The Salks Have Landed!!

[2channel lover]

Earlier this week my new mains and center channel speakers were finally delivered.

The Song3-A, and Supercharged Song Center

The carrier was nice enough to get the pallet to the driveway.

Great packing job...the speakers were completely encapsulated in 2"+ styrofoam...they arrived in great shape.

After about 15 minutes I had them unboxed and the plinths attached. After 20 yrs with the B&Ws, the Salks were rather imposing in comparison...a tale of the tape...44"t x 9.5"w x 14.5 d (72 lbs)...considerable larger than the B&W 804m as you can see.

The final position of the Salks is very much the same as the B&Ws...8' apart, 14" off the TV wall, and 11' to the MLP, toed in slightly. A quick swap of the speaker wires and I was ready to play some tunes.

Jim Salk includes a demo cd with each order and he encourages you play it first to show off the capabilities of the speakers. I obliged...it contained some nice vocals, and heavy midrange content in general...acoustic guitar, etc.

I've only have about 10 hours on them right now so I will come back in a few weeks to give you my impression. But right off the bat...the sound stage is much wider than the B&Ws, and the sound is so clean.

 

[oldgoalie33]

Congrats on the new Salks! I'm picking mine up on Monday.

 

[zieglj01]

Good deal -- good show

 

[Mikado463]

Very nice, lookin' good !

 

[2channel lover]

Congrats on the new Salks! I'm picking mine up on Monday.

Well...congrats are in order for you too sir! What model are you getting?

I'm loving the Song3-As so far.

 

[Alex2507]

No grills? Not that I mind seeing those mid range drivers. That center is making me drool a little. I wonder what one would sell for if it had the Accuton mid's. Very nice NST's (Not Song Towers).

 

[2channel lover]

No grills? Not that I mind seeing those mid range drivers. That center is making me drool a little. I wonder what one would sell for if it had the Accuton mid's. Very nice NST's (Not Song Towers).

Grills...they came with them, but they may never see the light of day....lol

No reason for them for listening, and no kids around to be concerned about.

Accuton...I was curious about that and even asked...he said in a 2 way design...the SEAS drivers which are the basis of the famed veracity series are ideal.

I did also find it interesting when they did introduce a 3-way center channel to go with the Song3 series...they chose a 4" titanium mid I think the same one that is in the S3.

FWIW...if you wanted a Song3 Center with the Accuton mid that I'm sure can be done...idk if they will work as well with the other drivers in the S3 cc, but the premium is $900 from the S3 to the S3A floorstander.

 

[oldgoalie33]

Well...congrats are in order for you too sir! What model are you getting?

I'm loving the Song3-As so far.

Thanks! I'm getting a pair of SongTower RT's and a center channel. Didn't have to wait long as they were ones Jim took in trade. He just did some refinishing on them. This is my 3rd pair (over the years) of Song Towers.

 

[2channel lover]

Thanks! I'm getting a pair of SongTower RT's and a center channel. Didn't have to wait long as they were ones Jim took in trade. He just did some refinishing on them. This is my 3rd pair (over the years) of Song Towers.

Great deal...the wait time is something fierce right now, but it's a good problem to have I guess.

Wow...so you know the drill. My 1st pair. I demoed a lot of speakers...several that were more expensive than the Song3a...in fact the B&W804D3 and Paradigm Persona 3F are more than double the price. Both are nice speakers, but I would beg anyone considering those right now to buy a ticket to Detroit and demo the Song3A first.

 

[oldgoalie33]

Great deal...the wait time is something fierce right now, but it's a good problem to have I guess.

Wow...so you know the drill. My 1st pair. I demoed a lot of speakers...several that were more expensive than the Song3a...in fact the B&W804D3 and Paradigm Persona 3F are more than double the price. Both are nice speakers, but I would beg anyone considering those right now to buy a ticket to Detroit and demo the Song3A first.

