So I've had a couple of days to listen to the SongBirds critically, and after what Ive heard from them, I'd have absolutely no problem recommending them to someone looking for a very high quality speaker for a small room.
Clarity of individaul instruments and voices is MUCH better than my previous setup. What I thought was a "shimmer" in the high end with my old set up was actually harshness when compared to the OW1. What I thought was tight bass is even tighter with the SongBirds, and much more defined and coherant, probably due to the QWTL design. The imaging and placement of instruments and voices is holographic, what you'd expect from a speaker with a small footprint.
What surprises me is that these speakers can ROCK in my small listening/living room. It says on the Salk website: "If you like to listen to music at higher volume levels, even occasionally, the SongTowers would be a better choice". This statement worried me a bit, because sometimes I do. But the 'Birds are up to the task in my small room, without a hint of strain. Just keep it realistic, not ear-splitting, and you'll be fine. My amp, an AVA Insight+ Control, which puts out 90 watts per channel into 8 ohms, has no issues driving these speakers.
Some of the pieces I listened to this afternoon, just to give you an idea of what they can do (a couple of these are Canadian, look 'em up):
The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour
Daniel Lanois - Acadie
David Lindley - El Rayo-X
Miles Davis - Relaxin'
Tragically Hip - Up to Here
Highly recommended, awesome work Jim and Co.
Cornelis