Impressions of Salk SongTowers

[Robof83]

Yea it was on the AVS forum. I just went and looked it up and it was indeed yours

 

[fredk]

Fred

You're welcome to come listen to my STs. I don't care whether you are seriously shopping or just curious.

Thank you for the kind offer. I seem to live in the audioholics equivelant of Siberia: I'm in Canada. I will check out the link you posted to see if anyone is close.

I need to start looking for DIY events in my neck of the woods. I missed one in the Detroit area this spring where I could have listened to a few speakers I have been curious about.

P.S. Hmm... vacation in MD... You know, I havn't visited that part of the US yet.

 

[ozmedia]

Yeah, what-eva

As Swerd mentioned, it seems that A) You're totally bias towards RBH (you even hinted that you are a dealer, which completely makes your statement useless), and B) You prefer boomy, muddy bass to natural sounding bass. But hey, that's cool; you can prefer muddy, boomy bass. This hobby is very opinionated/subjective, and all that matters is that you find something you like. But to insist that the RBH speakers would "dance happy circles" around the SongTower's and that RBH makes a better speaker for less money is both foolish and ignorant.

... You haven't even heard any of Salk's other offerings, but claim RBH is a superior company? Please...

Well you are wrong in a few respects, I am not a rep for RBH, RBH is one of the products our company is a distributor for. I have heard more than RBH up against Salks and still favour RBH. I don't own a pair of the speakers I demoed I own completely different speakers for different rooms. The 'TEST' site was an owner who has an agreement with Salk to use his system as a demo site for people considering Salk in the Pacific Northwest. Acoustic treatments in a custom theatre room, I'd think spending over $60K on your room would e sufficient to display a product properly.

I do prefer RBH, until I hear something else I like better and I HAVE worked with dozens of high end speakers over the last 25 years, such as Paradigm Mordaunt Short, both Kef & Clips (yeah, junk I know), Mission, Axiom, Cerwin Vega, JBL, and a few others, and RBH is by far the best value for money I have heard yet. I swore by Mission in the 80's, then was with the first Canadian dealer for Paradigm when they first started out, I loved the 9SE for rock music but the Mission 770's for more critical listening.

So yes, I've wrapped my ears around more than most people I run into, even the reps for other speaker manufacturers, but I also understand sound is subjective and people believe they hear what they aren't actually hearing.

Your BS about liking muddy bass and such is pure garage though, I think I have developed a much more discerning ear over the years that I don't fall for old tricks, I could hear the flaws in Bose models when I was a young-un. In fact clean, tight, properly presented and almost infinite bass is exactly what all the Audioholics pro reviews have noted about RBH, even in the lower end TK series reviews found they had incredible bass extension and took whatever they put into them without them bottoming out.

Just your mentioning boomy and muddy bass tells me you haven't a clue what you are on about, regardless of the rest of your prattle.

 

[Nuance AH]

Yawn. Once a troll, always a troll.

 

[ozmedia]

Trolling

Yawn. Once a troll, always a troll.

A troll posts and runs, leaving the forum to argue amongst themselves. According to your analogy, if someone has first hand experience that has resulted in a preference and they can detail why, they are trolling.

If someone doesn't like the colour of your car I suppose you consider them trolls too, or anyone else who doesn't side with your opinion.

I have a personal experience with both products, have voiced my personal opinion regarding both products. Sorry to disappoint you but that is the benefit of this website, comparing opinions from people with such exposure and A-B experiences.

Don't want or like people's opinions? Don't seek them out.

 

[Matt34]

A dealer coming into a competitors thread and giving their unsolicited, bias comparison isn't going to look very good on you or RBH. I suggest you exit this thread and forget about it.

 

[randyb]

Chill mate, this isn't a pi$$ing context. You are trying to debate 5Hz between a $1200.00 bookshelf and floorstanding QT's.

As I say, everyone has their wn ears and tastes, I'd like to think that in 25 years in the industry I have developed a good ear now. When I eard them A>B there was a noticable improvement with the RBH, and not only in the low end. However, Salk's are a great product, I am sure you feel you got the best deal available and will be more than happy with them .

Regardless of what anyone says, you will hear exactly what you believe you will hear from whatever you buy.

