[yeldarb]

I believe that veneer was another $300 or so.  Might vary depending on the veneer.  Mine are the basic satin black.  Finish is pretty decent.  And they sort of fade into the background, if a big black box can do so.

After seeing some of the photos of veneered Lores....I wish.

[JLM]

The M-Lore is about the same size as my current living room speakers (that are black with oak texture).  The living room is roughly 4000 cu. ft. plus a number of openings, so room filling sound is important which these high efficiency designs help with.  As this is my 3rd system I can do without really deep bass.

[genjamon]

My walnut veneer was $250, but prices go up from there, depending on the materials cost for the veneer.  He will do several primary colors other than black for the base price.  High gloss automotive quality paint is also available in a lot more color variety, and I believe this was $300 extra.

[michaelk]

Mr. F (or anyone else who has heard both):
How would you compare these to the Audio Note kit 3's that you reviewed over at Audioasylum?
I like the sound of the audio note factory speakers i've heard but the price makes me wince. 
Thanks, mk

[mihilli]

Good luck trying to get a pair of speakers from Tekton.

I've been waiting since September last year (have now given up).

Spoke to Eric Alexander directly, was promised they would be finished in 4-6 weeks. 

Then was promised January, then February.  When I sent him an email asking if he was every going to deliver my speakers I got quite a nasty email back saying he had personal problems and that was much more important then his business!

I replied he probably could be a bit more diplomatic with his customers.

I got a contrite email apologising and he said my speakers would be done "soon".

In March I got an email saying they should be ready anytime now.

It's now mid-April....................................

[RonN5]

I placed an order with Eric for the standard black Lore model with grilles in early January; they arrived a couple of weeks ago.  I will post a review within a couple when I hit the 50 hour mark but let me say that the Lore is very special loudspeaker, and I'm glad I hung in there.

[RonN5]

Tekton Lore Review

So, here is the thing about the Tekton Lore; it is a really fine loudspeaker.  It easily creates the illusion of live music transported into your living space.  And to think that it does this for only $1200, including grills, delivered to your home, amazing!  Oh, and did I mention that you don’t have to have $5k of electronics driving them to make them sound good, which makes them even better.  I’m using a Parasound 2100 preamp into a Crown XLS 2000 Drivecore amplifier all connected with Blue Jeans cables.

I placed an order with Eric in January and the Lores arrived in April.  The Lore fit and finish is first class.  I know that others have suggested that the Tekton finish is good, but nothing special.  Let me say, having worked in the metals/automotive manufacturing world that the cabinet carpentry is very well done and the paint job is top notch.  The black color is of an eggshell sheen and unlike a piano finish, doesn’t show fingerprints or dust.  The overall speaker look is understated in a very classy way…it doesn’t scream, “hey, look at me”, but when you take the time to look, you will see just how nice it is.  The grilles are well made and function easily with push points, not magnets.  They don’t buzz or rattle when the Lores play loud, and like the cabinets, they are understated.  The binding posts are red and black, quite solid and put a firm grip on banana plugs if you choose to use them.

I should mention that when they arrived, they were double boxed for maximum protection.  The outer box is made of a thick cardboard, the inner box is made up of about 10 pieces of 2” thick Styrofoam that are assembled in a way that protects the transducers and the cabinet.  Therefore, I strongly recommend that you take a sharpie marker and label the Styrofoam sections so that you know exactly where they go if/when the time ever comes that the Lores have to go back into their boxes…in fact, taking a few pictures wouldn’t hurt either.  Needless to say, the packing is first class as well. 

Eric told me that the mids and highs would be pretty good right out of the box, they were.  He also said that somewhere in the 30-50 hour range, they would start to come into their own and that the low end would really start to get deep, it did.  He also said that if I liked them at this point, they would keep improving until somewhere in the 100-200 hour mark…but if I didn’t like them by 50, I probably wouldn’t like them at 200.  No problem, by 50 hours, I just couldn’t believe how good they sounded.

