Salk Sound System 5.0

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baronvonellis

Audioholic
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!
 

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Kingnoob

Kingnoob

Audioholic Samurai
Woah those must cost a lot is there a woofer right the back ???
Spectacular design look amazing


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

Russdawg1

Full Audioholic
Which previous Phase Technology speakers did you have?
 
B

baronvonellis

Audioholic
Woah those must cost a lot is there a woofer right the back ???
Spectacular design look amazing


Ultimate bass lover !! si ht15 dvc.
Free the reptile aliens
Thanks. The tweeter and midrange box is open in the back, so it can act like an open baffle speaker or there's a matching panel attached with magnets you can use to seal the back up. There's no woofer in the rear.
 
ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
Welcome to the family! ;) The Salk-Murphy combo is impressive. Jim’s build and Dennis’ crossover work... nothing beats it...
Except a more expensive model! :eek:

thsts why I decided to start learning speaker design. I know I can never afford to by the next upgrade... so I better learn to build it!
 
B

baronvonellis

Audioholic
Welcome to the family! ;) The Salk-Murphy combo is impressive. Jim’s build and Dennis’ crossover work... nothing beats it...
Except a more expensive model! :eek:

thsts why I decided to start learning speaker design. I know I can never afford to by the next upgrade... so I better learn to build it!
Thanks! Yea, the Murphy crossovers are excellent as well! I can't even tell where they crossover between each driver, it's so seamless. The tweeter and midrange, just seem to sound like one driver! I never heard a speaker crossover so smoothly like that!

Good luck with your project!
 
Kingnoob

Kingnoob

Audioholic Samurai
Thanks. The tweeter and midrange box is open in the back, so it can act like an open baffle speaker or there's a matching panel attached with magnets you can use to seal the back up. There's no woofer in the rear.
What does open baffles sound like a pro audio speaker or something? More transparent clear sound ? Nice speakers


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

everettT

Audioholic Spartan
What does open baffles sound like a pro audio speaker or something? More transparent clear sound ? Nice speakers


Ultimate bass lover !! si ht15 dvc.
Free the reptile aliens
To serve as bi/dipole speaker. It's about the how the back wave behaves.
 
Out-Of-Phase

Out-Of-Phase

Audioholic General
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!
Very nice indeed. My jealous alarm just went off.
 
B

baronvonellis

Audioholic
What does open baffles sound like a pro audio speaker or something? More transparent clear sound ? Nice speakers


Ultimate bass lover !! si ht15 dvc.
Free the reptile aliens
On a speaker driver sound comes from the front and the rear at the same time. In a normal box speaker the back of the driver is inside the box and normally deadened with foam and poly fill. This one you can take the back panel off the box, and there is poly fill inside that looks like the stuffing from a pillow. The poly fill partly deadens the back wave, but you will still hear some sound comming out the rear. That way maybe 75% of the sound comes from the front and 25% from the rear. Or you can remove the poly fill and the sound will be 50/50% front and rear. My room isn't huge so I've been leaving the poly fill in with the back off so far. I only have 18" behind the speaker to the back wall.
 
2

2channel lover

Audioholic Field Marshall
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!

Congrats from one Salk Sound owner to another!

I have the Song 3A, with the same CC as you...idk about harsh, as you said it was your take, but I would replace that word with unforgiving...you are truly at the mercy of the quality of the recording with the accuton mid. Admittedly they have rendered some bad recordings mostly useless, but I've come to appreciate them more and more.

In any event...enjoy them sir...just wait until you start playing older tunes and hear something that you had not heard before.
 
B

baronvonellis

Audioholic
Congrats from one Salk Sound owner to another!

I have the Song 3A, with the same CC as you...idk about harsh, as you said it was your take, but I would replace that word with unforgiving...you are truly at the mercy of the quality of the recording with the accuton mid. Admittedly they have rendered some bad recordings mostly useless, but I've come to appreciate them more and more.

In any event...enjoy them sir...just wait until you start playing older tunes and hear something that you had not heard before.
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!!!
 
B

baronvonellis

Audioholic
Those are stunning! I would love to hear them.
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.
 

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