I have had tons of speakers and still have quite a few. I have had various RBH speakers including thier premier line. I think they are good speakers but to my ears (bass aside) the Salks are more accurate. Bass is so darn dependent on room modes etc., I just think it is hard to debate bass from one speaker (or even sub-although I am a multi sub guy) that I think it is kind fo worthless. Just my opinion. Right now I own Aerial, Usher, Emotiva, Salk HT3 (active and passive), Songtowers, Abbeys and Harpers from Earl Geddes, Era, etc, etc. FWIW, the active Salk HT3 allows some bass customization to the room. I don't particularly feel married to any one speaker and know a fair amount about the history of RBH. It is a good company IMHO, but so is Jim's company. I think they play in different fields to some extent.

 

[gene]

Wow reading all of the user comments on Salk as well as comments from our own reviewers shows enormous potential for this company. I love it when you get an American company building quality products in our own land for audiophiles to cherish. I look forward to watching this company grow and get a pair in my own sound lab to checkout.

 

[majorloser]

Jim and Mary Salk brought quite a few different Salk Sound speakers to the Oregon Coast Audio Meet this past weekend.

Here's the event "wrap up" thread. There is a link in the first post to a Photobucket account with all of the attendee's and sponsor's pictures.

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59584

There was a pair of Song Towers auditioned.

 

[jostenmeat]

I'm taking this as the "owner's thread" . I'm helping a good friend setup his first real HT, in his first home. He just ordered the 65" V10. He is set on doing three identical speakers, upright, same plane, for the front stage, and is looking to spend about $500 per. I think there is a bit of wiggle room, but not a ton. Of course, I advised ID because they sell individual speakers. I also advised him to buy a few pairs, and send home the losers. Unfortunately, he can't be bothered. So, sight unseen, sound unheard. I think he prefers towers. Because of the extra cost of stands, and particularly because they are sold in pairs and one will not be used, I think towers might be a good idea.

Also, unfortunately, the room will not be treated, is asymmetrical, and rather reflective. At least, viewers are not against any boundary.

So, for bookshelves, I was thinking of Salk Surrounds 1s, three of them. For towers, perhaps the Aperion 5Ts. (Sorry if I get any model #s wrong). I'm going to see if he can stretch for 3x Song Towers.

I'm sure there might not be a single person who has compared, but I gotta ask, has anyone done so with a Salk bookshelf and Aperion tower. In fact, who here is familiar with the Salk bookshelves?

As for the upgrades available on the Salks, viewers will be spread out, so I don't know if the dispersion properties of a ribbon tweeter would work well. I know opinions vary on the tweeters otherwise.

Has anyone compared the finish of the standard satin black and the veneer?

Thanks!

 

[Swerd]

I'm taking this as the "owner's thread" . I'm helping a good friend setup his first real HT, in his first home. He just ordered the 65" V10. He is set on doing three identical speakers, upright, same plane, for the front stage, and is looking to spend about $500 per. I think there is a bit of wiggle room, but not a ton. Of course, I advised ID because they sell individual speakers. I also advised him to buy a few pairs, and send home the losers. Unfortunately, he can't be bothered. So, sight unseen, sound unheard. I think he prefers towers. Because of the extra cost of stands, and particularly because they are sold in pairs and one will not be used, I think towers might be a good idea.

So, for bookshelves, I was thinking of Salk Surrounds 1s, three of them. For towers, perhaps the Aperion 5Ts. (Sorry if I get any model #s wrong). I'm going to see if he can stretch for 3x Song Towers.

I'm sure there might not be a single person who has compared, but I gotta ask, has anyone done so with a Salk bookshelf and Aperion tower. In fact, who here is familiar with the Salk bookshelves?

As for the upgrades available on the Salks, viewers will be spread out, so I don't know if the dispersion properties of a ribbon tweeter would work well. I know opinions vary on the tweeters otherwise.

Has anyone compared the finish of the standard satin black and the veneer?

I own SongTowers, and a DIY 2-way (the CAOW1, see link below) that is essentially the same as the SongSurround I. I'd say they have a close family resemblance across the midrange and higher frequencies, like big and little brothers. The smaller SSI will have less bass and will not be as sensitive as the MTM towers. You can easily order 3 from Salk.

I heard some Aperion 6Ts, but not the 5T, just last week at the Oregon GTG. I don't remember them well, because they were OK but not as memorable as other speakers I heard that day. I did hear another tower, the EMP E5Ti towers $400 a pair, that I did like more than the 6T.

I readily admit to being a Salk fanboy, so any comparison from me will be in favor of the Salks . Their dispersion across the midrange and higher will likely be much better. Their standard dome tweeter is far better than what is more commonly found in that price range.

My SongTowers are with a standard cherry veneer and have the standard black satin finish on the upper half of the front baffle. See photos.

