A Salk fan-boy takes action

[Swerd]

Interesting that you should mention the Graceland album. I used Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes for years as a bass test song. I don't remember playing that album in the new house... I'll have to do that soon.

Last weekend, Dennis Murphy visited to hear the new speakers. I made sure to play Graceland. He agrees its a good test for bass slam in a speaker and whether it muddies up the male voice range. He wants to add some of it to his demo CD he includes with his speakers.

We also compared the old SongTowers to the new VST speakers – and we were never once blinded .

 

[Swerd]

I think it's safe to say YES, the Veracity ST (VST) is a noticeable step up from the standard dome tweeter SongTower (ST).

Both speakers’ sound resembles each other more than they differ, especially across the whole mid range. Overall, the VST shares the balance of the ST – it isn't brighter sounding than the ST. These are the differences I've noticed:

• The VST has a cleaner, more detailed sound, perhaps because it distorts less.
• The VST has lower bass, 33-34 Hz vs. 40 Hz in the ST.
• The VST has a very clean sounding ribbon tweeter. I’ve heard this enough to be sure it is better sounding than the excellent dome of the ST. Not all music allows me to pick this feature out, but on the right tracks it becomes easy to tell the difference. Imagine a fault-free tweeter.
• The VST is slightly less sensitive, but overall seems to have bit larger dynamic range than the ST.
• The ST has slightly warmer sounding upper bass/lower mid range. This is pleasant sounding, not an undesirable coloration. I was never aware of it before comparing it directly to the VST.

Now comes the hard question, is the difference worth the extra cost? For me, YES, but others will have to answer that for themselves.

I'm in Gaithersburg, Md. If that's close to you, you are welcome to come hear them. We can compare them to my STs (until I sell them). Send me a PM.

 

[Diesel57]

And here are the first photos of what I've been waiting for

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View attachment 18917

What's your address, I'll only break into your house and steal the speakers...LOL...FANTASTIC, until yesterday I never heard of Salk speakers, I researched them and was simply blowned away, looking for a place to go to hear...Enjoy them...

 

[Swerd]

What's your address, I'll only break into your house and steal the speakers...LOL...FANTASTIC, until yesterday I never heard of Salk speakers, I researched them and was simply blowned away, looking for a place to go to hear...Enjoy them...

If you want to hear them, I'll be glad to show them off. I still have the Songtowers, but they are already spoken for.

Send me a PM.

Just to be safe, I will take photos of your license plates .

 

[Diesel57]

If you want to hear them, I'll be glad to show them off. I still have the Songtowers, but they are already spoken for.

Send me a PM.

Just to be safe, I will take photos of your license plates .

After researching the Salk speakers, every review was thumbs up, they are a must hear speaker for me...by the way, what store carries Salk, I'M in the DC area with MD & VA minutes apart?

 

[Swerd]

The AH web site doesn't use the term PM anymore. Look under Conversations instead.

 

[shm123]

I had always loved Salk speakers.

 

[Dennis Murphy]

After researching the Salk speakers, every review was thumbs up, they are a must hear speaker for me...by the way, what store carries Salk, I'M in the DC area with MD & VA minutes apart?

Salk is sold Internet Direct. No stores. I've designed the crossovers for almost all of the Salk speakers, and I'm also in the D.C. area, just across the MD border from American U. I have the original Song Towers, and you might also get a kick out of hearing my own speaker models. But check out Swerd first.

 

[Swerd]

Dennis Murphy not only designs the crossovers for nearly all of the Salk speakers, he is also runs his own small Internet Direct speaker company, Philharmonic Audio.

So far, Diesel has only indicated he wants to "break in and steal some speakers" . So fear not Dennis, I wasn't going to leave you out, I'll give him your address too.

 

[Jeff R.]

I can certainly steal a car before I come steal those speakers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Diesel57]

Dennis Murphy not only designs the crossovers for nearly all of the Salk speakers, he is also runs his own small Internet Direct speaker company, Philharmonic Audio.

So far, Diesel has only indicated he wants to "break in and steal some speakers" . So fear not Dennis, I wasn't going to leave you out, I'll give him your address too.

One of the many reasons that makes this place GREAT, is the support, no one is excluded , can't stop laughing

 

[Diesel57]

Salk is sold Internet Direct. No stores. I've designed the crossovers for almost all of the Salk speakers, and I'm also in the D.C. area, just across the MD border from American U. I have the original Song Towers, and you might also get a kick out of hearing my own speaker models. But check out Swerd first.

