Salk Sound Series vs. Aperion Versus Grand vs. Kef Q

[ImcLoud]

Thank you for this suggestion. Hadn't heard of ascend before and like the reviews I am reading about them. Their shipping to Canada is also not as outrageous as what Aperion quotes (over $200 for a pair of towers).

You will be amazed at how much you get for your money with ascend, you can call and ask dina to talk to the owner, she will either hand him the phone or you will have a call back in short time, any questions you may have will be settled that is for sure, Dave is very intelligent and knows his stuff... The products are well worth their price, but when you talk to them and see the cs is the best in the world, you will be sold, when I was looking for my ht setup I tested everything, and then found the 340's they can stand with any high end speaker I have heard or own. Its a hobby of mine to listen to and demo high end equipment, I have made some road trips others would think was insane {fuel costs could have bought a 5.1 setup, lol} to listen to speakers, and the ascend lines are the stopping point where it takes A LOT more money to get a little better....

I own all but the sierra 2's and the sierra towers, and love them all...

Let me recommend something to you, since I own the sub you are looking into, if this is for an HT system and going to be for movies, look into the uls15 from HSU research for a sub and a good look into the ascends for your mains...

I already did all the leg work and paid $700 in return shipping demoing speakers to compare, not to mention at least the same amount in fuel driving to listen to others... HSU and ascend will make you happy, also the same on carnegie speakers {csb1's or the cst1's with the center channel for almost half price, I bought a set of csb1's and LOVE them speakers, I have a thread about them with pics, they are really nice}...

bang for your buck and customer service should be your main concern {them are mine anyway, I want the speaker that sounds better than anything that costs twice as much}....

 

[ImcLoud]

The only reason is just changing for the sake of changing. I alternate listening to my speakers. Because I can. Because I feel it like. On a whim. That's the only reason.

What do you think about Lexus? I want to buy the LX 570. Do you think it's overpriced junk ?

Before you pull the trigger on the lexus, go take a gl450 for a ride, I would buy the toyota land cruiser before the lexus for $10K less, after Range Rover got me in 2011 with the supercharged 5.0 {luckily ebay got me $82K for it} I will never buy a suv for more than $40K again, my wife has a loaded rubicon unlimited {sticker was $46K so you can imagine the options, lol} and she loves it, if I spend more than $40K on a vehicle it is going to be a zl1 or a ctsv sedan.... A friend of mine just took delivery of a gl405 he bought for his wife, he is keeping it at my garage until xmass eve and it is a really nice vehicle... Lexus is just a fancy toyota to me...

 

[Kruz]

Why the HSU over the SVS?

You will be amazed at how much you get for your money with ascend, you can call and ask dina to talk to the owner, she will either hand him the phone or you will have a call back in short time, any questions you may have will be settled that is for sure, Dave is very intelligent and knows his stuff... The products are well worth their price, but when you talk to them and see the cs is the best in the world, you will be sold, when I was looking for my ht setup I tested everything, and then found the 340's they can stand with any high end speaker I have heard or own. Its a hobby of mine to listen to and demo high end equipment, I have made some road trips others would think was insane {fuel costs could have bought a 5.1 setup, lol} to listen to speakers, and the ascend lines are the stopping point where it takes A LOT more money to get a little better....

I own all but the sierra 2's and the sierra towers, and love them all...

Let me recommend something to you, since I own the sub you are looking into, if this is for an HT system and going to be for movies, look into the uls15 from HSU research for a sub and a good look into the ascends for your mains...

I already did all the leg work and paid $700 in return shipping demoing speakers to compare, not to mention at least the same amount in fuel driving to listen to others... HSU and ascend will make you happy, also the same on carnegie speakers {csb1's or the cst1's with the center channel for almost half price, I bought a set of csb1's and LOVE them speakers, I have a thread about them with pics, they are really nice}...

bang for your buck and customer service should be your main concern {them are mine anyway, I want the speaker that sounds better than anything that costs twice as much}....

 

[ImcLoud]

I have listened to many subs and there are only a few that impressed me with music reproduction, the ULS 15 is my favorite for the money {actually my favorite I've ever heard}, the svs sb12s are also great, and I own a pair, but they don't have the output the uls15's have and the hsu just seems to have a little something extra, an effortless projection, kind of like nothing is there making the bass.. hard to explain but its an impressive sub, you wont find someone who can honestly say a bad thing about them... I bought the sb12's because I wanted piano, they are half the price {I got a great deal on them}, and I didn't need the extra output....

