Salk Song3A...1st Impression

[2channel lover]

Guys...I put some thoughts together after listening to these speakers for the last 7 weeks. I'm not a reviewer by trade so the technical data I've left for the manufacturer, but I have been listening to pretty good SQ the last 35+ yrs so take what you will from my experience.

While I did demo a lot of OEM speakers ranging from the Revel F208, B&W 804 & 803 D3, Monitor Audio Gold 300, Paradigm 3F, Golden Ear 1, 2, 3. None of these were true A/B comparisons so I've refrained from such comparisons aside from my own previous speakers.

One general comment I feel pretty comfortable saying...there were speakers such as the Revel F208 and 803D3 that had more extension on the low end, but few if any matched the clarity and detail in the midrange and tweeter of the Song3A.

To save some space and make it an easier read, I've attached the pdf.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Congrats. I keep telling anyone who'd listen that in my humble experience Salk SS8 are best speakers at any price, and yours seem to very close in terms of building blocks at half price. So very good deal.

 

[2channel lover]

Congrats. I keep telling anyone who'd listen that in my humble experience Salk SS8 are best speakers at any price, and yours seem to very close in terms of building blocks at half price. So very good deal.

Thanks...I feel blessed to own them.

On the day I ordered earlier that morning I had been wavering and was now considering the Song3 Encore instead...Jim told me from here (the S3A) in my line the bass is what gets noticeably better as the price goes up. With the 2 subs you have I don't think you can improve SQ much even if you spent twice the money. Stay the course which I did.

I've since gone back and listened to a couple of the upper crust speakers that I knew I couldn't buy when I was demoing...he was right...Salk Sound is not hype.

 

[Swerd]

I just finished reading your review of the Song3A speakers. I know your speaker search was a labor of love. Your review seems also to be another labor of love. Excellent job.

You ought to send a copy of your review to Jim Salk. He would enjoy it.

 

[2channel lover]

I just finished reading your review of the Song3A speakers. I know your speaker search was a labor of love. Your review seems also to be another labor of love. Excellent job.

You ought to send a copy of your review to Jim Salk. He would enjoy it.

Thanks Swerd...inspired by your Veracity write up sir, but I fell way short of that benchmark.

I've been logging the playlist as I went along, but I started and stopped writing it about 4 times and finally got it on paper Friday night.

I'll do that.

 

[Adam Davids]

Thanks for posting this. I'm patiently waiting for a pair of Song3's (ordered in November). I kept going back and forth on ordering the 3A, but ultimately decided on the regular 3. I like detail but I've heard speakers that are too analytical and I think the regular 3's will be good enough for me. Congrats on your speakers and hopefully you get years and years of enjoyment.

 

[2channel lover]

Thanks for posting this. I'm patiently waiting for a pair of Song3's (ordered in November). I kept going back and forth on ordering the 3A, but ultimately decided on the regular 3. I like detail but I've heard speakers that are too analytical and I think the regular 3's will be good enough for me. Congrats on your speakers and hopefully you get years and years of enjoyment.

No problem.

Congrats on your Song3s!!...I think you're going to love them!

One note...transparent might be the word I would use, but definitely, the Song3 won't be as fussy or as revealing about the recording yet sill sound great.

 

[TheWarrior]

No problem.

Congrats on your Song3s!!...I think you're going to love them!

One note...transparent might be the word I would use, but definitely, the Song3 won't be as fussy or as revealing about the recording yet sill sound great.

And I agree completely with your comment of 'revealing' being both a pro and a con - lesser recordings are quickly forgotten or replaced with better ones as speaker quality increases!

 

[2channel lover]

And I agree completely with your comment of 'revealing' being both a pro and a con - lesser recordings are quickly forgotten or replaced with better ones as speaker quality increases!

Yeah, I've identified about 5 recordings so far that I probably won't play much if at all anymore..."Abraxas" CD..is my favorite Santana albums, I discovered it has some distortion in the guitar solo peaks on several songs....very slight with the B&Ws...more pronounced with the S3As..I found the SACD release off the original master, it's cleaned up very nicely.

FWIW...everything hi res I've bought that Mofi re-issued has been excellent SQ.

 

[Bucknekked]

Yeah, I've identified about 5 recordings so far that I probably won't play much if at all anymore..."Abraxas" CD..is my favorite Santana albums, I discovered it has some distortion in the guitar solo peaks on several songs....very slight with the B&Ws...more pronounced with the S3As..I found the SACD release off the original master, it's cleaned up very nicely.

FWIW...everything hi res I've bought that Mofi re-issued has been excellent SQ.

I too have discovered recordings that the Salks revealed as being not up to par that I now listen to far less frequently. On the flipside, I am constantly discovering new favorites that are well recorded and sound great on my Salks. Its funny you mention an old Santana album, that's on of the ones on my list to be a little disappointed with as well. Now I don't feel so bad.

Glad you are enjoying the Salks. I love mine.

