Salk Sound System 5.0

[CB22]

I recently got a 5 channel Salk Sound System consisting of Song 3, Supercharged Center, and Wow surrounds in waterfall bubinga wood veneer. Thought I'd share them here. They sound amazing! Such a big upgrade from the previous Phase Tech speakers I had in every way.

I requested the Song 3's with a open back midrange as an optional extra, and I'm really glad I did!! I attached some photos of how that works in the back. You can have it sealed, open with stuffing, or totally open. For acoustic jazz and classical music it really open up the soundstage and makes the instruments sound real like they are in the room. I play piano so I am really sensitive to the sound of a piano. These are the first speakers I've heard where it actually sounds like a real piano in the room. Vocals, horns, anything you throw at it sounds real. For studio multi track recordings I prefer a closed back midrange as it gives a true image of what the engineers were trying to achieve. It's the best of both worlds, I can have a open baffle speaker for one song, and then the next song can be a closed box speaker!

The raal tweeters sound incredibly detailed and transparent. The center speaker is incredibly detailed, and even with old mono movies from the 50's I've heard details of crickets chirping and birds that I've never heard in old movies. Dialog is exceptional and crisp for all seats. The Wow surrounds are extremely detailed and smooth as well, and play quite deep for a little speaker.

I would say with these speakers it sounds as though your ears were plugged before, and now you are unclogging your ears and can hear every detail in the recording. But they don't sound harsh at all. I listened to the Song 3A's with the accutron midrange before, and those were too detailed and a bit harsh. With the Song 3 midrange it is very smooth sounding, and perfect for me.

When I first got them the bass was lacking punch and body, but Jim assured me the surrounds needed to loosen up. After 30-40 hours they did appear to loosen up, and then the bass sounded excellent and really tight. The highs and mids were unchanged from the first listen.

The veneer is gorgeous in person, and these speakers overall have a look of luxury. They are like a finely built sports car, whatever performance you ask of them they don't break a sweat. I only have a midrange Onkyo reciever driving them and they play wonderfully. I can only imagine upgrading to a nicer amp how well they will play!

WOW! WOW! AND WOW! That is pretty much my dream system. Congrats! Beautiful speakers!

 

[ryanosaur]

WOW! WOW! AND WOW! That is pretty much my dream system. Congrats! Beautiful speakers!

CB!!! Good to see you, man. Hope all is well!

 

[ryanosaur]

Thanks alot! Yea, the veneer reminds me of sound waves coming off the speakers. The wood has an iridescent 3D grain quality in person. Photos can't quite capture that, you'd have to see them in person. It's much nicer than any of my other wood furniture haha.

What is Chatoyance, for $500, Alex.

 

[2channel lover]

Well maybe not harsh, more unforgiving I suppose. Anyway that's why he has 4 Song 3 versions as people have different preferences. The Song 3 is more forgiving and has lots of detail still. It's very smooth sounding. Glad we both enjoy them!

Yes, I've been hearing all sorts of details on albums I've had for 20 years, that I've never heard before. It's amazing!!!

At the time of purchase the Song3 had been released, and Jim told me he was introducing another version with a new midrange and it would be more sensitive to source content. It turned out to be the S3A...what goes in, is what comes out.

I think generally speaking the affordable 3way design just took off and that made expanding the concept that much easier.

 

[Kingnoob]

Thanks alot! Yea, the veneer reminds me of sound waves coming off the speakers. The wood has an iridescent 3D grain quality in person. Photos can't quite capture that, you'd have to see them in person. It's much nicer than any of my other wood furniture haha.

Wow what’s that metal thing in the middle of the woofer ? Is it a full ranger ?


Ultimate bass lover !! si ht15 dvc.
Free the reptile aliens

 

[D Murphy]

Wow what’s that metal thing in the middle of the woofer ? Is it a full ranger ?