Yep. I had a pair of the first run of SongTowers that were made, and picked them up at Jim's house! I've owned a bunch of Salks along with others over the past 10 years (Harbeth, KEF, NHT, Graham, etc.) and I always seem to come back to Jim's speakers. I really kind of got out of hifi about 18 months ago to get off the merry go round of equipment, but I should have hung on to my SongTowers. If Jim has some Song 3's at the shop I may listen while I'm there but I don't want to spend more $$. I'm sure they're wonderful speakers. My wife's going with me so I'm not making any promises though! She wanted Soundscape 8's over HT-2TL's that I'd ordered. Ended up with SS8's.

 

[KEW]

My wife's going with me so I'm not making any promises though! She wanted Soundscape 8's over HT-2TL's that I'd ordered. Ended up with SS8's.

I'm sure I speak for virtually every married person here when I say,
"You, sir, suck!"

 

[Swerd]

I'm getting a pair of SongTower RT's and a center channel … … This is my 3rd pair (over the years) of Song Towers.

Yep. I had a pair of the first run of SongTowers that were made, and picked them up at Jim's house! I've owned a bunch of Salks along with others over the past 10 years (Harbeth, KEF, NHT, Graham, etc.) and I always seem to come back to Jim's speakers. I really kind of got out of hifi about 18 months ago to get off the merry go round of equipment, but I should have hung on to my SongTowers. If Jim has some Song 3's at the shop I may listen while I'm there but I don't want to spend more $$. I'm sure they're wonderful speakers. My wife's going with me so I'm not making any promises though! She wanted Soundscape 8's over HT-2TL's that I'd ordered. Ended up with SS8's.

Jim absolutely loves customers like you !

I can't compare to your prolific history as a Salk customer. I owned SongTowers from 2007 to this past year. Like you, I ordered them in August 2007 soon after they were first announced. In the summer of 2016, I replaced the STs with Veracity STs. I still use the SongCenter speaker I got to go with the STs. This past spring, I gave the old STs to my son.

@2channel lover, thanks for the photos. Love the clear-coat cherry finish. I know how long you've waited for them. Enjoy!

 

[oldgoalie33]

Jim absolutely loves customers like you !

I can't compare to your prolific history as a Salk customer. I owned SongTowers from 2007 to this past year. Like you, I ordered them in August 2007 soon after they were first announced. In the summer of 2016, I replaced the STs with Veracity STs. I still use the SongCenter speaker I got to go with the STs. This past spring, I gave the old STs to my son.

@2channel lover, thanks for the photos. Love the clear-coat cherry finish. I know how long you've waited for them. Enjoy!

Swerd,
I think you got your Song Towers about the same time I did. Picked mine up on Labor Day weekend of '07. In fact I think we corresponded back then about them (maybe on another forum?). Anyway, Jim's speakers just have a sound I've always enjoyed.

 

[oldgoalie33]

I'm sure I speak for virtually every married person here when I say,
"You, sir, suck!"

What can I say? My wife originally didn't care what speakers/equipment I had. Then she actually started listening after I got my first Song Towers. She really liked them, and actually developed into a bit of an audiophile. I usually took her whenever I auditioned speakers. She usually ended up wanting the more expensive pair! The only pair I brought home she didn't like were Vivid 1.5's which I had on loan from a dealer. She liked the sound but hated the look...they went back.

 

[ErnieM]

Congratulations on your new Salk Song 3-A speakers! I first heard these at AXPONA.

I've had mine now for six weeks and I'm loving their sound. Mine are a darker finish (see my avatar) but yours look very very nice! Jim does well both in sound and in looks. I'm also keeping my grills off.

Your photos of unpacking brought back memories - I, too, was impressed with how they were packaged with great care.

ENJOY !

 

[Verdinut]

Congrats for your new Song 3-A speakers.

I haven't heard them but I am using air motion ribbons on my 7 channel HT system. I am not surprised at all that you are amazed with the largely improved sound stage with ribbon tweeters. That makes the whole difference!

I'm sold on ribbon tweeters which have a smooth frequency response apart from a wide sound dispersion, and I wouldn't use any other type of high frequency transducer in my DIY speaker systems.

