SOLD!
$3000
Let me answer the most obvious question first, which is "why are you selling these?" Honestly, I have been asking myself the same question over the past 48 hours. The answer is that I found a deal on a demo pair of Double Impact SEs, which are said to be just a tad more refined, as they had better be at twice the cost! But let me cut to the chase here. I have had several excellent pairs of speakers, including Vienna Acoustics, Piega, Intuitive Design, and Daedalus Ulysses, which were all fantastic. Even so, I preferred the sound of the Double Impacts to any of them. I did an extenstive comparison between them and my Ulysses, which I owned and loved for years. For anyone interested, you can read all about that on the Audiogon thread, where I recorded my listening notes, or I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
I have had the speakers for about nine months now and they are in showroom condition. I truly would recommend buying them over a new pair because they take a LONG time to break in, and these are now fully broken in and sound glorious. I also have the grilles, which are still in the box they came in. I never even put them on.
If you have read one of the many Tekton threads on Audiogon, you know this speaker (and company) have been the subject of many passionate "debates." Part of this may stem from the extravagant claims about the speaker's performance from the designer. Part of it may be from its unorthodox looks and relatively low price, compared to some high end speakers that play on this level. Part of it may stem from an inevitable backlash against any popular trend. I don't really know, or care that much. For me, the proof is in the pudding, and these speakers deliver the goods.
They are also so efficient that you can drive them with just about any amp imaginable. A lot of guys have gotten great results with a variety of very low-watt amps. Others use solid state. Still others use Class D, or something like a Lyngdorf 2170. They'll pair well with just about anything.
So I will make this offer. Anyone who lives close to western North Carolina, or who is willing to make the drive or catch a flight into Asheville, is welcome to audition these in my home and hear for yourself what all the fuss is about. If you do, chances are that we will be boxing them up and loading them into your truck or SUV within an hour or two. Here is a warning for those who audition them elsewhere--make sure they are FULLY broken in, or you will not be hearing what this speaker can really do. During the first couple of hundred hours, the bass response fluctuated quite a bit. Sometimes it was authoritative and deep, other times it seemed too polite. If I had only heard them once, I might have concluded that I needed a sub to run them. Nope. It just takes a while for them to come into their own.
Put aside the hype, but also put aside the backlash, and judge the speakers for yourself. I am surprised to be selling them, but I also did not expect to stumble into a pair of SEs, so here we are.
I will post some pics later. I had them done in charcoal gray, soft finish, which I cannot really distinguish from black. They are not "eye candy," but I think they look fine. The sound is just as good as the reviews say. Of course, sound is very subjective, but I think these speakers can hold their own with anything I've heard and are simply unbelievable at this price point. The speakers I've owned cost multiples of the Double Impacts, yet I wouldn't take any of them over these.
I will ship them, of course. That is buyer's preference. But if you want to come inspect them and hear them for yourself, let me know. Asheville is lovely this time of year, so maybe you can fold in a vacation.
Again, happy to answer any questions. This may sound like malarkey, but I am truly happy for whoever buys these. I have never enjoyed my system more than I have the past nine months. Many nights, I just sit here shaking my head at what these can do. At this price point, it's just a crazy deal for someone.
I have no idea why the pics are turning sideways when they upload, but I will be happy to send additional pics to anyone interested.