I have a good amount of experience with the uls15's, I put together a system for a friend of mine, similar to what I listed above except ascend sierra towers, and an xpa2 amplifier. The system sounds amazing, he has it set up in a 400 sq foot room and it sounds like a concert when he turns it up, but crystal clear, balanced, and strong...
A lot of guys say you don't need more power, but I have tried it, I am cheap so if I could get away with a 100watt receiver vs a $1000 amplifier then I would buy the receiver and save the money, but when trying to use lower powered electronics, I clipped, I could tell the sq suffered, and I will never go back.. I do however believe that most modern amps {and electronics in general }sound so close to each other its not worth spending the extra money for a name, I say it all the time, if you have $3000 for a stereo receiver or integrated why not get a pair of xpa1's and an xsp1 or xda2? They will cost less have more power and in most cases have better customer support and sound better with more features, not to mention resale value, if you spend $3000 with emotiva or outlaw, ect you can sell that stuff in a few years for 90% of your money back, where with some other gear you would be lucky to get half....

 

[walter duque]

Lexus is just a fancy toyota to me...

Now what's wrong with Toyota. When I look at the Range Rover I am looking at an overpriced Ford Explorer.

 

[twylight]

Pretty serious brand humping in this thread fellas...

I would advise to get a pair of something and take it home for a trial. The room (like the physical space) is maybe half the total sound you will get. The speaker and sub are the other half.

Buying 5k worth of speakers unheard is prolly foolish.

 

[walter duque]

Pretty serious brand humping in this thread fellas...

I would advise to get a pair of something and take it home for a trial. The room (like the physical space) is maybe half the total sound you will get. The speaker and sub are the other half.

Buying 5k worth of speakers unheard is prolly foolish.

This is one, if not the best post I've ever seen. Totally agree with you. I have listened to a few of these highly recommended speakers and subs (only a few) and I ask myself what are they hearing, I must be missing something.

 

[Kruz]

Thanks for expanding on your comment! This thread has given me a lot to think about and do more research.

 

[walter duque]

Thanks for expanding on your comment! This thread has given me a lot to think about and do more research.

What ever you do decide to buy audition first. Do not follow the masses. One day this speaker is the best, the next day this amp is the best. A week later it starts all over again.

 

[fuzz092888]

Pretty serious brand humping in this thread fellas...

I would advise to get a pair of something and take it home for a trial. The room (like the physical space) is maybe half the total sound you will get. The speaker and sub are the other half.

Buying 5k worth of speakers unheard is prolly foolish.

Depends on the speakers and the person. I did and it worked out pretty well but obviously that won't always happen.

 

[walter duque]

One speaker that did impress me are the Phil 3's (which I don't own) with a Salk center, now that gave me a rush. And I am not one that gets impressed easily. Incredible sound stage and they can take some major power. You have to get speakers that satisfy you listening preference. Most are satisfied with speakers that put out 85 db. I need speakers that can put out 110-120 db, so that's what I buy. I wouldn't buy a speaker that's great for background music.

 

[twylight]

Depends on the speakers and the person. I did and it worked out pretty well but obviously that won't always happen.

Well Fuzz we both bought philharmonic so that might be why Im happy doing it as well...but it was a trust I had with another pair of DM designed speakers (Salk CAOW1)

I knew what I was buying, knew what I wanted to try, knew it was a great value, and I trusted the maker to make good stuff.

If you dont have that...put them in home for trial.

 

[Kruz]

What ever you do decide to buy audition first. Do not follow the masses. One day this speaker is the best, the next day this amp is the best. A week later it starts all over again.

You bet. I will be listening to those I can here in Calgary and then need a strategy for the ID speakers I want to try. At first I thought I would order the towers from the package I want and base my decision on that. Now I'm seeing that will cost way too much in terms of return shipping.

I was reading a post where a guy in my situation made his decisions based on just the center of the ID companies he was interested in. Does this make sense to you guys?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Pretty serious brand humping in this thread fellas...

By one forum troll, not the rest of us.

Buying 5k worth of speakers unheard is prolly foolish.

Sounds impertinent for sure.

I think most speakers in this budget sound pretty great. Chances are the OP will like them. But it is always best to audition before he buys. And I always recommend subs.

 

[ImcLoud]

Now what's wrong with Toyota. When I look at the Range Rover I am looking at an overpriced Ford Explorer.

Toyota owns lexus, rover/jaguar is owned by tata motors.... There is nothing wrong with toyota, I own a 2010 prius {my wife won't get rid of that thing, it has 20K miles on it lol}, 2 2012 tacomas, and a 2011 tundra {had an 08 up until last year, but traded it in when I switched to silverados}.. They are a great company and make good vehicles, but if I spend $80K on their products I better be getting at least 4 of them, lol...

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Toyota owns lexus, rover/jaguar is owned by tata motors.... There is nothing wrong with toyota, I own a 2010 prius {my wife won't get rid of that thing, it has 20K miles on it lol}, 2 2012 tacomas, and a 2011 tundra {had an 08 up until last year, but traded it in when I switched to silverados}.. They are a great company and make good vehicles, but if I spend $80K on their products I better be getting at least 4 of them, lol...

Everyone thinks differently for sure.

Why do Range Rovers depreciate like a rock off a cliff while Lexus LX retain their value better? Why are there so many Range Rovers on Craigslist, while very few of Lexus LX?

