Philharmonic Audio - 3-way open back ML-TQWTs designed by Dennis Murphy

[dkane360]

..or maybe it was the song selection itself

Agreed. I don't think "Party in the USA" is really reference material



I would imagine that at a certain point though, the best speakers all sound very similar. Even the best of us would probably have a hard time differentiating them.

 

[frsimms]

Expectations

Dennis, I am afraid that I do have elevated expectations. I know what you are capable of. I don’t expect bass response like my SoundScapes though. Also, there is only one RAAL.

Bob

 

[frsimms]

Please correct me if I am wrong. Jim Salk is the speaker manufacture. Dennis is just an unpaid consultant that helps Jim. Paul Kittinger is an unpaid consultant that helps Dennis. Both consultants do speaker work as a hobby. Dennis retired and is making a few speakers to help out the Washington Philharmonic Orchestra. I would think that Dennis would probably want to remain very small. Both Dennis and Paul are very gifted in what they do.

I don’t see them as being in competition. They are selling to different parts of the market. My Salk SoundScapes are fine furniture. They have the best finish that I have ever seen on any furniture or musical instrument and I used to be a piano tuner. The only finish that I have seen as fine was on a gun stock. The Philharmonic 1 and 2 have cabinets made in China. I don’t think Ferrari and Ford think they are in competition with each other.

Bob

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

..or maybe it was the song selection itself

Agreed. I don't think "Party in the USA" is really reference material

Wwwwwwwwwhhhhyy you!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I would imagine that at a certain point though, the best speakers all sound very similar. Even the best of us would probably have a hard time differentiating them.

I agree.

But I think most people believe this point to be at least $20,000?

And some believe that ALL speakers sound differently no matter the cost.

But honestly, even if we heard a $5K speaker that sounded just as good as a $50K speaker, would we be willing to make such a statement?

I don't think I'm willing to.

 

[DenPureSound]

Please correct me if I am wrong. Jim Salk is the speaker manufacture. Dennis is just an unpaid consultant that helps Jim. Paul Kittinger is an unpaid consultant that helps Dennis. Both consultants do speaker work as a hobby. Dennis retired and is making a few speakers to help out the Washington Philharmonic Orchestra. I would think that Dennis would probably want to remain very small. Both Dennis and Paul are very gifted in what they do.

I don’t see them as being in competition. They are selling to different parts of the market. My Salk SoundScapes are fine furniture. They have the best finish that I have ever seen on any furniture or musical instrument and I used to be a piano tuner. The only finish that I have seen as fine was on a gun stock. The Philharmonic 1 and 2 have cabinets made in China. I don’t think Ferrari and Ford think they are in competition with each other.

Bob

Right on Bob, but the PHIL 3 enclosures are made in the good ole U.S.A.

Have you listened to any of the Phil's?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Right on Bob, but the PHIL 3 enclosures are made in the g


ood ole U.S.A.

I bet Del is hand rubbing my Philharmonic 3 cabinets right now to get ready for
the high-end high-gloss finish.

Should look like shiny plastic - like my KEF & Salon2.

I don't think my Phil3s will look like a Ford once Del is done with them.

Wait. Does a Ford look like shiny high-gloss plastic & a Ferrari look like shiny metal?

 

[dkane360]

But honestly, even if we heard a $5K speaker that sounded just as good as a $50K speaker, would we be willing to make such a statement?

I don't think I'm willing to.

Depends. If I only have 5k to spend on speakers, yes. If I have 50k to spend on speakers, no.

 

[frsimms]

Have you listened to any of the Phil's?

No, I am having to go by my SoundScapes and the differences from them that Dennis has talked about.


Also, I have faith in Dennis.

Bob

 

[DenPureSound]

I bet Del is hand rubbing my Philharmonic 3 cabinets right now to get ready for
the high-end high-gloss finish.

Should look like shiny plastic - like my KEF & Salon2.

I don't think my Phil3s will look like a Ford once Del is done with them.

Wait. Does a Ford look like shiny high-gloss plastic & a Ferrari look like shiny metal?

Your "Shiney III's" will not change what they sound like.

Now if we only had some WideBand Telephones we would surely be able to hear a lot more, and then DM could Play some tunes for us all:

Why are we all still living in the 50's with Narrowband phones, and QWERTY Keyboards still?

"Wideband audio
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wideband audio is an audio technology used in telephony. It extends the frequency range of audio signals transmitted over telephone lines, resulting in higher quality speech. The range of the human voice extends from 80 Hz to 14 kHz but traditional, voiceband or narrowband telephone calls limit audio frequencies to the range of 300 Hz to 3.4 kHz. Wideband audio relaxes the bandwidth limitation and transmits in the audio frequency range of 50 Hz to 7 kHz or higher".

Still not quite listening to two speakers in Stereo mode in person, even if both had Wideband Audio phones!!

 

[Hocky]

Your "Shiney III's" will not change what they sound like.

Now if we only had some WideBand Telephones we would surely be able to hear a lot more, and then DM could Play some tunes for us all:

Why are we all still living in the 50's with Narrowband phones, and QWERTY Keyboards still?

