Salk Song3 Encore

[everettT]

Have the Salk Song 3 Enocore finally in place. Still need finish tweaks but wanted to post a couple of pics and initial impressions.
Equipment:
Speakers
http://www.salksound.com/model.php?model=Song3+Encore
PreAmp
https://usa.denon.com/us/product/hometheater/receivers/avrx3400h
Amp
https://www.qsc.com/cinema/products/power-amplifiers/dca-series/dca-1622/
Bluray CD Media Player
https://denonpro.com/products/view3/dn-500bdmkii
Display 85"
https://www.sony.com/electronics/televisions/xbr-x850f-series
Rack
https://www.middleatlantic.com/prod...sex-mmr-series-multi-mount-rack/mmr-1020.aspx
Server Hard drive
https://www.amazon.com/LinkStation-...eywords=buffalo+2tb+external+hard+drive&psc=1

The system is in a second home and is intended to be a 2ch music system most of the time with some TV viewing and the main seats are 20'. We have a second room that will be the theater room that I'll get started on after the new year.

The speakers took approximately 6 months from order date. Shipping was LTL 280# palette, extremely well packed. When originally ordered the speakers were to have a Transducer Labs Be tweeter but they ceased production so the SB Satori Be was used instead.

First impressions:
The midrange and tweeter are quite possibly the best I've heard. There is such an open airiness with them that creates a incredibly wide and deep soundstage. The 9.5" woofer plays effortlessly with everything I've thrown at them. (I'll take measurements post setup)
I limited the spl to 100db durning the session, and no matter what they wouldnt distort. So far I'm very pleased.

 

[Hobbit]

Love that finish! Reminds me of finishes on guitars.

 

[everettT]

Love that finish! Reminds me of finishes on guitars.

That was the look we wanted, like a Les Paul , just a little less "flashy". Jim does great work.. as does Dennis and Paul...

 

[ryanosaur]

That was the look we wanted, like a Les Paul , just a little less "flashy". Jim does great work.. as does Dennis and Paul...

Totally dig them. love the burst.
More... What was the deciding factor for the QSC? I think you recommended it to me a few moons ago... but I'm still trying to come to terms with amplification, and am really needing a 5-channel solution. I think I saw these in 2 and 4?
Cheers, everettT! More than ever, I can't wait for the Phil 3's in... May? Hopefully! (God, man, how did you cope?!!!)

 

[everettT]

I picked up the amp after @Verdinut had mentioned it in a thread. 2ohm stable, THX certified and great distortion numbers. If you push the amp past the advertised specs, the distortion still is better than many units. For less than 1k and 300wpc @8ohms with .005 distortion, it was a no brainer.

 

[everettT]

Totally dig them. love the burst.
More... What was the deciding factor for the QSC? I think you recommended it to me a few moons ago... but I'm still trying to come to terms with amplification, and am really needing a 5-channel solution. I think I saw these in 2 and 4?
Cheers, everettT! More than ever, I can't wait for the Phil 3's in... May? Hopefully! (God, man, how did you cope?!!!)

Congrats on the 3s! Great speakers. Ive had the same BG midrange in the 3s (along with the neo3 tweeter)and loved it

 

[ryanosaur]

I picked up the amp after @Verdinut had mentioned it in a thread. 2ohm stable, THX certified and great distortion numbers. If you push the amp past the advertised specs, the distortion still is better than many units. For less than 1k and 300wpc @8ohms with .005 distortion, it was a no brainer.

Ah, maybe it was verdi that recommended them.
My biggest "concern" is setting up a good 5.1 audio system... while also freeing my little avr to do the lifting for rears+atmos. My line of thought is that if in HT you want for front three matched... I want to do that across the board for the 5, so 1 amp preferred to rule them all... BMR as center + 1 pair as l/r until the 3s come in, then those BMRs become my Surrounds. maybe I'm crazy. we'll see.

 

[lovinthehd]

I picked up the amp after @Verdinut had mentioned it in a thread. 2ohm stable, THX certified and great distortion numbers. If you push the amp past the advertised specs, the distortion still is better than many units. For less than 1k and 300wpc @8ohms with .005 distortion, it was a no brainer.

