I wonder if the difference in speed can be attributed to the Solo6's having a line-level crossover configured upstream of the amps.
Good question.
Anyway, great write-up KEW! I love reading comparo's like this.
As for the amplification, technically if you want apples to apples the amps in the active speaker would have to be used for the S2's and ST's. Obviously this isn't possible, so it is what it is. Swapping to the Adcom was a good idea, but it still provides less power to the speakers than the Solo6's amps, plus the Solo6's didn't just have one amp for all drivers, which is what the S2's and ST's were limited to.
In short, its not an apples to apples comparison as far as amps go. Would it really make that much of a difference? I doubt it, but really, who knows?
Again, great write-up.
So you're keeping all three speakers, or just the Solo6's and Sig 2's? Hopefully soon warpdrv and I will get a chance to compare the Sig 2's and SongTower RT's. Both retail for about the same price, so it should be interesting. I've heard both and like both very much; can't wait!
During my daily browsing of Audiogon I ran across some used S2. For that asking price it almost makes it possible for poor schmoes like me to attain some Signature lovin.
Anyway, great write-up KEW! I love reading comparo's like this.
As for the amplification, technically if you want apples to apples the amps in the active speaker would have to be used for the S2's and ST's. Obviously this isn't possible, so it is what it is. Swapping to the Adcom was a good idea, but it still provides less power to the speakers than the Solo6's amps, plus the Solo6's didn't just have one amp for all drivers, which is what the S2's and ST's were limited to.
In short, its not an apples to apples comparison as far as amps go. Would it really make that much of a difference? I doubt it, but really, who knows?
Again, great write-up.
So you're keeping all three speakers, or just the Solo6's and Sig 2's? Hopefully soon warpdrv and I will get a chance to compare the Sig 2's and SongTower RT's. Both retail for about the same price, so it should be interesting. I've heard both and like both very much; can't wait!
Thanks for your comments!
It would be nice to do more, but the Adcom was the most practical solution I could offer. This speed difference has really piqued my curiosity.
I had read that you were planning to compare the ST's and S2's. I'll be interesting to hear your (and Warpdrv, et al 's) thoughts. It is a shame you can't get a pair of Solo6's in the mix, I would love to read someone else's thoughts on them for home listening.
Ultimately, I will keep the Solo6's and the S2's. From my perspective, the dispersion of the ribbon tweeter is the reason the ST will go. Ideally, I want to have good SQ integral throughout my environment rather than it being a matter of staying in the listening zone. When you listen to the S2's, stand up and approach the speakers until your ears are 60°, even 75° off-axis. I think you'll be amazed at their off-axis presence.
On Jim Salk's recommendation, I squared the SongTowers to the room. This did an impressive job of widening the Soundstage. In this position the SongTowers Soundstage was slightly less wide than the S2's and wider than the Solo6's. That is a pretty substantial improvement.
On the flip side the high end did lose a little bit of "air" (which I liked).
Whereas the SongTower was originally the "closest" of the speakers, it became the "farthest" - this difference is not enough for me to rate one as better than the other in this aspect, I'm just noting what I heard.
Out of curiosity, I positioned the other speakers in a similar fashion and did not get enough of an effect to make any comment-I'm not sure it mattered.
Just some things about the Focal Solo6's I did not realize or think about when I wrote the review:
No grills - doesn't matter to me, but if I had younger kids, I might like having a grill to at least take the first hit.
Some hiss - It is not apparent in routine use, but there is hiss when the music is off and you get near.
On Jim Salk's recommendation, I squared the SongTowers to the room. This did an impressive job of widening the Soundstage. In this position the SongTowers Soundstage was slightly less wide than the S2's and wider than the Solo6's. That is a pretty substantial improvement.
On the flip side the high end did lose a little bit of "air" (which I liked).
Whereas the SongTower was originally the "closest" of the speakers, it became the "farthest" - this difference is not enough for me to rate one as better than the other in this aspect, I'm just noting what I heard.