No brick & mortar stores or outlets, that speaks volumes, CONCRETES Dennis, it's truly pleasure to know that

 

[jp_over]

No brick & mortar stores or outlets, that speaks volumes, CONCRETES Dennis, it's truly pleasure to know that

I ordered my (original / Hiquphon 3/4" silk dome tweeters) SongTowers & SongCenter "blind" or rather "deaf" I suppose since I only based my purchase on research here and through reading about the SongTower's awards (2008 I believe). I've been very pleased and think, for $ spent to performance ratio, the SongTowers are one of the best values out there + they give a great deal of flexibility in placement due to the MTM design.

I've downgraded amps a few times and added a new lighter but larger TV since we move every few years, but my SongTowers & SongCenter keep on rocking even with only being powered by a "lowly" SR7008!

Of course, these new speakers of Swerd's are a real sonic masterpiece as well from what I've read!

 

[Irvrobinson]

Last weekend, Dennis Murphy visited to hear the new speakers. I made sure to play Graceland. He agrees its a good test for bass slam in a speaker and whether it muddies up the male voice range. He wants to add some of it to his demo CD he includes with his speakers.

Thank you for reminding me about Graceland. I haven't heard it for over a year, since I haven't played it in my current house, and I just listened. In my opinion, this is the most innovative album in pop music history, not to mention one of the most significant in an artistic sense. True genius, which still grabs my attention every time I hear it, even 30 years later. And four audio systems later, Graceland sounds better than ever.

Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes requires very careful subwoofer blending, if you use them. In fact, I suppose you could blame this track for keeping me out of subwoofers for a long time. Well, solo piano did too, but this track is a very interesting test.

I had forgotten that my favorite track on this album is really Homeless. As a former choral singer, the artful use of A Cappella voices in Homeless is awesome.

 

[jp_over]

Friends,

I meant to write sooner but work has been keeping me too busy. However, since I spilled coffee all over my listening session notes this AM my hand has been forced so to speak!

Mr. Swerd is a true gentlemen, gracious host, and scholar of the highest order. I had a great time listening to his stunning new speakers (aesthetically and acoustically) and wanted to mention some highlights of my novice observations on the Veracity SongTower (VST) as compared to the standard SongTower (ST).

Artist & Song: Saint Michael's Singers, Coventry Cathedral / "And Can It Be"
Observations: Wow! Fantastic reproduction of this powerful choral & organ rendition. I noticed a bit more detail than is present with the standard SongTowers (ST). Also, the TL design coupled with the upgraded drivers produced substantial bass that I dare say that was noticeably lower than my own speakers.

Artist & Song: Clint West / "Bayou Pon Pon"
A great song and artist but a rather poor recording. As with my own ST, the VST showed imperfections clearly though the music was still enjoyable.

Artist & Songs: Iron and Wine / "Sailor to Siren" (Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop) & "Tree by the River" (Sam Beam and Sarah Simpson)
BIG sound stage and the bass really showed on "Sailor to Siren". It was deep and authoritative. Also, on both songs vocals were produced with great precision. I never thought I'd hear singers blend together like Sam Beam and his sister (Sarah Simpson), yet he and Jesca Hoop come pretty darn close. What's nice about this artist is that his recordings are usually done quite well and thus provide a good format for evaluating speaker systems.

Artist & Song: Edgar Myer (Bela Fleck) / Old Tyme
This complex song has a tendency to get muddy on some systems (like my car!) particularly with the bass and banjo. As with several other songs, while listening to the VST I noticed a bit more clarity than my own speakers though this is nothing against the standard ST.

Overall, I noticed improvements over the standard ST that were nuanced but apparent to the careful listener. I was really excited to hear the ribbon tweeter that I've been reading about for years and was not disappointed. It simply reproduced the music with authority and accuracy as one would expect.

Swerd, thanks so much for giving me an opportunity to confirm first hand what I've read. Jim Salk makes an excellent product and the VST are no exception! When the time is right, I'm definitely moving into something more like the VST as my "retirement gift" to myself.

 

[Swerd]

Mr. Swerd is a true gentlemen, gracious host, and scholar of the highest order.

jp – from one AHer to another, same goes for you too. Even though you may be exaggerating just a bit, how can I argue ?

I had a great time listening to his stunning new speakers (aesthetically and acoustically) and wanted to mention some highlights…

I had a great time too. Thanks for naming those music selections you brought. They were really good demo tracks, and I enjoyed hearing them.

 

[herbu]

Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes requires very careful subwoofer blending, if you use them. In fact, I suppose you could blame this track for keeping me out of subwoofers for a long time. Well, solo piano did too, but this track is a very interesting test.

