Lore
$1130
/ pair
Free shipping in the continental US!
Description
The Lore is one of Tekton Design’s best-selling loudspeaker models for a reason. With recently updated and redesigned X-over, it’s even better than before. Amazingly powerful with huge solid-state and digital amplification, the Lore is one of the best loudspeakers ever designed for tubes. This speaker is perfect for analog lovers as well, but the dynamic, energetic and punchy Lore is great for anyone who enjoys loud, high power listening.
The Lore is a Positive Feedback Writers’ Choice Award Winner.
“I still maintain that the Tekton Design Lore is the best $1000 of speakers I’ve ever heard.” – Steve Lefkowicz (positive-feedback.com)
The Lore is an exercise in high sensitivity, high output, direct radiating transducers (no horns allowed), with roots firmly grounded in pro audio and cross-platformed to dovetail perfectly into the world of hi-fi.
- Perfect impulse time-alignment
- 10″ Lore transducer
- Audax Gold dome tweeter
- 98dB 1W@1m
- 8 Ohm impedance
- 30Hz-30kHz frequency response
- 200 Watts power handling
- Height 39″(99.60cm) x Width 12″(30.48cm) x Depth 13″(33.02cm)
- Weight 60 lbs
- Manufactured in the USA
Matthew Standiford –
I have had the Lores for about a month now and the sound is exactly what I was looking for. I listen to quite a bit of acoustic guitar and piano. These speakers have a very specific tone that to my ear is some of the best reproduction of both that I have heard to date. I have been running them w/ a Shengya 203MK. It is a an excellent class A integrated. It’s incredibly neutral in sound and is able to create a decent amount of holographic staging that compliments these very well. Vocals are incredibly full, smooth, and sweet. Imaging is good for a speaker w/ a wide baffle like the Lore. The speaker placement is very simple. You have to work harder to place these wrong than you do to place them right. Incredibly not picky about placement. Off axis listening is very good as well. Highs are very sweet and not overdone. I’m usually not a fan of metal tweeters, typically too sharp for me. Lores are very good not too sharp but still capable of that top end sparkle. Mids are neutral while running the Shengya and bass extension and fullness is very good while still being perfectly balanced w/ the Mids and highs.
Then we ran them w/ a First Watt F7 and a Musical Design tube preamp. Now that is really something special. Sound got more holographic, Mids really fattened up, and bass was able to remain tight w/ great extension. Yesterday a friend and I visited a very nice stereo shop in Ohio. After listening to systems ranging from $30k to $500k I can honestly say I preferred the sound of the Lores w/ the F7 and Tube pre. Am I saying the Lores are better than $30k speakers? Not necessarily. Fact is no one can honestly say that. This hobby is completely subjective. I can say that I listened to a 3k pair of speakers and believe 9 out of 10 people who listened would prefer the Lores over them. The only speakers I’ve heard that I like just as much so far is a pair of Zu DW6 supremes that a good friend owns. If you ask him he will tell you the same thing about the Lores, he loves them. I’m sure when the time is right I’ll end up upgrading to the perfect SET or Pendragons. I’m sold on the Tekton sound!
They are a very natural sounding speaker and Eric’s ear and design philosophy matches my own. Give them a try. Maybe they will match your ear as well.
Kevin –
I bought the Lore speakers with beryllium tweeters about 3 years ago. Eric was great – nothing like talking to the owner when buying speakers. I’m literally sitting in my living room right now blasting music and am still just blown away by these things. I’m 56 and have had various speakers throughout the years. Nothing beats these from my perspective. These sound unbelievable loud and soft. I have them in a big space and it’s just unbelievable when you really turn them up. Play the opening minute of Dire Straits Money for Nothing loud and it’s like being at a concert. I love all kinds of music – cheesy music like Ambrosia from the 70s sounds amazing. Anyway – thanks Eric and company!! You guys are the best and your speakers are even better!! (especially in the Tiffany blue custom paint job you guys prob thought I was nuts ordering!).
