Salk SoundScape 8

[templemaners]

Oooh... just saw these today on the Salk website:

SoundScape 8

Must be for people who want SoundScape sound/quality without the train like appearance.

Starting at $7999.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Looks very traditional square shaped. Like the KEF Q900, only a lot prettier.

 

[Nuance AH]

Looks very traditional square shaped. Like the KEF Q900, only a lot prettier.

I just heard those today at Jim's shop (that exact pair actually). You're not going to want to hear this ADTG, but I'd happily trade the Revel Ultimas or Orions for a pair of these bad boys. They are officially in my top three speakers, trumping even the Dyn C4's. The bass, the perfect mid range (yeah I said it), the effortlessness of the RAAL, the sound stage width and depth (among the best I've heard period) and the price...oh the PRICE. I challenge you to find a better speaker for $8,000...nay, $10,000.

These speakers will blow your mind!

 

[Dennis Murphy]

I just heard those today at Jim's shop (that exact pair actually). You're not going to want to hear this ADTG, but I'd happily trade the Revel Ultimas or Orions for a pair of these bad boys. They are officially in my top three speakers, trumping even the Dyn C4's. The bass, the perfect mid range (yeah I said it), the effortlessness of the RAAL, the sound stage width and depth (among the best I've heard period) and the price...oh the PRICE. I challenge you to find a better speaker for $8,000...nay, $10,000.

These speakers will blow your mind!

Sure glad you liked them. A lot of work. Particularly in the bass department. I didn't think we were able going to find dual 8" woofers that would do the deed.

 

[Nuance AH]

Sure glad you liked them. A lot of work. Particularly in the bass department. I didn't think we were able going to find dual 8" woofers that would do the deed.

Well, I'd say they do the deed and then some. I'm still drooling from yesterday's audition. I almost wish I had never heard them, because I'll never get the sound out of my head.

 

[Nuance AH]

Here are pics of them and a link to the audio circle thread:

Quan's SoundScape 8's in Red Matador Mica

Gentlemen, the pictures do not do these speakers justice. In fact, they looked washed out in the photos. I've seen them in person, though, and they are more stunning than the factory red on my old 1994 5.0L Mustang GT (the cherry red, not the brighter/lighter one).

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

You're not going to want to hear this ADTG, but I'd happily trade the Revel Ultimas or Orions for a pair of these bad boys...I challenge you to find a better speaker for $8,000...nay, $10,000. These speakers will blow your mind!

Besides the single on-axis measurement, are there any other measurements, like 45/60 degrees horizontal off-axis?

I'm sure they sound great, as do any Jim Salk/Dennis Murphy speakers.

I do love shinny red cabinets.

I hear the saying all the time. I read the cliches in a lot of reviews. There's always something newer and better.

I guess I'm kind of a conservative person.

I'm kind of like grey, instead of black & white.

I believe no speaker is as supreme as some folks say, and no speaker is as garbage as some folks say.

I'll still go back to what I said earlier. The SS8's aesthetics remind me of traditional box speakers.

Now, can B&W please just hire Dennis Murphy already? I want that 20 layers of beech, 10 coats of lacquer, 4 days of buffing, and Dennis Murphy crossover.

 

[Dennis Murphy]

Besides the single on-axis measurement, are there any other measurements, like 45/60 degrees horizontal off-axis?

I'm sure they sound great, as do any Jim Salk/Dennis Murphy speakers.

I do love shinny red cabinets.

I hear the saying all the time. I read the cliches in a lot of reviews. There's always something newer and better.

I guess I'm kind of a conservative person.

I'm kind of like grey, instead of black & white.

I believe no speaker is as supreme as some folks say, and no speaker is as garbage as some folks say.


I'll still go back to what I said earlier. The SS8's aesthetics remind me of traditional box speakers.

Now, can B&W please just hire Dennis Murphy already? I want that 20 layers of beech, 10 coats of lacquer, 4 days of buffing, and Dennis Murphy crossover.

I believe this plot is one Jim took. I of course took a full set of measurements on and off axis, but I didn't save them. I'm pretty sure they would show a slight elevation in the lower highs significantly off axis horizontally (40 degrees and more), due to the superior horizontal dispersion of the tweeter. Given that the ear is less sensitive to late arrivals, I doubt that this is anything that verges on a problem given that the response is so flat over the region responsible for early arrivals. I'm not convinced that it's worth building in a saddle in the on-axis response in order to achieve a mathmatically perfect summation of the polar response of a speaker. That ignores how the brain processes early and late arriving sound. I do what I can to avoid serious peaks in off-axis response, but I'm more concerned about response closer to the listening axis.

 

[Irvrobinson]

I just heard those today at Jim's shop (that exact pair actually). You're not going to want to hear this ADTG, but I'd happily trade the Revel Ultimas or Orions for a pair of these bad boys. They are officially in my top three speakers, trumping even the Dyn C4's. The bass, the perfect mid range (yeah I said it), the effortlessness of the RAAL, the sound stage width and depth (among the best I've heard period) and the price...oh the PRICE. I challenge you to find a better speaker for $8,000...nay, $10,000.

These speakers will blow your mind!

Really? So then they're better than the Soundscape 12s too? Or are those so good reality sounds distorted by comparison?

I'm still waiting to hear what ATDG thinks of the Phil 3, of course those are practically an impulse buy by comparison.

