of some of these amazing home builds out there. What is shocking to me that some of the best known speakers out there could upgrade parts less than 50 bucks and it would make a huge impact, but they don’t. These have the best sound I’ve heard for the money. Also you have to remember that if these were sold, to wholesalers for retail it creates a middle man which ai promise you would be far more expensive. Another thing I see with these is that people tend to keep them, just like dirty weekend a huge following. The regular Lores out there I bet money there is a tube amp in the room.
The Be upgrade, are those SBAcoustics Be tweeters? Is there any way to buy Tektons in Asia?
I am very tempted to buy these... and place them upside down on top of stands in my office. If they sound good...great. I was hoping Tekton= Eric Alexander would have made something like Mini Lore that went a little lower like this Lore Reference does.
Great review! Damn now I'm obsessed with getting some Tektons. I was thinking the DIs earlier when I move into a bigger space, but now maybe I'll just get some smaller ones now. I have the Billie amp, so it should drive any of their speakers. I currently have the Triangle Bro 3s, would you say, in your opinion, that the Lore Reference are a big upgrade from the Bros, or should I just wait?
I'm just gonna say that I like the tektons a lot lol
@@Jayiyagi lol gotcha
@@Jayiyagi wondering if there is anything on the BR 03s that you like more over the Lore?
Do these have a murderous upper mid-range/lower treble like the Enzo XL's? Same question for Pendragon/DI?
Can you comment on the correct room placement needed for Tekton speakers. Can they be placed within a few inches of the rear wall in a large room? Would the ported speakers be a good fit for that?
I own the same Copper Colour cables, and I found no difference between them and my (much cheaper) Ghent Audio Canare 4S8 Star Quad cables and I have a pretty resolving system (IMO).
Wharfedale EVO 4.4, Ares II, DIY 200W Class AB amp.
Please find a pair of KLH Audio Kendall speakers for a review!
I love tekton, their subs are amazing. 4-10 and 2-10 are so tight.
William West I didn’t know they made subs. I’ll have to check them out
Great review. Hopefully you can get a pair of OB Sigma's from Tekton for review. Their response to Magnepan.
One thing no reviews mention is that Tektons are available in a wide variety of colors and can custom the finish if required.
Be well.
I have a good one for you these or the Evo4.2 from Wharfedale?
How do the Lore compare to the other famous competitor, the Zu Omen DW2?
I am also waiting for that SAME question to be looked at
You tell me these have won twice best speaker award
In my opinion the Tekton Uruz would be a more fair comparison, better ribbon tweeter than the Lore, and same price as the DW mk II.
Sound artist or iota vx? 🤔 Whats the difference is sound quality? I tried to find some reviews of the Lores but those are from almost 10 years ago.
Whats the gauge on the Whisper SE speaker cables?
Hi Jay. Do you think the upgrade package (Mundorf caps, Jantzen inductors) worth the USD300 extra?. What about beryllium tweeter?...it goes for USD600
Hi! I wonder which speaker is better for electronic music in a 24 m2 room ..tekton lore reference or kef ls50(maybe with their new sub?) my current setup-quad 21l with audiolab 8000se. Greetings! Dario,Croatia
I would much prefer the ports on the rear. Placement would be more difficult (not for me) but the speaker would look more refined and much better in my opinion.
Would these pair well with a cheaper vintage amp?
how do you think they would sound with a older kenwood model 500?
How does it match up to the focal 826? What is the sound signature difference between a Focal tweeter and the Beryllium in the upgraded Lore BE?
I also still own a pair of Audio Concepts Sapphire speakers. I upgraded from the nasty Kevlar tweets to a Focal Tioxid non ferro fluid tweeters. Titanium dioxide prevents the spittey sound of pure titanium.
Do you recommend the $200 upgrade package?
any comparison with zu or omega?
How about Parasound New Classic 200 integrated amp?
Hi. Are the whisper cables pure copper ? Do they need to be ?
Be tweeter upgrade worth it?
Such a great review....... then ended with a cable pump....... if you want to ever understand where an audiophile is coming from, ask him / her about cables. You can learn a lot that way.
they are about $100 USD for a pair. if that is a lot of money (to you) then you are in the wrong hobby.
how do piano heavy recording sound on the Tekton Lore?
How do they compare with the Magnepan? It looks the SoundArtist SA200IA can't be found online. Can you please recommend some other integrated amps to go with the Lore Reference below $2000?
check the description for the sound artist.
I'm currently saving up for a pair of buchardt S400. Would you recommend the tekton over the buchart? Maybe I can save some money LOL
For that amount you could get a full range beast like the Pendragons.
Can u compare there subs vs rel and others..
Did you try them with the Wilsenton R8? If so, how did it sound?
yes. it sound wonderful... but I still prefer the sound artist amp with these speaker in particular
@@Jayiyagi jay, is there a way that you can describe that in words.. such as the "with the sound artists the Lores sounded more xyz"... that way we can glean into the synergistic qualities of each component. Much thanks for this video.. been thinking about the Lores for a good while.
@@HoomanR17 same thing applies. The sound artist is more live sounding than the lores. Lores has more bass and refinement. The r8 adds beautiful midrange and 3dness to both speakers
@@Jayiyagi Thanks Jay for your reponse.. always appreciated. You mention "both speakers"..which other speaker are you referring to?
@@HoomanR17 he made a mistake he thought you were talking about the speakers not the sound artist amp, because they make both speakers and amps
Always enjoy your reviews and opinion. I like speakers with the midrange driver above the tweeter, mine are Canton Vento 7’s. I believe it sounds more natural and less fatiguing. But it’s hard for me to believe these are anywhere as sensitive as claimed. Stereophile tested the Impact Monitors as 87.5 db not 94 and this class AB amp weighs 25 lbs and puts out 150 watts into 8 ohms. My Denon PMA a100 weighs 57lbs and is rated at 80 watts, measuring 120 watts. That being said it’s a nice looking amp and crazy inexpensive and those Tektons are a great size for floorstanders, not too big or heavy. Would enjoy you checking out the Dragonflies(great name) or Electron SE’s and your take on those. You are doing a great job with this channel, I enjoy you very much.
Can you review the Tekton Encores?
I have a pair of Encores. Love them. Have nothing but good things to say about them. My best Dan
Can you use this for movies?
I had a pair of Tekton Enzo’s. They were good for the price but there was something weird with the upper mids lower treble that I could never put a finger on
You nailed it. They have a big bump in the "presence" region around 4khz +/- a few thousand hertz. This makes them extremely hard on the ears as this is the most sensitive region of earing. I actually really would've loved my Tekton Enzo XL's if they had just voiced it neutrally. I guess that is their "secret sauce" for getting the "live" sound? I made them much better suited for home theater than 2-channel music IMO. Once you heavily EQ'd the Enzo XL's they sounded good for music. The inconsistency of information & measurements from their website make me very apprehensive of trying other models even though I am curious. If you are still looking, I found the Aperion Verus Grand III Towers fit the bill where the Tekton's couldn't.
How do these Lores compare with the Sound Artist SC8B speakers you reviewed? I have the Tekton Moabs in my cave. I'm looking for something smaller in my bedroom.
sound artist is more lively. more rockn roll with less bass than the tektons. These are more linear and all rounded.
wondering the same.. how these compare in terms of being "tonally accurate", at least how Jay described the Sound Artists.
@@Jayiyagi Thanks for clarifying.
Seems it’s at the same price range as Elac UF5, how do they compare?