The Legal Risks of Being an Audio Reviewer

[@chutgowdingo-loon3212]

Any manufacturer who uses bullying tactics to silence reviewers should not be supported .... period. Perhaps we should publish a list of manufacturers who engage in this behavior.

[@amb3cog]

That's a really good idea. Maybe a forum post? At any audio forum. Audiokarma would be particularly fitting for such a post I think. And have it pinned up top for all to easily see.

[@bunsw2070]

Did you hear about he time Abyss headphones had a conniption over and Audio Science Review of their 1266 headphone. It sounds like it was such a hostile response that a public relations firm was immediately brought in to smooth things over. I have no love of Audio Science Reviews but this was an example where the measurements perfectly matched the sound.

[@ericelliott227]

Could not agree more, but it also goes the other way unfortunately, if someone were to publish such a list, they would end up being bullied and sued and accused of defamation. It is one of many flaws in the system unfortunately.

[@amb3cog]

@@ericelliott227If it was written. It would be libel. And you can’t be sued for libel if you’re stating facts. If that were true every newspaper in the world would be sued constantly. ✌️

[@rolftaylor1133]

Same goes for anyone else (such as politicians or criminals) that bully the press!

[@ppmnox]

another company permanently banned from my consideration. great work, tekton!

[@x-techgaming]

And what is your full list of companies, so far?

[@ppmnox]

@@x-techgaming odd question for a comments section, given that you chose not to write "please" or provide a reason as to why you want said list.

[@Dingleberry1856]

@@ppmnox so you don’t have a list Karen?

[@ppmnox]

@@Dingleberry1856 I do, witless rhet :)

[@jonnyo2121]

@@x-techgaming The low-hanging fruit is any company selling BS audio cables.

[@mikehuntington4440]

Cool....one less company to consider.

[@3184Patrick]

no doubt.

[@paulgyro]

Here here!

[@hurkamur1]

At one time I was considering Tekton as well, but i saw one interview with the owner a couple years ago, and he came off like a total d1ck. Now i can see my suspicions were correct. I understand a bad review can impact people's livelihoods, but this isn't the way to go about dealing with problems.

[@kman7222]

agree

[@amb3cog]

Yup. ✌️

[@jamesbennett1634]

Erin is such a great guy. Even when he doesn't like a product, he's respectful, and just focused on the data. I've never seen him do a hatchet job. I'm incredibly disappointed in Tekton.

[@1337sim1]

I highly appreciate you come out and support a fellow reviewer. Thank you Gene

[@kman7222]

agree

[@jozefserf2024]

Tekton needs to hire a PR department. This is no way to run a business in the age of the internet. What worked for Bose back then won't work now.

[@Monkeyseemonkey79]

Exactly. This is a case study on when a company should have called a PR agency (or shut up and ate humble pie) rather than a lawyer.

[@stevengagnon4777]

It didn't work out the "best" for Bose either. It's probably the most scorned audio brand in the business. Somewhat deserved...interesting experimental design and cheaply executed. Hey maybe there's a common thread hear (here). Anyway was interested and the funny irony is that I have a pair of Bose 301seriesII in use now. And like what they are doing . They are modified now and in progress.

[@AntoG4RS]

Erin's Audio Corner and Audioholics are the best, most trustfull audio equipment reviewers I ever found on the internet. Thanks for existing! I stay away from the reviewers that like everything they review...

[@bilguana11]

As a small audiophile dealer for 25 years I wish that I could publish about all of the crap that manufacturers have done, and continue to do, to small dealers. Start with duplicity.

[@Bob.martens]

Please do.

[@AndyBHome]

​​@@Bob.martensI agree, but I also realize that almost anyone who does is going to lose their dealership agreements, even with distributors/manufacturers that they don't have any problems with, because those companies aren't working to take a chance with anyone who breaks the veil of sunshine and lollipops between manufacturers and retailers. Privately I do hear dealers divulge that certain companies are bad to work with. But sales people generally avoid badmouthing anyone because it doesn't bring them sales. With all of the attorneys who are in this hobby, I'm surprised that no one has come forward and given informal advice to reviewers that they are likely not at any great risk of losing a lawsuit for giving a bad review. Obviously it's a hassle, but the bar is pretty high to win a case against someone who just didn't like your product or service.