It matters to some, while not at all to others.

Same with speakers and amps.

There are many personal factors that may be "important" to some, while "not important" to others.

 

[English210]

I have listened to many subs and there are only a few that impressed me with music reproduction, the ULS 15 is my favorite for the money {actually my favorite I've ever heard}, the svs sb12s are also great, and I own a pair, but they don't have the output the uls15's have and the hsu just seems to have a little something extra, an effortless projection, kind of like nothing is there making the bass.. hard to explain but its an impressive sub, you wont find someone who can honestly say a bad thing about them... I bought the sb12's because I wanted piano, they are half the price {I got a great deal on them}, and I didn't need the extra output....

I have a good amount of experience with the uls15's, I put together a system for a friend of mine, similar to what I listed above except ascend sierra towers, and an xpa2 amplifier. The system sounds amazing, he has it set up in a 400 sq foot room and it sounds like a concert when he turns it up, but crystal clear, balanced, and strong...
A lot of guys say you don't need more power, but I have tried it, I am cheap so if I could get away with a 100watt receiver vs a $1000 amplifier then I would buy the receiver and save the money, but when trying to use lower powered electronics, I clipped, I could tell the sq suffered, and I will never go back.. I do however believe that most modern amps {and electronics in general }sound so close to each other its not worth spending the extra money for a name, I say it all the time, if you have $3000 for a stereo receiver or integrated why not get a pair of xpa1's and an xsp1 or xda2? They will cost less have more power and in most cases have better customer support and sound better with more features, not to mention resale value, if you spend $3000 with emotiva or outlaw, ect you can sell that stuff in a few years for 90% of your money back, where with some other gear you would be lucky to get half....

While I haven't done the comparisons you did, I do agree with the kudos for the ULS15. I had no sub experience, and wasn't even convinced I needed one, so I got a deal on eBay, figuring I could get most of my $$ back reselling if I was right and didn't really need it. I still have it, and love it.

I also agree with the benefits of good separate amps, having learned that lesson as well. I do not have golden ears by any stretch, but adding a better quality/higher current amp made my current speakers sound way better. Having said that, I am also a big believer in the law of diminishing returns, and I'm not about to spend 80% more for a 2% improvement!!

I do also agree that your room, setup, other equipment and personal tastes are a large part of the answer to the question 'what are the best speakers for me'. So no matter what you buy, even auditioning in a showroom may not tell you what the sound will be in your room. It can be useful to eliminate some of the candidates, however. Given that, buyin over the internet is not much more of a gamble than from a store, since what you hear in a store may not be what hear at home anyway.

Just my $0.02 - that and $10 gets you a coffee at Starbucks....

 

[English210]

Everyone thinks differently for sure.

Why do Range Rovers depreciate like a rock off a cliff while Lexus LX retain their value better? Why are there so many Range Rovers on Craigslist, while very few of Lexus LX?

It matters to some, while not at all to others.

Same with speakers and amps.

There are many personal factors that may be "important" to some, while "not important" to others.

The reason so many Rovers are on Craigslist is because the people bought them for the price of a Cavalier, and expected the repair costs to be cheap too!! I'm in the business, I know that to be FACT.

With vehicles, it's the same question as this crack habit we discuss here - do you want an appliance like a fridge that just works all the time without question or thought, but leaves you 'cold' and uninvolved emotionally? Or do you want something that stirs the soul, and the wallet while it's at it?

 

[slipperybidness]

I was reading a post where a guy in my situation made his decisions based on just the center of the ID companies he was interested in. Does this make sense to you guys?

I think you would be better off auditioning the bookshelf speakers.

 

[ImcLoud]

You bet. I will be listening to those I can here in Calgary and then need a strategy for the ID speakers I want to try. At first I thought I would order the towers from the package I want and base my decision on that. Now I'm seeing that will cost way too much in terms of return shipping.

I was reading a post where a guy in my situation made his decisions based on just the center of the ID companies he was interested in. Does this make sense to you guys?

You are on the rite track, listening is important, but I am confident saying with most of the gear the guys on here are talking about you wont be sending it back, take your pick its all good stuff...

As for the lexus rover discussion, I would never buy another rover, I don't care if it was half price, I admit I made that mistake once already.. but when dropping 80K on a vehicle that isn't made to go in the water or have air brakes take your time and do a lot of thinking, definitely finance it, my rover was well over 80 and because I didn't finance it I didn't have a leg to stand on with service, kind of like, its your truck you fix it vs when you finance something, you can say "heres your truck back" and only lose the due at signing and monthly payment, even better with a purchase like that just lease it, don't even buy it at all, I was a dummy, bought it outright and it broke and then broke again and then broke again and again and then again, after paying $1700 for a coolant reservoir I had enough, fixed it and put it on ebay...

But anyway enough of my boring car trouble, and back to the more important op's home audio system...