Tekton Lore Reference speaker review ! - Crazy good but not so crazy expensive speaker
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
- 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.
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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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 ?
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?
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.
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 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.
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.
Next paycheck, I buying a pair. So far, your reviews have been really accurate. Thank you.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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 😉
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Excellent review, one of the best I’ve heard,. Your passion for this hobby really comes through.
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.
How do these sound compared to the CSS Criton 1TD you built?
hmm from your review, this might sound good with Schiit Aegir. Low wattage but class A.
I was thinking the cheaper and integrated vista spark might be a good fit as well. Same wattage as the aegir but a/b and it has two outputs for a dac and phono preamp.
Wish someone would review the SET15 which can be run off 1 watt amp
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.
Hello Jay, I enjoyed your review and got interested in the amp. Is the lore better than Buchardts 400? Thanks again.
I don’t see these Lore reference reviewed by anyone else. Your review speaks for itself but…. Could you tell us your thoughts on improvements that could be made to this speaker that would give it some traction in the industry? An incredible mid tower should be just the ticket for most people. Just curious? Thanks Jay.
Awesome review man, these are gems clearly
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.
Great review, I'm very curious about about these
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
Would you recommemd the Sound Artist over the willsenton? Great review btw
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?
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.
How well would they sound on 300 wpc Emotiva or any digital amp? I keep hearing tube flea power amps.
Anyone pair the Nad M10 with the Tekton Lore Reference!? What do you think!?
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.
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
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~!
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'!
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.
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 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.
Yazoo is great and I especially like "Situation" when evaluating a system.
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?
Do these have a murderous upper mid-range/lower treble like the Enzo XL's? Same question for Pendragon/DI?
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.
Please find a pair of KLH Audio Kendall speakers for a review!
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.
Interesting, but sadly not available in the UK
Did you try driving them directly with the Hegel? If so, what was your impression?
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? :)
Great video with all the details. Thanks!
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 !
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?
Finally someone review this speaker
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.
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.
tekton success is 90% excellent choice of drivers and how their combination with each other. Please review Grandinote speakers
Do you recommend the $200 upgrade package?
Hi Jay, have you ever done a review of the Mini Lore Monitor? Thanks for all the other great reviews.
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.
The Be upgrade, are those SBAcoustics Be tweeters? Is there any way to buy Tektons in Asia?
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
A few years ago I imported a pair of Tekton Lore Monitors, I'll be honest they didn't really suit my taste and were a fatiguing listen for me. That's not to say they are bad, just to say that preferences still have a big impact.
Bass. Everyone who owns Tekton raves about the bass, but many/most owners have subwoofers, even for the mighty Moabs. What's up with that? The Lore Reference have a single 8" driver, but is rated down to 37Hz. Eric is obviously a magician.
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.
Hi Jay. Do you think the upgrade package (Mundorf caps, Jantzen inductors) worth the USD300 extra?. What about beryllium tweeter?...it goes for USD600
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?
I have a good one for you these or the Evo4.2 from Wharfedale?
At about 14 minutes, when you say “tilt” them towards you, do you mean “rotate” them? Tilt would mean more like getting them to point more towards ceiling or floor to me.
Getting good high frequency sound from speakers is just about the easiest thing they can achieve. Great responsive and tight bass without being too fatiguing is probably the toughest to achieve. Never mind great imaging.
I'm curious concerning the Lore Mini. But when I check their web site, I have to wonder if they just crank out a new model every month or so. How can a dealer have a clue where all those models would be indicated?
Besides lower cost, that's why Eric and company sell factory direct.
I think part of why they can sustain so many models is because they are built to order.
@@The_Orphanizer But my question is why they have so many available to sell. Many seem to sell for roughly the same amount of money. I guess I'm lucky as I'm not looking to buy any of the models with a gazillion drivers. My upper limit is definitely less than $2000.
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.
Slightly more expensive than the Tekton lore reference at $797 but I'd be interested to hear what you think of them the Fyne Audio F303 made in Scotland
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.
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
How about Parasound New Classic 200 integrated amp?
thanks great review
I'm not surprised. First of all the age of bad speakers is far behind. What was premium in sound in the 80s and 90s can now be found in cheap solutions.
And given that.. there are actually a lot of 'bang for buck' and hidden gems on the market. Madison bookshelf speakers cost 75 euro's and extend in quality to speakers till 1000 euro. Kef's older LS50 are less than a 1000 now and keep their value for far over its tag.
I would not care about how speakers look for reference in a studio (though some do) but If it comes to a living room most people also take the way it appears into account.
Usually most money is thrown onto the design department besides R&D. This is a red box, the Madisons are 13 in a dozen in design packed in a plastic shell and the Kef ls50 is cheaper because it will remain next to the metas as an old model.
Every silver lining or stylistic element with a signature in design will add something and expensive speakers usually have a whole collection of these signatures.
Some might argue that design doesn't matter but when it comes to selling designed brand speakers they maintain a value or sometimes go up in value. Lesser known spartanic designed brands are really hard to sell or even give a way when replacing.
A good bang for buck speaker with a great design is in my opinion the Evo 4.2 at this moment.
Lore Reference has a Seas tweeter!!
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
Keep up with these awesome vids
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.
I think everyone bought this speaker, because its sold out :O
It's your fault, Jay!
..you can place an order via the phone. I ordered mine a few days ago...
Waiting on parts
@@markharris2798 You won't be sorry! But feed it good stuff!
I’m driving with a Rotel1572
Hey this is a little unrelated, but there's a speaker for sale of an unknown brand (e.g. you can't find anything about the brand) and it's an omnidirectional speaker from the 80s.
He listed it for 430€ and I think it might be one of these unique speaker deals. The thing is that I'd need to drive 4 hours one way to listen to them and that's a lot :/. But they are BEAUTIFUL too. One upfiring tweeter one frontfiring tweeter and one upfiring (looks like) 10 inch woofer..
What should I do 😩
I once travelled 10 hours to get a speaker lol. If you really want to try it. Then you should