How's fan noise on that model?

 

[everettT]

How's fan noise on that model?

Not an issue for me at the listening position. It runs fairly quite and no mod will be required. It flows back to front which helps as well.

 

[Swerd]

@everettT – Congrats on those new speakers. They look great and I know they sound wonderful.
Thanks also for providing the details of your QSC amp. It's worth knowing.

Ah, maybe it was verdi that recommended them.
My biggest "concern" is setting up a good 5.1 audio system... while also freeing my little avr to do the lifting for rears+atmos. My line of thought is that if in HT you want for front three matched... I want to do that across the board for the 5, so 1 amp preferred to rule them all... BMR as center + 1 pair as l/r until the 3s come in, then those BMRs become my Surrounds. maybe I'm crazy. we'll see.

I wouldn't be concerned about using your AVR to drive all the rear channels. In the past, I used a smaller Denon AVR with 70 wpc for center and rear channel duty without problems. In movies and TV, the rear channel content doesn't require much power. If you use a 2 or 3 channel amp for the front, you will almost certainly not overtax your AVR.

Those who order new speakers from Dennis or Jim now have to wait months for them to appear. Although it's tough to wait that long, I urge patience. In the long run, it's worth it. It's also common, while you're waiting, to get urges to buy new amps or speaker cables , just to satisfy that "gimme something new right now" urge. Don't let your impatience let you overspend. Remember, when Dennis develops his and Jim Salk's speakers, he used (until recently) an old AVA amp with 125 wpc channel. It was 'more than adequate' for all the speakers he's done.

 

[2channel lover]

Have the Salk Song 3 Enocore finally in place. Still need finish tweaks but wanted to post a couple of pics and initial impressions.
Equipment:
Speakers
http://www.salksound.com/model.php?model=Song3+Encore
PreAmp
https://usa.denon.com/us/product/hometheater/receivers/avrx3400h
Amp
https://www.qsc.com/cinema/products/power-amplifiers/dca-series/dca-1622/
Bluray CD Media Player
https://denonpro.com/products/view3/dn-500bdmkii
Display 85"
https://www.sony.com/electronics/televisions/xbr-x850f-series
Rack
https://www.middleatlantic.com/prod...sex-mmr-series-multi-mount-rack/mmr-1020.aspx
Server Hard drive
https://www.amazon.com/LinkStation-...eywords=buffalo+2tb+external+hard+drive&psc=1
View attachment 27146
The system is in a second home and is intended to be a 2ch music system most of the time with some TV viewing and the main seats are 20'. We have a second room that will be the theater room that I'll get started on after the new year.

The speakers took approximately 6 months from order date. Shipping was LTL 280# palette, extremely well packed. When originally ordered the speakers were to have a Transducer Labs Be tweeter but they ceased production so the SB Satori Be was used instead.

First impressions:
The midrange and tweeter are quite possibly the best I've heard. There is such an open airiness with them that creates a incredibly wide and deep soundstage. The 9.5" woofer plays effortlessly with everything I've thrown at them. (I'll take measurements post setup)
I limited the spl to 100db durning the session, and no matter what they wouldnt distort. So far I'm very pleased.

View attachment 27142View attachment 27143View attachment 27144View attachment 27145

Congrats!

That's got to be one of the best, most affordable true 2.0 speakers.

 

[ryanosaur]

Don't let your impatience let you overspend.

Ha! I already did that for the Phil-3s... So now its don't let my overspending impatient me into overspending more!
I get its a delicate balance. I think runnng the Mini-Phils as rears plus 2 pair of AAs in Atmos is well within the ability of the Marantz. I've budgeted for an amp since the beginning, expecting originally to be purchasing some more power-hungry speakers. I'm considering the options I have to get a good amp for covering both my wants and needs, and still spending less for powering 5-channels rather than the 3- channel amps I had been considering.

 

[Swerd]

Ha! I already did that for the Phil-3s... So now its don't let my overspending impatient me into overspending more!