Peter S. (verified owner) –
I ordered the lores with the upgraded internals package. These speakers look great in white with the drivers exposed.i did not order grills so i cannot comment on how they look with that. I’ve actually received compliments from non-audio minded people. But the sound is where it’s at. They simply sound amazing. I read reviews so I can probably throw audiophile descriptors at them, but I have not heard enough equipment in my lifetime to really know what they all mean. All I know is they have a very realistic sound true to what instruments sound like. Nice tightly controlled bass when it’s present in the song and the audax tweeter is excellent imo. Even at loud volumes it does not smear or sizzle in the upper end. I would not hesitate to recommend them and I can only imagine what the bigger more upper end speakers must sound like from Tekton. Hopefully I’ll find out one day.
Bill M. (verified owner) –
All hail Eric Alexander the Great! He has brought affordable speakers of high end quality to the public. Mine have four Cardas copper banana jacks as biwiring ($75) was added at my option (not listed on the site for this model), the upgraded crossover ($210), and I ordered grilles ($80) with a second option of grille fabric from Guilford of Maine ($30) that Tekton told me about. Tekton is unique in allowing all this. It is unheard of in high end audio really. Total cost was $1525. Online reviews at “Cheap Audio Man” and “Jay’s Iyagi” helped support the purchase sound unheard. It took about 4 months for them to arrive and 4 months later I still have no grilles. Grilles serve both as dust covers for the drivers and protection from the hands of children or in my case the hands of a demented older relative who occasionally comes here with my wife. Bare baffles typically have a lower “wife acceptance factor” too. The 10 inch woofer is mounted to the front of the baffle board at the top and juts out. It would be nice if it was countersunk into the board but then the board would have to be thicker. There is a question of time alignment as the front pressure waves likely come from the woofer and tweeter not at the same time meaning they are likely partially out of phase. That will be found in all 2 way and 3 way loudspeakers not named Vandersteen or not being single driver type like some costly omnidirectionals so that is not a serious detriment. They replace a 20 year old pair of Klipsch KSF 8.5 speakers in perfect condition. I even added cone edge sealer from “Simply Speakers” to the surrounds though they had not deteriorated. The Tektons are as efficient as the Klipsch towers according to my ears as I initially installed only one and listened to both on FM radio in mono. They do lack some bass punch as “Cheap Audio Man” noted but my 30 year old Soundcraftsmen stereo separates actually have tone controls so you can boost bass that way as he recommended. I also own two Audio Control graphic equalizers which would give more precise adjustments. However both tone controls and graphic equalizers are the bane of hard core audiophiles. They are pretty good driven flat and I can’t say the bass output is deficient. At least they do not have “bloated bass” like home subwoofers and most other bass reflex (ported or vented speakers) so you could say they are well behaved that way, quite natural. They appear to be a little clearer or brighter than the Klipsch Tractrix horn loaded compression driver type tweeter but not harsh. (That is the gold plated titanium dome tweeter from the French company Audax that I am discussing.) The quality of bass and treble depends on the sound source of course. Most experts say to do AB testing of two speakers at a time and to some extent I was able to do that, in the actual room where they were to be located. The speakers are white like my Orbit Custom turntable and IKEA (made in Poland) 8 cell audio furniture, four open bins at the bottom, two doors on the top sides and four drawers in the top middle. You will have to use your imagination as this site failed to accept a photograph I took, some kind of “nonce” computer problem. All of the equipment down to the Grado phono cartridge are US made or assembled here with some US parts so that was a plus. The 10 inch woofer complete with whizzer cone to increase dispersion comes from Eminence in Kentucky.
Robert Bowdish (verified owner) –
As I understand, these are what put Tekton on the map. I’m stunned at how flat and uncolored they are. Combine great xover and very natural sound with a perfect paint finish and simple beauty and you are home. More than worth their money and I’ve listened to 100’s of speakers over the years. Start here.
David Levitt –
I’ve owned the Tekton Lore since October 3rd 2012. Wonderful speaker thousands of hours of listening. Two dear friends of mine who have produced and mixed albums for David Bowie, Sam Cooke & Elton John are blown away with this speakers ability to render live recordings as if you are physically at a live show. You will not regret owning a pair of these. I have not heard the Be so I can’t speak to their sound signature.
John S. (verified owner) –
Sounds great, expansive midrange and soundstage. Mine are the BE with upgrades.
GROVER BOYD (verified owner) –
good speaker for the price
Paul A. (verified owner) –
These sound phenomenal. Fit my needs perfectly. Was guided to this purchase through much research and assistance from Tekton. Highly recommend.