The Lores sound great with regular CD’s… and with DVD audio, they sound even better. They are captivating, they are commanding and they make you want to listen to music…over and over.  They highs are very articulate and detailed; they don’t bite and they aren’t harsh.  The mids are revealing, sweet and smooth.  They have impact.  The bass goes very deep, but more importantly, you can tell a standup bass, from a bass guitar from a kick drum.  And you can easily hear the detail of individual notes; there is no boom, boom, thump, thump mud here, just beautiful music.  The soundstage is an appropriate height, width and depth and varies by how good the mix is on the source.  And as mentioned above, the vertical and horizontal dispersion is very, very good which allows for a 2-3 people wide prime seating area with all the other listening positions being pretty darn good as well.

Even though my room is quite large, the Lores can play very, very loud with less than 20 watts per channel.  Although they sound amazing when they are playing loud, they sound pretty darn good when playing at a low/medium level.  Crazy as it may sound, they also sound pretty good when I’m in another room as well.  And I have to say that when people have stopped by to listen, they stay a lot longer than they had planned and always comment that the music just sounds so darn real.

What I’ve noticed in the forums is that so often, when comparing really good products, it comes down to nuances and personal taste and not glaring weaknesses.  As of now, I’m at the 60 hour mark and the Lores keep sounding better and better.  So much so, that I’ve decided leave them in my living room and call my search compete.

My conclusion is that if you want a loudspeaker that looks great, is very musical and has impact and if you want a loudspeaker that is easy to drive, easy to set up and won’t break the bank then you should put the Lores on your short list.  If you decide to give them a try, I very much doubt that you will be sending them back; as I said earlier, the Lores are very special.

[brian t]

Hi, can anyone who has the tekton lores please measure the port size and lengh for me .cheers

[yeldarb]

I added some damping to the cabinet, around the main driver, with Evercoat pads.  Approximate 8 x 8 inches behind driver and 6 x 6 inches above and on both sides.  Under the fiberglass, of course.  Added self stick felt to the inside of driver "legs", covered the back of the magnet with felt (leaving vent open), and then used Evercoat strips on outside of "legs".  Filled gap between magnet and frame with a Mortite fillet.  Also added small pieces of Evercoat to the brace below crossover and on both sides of tweeter.  Left the tweeter alone.  The frame looks like it would break up reflected sound waves. 

There was an substantial improvement to imaging and definition.  The speaker just seems "faster".  The old saw "a veil was lifted" is appropriate, but trite.  About $45 for materials, and a couple hours of time.

[Chuck_M]

I auditioned Tekton Lores late this past January in my home.  I meticulously repacked them in the original containers and returned them in mint condition within two weeks via UPS (at my expense).  I am STILL waiting for my money back.  So much for the 30-day "risk free" in home audition. 

When I called Paul he confirmed receipt of the retuned Lores, said he made a mistake, and he would send me a check.  That was in February.  I pretty much have written it off.  That's a thousand bucks my favorite charity won't get (plus about $130 for return shipping).

Buyer beware...

[Chuck_M]

EDIT

I meant I talked directly to Eric (not Paul).

should have proof read    -Paul's a guy I just spoke with on the phone that has nothing to do with Tekton - guess that's why I typed "Paul"

Anyway - be careful with these small, newish startups.  They may or may not be in business long enough to issue refunds on returns.  Cost me a thousand bucks plus return shipping to "audition" these speakers.     

[mick wolfe]

EDIT

I meant I talked directly to Eric (not Paul).

should have proof read    -Paul's a guy I just spoke with on the phone that has nothing to do with Tekton - guess that's why I typed "Paul"

Anyway - be careful with these small, newish startups.  They may or may not be in business long enough to issue refunds on returns.  Cost me a thousand bucks plus return shipping to "audition" these speakers. 

I had a much less painful experience that involved grills for a pair of M-Lores. Paid for them upfront ( $50) but never received them. The M-Lores did arrive within 6 weeks however. After numerous e-mails, texts and phone calls, I finally blew it off. I figured if I ever ordered another set of Tekton speakers, I'd request a credit. But my interest here has waned. Stories like yours add to the waning. Too bad as these are excellent products are their various price points. Looks like the overall business model needs a major revamping however.  I've seen this a lot over the years in this hobby. Talented designers with zero business sense. If I were you, I'd request they send the speakers back. At least you could sell them privately and recoup something. In your case there's just too much money involved to simply blow it off like I did with the $50 grill debacle.