[@amb3cog]

@@AndyBHome You're missing the obvious problem here though. This same exact tactic is constantly used in this country for one simple reason. When you win the case. You still lose money. You don't get reimbursed for your lawyer fees. That's the issue. They know they can use their money to bully those that aren't loaded like they are. And in Eric's video he brags that "I'm not scared of lawyers. I have friends who are lawyers. Blah blah blah". In other words."I'm all set, but you're going to have to pay through the nose. So you'll back off, if you know what's good for you". It's a successful bullying tactic for that reason alone. Being right, or wrong is thereby completely irrelevant unfortunately. ✌️

[@amb3cog]

@@AndyBHome BTW I just noticed your handle there. I'm an Andy B. also. Now I know who's been taking my user name everywhere. 🤣🤣🤣 ✌️

[@AndyBHome]

@@amb3cog worse my friend - I am Andy M B. It looks like you might have an M middle name just like me.

[@kenbbaker]

They already bullied Ron at New Record Day - years ago now… simply for saying the speakers under review caused electric guitars to sound too noisy (my words) And then they modified the speakers to fix that problem, all while threatening litigation. Tekton is Dead To Me

[@_Chev_Chelios]

I had a set of speakers on order from that Tekton joker when the Ron conflict happened. I immediately canceled the order. Who would want to do business with a guy like that?

[@aceofspades6667]

Tekton is a joke.. Eric is his name?

[@amb3cog]

@@aceofspades6667 Yes. Eric Anderson is his legal name. ✌️

[@davidmiller1534]

Appreciate your effort to defend yourself and other reviewers who attempt to do objective measurements and analysis of audio products. I watched the original review of the Tekton speaker over at Erin's Audio Corner and my impression was it was a positive review albeit with a few small quibbles. There was absolutely nothing malicious about it.

[@marstedt]

Agreed and I actually was surprised how positive the review was.

[@WeeWeeJumbo]

haha wow, i’m super glad you came forward to speak on this. like many others here, i saw this happening to Erin in real time

[@RobZelinka]

Quite sad. There was likely many other ways to address this. We should not reward this type of behavior.

[@bbfrid88]

Ordered speakers from "that company" a couple of years ago. After waiting about 5 months and they hadn't started assembly, I called to cancel my order for multiple reasons. The owner himself called me and was the rudest person I've every encountered from a business standpoint. He told me he wouldn't cancel my order and was very condescending. The next day, he must've come to his senses and refunded my money. Big red flag.

[@_Wake_Up_If_U_Can]

Erins Audio Corner is awesome. He shows the results, tells the truth, and explains things in plain English.

[@marstedt]

It really is that simple. Erin is great and really puts in the effort, when he's done he just wants his audience to know what he does.

[@soundblast8536]

And still don't understand what a transient is ! lol

[@bjmarchives]

Tekton is close to me, 20 mins away. I was looking forward to going there and getting something. After watching this drama unfold and ultimately his response videos, I would never enter that place. His vibe was toxic imo. Also instead of pinning his generic comment response down in the comments.. he annoyingly copy/paste to most of the negative comments. Don’t like his vibe at all. He literally said his son was kidnapped 12 years ago by the mother during a speaker review. Why would the public need to know this personal information? What type of person does that. Hmmmmmm

[@joker927]

I appreciate the zero tolerance stance on business bullying. Businesses are not people, they do not get second chances. On to the next.

[@ExternalInputs]

Businesses are people, whether it's a sole trader or a large company.

[@leonardfink3411]

Take this donation or you’ll be hearing from my lawyers!

[@TheReverendSlim]

Props to you for making this video. It's good to see the community stand together on this. Tekton mishandled this the whole way around.

[@ben23a31]

Bully's will not be tolerated ! ✊🏼

[@_Chev_Chelios]

Bullies. Bully’s is the name of a dive bar.

[@ben23a31]

@@_Chev_Chelios yep, should have checked but I wasn't aware the grammar and Spelling Bee police was in here to call out comments. But y'all (you all) got the point Right? Big up's Gene for not bullying ✊🏼✌🏼

[@katebloggs8243]

@@ben23a31 I totally got it. And I agree! That was the biggest, most important thing Gene said, in my opinion. We the community will not tolerate bullying!

[@bmill7353]

There are lots of audio manufacturers out there who bully by default. They're usually subjectivist snake oil suppliers with limited to zero engineering qualifications.

[@chrishamilton5960]

Why in the world would a company decide to piss off the online audio community. They just lost a major market segment.

[@G-ra-ha-m]

@@superdougie10 Nonsense, the designer got mad because someone didn't praise his creation. It's a juvenile temper tantrum and everyone sees it. I don't buy anything from children.

[@Sanslab-wu8tv]

You and Erin are the two sites I recommend to others. Thank you for your courage and for standing up for Erin. I have long been disenchanted with reviewers who only say good things about products. It is clear to me that objective and honest reviewers who are not afraid to lose favor with manufacturers will at least sometimes say negative things. Companies that can’t handle that are bullies who can’t stand the heat given by the light of illumination. They are dead to me too.

