Cinema Sub

(4 customer reviews)

$1050

/ each

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    Description

    Powerful, deep bass and high efficiency make the 18″ Cinema Subwoofer a perfect match for the Pendragon lineup.

    • Proprietary design and concept
    • 18″ Subwoofer
    • Dimensions 33″ (83.8 cm) Tall x 20″ (50.8 cm) Wide x 26″ (66.0 cm)
    • 100dB sensitivity 2.83V@1m
    • Frequency Response 19Hz – 200Hz
    • 300 Watt BASH powered plate amplifier
    • Weight 120 lbs.
    • Manufactured in the USA

    4 reviews for Cinema Sub

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    4.8
    Based on 4 reviews
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    Showing 3 of 4 reviews (5 star). See all 4 reviews
    1. David Eskins

      I have owned the Cinema Subwoofer for over 5 years now and am finally getting around for writing a review. Most subwoofers on the market today are low efficiency and require a great deal of power to produce bass. I would also add that the bass they produce is loud but not dynamic. The Cinema Subwoofer is in a class of its own. Due to its efficiency/sensitivity, it is able to dig deep into the bottom bass octaves but it is able to move air quickly in a dynamic way that allows it to seamlessly transition to the main channel speakers. I have a two channel stereo system and utilize one Cinema subwoofer running in mono. My main speakers have 15” woofers with a 93 dB efficiency. I cross the sub and mains over at 80 Hz with a 24 dB per octave crossover using my preamp. The result is nothing less than stunning bass with impact that never sounds muddy or dull. I highly recommend the Cinema subwoofer for two channel stereo use. When set up correctly, it can bring live concert realistic bass to your listening room while handling the heavy lifting so your main speakers can be freed up to focus on the rest of the musical spectrum without breaking a sweat. I easily hit 115 dB peaks in my listening room with the Cinema subwoofer with good clean bass and no distortion. What more could a music lover want. Eric really understands how live, dynamic music sounds and designs speakers to produce that sound and at a price that is fair. My Velodyne HGS 15 had an onboard 1250 watt amp and never came close to what the Cinema sub can do.

    2. User Review

      I just received the Cinema subwoofer about 2 weeks ago and I must say that I am tickled with its performance. I am coming from an Emotiva Ultra 12 sub which was a 12 inch sealed design powered by a 3oo watt plate amp. I was very happy with it until I got the Double Impact front and Impact center channel speakers. The bass extension of the Double Impacts seemed to go so much lower than my previous front speakers that now the extension of the Emotiva subwoofer below the Double Impacts did not seem in the sweet (flat response) spot of the sub anymore where the frequency response was flat and the volume level didn’t drop. I was at first skeptical about the Cinema because: 1.) I hadn’t heard it, 2.) I couldn’t find any professional reviews on it, and 3.) the sub just seemed like it would have to have more than a 300 watt amp to drive it to the levels Tekton was claiming. In other words I was skeptical of the efficiency claim of 100 dB / 2.83V@1m. Then I read a review on aktana.wordpress where a guy claimed to have measured in his listening room 94 dB at 11 feet away with the volume only on about 3.5 (out of 10). He also claimed to have measured the sound output as flat to less than -1 dB all the way from 20 Hz to 100 Hz. After reading this and a short conversation with Eric I thought I had to give one of these Cinemas a try.

      Well, I’m glad I did. First, it seems to have about twice the sound level output at the same volume level as my old sub. Not only does there seem to be no volume rolloff at the low frequencies but the tonal balance is far better matched to the double impacts/ impact center as well. It really sounds now like a complete system as opposed to a system plus a sub. The tight “kickdrum” bass capability does not seem diminished at all as I was afraid it would be with the Cinema’s ported design. If anything it seems enhanced due to the larger (18″) driver. I suppose this is the magic of Eric’s design which is in essence a larger, short travel driver in a tall cabinet ported on the bottom so the driver is higher off the floor closer to a sitting person’s ear level. And with what has to be a super-efficient port (or resonance chamber). I have never seen a more efficient way to design a subwoofer. I’m really surprised that this design hasn’t gotten more awards.

      Regards,

      Ben Mullinix

    3. User Review

      I recently took delivery on a pair of the Tekton Cinema subs to complete my Pendragon Theater system. My hope was that they would combine the accuracy and high-impact of world class movie theater subwoofers with the soothing, ultra-low subharmonic frequencies of high-end audiophile subwoofers.