I read this yesterday, along w/ other stuff, then went about my business. Then I started thinking about it. Have read a number of folks mention Graceland as a great album AND a good test of your speakers. I remembered your post and thought about Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes. Didn't remember any piano in it. Pulled it up on my phone, put it on repeat, and listened a number of times while I was walking. Still didn't hear any piano.

This morning went to Youtube. Watched a couple videos of Paul Simon doing that song. No piano. Figured I'd come back to the forum and ask. Reread your post and realized that's not what you said. Wasted a whole day thinking about it. But DID get to hear the song a bunch. Ordered the CD for better fidelity. Will be here today. Look forward to hearing it on the Phil3s.

BTW, am mightily impressed by the bass guitar on that song. Odd tone. In fact, couldn't decide what instrument it was until I saw the video. Sounds kinda like a bass trombone, but I don't know if there is such a thing, and the notes are too fast for a trombone.

Anyway, thanks for making me think, listen to the music and order the CD.

 

[Swerd]

I read this yesterday, along w/ other stuff, then went about my business. Then I started thinking about it. Have read a number of folks mention Graceland as a great album AND a good test of your speakers. I remembered your post and thought about Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes. Didn't remember any piano in it. Pulled it up on my phone, put it on repeat, and listened a number of times while I was walking. Still didn't hear any piano.

If I remember correctly, there is no piano in that song.

I think Irv may have been saying that two different things had kept him from using sub woofers for a long time. One was the difficulty in blending sub woofers and bass from speakers, with Diamonds on the Soles as an example. Another independent reason was his experience listening to solo piano recordings ± sub wooofer.

That CD has plenty of bass and percussion. On Phil 3s there should be great impact.

 

[Irvrobinson]

If I remember correctly, there is no piano in that song.

I think Irv may have been saying that two different things had kept him from using sub woofers for a long time. One was the difficulty in blending sub woofers and bass from speakers, with Diamonds on the Soles as an example. Another independent reason was his experience listening to solo piano recordings ± sub wooofer.

That CD has plenty of bass and percussion. On Phil 3s there should be great impact.

Sorry for the confusion, herbu, Swerd is correct. I was talking about two separate problems.

Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes has some rather unusual percussion in it, with considerable complexity going on in the 80-120Hz range, which is right where most people tune the crossover from mains to subs. Though I didn't use this recording to help tune my system, it didn't sound right with the sub engaged until I figured out the best way to integrate my system. (This turned out to be running my mains full-range and using the sub with PEQs to fill in dips below 100Hz.)

I am a big solo piano fan; I have several hundred solo piano CDs. For my favorite works, like the Beethoven piano sonatas, I own multiple versions. To me, it is very annoying to hear piano notes that sound unnaturally loud or soft, so I literally use certain recordings to test my system tuning. I use high-quality headphones to determine what the amplitudes should be independent of the room, and then try to make the in-room response approximate it. Certainly not a perfect process, as it relies on my hearing, but over a period of months with trial and error (lots of error), I got "close enough", and I haven't touched the system since. The octaves below 120Hz have been a particular problem for me, and at audio dealers subs always seemed to make the situation worse, no matter what the sales guy did. Even after I bought my current sub, it took me months to get happy with it.

 

[KEW]

Sorry for the confusion, herbu, Swerd is correct. I was talking about two separate problems.

Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes has some rather unusual percussion in it, with considerable complexity going on in the 80-120Hz range, which is right where most people tune the crossover from mains to subs. Though I didn't use this recording to help tune my system, it didn't sound right with the sub engaged until I figured out the best way to integrate my system. (This turned out to be running my mains full-range and using the sub with PEQs to fill in dips below 100Hz.)

I am a big solo piano fan; I have several hundred solo piano CDs. For my favorite works, like the Beethoven piano sonatas, I own multiple versions. To me, it is very annoying to hear piano notes that sound unnaturally loud or soft, so I literally use certain recordings to test my system tuning. I use high-quality headphones to determine what the amplitudes should be independent of the room, and then try to make the in-room response approximate it. Certainly not a perfect process, as it relies on my hearing, but over a period of months with trial and error (lots of error), I got "close enough", and I haven't touched the system since. The octaves below 120Hz have been a particular problem for me, and at audio dealers sub always seemed to make the situation worse, no matter what the sales guy did. Even after I bought my current sub, it took me months to get happy with it.

Thanks! Always nice to get details on how someone (who cares enough to devote serious time and thought) went about refining their system/tuning.
Didn't you also take in-room measurements? How did that process integrate with the above?
Thanks!