 

[Nuance AH]

Really? So then they're better than the Soundscape 12s too? Or are those so good reality sounds distorted by comparison?

I'm still waiting to hear what ATDG thinks of the Phil 3, of course those are practically an impulse buy by comparison.

It seems you're poking fun at me (not sure why), but I'll answer anyway. Nope, the 12's are better, but you'd probably have to have them side by side to notice. The difference in F3 is only 7Hz. The asking price is what is truly astonishing. You certainly get more bang for buck with the 8 over the 12.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

...they would show a slight elevation in the lower highs significantly off axis horizontally (40 degrees and more), due to the superior horizontal dispersion of the tweeter...

I assume the SS10 & SS12 would be the same?

This is a case of possible misinterpretation by some as "brightness" if they just saw the off-axis and did not consider the entire story?

 

[Nuance AH]

I assume the SS10 & SS12 would be the same?

This is a case of possible misinterpretation by some as "brightness" if they just saw the off-axis and did not consider the entire story?

Who would not consider the entire story and only look at the 40 degree off-axis plot, though? There was certainly no brightness to the sound. These would be right up your alley ADTG.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Who would not consider the entire story and only look at the 40 degree off-axis plot, though? There was certainly no brightness to the sound. These would be right up your alley ADTG.

Well, I think the shiny red Phil3 will represent just fine.

I think the SS8 is a good alternative to the 10/12 though. I do like the looks of the 8s better than 10/12s.

But I think Salk needs something more round like Salon2, KEF 207/2, & B&W 800D.

Something shaped like KEF 201/2 bookshelf also.

 

[Nuance AH]

Well, I think the shiny red Phil3 will represent just fine.

I think the SS8 is a good alternative to the 10/12 though. I do like the looks of the 8s better than 10/12s.

But I think Salk needs something more round like Salon2, KEF 207/2, & B&W 800D.

Something shaped like KEF 201/2 bookshelf also.

Considering it sounds better than all of the speakers you just listed (though I haven't heard the Kef 207/2, just the 205/2, which only goes down to 45Hz for a $12,000/pair of speakers? Waaa?), and it also looks good enough (I actually think the Kef 207 and B&W 800D is super ugly), the rest is all in the eye of the beholder. Since the Kef 205/2's cost $12,000 a pair, what does the extra $4000 get you besides a worse sounding speaker? A "rounded" look? Seriously, though, I would imagine a tapered cabinet means a higher cost to the consumer, all while likely adding zero increase in sound quality. Besides, the SS10 and 12 is already round from the mid section up with a big square butt.

 

[GranteedEV]

It seems you're poking fun at me (not sure why), but I'll answer anyway. Nope, the 12's are better, but you'd probably have to have them side by side to notice. The difference in F3 is only 7Hz. The asking price is what is truly astonishing. You certainly get more bang for buck with the 8 over the 12.

Yeah, but the 12s use TWO inch cabinets.

That means that have tighter bass and cleaner midrange.

Just ask B&W. And Magico. Gotta be Aircraft grade aluminum or else it's just mid fi

 

[its phillip]

It seems you're poking fun at me (not sure why), but I'll answer anyway. Nope, the 12's are better, but you'd probably have to have them side by side to notice. The difference in F3 is only 7Hz. The asking price is what is truly astonishing. You certainly get more bang for buck with the 8 over the 12.

plus the 8 doesnt look like thomas the tank engine

 

[Nuance AH]

Yeah, but the 12s use TWO inch cabinets.

That means that have tighter bass and cleaner midrange.

Just ask B&W. And Magico. Gotta be Aircraft grade aluminum or else it's just mid fi

Haha, true true. Like I said, I personally think the 12's are better. Double the price better, though? Well...

plus the 8 doesnt look like thomas the tank engine

LOL! Very true. So what's better? R2D2 (B&W 800) or Thomas the Tank (SoundScape 10 & 12)? I'm having trouble coming up with one for the Kef Reference 207/2. LOL

 

[Irvrobinson]

It seems you're poking fun at me (not sure why), but I'll answer anyway. Nope, the 12's are better, but you'd probably have to have them side by side to notice. The difference in F3 is only 7Hz. The asking price is what is truly astonishing. You certainly get more bang for buck with the 8 over the 12.

I'm poking fun at the hyperbole. When I was in the market for speakers two years ago I read and heard so much overstatement about this speaker or that speaker, sometimes from brand name experts who should know better. Except for obvious frequency response deviations or some differences in imaging, I found most of the best speakers I listened to sounded rather alike, when set up properly.

The only speaker I've auditioned recently that sounds *really* different was the Sound Lab 1-PX, which almost hooked me. Unfortunately the room demands were too obnoxious for me, and the 1-PX doesn't really do the 90db average loudness thing well either. But there are times, mostly for classical music and simple jazz ensembles, when every other speaker I've ever heard seems lesser.

I haven't heard the Soundscape 8, obviously, so they may very well be as good as you say, but your fall back that the 12 is even better was just too predictable.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Considering it [SS] sounds better than all of the speakers you just listed...

Purely subjective, of course.

I'm sure some will disagree & some will agree concerning the SQ & aesthetics.

To each his own.

The only thing objective is the on-axis, off-axis, & other measurements.

My opinion is that they will sound great, but not any greater than any other great sounding speakers.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I found most of the best speakers I listened to sounded rather alike...

Agree 100% with you.