 

[killdozzer]

The only pair I brought home she didn't like were Vivid 1.5's which I had on loan from a dealer. She liked the sound but hated the look...they went back.

She has great taste. Vivid makes some of the ugliest speakers around IMO. Those Giya G1 look like some cloning of a retarded leprechaun gone wrong.

All this talk about Salk speakers... If I ever get into serious money I might just import some to see what it's about.

 

[2channel lover]

Yep. I had a pair of the first run of SongTowers that were made, and picked them up at Jim's house! I've owned a bunch of Salks along with others over the past 10 years (Harbeth, KEF, NHT, Graham, etc.) and I always seem to come back to Jim's speakers. I really kind of got out of hifi about 18 months ago to get off the merry go round of equipment, but I should have hung on to my SongTowers. If Jim has some Song 3's at the shop I may listen while I'm there but I don't want to spend more $$. I'm sure they're wonderful speakers. My wife's going with me so I'm not making any promises though! She wanted Soundscape 8's over HT-2TL's that I'd ordered. Ended up with SS8's.

I'd been out of hifi for roughly 20 yrs...the last attempt in AV (audio) at all was building a half a**ed (due to funds, economy, etc.) surround system to appease the wife in 2009. Means and opportunity the last 2 yrs have allowed me to start over completely.

I've been a 3-way driver guy for 20+ yrs so I kind started my new search with that as the baseline criteria for the new speakers.

I started out thinking the Song3 was the direction I was going in after the CHI AXPONA 2016...iirc, the S3a was born from a custom order. Jim said after testing them they knew right away it needed to be in the line…got a pair ready for the next show and they took off, I’m not even sure they had an official name yet. Then came the S3e also getting great praise.

Now funded, and being the 2 channel head that I am…I was waffling back and forth as I neared writing that order email. I was ready to forgo the cc and put all of the speaker budget into the mains and get the S3e. I called Jim again, and we talked about my dilemma. He said if it was purely a 2 ch setup, I’d give the S3e more thought in a room your size, but paired with the subs you’ve mentioned, the S3a is the easy choice to make here.

Ok…S3a it was...I was having reservations, I kept wondering am I settling because of price? did I max out here? Should I have gotten the S3e? Then I saw post from an Exotica3 owner more or less saying the S3a would be his choice of the Salk lineup if he were in the market today…to me, that was like Warren Buffett blessing a stock investment. I haven’t looked back since…just waited.

In talking with Jim, the S3 is less fussy about what you’re feeding it….whereas the S3a is more like the Veracity series in terms of transparency.

SS8s? Your wife has great taste…no slight to the STs, but with her previous history, and you wanting to stick with a budget…this is going to be an interesting trip!

 

[2channel lover]

Congrats for your new Song 3-A speakers.

I haven't heard them but I am using air motion ribbons on my 7 channel HT system. I am not surprised at all that you are amazed with the largely improved sound stage with ribbon tweeters. That makes the whole difference!

I'm sold on ribbon tweeters which have a smooth frequency response apart from a wide sound dispersion, and I wouldn't use any other type of high frequency transducer in my DIY speaker systems.

Thanks...there is something about the ribbon in general I liked but the Monitor Audio G300 was the favored tweeter of the speakers. The RAAL is even cleaner...high hats don't sound splashy, they maintain detail.

 

[2channel lover]

Congratulations on your new Salk Song 3-A speakers! I first heard these at AXPONA.

I've had mine now for six weeks and I'm loving their sound. Mine are a darker finish (see my avatar) but yours look very very nice! Jim does well both in sound and in looks. I'm also keeping my grills off.

Your photos of unpacking brought back memories - I, too, was impressed with how they were packaged with great care.

ENJOY !

Thanks.

I remember your post! Love the rich color. My brother in law is intown this week from Cali. He's the only one that's kinda into hifi. He has a pair of 600 series B&Ws, influenced by my B&W purchase 20 yrs ago.

I said this system is a different animal from what I had before, the speakers are in a different league. We listen to about 5 songs...he was in awe...he's ready to junk his B&Ws...wants to come back over today!