[@Roddy451]

I follow this channel, SA and Erin. If a manufacturer doesn't want negative reviews, then don't sell the product. If the manufacturer thinks they are going to win customers, then the reality is they have something else coming their way. Negative "word of mouth" spreads faster than a wildfire ignited with napalm. A strike is called a strike... and you may not three to be called out.

[@chrome2infinity938]

The only winners in a law suit like this is the lawyers..

[@amb3cog]

Ain't that the GD truth. ✌️

[@scientificaudiophile]

Appreciate the shout at to my channel Gene!

[@scientificaudiophile]

@ 2:11

[@Audioholics]

LOL you were definitely on my mind my friend

[@sunvalleydrivemusic]

@@scientificaudiophilekeep up the good work!

[@huynhthanhtung53]

Scientific audiophile

[@buckchester]

Well done, Gene!

[@cgleisberg3355]

Btw, TEKTON look really like DIY speakers made by a teenager ... some people, here on youtube made better looking , flushing drivers with front baffes. Veneer.. .etc...

[@thomaslutro5560]

Thanks for this. You're spot on. For me as a consumer, defending the right to actually evaluate product performance is make or break, for the point of actually talking about audio at all.

[@memcdm]

Talked with a Tekton representative on the phone years ago.... thought it was the designer? .... when considering one of their designs. The guy trashed another very well respected manufacturers speakers saying how terrible they sounded and performed. He did not offer any reasons why or offer measurements or any thing to support his negative comment. That really bugged me and then he said he didn't like the speakers i was considering and suggested one 3x more expensive. I didn't purchase the speakers.

[@highmodulus588]

Tekton is listed as being at AXPONA this weekend. I was interested to stop and hear how this unique array with the Tekton speakers can do at AXPONA. Guess what? I am with Gene. I will never buy or even consider these speakers EVER. Wish the Tekton owner well in his upcoming retirement.

[@chinmeysway]

please give him the finger for me! if he’s there. or i will do it if ya wanna facetime me in lol

[@pumpituphomeboy]

Well done on this point Gene. Am often critical of your channel but you and the rest of the team at audioholics provide a much necessary service to the people who love and buy audio equipment. Erin does not deserve this crap and its good to know you have his back on this.

[@MagicTK-]

Very well said, Gene. Tekton should have at least said, "hey let's work on setting up the speakers as intended and remeasure. We believe in and stand by our product, etc, etc, blah, blah...". Good to know the channels I do watch on KZbin (like the ones you mentioned and often interact with) are in line with good, honest, reviews backed by thorough data when applicable. As a fellow electrical engineer, I also like seeing data, but as an audiophile, I want to know, "how does it sound?" Even when I help people set up lower end audio (just by ear), I try hard to make it sound as best as possible. It's such a fun hobby!

[@dextermorgan1]

That's awesome. I do the same. Just because someone doesn't spend the same amount of money we spend, doesn't mean it shouldn't be set up to its best potential. Too many times have I seen "Profesional" installs that obviously didn't care about the end result, as long as it worked. Moreso in car audio, but home as well, to a certain degree. It's cool that you take the time to care. I love this hobby, too. Have since I was 13 years old and got my first Dolby Pro Logic system. Lol Have a good one.

[@MagicTK-]

@@dextermorgan1 oh yeah. I take pride in it. Heck even last year in 2023, I saw someone on Facebook Marketplace posted looking for help with his receiver. It wasn't playing any sound. So I offered to help. I told him I am not licensed or insured, but I've been into car audio since 1994 and home audio since 1998 or so and know stuff. I'd look and let him know if it was something I could do or recommend what he would need to do. I also said I would explain everything I was going to do before actually doing. I also looked up the model of his receiver and downloaded an update file, just in case. It was stuck in a mode and was actually just waiting for an update. So I installed from my USB drive since he didn't even have it connected to WiFi. It worked! He was so happy. He paid me quite well for only 20min of working on it. Then, I offered to connect it to WiFi, now it can update via internet. I also noticed it played audio but sounded really bad. The levels and distances were allllll over the place. So I then asked if he wanted me to adjust everything (all by ear). We got it dialed in, and it sounded as good as possible for about 1hr total. He was super happy. It's just those few extra steps that I took pride in doing just to make sure it was as best as it could be. I'm not sure if he ever took time to run Audessy or not, but I do know he was quite happy with it and just in time for a big game.