Ultimate bass lover !! si ht15 dvc.
Free the reptile aliens

That's the Tang Band W4, which is marketed as a full range driver. The thingy in the center is a genuine phase plug that provides better dispersion up high. I've done a desk top using it full range, and it does quite well that way, although you still have to throw a few components at it to provide baffle step compensation and tame a huge peak above 10 kHz. But, like the BMR driver, its real forte is midrange performance.

 

[NINaudio]

I recently got a 5 channel Salk Sound System consisting of Song 3, Supercharged Center, and Wow surrounds in waterfall bubinga wood veneer. Thought I'd share them here. They sound amazing! Such a big upgrade from the previous Phase Tech speakers I had in every way.

I've been looking at these song3's myself as I'd really like to step up to a super nice 3 way. It all depends on what my tax return looks like next year.

I'm just curious, why did you go with the supercharged center instead of the Song3 center?

 

[JerryLove]

Congrats. Love my SCSTs. I'm sure your setup sounds as nice as it looks.

 

[everettT]

They are all voiced close enough that it shouldn't matter, but depending on which Song 3 model mains, I can certainly see the SCST center as a choice. If I were using mine in an HT, that's what I'd choose.

 

[baronvonellis]

I've been looking at these song3's myself as I'd really like to step up to a super nice 3 way. It all depends on what my tax return looks like next year.

I'm just curious, why did you go with the supercharged center instead of the Song3 center?

Thanks! Yea the Song 3's are great! The Song3 center looks nice, maybe I should of got it but at the time I thought it was too tall and big for my setup and it costs $400 more. Jim said the Supercharged Songcenter would match up with the Song 3 fine since they are all voiced similar. The Supercharged Songcenter is the best center I've heard, dialog is super clear and crisp, and it puts out alot of bass.

 

[2channel lover]

I've been looking at these song3's myself as I'd really like to step up to a super nice 3 way. It all depends on what my tax return looks like next year.

I'm just curious, why did you go with the supercharged center instead of the Song3 center?

Good question.

For me, the Song3 cc was still in conception stage when I ordered and were debuting about the time of my delivery or shortly thereafter.

Jim suggested the SC...felt the drivers were a good match for the Song3 and 3A. I haven't heard the S3 CC for comparison but I'm quite pleased with the SC.

 

[Alex2507]

Congrats. Love my SCSTs. I'm sure your setup sounds as nice as it looks.

I take it Chris' Infinities are a solid couple of steps down from the Salks?

Did you get a chance to listen to his omni-polar rig?

 

[NINaudio]

Thanks! Yea the Song 3's are great! The Song3 center looks nice, maybe I should of got it but at the time I thought it was too tall and big for my setup and it costs $400 more. Jim said the Supercharged Songcenter would match up with the Song 3 fine since they are all voiced similar. The Supercharged Songcenter is the best center I've heard, dialog is super clear and crisp, and it puts out alot of bass.

Ahh, ok, good to know. I'm thinking if I do go Song3's I'd want the Song3 center for the matching tweeter and mids. My wife also likes to sit pretty far off axis right now, so the better dispersion of a 3 way is more appealing to me. I've got an email out to Salk sound to see if there is someone nearby that owns a pair I can check out. From what I've read, it seems the straight Song3's would be best for the music I listen to (rock, metal, electronic), whereas the 3A's would probably be too revealing for it.

 

[everettT]

Ahh, ok, good to know. I'm thinking if I do go Song3's I'd want the Song3 center for the matching tweeter and mids. My wife also likes to sit pretty far off axis right now, so the better dispersion of a 3 way is more appealing to me. I've got an email out to Salk sound to see if there is someone nearby that owns a pair I can check out. From what I've read, it seems the straight Song3's would be best for the music I listen to (rock, metal, electronic),whereas the 3A's would probably be too revealing for it.

I can tell you that the 3e dosen't like poor recordings at all. It really made me hate some music that I had lived my whole life.

Good luck on your purchase, you will enjoy them.