"Wideband audio
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wideband audio is an audio technology used in telephony. It extends the frequency range of audio signals transmitted over telephone lines, resulting in higher quality speech. The range of the human voice extends from 80 Hz to 14 kHz but traditional, voiceband or narrowband telephone calls limit audio frequencies to the range of 300 Hz to 3.4 kHz. Wideband audio relaxes the bandwidth limitation and transmits in the audio frequency range of 50 Hz to 7 kHz or higher".

Still not quite listening to two speakers in Stereo mode in person, even if both had Wideband Audio phones!!

Not this discussion again. lol. Still not quite the same at all because then you're listening to his phone mic and your phone speaker, not his speaker and the original recording. haha

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Your "Shiney III's" will not change what they sound like.

Now if we only had some WideBand Telephones we would surely be able to hear a lot more, and then DM could Play some tunes for us all:

Why are we all still living in the 50's with Narrowband phones, and QWERTY Keyboards still?

"Wideband audio
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wideband audio is an audio technology used in telephony. It extends the frequency range of audio signals transmitted over telephone lines, resulting in higher quality speech. The range of the human voice extends from 80 Hz to 14 kHz but traditional, voiceband or narrowband telephone calls limit audio frequencies to the range of 300 Hz to 3.4 kHz. Wideband audio relaxes the bandwidth limitation and transmits in the audio frequency range of 50 Hz to 7 kHz or higher".

Still not quite listening to two speakers in Stereo mode in person, even if both had Wideband Audio phones!!

I can record the sound using a microphone and email you the wav files. Then you can audition.

But I think you are wrong on the shiny sound. I think it improves the sound dramatically.

 

[DenPureSound]

​

No, I am having to go by my SoundScapes and the differences from them that Dennis has talked about.


Also, I have faith in Dennis.

Bob

I think ALL here have great Faith in Dennis's abilities for sure.

Aren't the SoundScape 12's around $16K per Pair?

So, that puts them at over 5X the cost of the Phil 3's, right?

I really doubt that the Sound Quality is 5X better than the Phil 3's, but that is just my Guess.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Not this discussion again. lol. Still not quite the same at all because then you're listening to his phone mic and your phone speaker, not his speaker and the original recording. haha

At least DenPureSound is not talking about YouTube speaker audition now.

 

[DenPureSound]

Not this discussion again. lol. Still not quite the same at all because then you're listening to his phone mic and your phone speaker, not his speaker and the original recording. haha

Not only that, but going from Stereo down to Monoaural again. Nothing like the REAL THING being there in person in front of them.

I knew that would get some comments and wake us up, especially ADTG who wants to send me his YouTube A/V in .wav format, LOL...

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

​

I think ALL here have great Faith in Dennis's abilities for sure.

Aren't the SoundScape 12's around $16K per Pair?

So, that puts them at over 5X the cost of the Phil 3's, right?

I really doubt that the Sound Quality is 5X better than the Phil 3's, but that is just my Guess.

Perhaps we shouldn't compare the sound of the Philharmonic vs. Soundscape.

I used to hate it when people would compare me to my brother, who is 1 year younger.

 

[DenPureSound]

Perhaps we shouldn't compare the sound of the Philharmonic vs. Soundscape.

I used to hate it when people would compare me to my brother, who is 1 year younger.

I think you would be a lot closer to compare the PHIL 3's to the Salk HT2-TL's, or half-way between the SongTowers and HT2-TL's.

Maybe Swerd will chime in as he has the SongTowers and has heard the Phils.

 

[frsimms]

​

I think ALL here have great Faith in Dennis's abilities for sure.

Aren't the SoundScape 12's around $16K per Pair?

So, that puts them at over 5X the cost of the Phil 3's, right?

I really doubt that the Sound Quality is 5X better than the Phil 3's, but that is just my Guess.

As to the sound, that would have to be a personal judgment. Knowing a little bit about what Jim puts into the SoundScapes I wouldn't be surprised if the SoundScapes took 5X the labor to produce, but that is just my guess.

Bob

 

[Swerd]

I think you would be a lot closer to compare the PHIL 3's to the Salk HT2-TL's, or half-way between the SongTowers and HT2-TL's.

Maybe Swerd will chime in as he has the SongTowers and has heard the Phils.

We tend to dwell on the small details and ignore the big ones. The Phil 3 and the Salk HT2-TL are more similar than different. But one is a nearly full-range 3-way and the other is a nearly full-range MTM 2-way. They look different and occupy space differently in a room. Both are among the best speakers I've heard. I'd have a very hard time choosing one over the other.

As to the sound, that would have to be a personal judgment. Knowing a little bit about what Jim puts into the SoundScapes I wouldn't be surprised if the SoundScapes took 5X the labor to produce, but that is just my guess.

Bob

Bob, its good to see you here at AH. Welcome. Bob is a regular at the Salk owners page. He speaks with first-hand knowledge.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

We tend to dwell on the small details and ignore the big ones. The Phil 3 and the Salk HT2-TL are more similar than different.

Based on my experience I would also think Salk & Philharmonic speakers are more alike then they are different.

It's hard for some people to agree with, but I think most very accurate audiophile speakers in general are more similar than they are different in their sound reproduction.