[@damayor62]

Thank you and a big KUDOS to you Gene and the Audioholics! I watched the review prior to Aaron pulling it from KZbin and he stated the facts as he recorded them. I'm not a lawyer but he said nothing defamatory towards the speaker or Tekton. As I like to say, "In business, the truth hurts 99.9% of the time." Tekton's response concerning the feet (That weren't supplied) impacting the measurements along with possible legal action is pathetic. They should have handled it in the manner you highlighted/suggested. I was looking at the Tekton Mini Lore's for possible purchase recently but thanks to their behavior towards Aaron and other reviewers I respect on KZbin, that is NOT happening. In fact I have deleted Tekton from all my browsers bookmarks. I'll spend my hard earned $'s elsewhere. Thank you again and keep up the great work.

[@upscaleaudio]

Hey Gene this is Kevin Deal from Upscale Audio. You are so right on. I had a product that got a bad review from Dick Olsher decades ago. I really respect him as a reviewer. I didn't agree, but I didn't argue, make excuses, or anything. Being friendly and taking your lumps is always better. Audio Science Review is bad-ass, as are you. Thank you so much for bringing this to light.

[@dlloyd6300]

Proud of you Gene and the whole community these past few days. Circle the wagons because these bad actors need to be handled with and removed from the community. This continued behavior cannot be tolerated. It takes people like you being brave and vocal to remind these bullies that they do not hold the power. They are beholden to this community of reviewers and consumers. There are too many great options out there to let this slide. Everyone needs to support Erin and the independent media

[@alexkemmler]

In other news, Eric A. claims to know that several measurements of Amir's are faulty and supposedly has known this for weeks. Okay... so Tekton has their own measurements? He wants a public apology from Amir... but won't post the measurements that suppsoedly prove him right? Even though he could have done that at any time instead of issuing bizarre threats? Maybe the nigerian prince is waiting to post them right after the sale of the Brooklyn Bridge goes through.

[@G-ra-ha-m]

I'd trust Amir any day of the week on measuring stuff.

[@audiogear474]

It's hard to believe a company would sue over something like this. Hope everything turn ok for him.

[@amb3cog]

He's not going to. It's just an intimidation tactic. ASR called his bluff, and he folded like a cheap suit. ✌️

[@TheAmplifierfire]

I imagine/hope all of this negative publicity will poison the well for future internet searches for Tekton.

[@BobbyBass-x6i]

Thanks for the video. Audioholics and Erin are two of the channels with reviews that I trust. Great to see the mutual support and respect across the channels. Rock on!

[@marstedt]

5:40 - stand up loud and proud against bullies and abusers

[@joes3800]

What is especially ridiculous about Tekton is that if they thought that Erin or Amir or anyone else was actually unfairly slandering them, they could have just shared or published measurements and measurement methodology that should have countered the alleged slander. But instead, they just threaten litigation. So it's very telling that Tekton is likely full of it if they claim that their products were measured incorrectly or someone's opinion is slanderous; they have no data or proposed methodology to counter what any unfavorable reviewers might say or show. So I too will avoid Tekton like the plague not just because of their apparently horrible culture, but also because these ordeals hint that there might be significant flaws with their products that they seem to be aggressively trying to hide!

[@mrlinde6518]

Thank you Gene. Great of you to speak out on this very important topic.

[@markmcfeaters9116]

Congratulations on your 25 years 👏 I all ways enjoy and learn with your reviews. I like learning about different products. I have watched Erins reviews, he is a great reviewer whether he likes or not likes the product or measurements of the products. He has all ways been professional. I stand with you guys. TEKTON has drilled the wholes in there coffin and slowly they are filling them up. People talk and share. This is the information age. Take care guys.

[@wingertm]

Great PSA. Appreciate it. I didn’t realize these tactics were being employed against audio reviewers. I too have zero tolerance. Tekton is dead to me.

[@abxaudiophiles]

Well done Gene!! The ABX Community stand together with Erin and others and will never have a relationship with this company! I also know fellow reviewers who have reached out to me and said they pulled all of their past reviews on these speakers in support or Erin! Again, thanks Gene for speaking up.

[@dometweeter7093]

I don't commit often. Hold the line and keep up the Great Reviews.

[@JesusMartinez-mk6fc]

Gene, great video showing your support for a fellow reviewer. It shows your honesty and integrity as audio reviewer. A couple of weeks ago, I gave my highest recommendation for your Audioholics' website and KZbin channel to a friend that is fairly new to the hobby. Tekton is no longer on my shopping list. I can guess which cable company attempted to intimidate you, it's probably the cable company I most love to hate. Congratulations on your 25th anniversary, looking forward to watching your celebration.

[@mrtickleuk]

I'm guessing it was Audioquest. I do not trust a company that sells a $1799 2-meter HDMI "diamond" cable.