James Ferrell (verified owner) –
Delivered in remarkable condition due to careful packaging. Appearance wise the Lore are cosmetically beautiful speakers. Sound out of the box was fantastic. Approaching 100 hours the Lore continue to develop a revealing soundstage in height, width and depth – all of this with a less than adequate room and with only a 2 watt tube amp. Very musical speakers and a bargain at the cost.
Willis E Bush (verified owner) –
I’ve had a pair of Lores for several months. They are splendid speakers. They project a quality of live sound. But they are also across-the-board good. Nothing offensive. Everything sweet, balanced and musical. They are also a remarkable value. If there’s an “everyman” speaker in the Tekton line-up, it’s the Lore. I don’t think you can go wrong with it.
Nathan Loggins –
Just received the last addition to my new Tekton family the Pendragon center. I’m upgrading to the Lores from the Polk 707 speakers. The polk 707’s are great speakers especially for the discounted price but in my listening room I often found the bass response a bit overwhelming at times and unfocused ( boomy)I figured less would be more in this case so I wanted to simplify my driver complement, I wanted it to be smaller but more efficient. Being a guitarist for a number of years and a jazz/Jazz fusion enthusiast tight accurate bass notes ( Jeff Berlin anyone) that are represented properly is very important to me.
Also as a personal note I really don’t believe you need to spends obscene amounts of money on speakers to get great reliable sound from your system you need to be aware of acoustics, sound proofing and a modest knowledge of electronic components take your time and read, experiment and have fun in the process. anyway..after researching some viable options I saw a YouTube video from what it seems to be a rather nice asian gentleman’s review for the Tekton Lores. I was rather intrigued with the review and was surprised that Tekton uses real bass drivers that are actually designed for bass guitarist in the Lore’s. The tweeter also caught me by surprise I personally have never seen a gold Audax dome tweeter most of the speakers I have owned in the past have used Ring Radiator, Ribbon and Magnepan designs for upper frequency response. It’s actually very attractive and from the reviews silky smooth. Okay.. I said to myself the price is right I have read great things about Tekton and this review seemed legitimate it’s purchase time!
Weeks later (that seemed like an eternity) the Lore’s arrived! Out of the box they were very clean sounding and a bit bright in the top end the bass notes were there but not where I expected them to be especially after the Youtube review I watched but gradually after tinkering with proper placement.. and yes folks the Lore’s are VERY placement sensitive. To accurately achieve proper imaging I used Sarah Vaughan’s SACD vocals. It should sound as if the vocalist is in the center of the room! You’re listing to a ghost so to speak because there’s someone singing to you or playing a classical guitar piece directly in front but no one is there. I found toe in to be key in achieving this now..on the other hand what’s interesting is if you place them straight out in front of you, You will get a 3D type of sound field that some may actually enjoy but being a musician and having my own recording studio and having been in other studios toe in is essential for proper stereo listening an imaging.
After about a week on and off I found the proper placement for my listening environment I also played lot’s of different musical genres including bass heavy techno tracks for about 200 hours (break-in) and that’s the key folk’s the drivers and tweeters got sweeter and sweeter became more focused, cohesive, articulate and warmer and I really have to say.. what a bad ass little set of speakers these are!
For what these cost and what they can do the Lore’s are by far the best most surprising speaker I have owned from classical to pop and every thing in between The lore’s presentation is detailed and has authority and yes! Those bass arpeggio’s are there! Clean broken fast notes that shine melodically within a song.
Jaco would be impressed.
Hap Hall –
I pulled the trigger on the upgraded Lores with the Beryllium tweeter, upgraded electronics, and Cardas binding posts. Fulfillment was great as I recieved my custom order including grill covers in about 8 weeks and was updated along the way.
I have been listening to my beloved Linn Nexus speakers with the upgraded tweeter OW1’s from Oskar Wrondeng . They Linns have sounded amazing and have brought me plenty of joy and listening satisfaction for the 30 plus years I have owned them. I recently purchased an Emotiva BAsX 2 channel amp to use my Yamaha A-840 as a preamp for 2 channel. I still use the surround programs for video and have not yet moved to a dedicated 2 channel system. I was using a Hsu subwoofer to help with the bass. I have demoed some other modern speakers and found I was missing some bass response and overall kick from the Linns.