[Chuck_M]

I have considered calling him again for at least a partial refund or the speakers back.  I am actually kind of sympathetic to him though.  My brother ran his own small business for a while.  It is difficult to get new small businesses going until they are profitable.  No doubt Eric is a decent man and probably works exhausting hours.  Since I give far more money to my favorite charities - I just wrote this one off.

It's too bad since I actually was favorably impressed with the speakers.  I was considering auditioning the Pendragons instead, but when I never received my money back on the first set of returns, I wasn't going to risk it with the Pendragons.  As much as I liked the Lores, I probably would have kept the Pendragons though. 

[fidobite]

I know this is an oooold topic but I felt as though Tekton was left with no defenders and an update seemed appropos. As some of you may know Eric Alexander (he is Tekton Design) went through a very difficult time a few years ago dealing with family issues for which details can be found in older posts on his blog. Time has improved his circumstances and now, near the end of 2016, he is up and running with a good head of steam. Several new products have been developed & many new reviews have solidified his standing as a solid speaker designer worth considering.

I had been following his progress for some time and when he offered his OB Sigma speakers he had been developing for some years at a considerable discount to "get them out there" I immediately ordered a pair. Nearly a month in now I have to say I am quite impressed! These are an open baffle design with a couple of twists & details can be found on his website. As a very experienced dipole listener (over 17 years with Apogee Duetta Signatures) I can attest to the blessings and shortcomings of a dipole speaker setup. These Sigmas are a remarkable effort in retaining the virtues of OB's while significantly nullifying the few vices. He has, of course, retained his Lore line (with further developments), his Pendragons which have also met with considerable acclaim, the "all out" 1812's and others. Check him out...I think he and Tekton are here to stay.

I'll be adding a full review of the OB Sigmas here at A.C. soon.

[rotarius]

I know this is an oooold topic but I felt as though Tekton was left with no defenders and an update seemed appropos. As some of you may know Eric Alexander (he is Tekton Design) went through a very difficult time a few years ago dealing with family issues for which details can be found in older posts on his blog. Time has improved his circumstances and now, near the end of 2016, he is up and running with a good head of steam. Several new products have been developed & many new reviews have solidified his standing as a solid speaker designer worth considering.

I had been following his progress for some time and when he offered his OB Sigma speakers he had been developing for some years at a considerable discount to "get them out there" I immediately ordered a pair. Nearly a month in now I have to say I am quite impressed! These are an open baffle design with a couple of twists & details can be found on his website. As a very experienced dipole listener (over 17 years with Apogee Duetta Signatures) I can attest to the blessings and shortcomings of a dipole speaker setup. These Sigmas are a remarkable effort in retaining the virtues of OB's while significantly nullifying the few vices. He has, of course, retained his Lore line (with further developments), his Pendragons which have also met with considerable acclaim, the "all out" 1812's and others. Check him out...I think he and Tekton are here to stay.

I'll be adding a full review of the OB Sigmas here at A.C. soon.

Personal problems do not give someone a right to rob people of their hard earned money.  We all suffer through hard times, I have but I did not swindle anyone.  There is no reason to trust this guy.   

[fidobite]

Agreed...but then I rather doubt your children have ever been kidnapped. I would only say that those that have been shortchanged might find sayisfaction in reconnecting with Eric at Techton now. He has had several posts regarding backlogged issues on his blog. Jus' sayin'...

[mick wolfe]

Yeah, I better set the record straight on those grills I mentioned. Eric e-mailed me out of the blue well over a year ago and asked me if I still wanted the grills. So low and behold, I was still on the books. I'd sold the M-Lores, but the friend I sold them to expressed interest. They arrived about a week later and added a VERY nice visual touch to the M-Lore. My friend was extremely happy. The grills add a great deal of richness to the basic appearance of the M-Lore. So bottom line, it appears Eric may indeed have his house in order. I still recommend the M-Lore today as the a speaker of choice for those on a budget......especially tube lovers on a budget. It's an easy load, efficient and plays all genres....and more importantly, it's musically involving.

[Wind Chaser]

So the man slipped, but his integrity isn't in question. Glad it worked out for you & your friend who bought the Lore's

If you can comment, how would you describe the ZU sound in contrast to the Teton?