[@JesusMartinez-mk6fc]

@@mrtickleuk Ding, ding, ding, ding! You guessed right! The prize you win is a fabulously beautiful Audioquest Unobtainium balanced interconnect pair of cables valued at a mere $5K for a one meter length. This uber cable transmits the signals without any loss whatsoever, in fact because it transmits signals at superluminal speeds rewriting Einstein's special theory of relativity, it can go backwards in time and correct signal errors before they even happen and they totally eliminate noise thereby proving the 2nd law of thermodynanics wrong.

[@mrtickleuk]

@@JesusMartinez-mk6fc Awesome! Thanks so much, those cables sound unbelievable (pun intended)! Haha. :)

[@RobZelinka]

I first learned about this a couple of days ago. I will preface my comments with I have a very limited understanding of the events. That said, I would submit this is a very unfortunate series of of events I see Erin in much the same way I see you Gene. That’s to say you’re both very knowledgeable and thorough in your assessments. No matter the circumstance, this event is enough to prompt me not to buy products from this company as if something were to go wrong, it’s reasonable to suggest the vendor would get equally nasty with a customer. In fact, it is the primary reason why I elected to cross one subwoofer company off my list. Seeing how they responded to a review of one of their products and then seeing how defensive the company got with customers who were having some issues was enough to steer me elsewhere. I just don’t need or want the drama, especially from a hobby that is intended to reduce stress

[@ck-sx4zz]

Good on you for showing support for Erin. More power to reviewers! They should be able to do their job without being harassed or threatened. If your product measures a certain way and it’s not faulty then stand by it and maybe make adjustments and tweaks to improve it.

[@nothingtoseehere93]

Ah, well definitely avoiding tekton design after this no matter what

[@jcisme]

Erin is a top bloke doing top work. Tekton have made an error in jugdement..

[@Nightjar726]

Awesome ! Stand by each other. Spread the word about Tektons bad business practices.

[@egis7908]

Thanks Gene. You treat consumers honestly.

[@MattyDaddy14]

I’m so glad you posted this video mr gene!! So much respect for your take and viewpoint on this matter!! 🎉

[@jonwatchesnyc8777]

Thank you for this post, and congratulations on 25 years!

[@editorjuno]

Thanks for chiming in, Gene! 👍

[@rafaelsmith681]

I follow a few rules when watching/reading reviews. 1) I do not bother with sponsored reviews...regardless how much the reviewer says they are not influenced. 2) reviews that only have positive things to say.....sorry but no product is perfect. That said...Erin knows what he is doing and I trust his reviews....Tekton can go pound sand.

[@graysonpeddie]

I was a victim of bullying by students while I was in K-12 school and I had to transfer to another school during middle school days, yet during high school, I never reported the bullying from students and I graduated from school by around 22 years ago. I just had to get through school and that's all I can do. That's the reason why I did not tell my family that at the time. As a result, I've had to go through mental health issues that relate to seeking revenge against bullies, but then I just went through with it and I've gotten better even without therapists. So yeah, those who were victims of being bullied may suffer mental health issues about 10 to 20 years down the adult life. I agree with you. I have ZERO TOLERANCE against bullying anyone including reviewers!!! By the way, at least I do have a job and I do have friends at my current job, but only while working from home.

[@NosEL34]

Glad you made it through. Just know that bullies are truly the ones with mental & emotional issues and have to act out to try & hide or deal with their issues or insecurities. Life is funny and cruel like that. You've conquered the toughest part of your life & overcame things many people couldn't have. Keep moving forward, forgive & forget. Life is too short..take care, good luck, & God Bless 👍

[@graysonpeddie]

@@NosEL34 Bullies are the ones with mental and emotional issues? I really thought that victims who get bullied are the ones who might suffer mental health issues. Well, guess I did not realize that when I was young. Oh, and thank you.

[@miscreant1739]

Thanks for fighting the good fight for objective data. We would be lost without people like you, Erin, and Amir.

[@randy.wentzel]

I have the Troubadour speakers and left comments on Erin's video about this. The 1/4-20 foot holes do go all the way through into the cabinet, and they chuffed like crazy until they were plugged.

[@NosEL34]

Serious question..if the speaker is on the floor how does the air escape thru the bottom? Or is the speaker on a "small top" stand to where the air can escape?

[@randy.wentzel]

@NosEL34 it takes more than sitting on a surface to seal those holes. Air finds a way. And yes, mine were on stands. The speakers are wider than they are deep, so I only recently was able to modify the tops of my DIY stands to fit the shape of the troubadours, including holes for bolting the speakers to the stands via their foot mounts. 😀

[@NosEL34]

@@randy.wentzel right on..and yeah, I was visualizing those speakers needing a custom stand. It's pretty cool that you were able to fabricate them yourself 👍

[@randy.wentzel]

@NosEL34 thanks Frank! I'd built the stands for a previous project and did my future me a favor by not gluing the speaker platform to the stand itself.

