Salk circle, I just wanted to share an update of the Soundscape 9.5s after a listening session with another Salk Sound enthusiast.
It was over 10 years ago already that Jim K. (Saturn94, the wise one on the right) was kind enough to allow a stranger into his home to hear his HT2-TLs. I loved what I heard, and that sent me down the rabbit hole of buying Salk speakers. Since that time I have owned the Soundscape 8s, then the Exotica towers, and finally this L/C/R trio of Soundscape 9.5s.
I started with a Marantz AV8801, then AV8805, and now a Marantz AV10. At each step the setup sounded sounded great, but it wasn’t until I landed on the AV10 that I felt like I had a processor that was finally able to do these speakers justice. I was using a Parasound A21 for about 10 years, but really yearned for a John Curl signature amp, so I recently upgraded to the JC5 stereo amp.
I’m running a 9.4.6 setup with surround duty filled in by NHT C1s (which are a good timbre match to the Salk speakers, IMO) and 4 Rythmik F18 subs. Bass has been optimized with REW filters into a minDSP flex and then Audyssey MultEQ-X. I have plenty of bass traps but with a good number of scatter plates and diffusion so as to not over dampen the room.
Two channel listening sounds very good. There are obviously compromises with the towers being pushed so wide, and having a giant (non-acoustically transparent) projector screen in between them. We still get a solid center image and a relatively wide sound stage (the scatter plates helped with this as well). The couch also has to be a little closer than I’d like to achieve the 1/3L point of the room, a good choice for bass room modes. Integration between the towers and the Rythmiks is excellent. The entire presentation is cohesive, neutral, and with just a hint of tube-like quality provided by the JC5 (it’s a great amp). Voices are convincing and natural. One of my favorite stereo tracks is “Keith Don’t Go” by Nils Lofgren. Even in stereo listening, his acoustic guitar and voice fill the entire front soundstage. The presentation is so natural I’d swear he’s playing right in front of me.
While two channel listening is enjoyable, Auro 3D upmixing is truly a game changer (and I never thought I’d say that about an upmixer, really). It is SO GOOD at taking a stereo signal and upmixing it to all 9.x.6 speakers. I can put on “Jazz at the Pawnshop” or Brubeck’s “Take Five” or any classical piece and feel like I am a part of the musical presentation. It’s like being inside a bubble of sound. It’s really incredible, in my humble opinion.
And of course movies sound and look amazing in this system. Bass slam, vocal clarity, panning and height effects, it’s all there in spades.
The SS 9.5s are the nicest Salk speakers I have ever heard, and I’m so happy to own them. On the one hand, my pocket book is glad there’s nothing to upgrade to. On the other hand, I wish Salk speakers were still being made so even more people could enjoy them.
Wishing Jim, Mary, and all the rest of the Salk Sound family all the best! –Jon
Perhaps Jim K. will chime in with some thoughts.