 

[2channel lover]

Ahh, ok, good to know. I'm thinking if I do go Song3's I'd want the Song3 center for the matching tweeter and mids. My wife also likes to sit pretty far off axis right now, so the better dispersion of a 3 way is more appealing to me. I've got an email out to Salk sound to see if there is someone nearby that owns a pair I can check out. From what I've read, it seems the straight Song3's would be best for the music I listen to (rock, metal, electronic), whereas the 3A's would probably be too revealing for it.

I own the 3A...the Accuton Mid is revealing, but I don't think genres will matter at all. The quality of the recording will matter though.

I don't do much metal, but Classic rock, jazz acoustic and fusion, R&B, folk, Blues I play some of all of it and I think the Song3a have rendered maybe 2 or 3 recordings unlistenable (if that's a word) out of several hundred.

If most of what you listen to is at least CD quality, the 3A will work fine, but if you play a lot of condensed files, MP3 files, etc. I would not get the 3A.

Good luck with it! You can't go wrong with a 3-way Salk.

 

[baronvonellis]

Ahh, ok, good to know. I'm thinking if I do go Song3's I'd want the Song3 center for the matching tweeter and mids. My wife also likes to sit pretty far off axis right now, so the better dispersion of a 3 way is more appealing to me. I've got an email out to Salk sound to see if there is someone nearby that owns a pair I can check out. From what I've read, it seems the straight Song3's would be best for the music I listen to (rock, metal, electronic),whereas the 3A's would probably be too revealing for it.

I see, yea if you have seats that are far off axis the Song3 center might be a better choice. That Tang Bang Mid is fantastic, detailed yet smooth, and sounds great off axis. It has a very wide dispersion, it seems to be an almost 90 degree dispersion, the sound doesn't seem to change much when I walk around to the sides of the speakers. I just have a regular couch so I'm mostly right on axis or maybe 5-10 degrees off at most. The tweeters are both Raal so they match seamlessly, having the same mid might make them match a bit better. A horizontal center speaker has a different size and shape cabinet so it wont ever sound exactly the same. You would have to get 3 LCR speakers that are the same for a perfect match.

You can't go wrong with the Song3's, they are great speakers, the 3As would be great too. Hopefully you can find a local owner to listen to them , that's what I did. Even if you don't listen to them, I think you would be very happy. I didn't even hear the Song center or Wow1's before I bought them, I just went based on their quality and sound of the other Salk speakers I heard.

 

[everettT]

From Chicago I'd just go to the factory if were me.

 

[NINaudio]

From Chicago I'd just go to the factory if were me.

Yeah, I did ask if that was an option in my email. Not sure if they keep much in stock to listen to though, but I'd definitely take the 5 hour drive out to see their shop if they do.

If most of what you listen to is at least CD quality, the 3A will work fine, but if you play a lot of condensed files, MP3 files, etc. I would not get the 3A.

Good luck with it! You can't go wrong with a 3-way Salk.

At home I mostly listen to FLAC files that I've ripped from my CD collection and very occasionally will stream.

 

[2channel lover]

At home I mostly listen to FLAC files that I've ripped from my CD collection and very occasionally will stream.
[/QUOTE]

Song3A

Think transparent, or what goes in, is what comes out....only not much of a filter. Bad is really bad, but good is really good.

IMO...the Paradigm Persona series is kinda similar in that regard.

 

[NINaudio]

At home I mostly listen to FLAC files that I've ripped from my CD collection and very occasionally will stream.

Song3A

Think transparent, or what goes in, is what comes out....only not much of a filter. Bad is really bad, but good is really good.

IMO...the Paradigm Persona series is kinda similar in that regard.
[/QUOTE]

I haven't listened to the Personas.

I've been corresponding with Jim today and he suggests the Song 3's with the original bamboo drivers (which he can still get for an additional price) or the Song3 BeATs for me based on what I listen to. He's also reaching out to a customer in Chicago with the S3's to see about an audition. He said that I'm most certainly welcome to come visit his shop, but they don't have everything available to listen to at once.