[@chemicallust77]

My understanding is in order to remedy the problem, you have to pay extra for the feet...is that true?

[@ManniWood-ks4ei]

Thanks for posting this video. I rely on your work and Erin’s and Amir’s to make informed purchases. Much appreciate you all circling the wagons and defending each other.

[@jb2billion]

Gene, this issue really sadness me. I own Tekton DI and absolutely love them. I’ve spoken directly one the phone and had nothing but great interactions. Great product and made in the USA. Threatening legal action in this case ( and others) is nothing but a bully tactic and tarnishes a reputation of an otherwise great company. Your first statement on how it should have went down rings true. I’m hesitant to purchase from Tekton in the future.

[@HugeBigness]

Amir is a hero and I have now subbed to Erin as well - never knew he existed. The sheer level of scamming in the audio industry should be deemed criminal.

[@sunvalleydrivemusic]

Well done. Glad to see this is covered. I’ve always wanted to hear that brand and they are permanently off my shopping list too. Not a good move by a manufacturer. Every piece of audio I’ve bought for the past 5 years has been based on YT reviews. Not a smart play. Thanks for covering this!

[@Chester-UK]

Hate to say it, but it’s not a surprise at all. Glad to hear these cases will most likely get kicked out, and so they should. Shame that the event on the 18th will be midnight over here! But many congratulations on making it 25 years! Love the channel and everything you’re doing and represent. It aligns with my philosophy too. Just one request: an episode talking about the world of infrasonic bass and how to achieve great results. That would be amazing! Anyway, love and respect from the AV community in the UK. Enjoy! 😃

[@Toid]

Well said Gene. I agree with you. I try to always give my results s well to see what could be going on. Like you said you want to make sure it’s accurate and not just for the consumer but also for the brand. I think it’s absolutely ludicrous on how Tekton is treating Erin. He is a great guy, that would never post anything with malice. He is always about trying to get the best possible measurements and correct information to everyone. If something is wrong, that company should be contacting the reviewer to try to figure that out. Working with them, not instantly threatening. One of the things that I appreciate about Erin is he’s often not getting the equipment directly from the manufacturer. It helps him keep his integrity and shows him the freedom to be open and honest with his subjective assessment. Baffles me even more that they would go after him for a completely independent review.

[@mightybenaiah9076]

I've been a big supporter of Eric over the years. I followed him since his early days. I own his speakers and personally love them. I had even planned a new purchase to one of his much larger models. Sadly, I'm gonna have to switch brands. I don't like these bully tactics. It hurts everyone in our hobby. It's a shame really because I think Eric has some fantastic products. I'm sure they all aren't bell ringers, but mine are sure nice. Still, this business is much bigger than Eric. I'm really sad he didn't handle this better. If it was once or something blatant, it would be different. Instead there seems to be a pattern here.

[@AopuMohsin]

Gene, thank you so much for doing this video for supporting honest reviewers such as Erin, Ron, Amir and others, and bring awareness to the audio enthusiast community. We stand by you today and always will. The respect that I had for Eric Alexander (met and spoke to him personally in some of the audio shows) and his company are now completely obliterated with those intimidation incidents. If they are already behaving this way, I wonder, what kind of supports will you get after you purchase their products!!

[@napilopez]

The other asinine thing about using the speaker feet to seal the cabinet is that as far as I can tell, Tekton does not inform the end customer of this anywhere. I can forgive a design quirk, but you need to educate your consumers about it. How many of us leave the feet installed when it's going on a stand? What if you'd rather use your own sorbothane feet or isoacoustics stands? What if the feet don't sit flush with whatever you're mounting the speaker on?. Not informing the user is as big of this apparently crucial acoustic element is as design flaw as anything else.

[@G-ra-ha-m]

I doubt it had anything to so with the frequency peaks anyway.

[@mwrightinsurance]

Had they reached out to him directly to address the “feet issue” Erin would’ve absolutely made a new video addressing it. We’ve seen him do it before. No one that has watched his reviews questions his integrity.

[@dan_hitchman007]

In fact, Erin got in touch with the owner of the speakers and he sent Erin the feet. It really didn't change anything worth mentioning. Plus, Erin showed that the cabinet was causing the small resonance popping up in the data. All Eric A. had to do was own up and make a design change, like a normal person would do, and the speaker would have been better for it. Instead, he used intimidation tactics.