Like the Nexus, the Lore Be’s are a 2 way front ported design which I find to be very placement friendly and good with off axis response. Both the Linns and the Lore Be’s have excellent treble response and both sound very airy and detailed without being harsh. That is where the comparison stops. The Lore Be’s really excel in mid and lower base response. I play mostly Jazz with some older rock and pop. One record I like is Joe Jackson’s Look Sharp from the early eighties. The recording comes alive with the Lore Be’s. The bass sounds like it does in a live show with beefiness and kick that you can feel. There is a kind of live element that you detect from the Lore Be’s, kind of like the vintage JBL sound but not as prominent. I find that I am digging the visceral response of the Lore Be’s and find myself constantly tapping my toes and wanting to move to the music. Same thing goes for other well produced records. The bass just sounds so detailed. You can actually hear the difference between a Fender bass as compared to a Rickenbacker (think Yes).
Anyway, I am very much glad I pulled the trigger on the Tekton Lore Be’s. I have had them for about 2 months now and I am still smiling at every listening. I hope I can live long enough to say I have enjoyed the Tekton Lore Be’s for the next 30 years.
DJ Dunn –
I have had these speakers for about 8 months now. IMO, they sound just like the reviews I have read and they meet all my expectations. A high efficiency speaker with bass that goes low. The sound is very forward and spacious. Incredible what a 10″ whizzer cone and titanium tweeter can do! It goes against the grain of hifi logic but its executed perfectly.
I use a PS Audio Sprout 100 to power these. I have a Rega turntable and PC for streaming Tidal. So simplistic yet so satisfying.
Dan Clark –
I finally received my Lores after what seemed like an eternity. They are well worth the wait! Mine took about 150 hours of playing at many different volume ranges, and as if by magic, they bloomed into beautiful music machines! The bass got tighter and the highs smoothed out. The mids were perfect from the beginning.
I’ve had a lot of good gear over my nearly fifty year audiophile journey. Like Eric, I was amazed by live audio at a young age. I started with some ElectroVoice Sentry IV-B’s. I used them for listening as well as live sound reinforcement. They NEVER let me down! I’d still have them, but they were destroyed in a house fire. Then I went on to Klipsch Industrial loudspeakers. I loved them almost as much as my EV’s, but they weren’t as smooth.
Now I’ve got my Lores. My days of playing drums and doing live sound are over, by choice. The Lores are the BEST sounding speakers I’ve ever owned! Any style of music, at any volume. Just don’t fear the FLETCHER-MUNSON phenomenon at low volumes. I love my Lores, and I’ll die a happy audiophile!
john schwarzmann –
I love the Lore speakers. They sound great and I would give them 5 stars. I am disappointed in the customer service. I ordered the speakers in November 2020, and have yet to receive the grills (August 2021). I follow up with Tekton many times with minimum responses. I have received one response and was given the excuse there is a shortage of materials. I could live with that, but I would like periodic updates.
Bryan Ingenito (verified owner) –
I own 3 pairs of Tekton Design speakers- Double Impact SE, Mini Lore and now Lore with internal upgrades. All 3 speakers are outstanding. The Lore and Mini Lore are obviously more similar the Lore just sounds like a larger speaker which you would expect. Deeper bass, fuller sounding and more dynamics which works well in a larger room. While the Mini Lores are in a 12×13 room, the Lores are in a much larger open floor plan in my main living area. No need for a subwoofer.
If you just want a speaker that will outperform most others speakers regardless of price then you can probably stop at the Lores with upgrades.
If I had not heard the Double Impact SEs I could totally live with these speakers, they are that good. The question that you need to ask yourself is do you want to pay $10k for a 6.5″ 2 way with magic pixie dust or under $1500 for a speaker that sounds like real music but looks like a speaker not art. If you like money (in your pocket) and music more than visual art the choice is easy.
Equipment:
Mac mini to Denafrips Iris DDC (I2s) to Venus II DAC, Hestia pre and Thallo amp. Isotek power conditioner.
John Nelson –
I have owned many great speakers in my life. Decided to research and eventually buying the Lores. Whoa! These speakers are amazing! Incredibly live sounding, full of punch but isnt harsh or fatiguing. The audax gold tweeter is near perfect and i say that coming from the famous Great Heil. They play well with all kinds of amps and have amazing depth and soundstage. Tekton made something special with this speaker. I only wish there was a nameplate on the back to establish the model and serial numbers. You cant go wrong with these!