      Prior to the Cinema Subs, I tried a large number of subwoofers in standalone applications and in combination. I have owned SVS, Velodyne, JBL, HSU, Outlaw Audio, Dayton Audio, AV123 MFW-15 and others. At one point, my setup included four (4) JBL 4645C movie theater subs which house JBL’s top-of-the-line 2242H 18” subwoofer drivers. With their 18” cone diameter, high sensitivity and low cone travel (xmax), the JBL’s produced immediate and accurate response to high-impact signals. I had never heard another sub put out the extreme impact these could. I enjoyed them very much but, with a low end rating of 25Hz, they didn’t quite dig deep enough for my tastes. Their timbre was also not a good match with the Pendragons.
      Looking for something that dug deeper than the JBL’s, I decided to go with one of the most highly-acclaimed, “affordable-class” home audio subs, the SVS PB13 Ultra. This is regarded as an audiophile sub rated down to 16Hz. Along with the SVS, I had two Dayton 12” Reference sub drivers mounted into large 4.4cf ported boxes tuned to 23Hz. Because the output of the SVS was significant, the function of the Dayton’s was to simply balance out the LF in the rear section of my home theater. In essence, the Dayton’s were turned down very low.

      For music, the SVS provided very enjoyable ultra-low frequencies. For movies, however, it didn’t produce the high-impact LF response of the JBL’s. From my experience, explosions weren’t as immediate and accurate, and the SVS didn’t seem to consistently reflect what the input signal was delivering. With the much longer cone travel of the SVS, it was as though the driver couldn’t keep up. Explosions at lower volumes were fine but, after turning the volume up to the high levels I prefer, they became less defined. It seemed like the low frequencies were compounding and made explosion peaks louder than they should have been. This apparent cascading phenomenon also made it harder for me to dial-in the proper gain since I couldn’t predict the snowball effect of the compounding low frequencies.

      I know there are a lot of loyalists out there who swear by SVS, and I certainly respect that. I have owned several myself including the PB13 Ultra, SB13 Ultra, 16-46PC Plus and 25-31PC Plus. They are really great subs but, based on my personal experience with them and JBL movie theater subs, I think they are best suited for music.
      ON TO THE TEKTON CINEMA SUBS…

      When I first looked at the specs for the Tekton Cinema Sub, I thought…“This might be the one. This should combine the high impact and accuracy of a real movie theater sub with the ultra-low subharmonic frequencies of an upper-end musical sub. Could this be the Holy Grail of subs I have been seeking?”

      I went through my personal checklist…1.) Big box for musicality, CHECK…2. High-displacement 18” driver, CHECK…3.) Lower XMAX for accuracy, immediacy and high impact, CHECK…4.) Frequency range down to 19Hz, SOLD!
      Often when you buy something with a certain expectation, you find yourself excited and nervous at the same time. You plunk down a significant amount of cash which may end up buying you a gem or a major disappointment. I can tell you, the Cinema subs ended up being Diamonds. They exceeded my expectations, which were REALLY high. When I ran my initial sample clips from the original Matrix movie (gunfight in the lobby, shootout with the agent on the rooftop and saving Trinity as the helicopter was crashing), I was floored at what I was hearing. Like the JBL’s, I was walloped (in a good way) by with the high-impact response but swaddled by the soothing full range of the low frequency spectrum. The Cinema Subs reached noticeably lower than the JBL’s and were much more precise than the SVS. Gain control for the Cinema Subs was highly predictable as, unlike the SVS, there was no cascading low-frequency compounding effect when I turned them up. They are just plain clear whether the volume is high or low.

      Playing music through them is similar to movies….the output is full, accurate and consistent throughout the frequency range. I enjoy their musicality far more than the JBL’s and SVS. You are bathed in the entire range of the low frequency spectrum.

      The timbre of the Cinema subs blend perfectly with the Pendragon Theater package. It is difficult to tell when one speaker drops off and another picks up. It is a remarkable setup with seamless matching. After 6 years of trying numerous subs and HT setups, I have no more reasons to tinker.

      Not sure if you saw the movie “Gladiator” with Russell Crowe, but, immediately after the Romans prevail at the end of the opening battle scene against the Germanic tribes, Marcus Aurelius bows his head and heaves a profound sigh of utter relief.
      That was me with the Cinema Subs…my battle was over, my quest complete.

      In the end, my hope became reality. Tekton Cinema Subs combine the accuracy and high-impact of world class movie theater subwoofers with the soothing, ultra-low subharmonic frequencies of high-end audiophile subwoofers. Excelling in both music and home theater, the Tekton Cinema Sub truly is, in my opinion, the Holy Grail of subs.

      Mike

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    Professional Reviews

    W. Jeff Meier, Home Cinema Guru
    "These are the highest output subwoofers I have encountered at the $1,000 price point. If you want a great subwoofer and can accommodate the space for these it would be hard to find anything better at $1,000 each."
    Todd Bromgard, TNT Audio
    "The CINEMA SUBWOOFER is a reference quality powered subwoofer capable of true sub-20 Hz performance, and added to the enjoyment of everything I played."