Out of curiosity, I positioned the other speakers in a similar fashion and did not get enough of an effect to make any comment-I'm not sure it mattered.
Is your room treated? By acoustically treating, you are given more freedom in speaker placement. For instance, without treatments, you might position for the best soundstage/imaging, but suffer more with freq response by making that adjustment. Just FWIW, and YMMV, no guarantees.
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Some hiss - It is not apparent in routine use, but there is hiss when the music is off and you get near.
In my experience with those tweeters, the only recordings that are remotely possible to listen to are modern recordings. If, say, you put on a CBS remaster of Glenn Gould playing solo piano, the hiss will actually be more prominent than the music itself.
Is your room treated? In my experience with those tweeters, the only recordings that are remotely possible to listen to are modern recordings. If, say, you put on a CBS remaster of Glenn Gould playing solo piano, the hiss will actually be more prominent than the music itself.
That is interesting. What do you think is going on? Hiss in the recording that the speaker emphasizes?
I read about the hiss in a recording engineer's review, checked mine, and sure enough...
That is interesting. What do you think is going on? Hiss in the recording that the speaker emphasizes?
I suppose so. The hiss is very intense with an older recording, and I've heard nothing else even remotely close to that before with any other speaker ever. It's very far from enjoyable. I put on many discs with the Focal speakers, as I did with all of my serious auditions, and I remember I put on Schoenberg's Verklarte Nacht as performed by Yo Yo Ma and company (Juilliard String Quartet + Trampler), and the insane hiss is tremendously reduced, and the music can actually be enjoyed (if still very bright IMO). For it's seriously unenjoyable with my older recordings.
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Is your room treated? By acoustically treating, you are given more freedom in speaker placement. For instance, without treatments, you might position for the best soundstage/imaging, but suffer more with freq response by making that adjustment. Just FWIW, and YMMV, no guarantees.
In my experience with those tweeters, the only recordings that are remotely possible to listen to are modern recordings. If, say, you put on a CBS remaster of Glenn Gould playing solo piano, the hiss will actually be more prominent than the music itself.
Here is the relevant paragraph from my original post:
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Most of the listening was done with a fast response, C weighted SPL of 65-75dB. The room has wall to wall carpeting, vaulted ceiling, bed, and drapes; otherwise it is all sheetrock, glass, and hardwood furniture with ample clutter on the desk, dresser, and nightstands. No acoustic treatments have been applied. I have been listening to them for the better part of three days.
I believe one reason I listen at lower than typical SPL is because at higher SPL, the reflected sound becomes more prominent and disrupts the SQ. Many of my friends like to turn up the volume when they visit. I tolerate it (they really enjoy the sound), but I don't enjoy it.
I listened to remastered recordings of both Mingus and Brubeck (both circa 1959). They were both free of hiss.
Unfortunately, I don't have the recording you mention. However, I believe you are right - I would not be able to enjoy that recording with these speakers while I might with speakers which did not have as much high frequency extension and prominence.
"Given time, we can come to believe that many different variations on the truth are apparently equally entertaining." - Floyd E. Toole
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Not sure I could stomach the presence of HT4's in my house - they just look way too darn goofy to me, but the eye is in the beholder, and I wonder if they will be worth the entrance fee.
Ya know the irony of that post is that my wife actually is encouraging me to stay away from Song Towers or HT2's because she hates the look of "speakers" and she can't stand tall tower shapes hanging around.
That said she has absolutely no problem with the dwarf coffin looking HT3's and the crazy looking HT4's because she said with the veneer options and infinite possibilities for how she could make it look it really is art.
Its not often you have the wife talk you out of 3,000 dollar speakers and into 10,000 dollar speakers but I guess I'm just lucky. If only I could get Uncle Sam off my back for 5 minutes I would order a pair.
Either way I would definitely think doing the comparison with external amplification for the Paradigm and Salks would be in order. Not that I don't appreciate the review but I don't think an active speaker with amps and speakers custom selected for their purposes compares to speakers being run off of a receiver.
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