 

[KEW]

Yeah, I've identified about 5 recordings so far that I probably won't play much if at all anymore..."Abraxas" CD..is my favorite Santana albums, I discovered it has some distortion in the guitar solo peaks on several songs....very slight with the B&Ws...more pronounced with the S3As...

I too have discovered recordings that the Salks revealed as being not up to par that I now listen to far less frequently... Its funny you mention an old Santana album, that's on of the ones on my list to be a little disappointed with as well.

You guys might be able to "fix" that if you match the right tube amp to "soften" your sound quality!

Edit - In case anyone is in doubt, this is sarcasm, but there is some truth in it. If your speakers are too accurate, you can lose some of that accuracy by using some of the tube amps out there!

 

[Bucknekked]

You guys might be able to "fix" that if you match the right tube amp to "soften" your sound quality!

KEW
I am sure that I would be told I am clueless and have no idea what I'm doing if I so much as said a cautionary word about a tube amp. They are apparently the new wonderkinds for some. If I could only figure out which ones provide the chocolately bass I might risk it.

 

[KEW]

KEW
I am sure that I would be told I am clueless and have no idea what I'm doing if I so much as said a cautionary word about a tube amp. They are apparently the new wonderkinds for some. If I could only figure out which ones provide the chocolately bass I might risk it.

Ummmmmmmmm, Chocolate...

 

[2channel lover]

I too have discovered recordings that the Salks revealed as being not up to par that I now listen to far less frequently. On the flipside, I am constantly discovering new favorites that are well recorded and sound great on my Salks. Its funny you mention an old Santana album, that's on of the ones on my list to be a little disappointed with as well. Now I don't feel so bad.

Glad you are enjoying the Salks. I love mine.

I've read that about SQ on some of Santana's works before but it never dawned on me...I know not everyone is into SACD, but this is one that was definitely worth the money.

On this new system for fidelity rating I would give Abraxas CD a 7 on a 10 scale...Abraxas SACD...9 on a 10 scale...it could very well be 10 of 10, but so far I've reserved 10s for only handful of recordings, most of them are multi-ch.

 

[Masher59]

Great write up there and what amazing work Jim does. I'm still in love with my SongTowers and SongCenter. Everyone is blown away when I toss a disc into the Oppo and crank it up. I had some friends over and I don't remember the movie but it was a scene with a helicopter coming in to land. I looked around and everyone was smiling from ear to ear. The Salks singing, HSUs pounding and Mini Phils crushing the back end. So happy you turned me on to them 2channel, thanks again.

 

[2channel lover]

Great write up there and what amazing work Jim does. I'm still in love with my SongTowers and SongCenter. Everyone is blown away when I toss a disc into the Oppo and crank it up. I had some friends over and I don't remember the movie but it was a scene with a helicopter coming in to land. I looked around and everyone was smiling from ear to ear. The Salks singing, HSUs pounding and Mini Phils crushing the back end. So happy you turned me on to them 2channel, thanks again.

Thanks Masher,

Awesome! Love hearing that...iirc you were johnny on the spot and got a pair with much wait at all and the big boy HSU sub.

Somebody educated me on Salks so I was happy to share...now that I have my own it just makes it that much easier to refer others. My brother in law was in town on the holidays, just days after I had them, maybe a week actually, but he heard them a couple of times and now wants a pair.

 

[KEW]

Somebody educated me on Salks so I was happy to share...now that I have my own it just makes it that much easier to refer others. My brother in law was in town on the holidays, just days after I had them, maybe a week actually, but he heard them a couple of times and now wants a pair.

This is how companies like Salk survive!
They wouldn't last too long without referrals and spreading the "goodness"!

 

[2channel lover]

This is how companies like Salk survive!
They wouldn't last too long without referrals and spreading the "goodness"!

Yep.

In one of my 1st conversations with Jim...he shared his beginnings of building speakers in his home as a hobby and how it just kept growing until he knew he had to go at it full-time and move the operation out of his home or stop because it was starting to consume his house.

Each one teach one! Or maybe each one expose another one .

 

[CB22]

Guys...I put some thoughts together after listening to these speakers for the last 7 weeks. I'm not a reviewer by trade so the technical data I've left for the manufacturer, but I have been listening to pretty good SQ the last 35+ yrs so take what you will from my experience.

While I did demo a lot of OEM speakers ranging from the Revel F208, B&W 804 & 803 D3, Monitor Audio Gold 300, Paradigm 3F, Golden Ear 1, 2, 3. None of these were true A/B comparisons so I've refrained from such comparisons aside from my own previous speakers.

One general comment I feel pretty comfortable saying...there were speakers such as the Revel F208 and 803D3 that had more extension on the low end, but few if any matched the clarity and detail in the midrange and tweeter of the Song3A.

To save some space and make it an easier read, I've attached the pdf.

Just came across this, great PDF and write up! After living with the speakers for a year have your impression changed at all? Any upgrade feeling or you 100% content where your at?

 

[ichigo]

Great write up. Does Salk include the foam pads with the these speakers? AFAIK they increase vertical dispersion significantly and almost bring it up to the level of a typical 1" dome tweeter.