 

[griffinconst]

I own SongTowers, and a DIY 2-way (the CAOW1, see link below) that is essentially the same as the SongSurround I. I'd say they have a close family resemblance across the midrange and higher frequencies, like big and little brothers. The smaller SSI will have less bass and will not be as sensitive as the MTM towers. You can easily order 3 from Salk.

I heard some Aperion 6Ts, but not the 5T, just last week at the Oregon GTG. I don't remember them well, because they were OK but not as memorable as other speakers I heard that day. I did hear another tower, the EMP E5Ti towers $400 a pair, that I did like more than the 6T.

I readily admit to being a Salk fanboy, so any comparison from me will be in favor of the Salks . Their dispersion across the midrange and higher will likely be much better. Their standard dome tweeter is far better than what is more commonly found in that price range.

My SongTowers are with a standard cherry veneer and have the standard black satin finish on the upper half of the front baffle. See photos.

You are a total Salk fanboy. Has anyone ever mentioned that?

 

[Matt34]

You are a total Salk fanboy. Has anyone ever mentioned that?

There are worst things to be a fanboi of.

 

[griffinconst]

There are worst things to be a fanboi of.

Tell me about it.

 

[Swerd]

I'm such a fanboy, I have a Salk Signature Sound hat and t-shirt to prove it.

Now that I know there are female Salk fans, does it sound too pc to say fanperson ?

 

[KEW]

My SongTowers are with a standard cherry veneer and have the standard black satin finish on the upper half of the front baffle. See photos.

I would suggest that in the future you might reword this to say "standard curly Cherry veneer". While this is a standard finish for Salk, it is far from standard Cherry..

 

[griffinconst]

I'm such a fanboy, I have a Salk Signature Sound hat and t-shirt to prove it.

Now that I know there are female Salk fans, does it sound too pc to say fanperson ?

Hey, I have one of those hats too. Is yours black?
You knew there were female Salk fans....Bonnie likes em.
And about the pc part....YES!

 

[Swerd]

Hey, I have one of those hats too. Is yours black?
You knew there were female Salk fans....Bonnie likes em.
And about the pc part....YES!

If I recall, Mrs. Tomorrow, looserwife and others also are now Salk fanpersons.

Yes, my hat is black.

It seems that you have a bad case of Audio Nirvana Nervosa syndrome. I had it, I know that Nuance had it too. A major symptom is that you cannot get the sound of those speakers out of your head. After first hearing SongTowers, I dreamed about them .

I'm afraid there is only one way to treat ANN syndrome. Call Dr. Salk and take two of these in the morning.

 

[Dan]

I'm taking this as the "owner's thread" . I'm helping a good friend setup his first real HT, in his first home. He just ordered the 65" V10. He is set on doing three identical speakers, upright, same plane, for the front stage, and is looking to spend about $500 per. I think there is a bit of wiggle room, but not a ton. Of course, I advised ID because they sell individual speakers. I also advised him to buy a few pairs, and send home the losers. Unfortunately, he can't be bothered. So, sight unseen, sound unheard. I think he prefers towers. Because of the extra cost of stands, and particularly because they are sold in pairs and one will not be used, I think towers might be a good idea.

Also, unfortunately, the room will not be treated, is asymmetrical, and rather reflective. At least, viewers are not against any boundary.

So, for bookshelves, I was thinking of Salk Surrounds 1s, three of them. For towers, perhaps the Aperion 5Ts. (Sorry if I get any model #s wrong). I'm going to see if he can stretch for 3x Song Towers.

I'm sure there might not be a single person who has compared, but I gotta ask, has anyone done so with a Salk bookshelf and Aperion tower. In fact, who here is familiar with the Salk bookshelves?

As for the upgrades available on the Salks, viewers will be spread out, so I don't know if the dispersion properties of a ribbon tweeter would work well. I know opinions vary on the tweeters otherwise.

Has anyone compared the finish of the standard satin black and the veneer?

Thanks!

I'm Swerd's little brother for those who don't know, so I've seen and heard his STs (and all the others). I recently helped a neighbor get the high gloss black STs which show the satin black under the grill like many STs. They are both nice. High gloss black (think piano finish) is beautiful but a pain for dust and fingerprints. I prefer it to the satin but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[JerryLove]

I know that Denon makes good AVRs despite having a $500 Ethernet cable: but it's hard to want to invest time in auditioning Salk speakers given their advocacy of "better sounding cables" http://www.salksound.com/cables.shtml