[@NosEL34]

Great & timely topic. Yes, this is definitely a shame & unfortunate. Erin certainly wasnt slandering or speaking ill of the product. We already know that Erin works hard to get the best measurements and performance out of every product he reviews. Personally i feel like if a person buys a product they can do whatever testing and review they want on it. We see it all over the internet and KZbin. People say things that arent true daily on social media about products. Erin did industry standard Klippel measurements. Didnt lie about anything or tell people not to buy the product. Didnt rate it or put it on a Worst/Best type list. He basically gives the data & lets the viewer make their own opinion on it. Tekton complained that Erin's data contradicted their mystery data & so Erin took the video down. They could have done a retest or just left it alone. It didnt need to build up into all this. As a consumer I feel objective data kinda levels the playing field when dealing with company's that only give us subjective or half truths information. Bummer all this happened to one of the very few reviewers that specializes in objective data.

[@Harry-Giles]

Thanks for doing this video. It helps the audio community and the voices of reviewers.

[@libertysoutlook5160]

There have been too many choices, but now one less, for me.

[@Ed209sect32]

I used to work for a large tech company that sold Solid State Drives. And we sent media review samples. There were times where we didn't get a good review. After finding out how they tested we would give feedback to correctly test because we might have created something new that requires newer or updated test methods. That's what a company that stands behind their product should do. Reach out and educate. This kind of crap makes their product look like it does not live up to industry standards or at minimum maybe misleading.

[@KenM]

Thank you for this. I've never considered buying Tekton speakers due to their looks, though I have a couple friends who own them. I will share this and other informative videos with them so perhaps they'll consider other products in the future.

[@KCMoe]

Congratulations on your upcoming Silver anniversary! Your smiles are well earned. This is one of a very few sites I can depend on for objective assessment. As for Eric Alexander (EA) and his troubled, petulant, litigious psyche, his products are now dead to me as well. But, before we collectively launch into a round of bullying the bully, I'm curious about alternative approaches to handling the EAs of the consumer electronics world. For instance, what's the likelihood of objective reviewers joining ranks--and funds--and placing a legal service on retainer for just such a problem?

[@syntheee]

You are a fine example of s.o. doing business without losing integrity. In times of corporate shills this has become the exception, unfortunately.

[@greglucas5194]

I own a pair of Tekton 2 10 Perfect set and cabinet build quality is poor at best . Not much bracing and no cabinet vibration control. I developed small cracks in corners and they were no help at all . I bought them from a person that had them for 3 months . And there was no info on Tektons web sight stating that warranty was not transferable and they would do nothing for me.

[@baileytaylor1203]

Tekton is off my list forever.

[@chinmeysway]

thank you for this and including some legal details! been curious about those layers. i love how all the support for erin just goes to show that lots of ppl are good to embrace scientific approach and transparency over magical thinking and confirmation bias. it’s nuts too that the speakers reviewed are not even one of their more popular choices. it’s a pretty random one that i assume aren’t purchased much.

[@RFIDemocracy]

I’ve never listened to any of Tekton’s products but as an audio enthusiast for ~50 years, my first my impression on seeing the way the products were configured was “clown act”.

[@hondaphan4172]

I always thought their speakers were ugly.

[@audibleeleganceinc]

As an attorney, and I comment about things in on our KZbin channel ( I try to avoid "reviews'), you did a very lovely presentation about the situation from many angles and I applaud your efforts. I like your approach of giving the manufacturer the opportunity to review the results in case there are flaws in either the product or the review process itself. I am sorry to hear of this situation and will take your insights to heart.

[@BRUNO-cj9wd]

These companies have a lot of money and whether or not the review is malicious or not, they can force litigation and crush the average small guy/reviewer

[@PrimeHiFi]

Thanks for speaking on this. Behavior like this from a company is disgusting, and Tekton should be made into an example here. Glad to see the community come together to support Erin. Hopefully we see a mass boycott against Tekton and its deplorable owner.

[@solomonstewart1025]

Mass boycott? What are talking about? Don't take yourself so seriously. This community tried to kill Bose.

[@G-ra-ha-m]

@@solomonstewart1025 People are entitled to know if reviews are oppressed.

[@Audiomainia2310]

Gene, this is why Erins and Audioholics are the primary source of my trust in objective testing. I joined ErinsAudioCorners Patreon page to support him as well as anything extra I can. These threats are unnecessary and I will never buy a Tekton product.

[@canuckerjay]

Agreed. I won’t drop a dime on a company like this. I boycott companies like this out of spite.

[@memcdm]

I am feed up with all the riduculous absurb claims by many audio brands. Yes! Manufacturers do need some protection against reviewers who trash a product without objective data and fair minded reasoning for their conclusions but who who will help a potential buyer make good decision? Honest, open, obective reviewers.