Buying any speaker made by Dennis Murphy or Jim Salk is not overspending. They become permanent cures for the condition known as Audio Nirvana Nervosa, the incessant buying & re-buying of audio gear that many audiophiles do .

Look at the speakers in any audio show and you'll see examples of overspending and massive overspending. When Dennis first introduced the Phil 3 at a local audio show in Maryland, his room was right next to a room with Wilson Audio speakers selling for about $25k. They sounded dreadfully shrill. People who escaped the Wilson room found themselves marveling over the bargain priced Phil 3s. Many at the show advised Dennis that he wasn't charging enough.

 

[CB22]

The midrange and tweeter are quite possibly the best I've heard. There is such an open airiness with them that creates a incredibly wide and deep soundstage.

Thats awesome!

They look fantastic... congrats on the speakers! You patience really did pay off! I don't think it gets much better than that. I'm sure you will enjoy for many years to come.

 

[ryanosaur]

Many at the show advised Dennis that he wasn't charging enough.

Totally agree with everything you said. But not only did I buy the 7.0 package I was looking at from Dennis... I also bought the Phil-3s! But after I heard them... well, that's all it took! Every other speaker I ever may want to consider is going to have very large shoes to... Phil!
(Sorry, couldn't help myself.)

 

[snakeeyes]

Totally agree with everything you said. But not only did I buy the 7.0 package I was looking at from Dennis... I also bought the Phil-3s! But after I heard them... well, that's all it took! Every other speaker I ever may want to consider is going to have very large shoes to... Phil!
(Sorry, couldn't help myself.)

You can always move any extra phils to another room for 2.0 or 2.1.

 

[2channel lover]

Congrats!

That's got to be one of the best, most affordable true 2.0 speakers.

I think there should be a Salk/Murphy folder on the 'Holics. They make outstanding products that really are a great value in comparison with most of the established highend speaker brands.

Multi-ch music has me re-thinking my side surrounds....my experiment with my old B&Ws there in place of the book shelf RBH has convinced me that there is benefit to better speakers in the rear. I still plan on giving the B&Ws to my son, but now I might look at a pair of BMRs in lieu of the RBH Rb5i.

Side note...also giving thought to Jim's music streamer (Gen III) . My current set up (Laptop with a 5T external and JRiver connecting via wifi and USB to oppo 205 (oppo DAC) or HDMI to pre/pro (pre/pro DAC)...neither are consistently stable.

 

[everettT]

Just a small update, I need a sub lol. I have no issues with the speakers playing full range music, I'm just finding myself wanting to fill out the low end with the volume down for the occasional movie and subs will allow me to do so without changing the speaker settings every time. Basically I'm just in purchase mode. I'm tempted to do two monoliths 15s or HSU VTF15s, especially for the price, but I want gloss black which leaves me with svs or rythmik. Descions decisions... just ordered the ProJect carbon esprit so I'll keep it up ...

 

[ryanosaur]

Just a small update, I need a sub lol. I have no issues with the speakers playing full range music, I'm just finding myself wanting to fill out the low end with the volume down for the occasional movie and subs will allow me to do so without changing the speaker settings every time. Basically I'm just in purchase mode. I'm tempted to do two monoliths 15s or HSU VTF15s, especially for the price, but I want gloss black which leaves me with svs or rythmik. Descions decisions... just ordered the ProJect carbon esprit so I'll keep it up ...

I was "{}" this close to the Rythmik EP15HP2SE's!
Jim uses sealed 15" rythmik for his rig... recommended it to me for organ and percussion, said it digs deep enough. I know ported will give better output, but how big is your room?

That said, the Outlaws have their holiday sale back on! X13s shipped for 1K!

 

[everettT]

I was "{}" this close to the Rythmik EP15HP2SE's!
Jim uses sealed 15" rythmik for his rig... recommended it to me for organ and percussion, said it digs deep enough. I know ported will give better output, but how big is your room?

That said, the Outlaws have their holiday sale back on! X13s shipped for 1K!

Yes in the mix too.. with ported mains, I need a ported sub to match the LPF and HPF effectively, aside from the room being large. I'm doing JTRs all the way around in the new theater and would consider them, just dont need that much..