[@rm-mastering]

Hi Gene, I totally sympathise with Erin (and you too) with regards to threats and bullying tactics portrayed by these companies, they should be named and shamed! As a consumer we beg the question; how will they conduct themselves when we require product support? 😱 I really do like the technical measurements ASR, Erin and you provide (when done correctly and I’ll get onto this shortly). Relevant technical data, when read and interpreted correctly, give real world guides and indication of performance, for example, how a speaker behaves in a room or how a power amplifier behaves driving difficult, varying or awkward loads, not to mention THD distortion profiles like (tube amp) various levels of 2nd or 3rd harmonic, 2nd harmonic sounds warm and 3rd sound bright and sometimes harsh, neither are right but can sound pleasing - HiFi subjectivity. As I mentioned earlier, when measurements are conducted correctly offering relevant data, I’ve seen a recent youtube post of a review of many different analogue interconnects tested and analysed. It was exhaustive research and I commend them for taking the time and effort in doing so, but… here comes the but… they tested to see if there were any correlative evidence in relation to sound quality, their measurements were made testing analogue interconnects to see their performance at frequencies way up to 195 Mhz, yep 195 MegaHertz, and it's only at that frequency extreme they could see tailing off. Mannnn… what the hell… As an engineer myself, I have to question their academic practice as I fail to see any correlation, especially analogue HiFi electronic component outputs/inputs do not go beyond 50-100Khz. Yep, they are trying to correlate frequency issues/dependencies in frequency areas 1000 times greater than equipment can see or rect to. And also this was supposedly done in a blind test environment where the panel judges are company representatives of some of the cables supplied! I’ll let you decide that one. I do believe cables make a difference but spending 1000’s on cables, you have to ask what portion of that investment is on the cable materials and which part is spent on marketing and hype. Hang in there Erin, you’ve got my support.

[@gelderlandproduction]

Maybe there is an attorney out there that would help Erin for free.

[@ManFromLaBamba]

From my consumer point of view, Alexander’s behavior towards multiple reviewers is also a bad sign for how customer support is handled.

[@westsider1442]

A few years ago Tekton was on my very short list of potential new speakers. After seeing how they responded to Ron’s review at NRD I couldn’t in good conscience do business with them. There are great companies out there with amazing products , no need to deal with this type of toxicity.

[@draxxthemsklounst]

I know I’ve disagreed with some of your recent posts, but thank you for making this video. It says a lot that you took the time to support a fellow reviewer!

[@gabrielmease1169]

Erin is the incredibly respectful and competent. This will cost Tekton more than they can imagine. I recall Erin posting about products that received a "negative" review and handled it with grace, earning said companies' kudos in my book. The audiophile world is very small. Tekton will suffer from their approach.

[@Audiodreamer192-24]

Hey Gene Thank you for doing this video. It’s helps a lot when guys like you and Micheal back Erin up against something that’s just plain wrong. If we all as in All of us in hifi make Eric see all the bad press he’s getting he’ll back off or do a going out of business sale! Cheers Gene!🍻🍻

[@justinbeamon6624]

Thanks for making this video! As mentioned by Ryan in Youthman's video, Steve Guttenburg reviewed those speakers and also did not include the feet yet Tekton praised that review. Its just wild how disgusting Eric is at Tekton. Erin of all people does not deserve this.

[@Newrecordday2013]

Thanks for posting this Gene, always respected your work.

[@dlfrestoration]

Tekton needs to be forgotten about as a brand from now. I design and build custom speakers and if a reviewer gave me any feed back that wld allow me to improve i wld immediately fix my design. Send him the new set for a head to head. The whole reason we build speakers is to get the most perfect reproduction possible. Tekton should have used it as a opportunity to do better and fixed it.

[@bluecollarhero]

Erin's awesome, been watching his reviews from day one!

[@DennisBurger]

Thanks for standing up for Erin, Gene. And thanks for your zero-tolerance stance. I wish all of this had gone down before Brent and I recorded next week’s episode of Audio Unleashed!

[@Audioholics]

there's always next week ;) Nice to see you here Dennis.

[@DennisBurger]

@@Audioholics been here for ages, brother! I’m just not a big commenter. 🤣

[@JordanPhegley]

I think you mean Audio........UNLEASHED (Patreon sub here!)

[@DennisBurger]

@@JordanPhegley 🤣

[@stevetech5150]

this is an example of how the 1st Amendment is so important to the public good. thank you for sharing and supporting the community.

[@siriosstar4789]

Thomas and stereo may have the best solution. dont publish any negative results . after a very short period of time it will become known by viewers that those companies are not worth pursuing and the manufactures will know that no review is a slam on their company that can not be litigated .

[@pauldavidthomasfrodo]

Thank you for sharing the information. One speaker company off the list for ever. What a foolish way to do business. Are they totally unaware of social media ?