Jon's Exotica 3's in rosewood with dark walnut dye

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #20 on:** 4 Apr 2015, 09:09 pm »

Welcome to the club Jon. You will be blown away.

JonnyFive · « **Reply #21 on:** 4 Apr 2015, 09:37 pm »

Amy will get over the white mid-range driver. Personally I think it adds a really interesting touch to the front, a great conversation piece. I also taught her the difference between a tweeter and a driver.

I really appreciate Jim and crew creating various dye samples. Basically they took two 12"x12" chunks of veneer on scrap wood and dyed strips of it. There were 2 oranges, 2 reds, natural, and about half a dozen browns. The red really took me back to my former SS8s. I liked the red, but I felt it locked me into a living room color scheme too much. With these latest samples, I just picked a nice rich brown which can go with anything in the future. I must say the orange really had some flash, if one was looking to stand out rather than blend in.

Dave Littel · « **Reply #22 on:** 6 Apr 2015, 04:04 pm »

Since I'm going to get to listen to these when they arrive, I've learned what waiting and "Salking" is all about. Call it co-dependant Salking. Whatever. It's not easy.

Saturn94 · « **Reply #23 on:** 6 Apr 2015, 04:13 pm »

Quote from: Dave Littel on 6 Apr 2015, 04:04 pm

Since I'm going to get to listen to these when they arrive, I've learned what waiting and "Salking" is all about. Call it co-dependant Salking. Whatever. It's not easy.

LOL...same here.

The local Salk fans here are living vicariously through Jon.....

Tomy2Tone · « **Reply #24 on:** 6 Apr 2015, 05:56 pm »

Quote from: Saturn94 on 6 Apr 2015, 04:13 pm

LOL...same here.

The local Salk fans here are living vicariously through Jon.....

Where are all you guys located? Thats pretty cool a bunch of you get to experience and share in Jon's excitement!

Can't wait to hear everybody's thoughts.

JonnyFive · « **Reply #25 on:** 6 Apr 2015, 06:32 pm »

Quote from: Tomy2Tone on 6 Apr 2015, 05:56 pm

Where are all you guys located?

We're all in Hampton Roads, VA. My first audition of a Salk speaker was a pair of HT2-TLs at Jim's (Saturn94) place. More recently, Dave and I met through the forum and I had the opportunity to listen to several of his DIY speakers, all of which sounded great.

Saturn94 · « **Reply #26 on:** 10 Apr 2015, 08:18 pm »

Nice new avatar, Jon.

JonnyFive · « **Reply #27 on:** 10 Apr 2015, 09:22 pm »

Ok, got em unpacked and installed and level matched. The sound amazing, and once again I'm blown away by the looks. My gf decided she does like the white "tweeter" and wouldn't stop talking about how cool the dyed phase plug is

Pics and impressions coming soon.

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #28 on:** 10 Apr 2015, 09:45 pm »

Rock on!!

SCompRacer · « **Reply #29 on:** 10 Apr 2015, 10:15 pm »

Quote from: Dave Littel on 6 Apr 2015, 04:04 pm

Since I'm going to get to listen to these when they arrive, I've learned what waiting and "Salking" is all about. Call it co-dependant Salking. Whatever. It's not easy.

LOL Did you get that from the You might just be a Salk Owner thread?

127) Salking
verb
Being silent, excited, listening with extreme pleasure and emotion while you forgive all the speakers that previously disappointed you.

Congrats Jon!

JonnyFive · « **Reply #30 on:** 12 Apr 2015, 03:34 pm »

As promised, some in-home pics. These guys are gorgeous, I can't bare to put the grills on them! Listening impressions are still in the works.

(Sorry the pics are blurry, I didn't realize I had my ISO set too low).

Tomy2Tone · « **Reply #31 on:** 12 Apr 2015, 03:44 pm »

Fantastic Jon!

They look right at home! Gotta say you and Shawn hit a homerun in picking out veneer and color choices to go with the room. Well done!

JonnyFive · « **Reply #32 on:** 12 Apr 2015, 03:52 pm »

Quote from: Tomy2Tone on 12 Apr 2015, 03:44 pm

Fantastic Jon!

They look right at home! Gotta say you and Shawn hit a homerun in picking out veneer and color choices to go with the room. Well done!

They are right at home!

They look great and sound even better.

Eggiwegs2 · « **Reply #33 on:** 13 Apr 2015, 10:30 am »

Yeah, they certainly do look great in their new home.

One question, Jon, do you have the spikes set directly on the hardwood, or are you using some sort of discs under them (I can't tell in that first photo)? I've ordered some SCSTs that will also go on hardwood (fairly fragile without any sort of lacquer, just the soft wood that can even show up heel marks from stiletto heels...), and I was wondering if most people with hardwood floors use the spikes with discs or some sort of other solution (I think Jim even recommended putting rubber router mat underneath the plinth to one person a while back).

Thanks, and enjoy your speakers!

-Eamon

robcentola · « **Reply #34 on:** 13 Apr 2015, 10:38 am »

Quote from: Eggiwegs2 on 13 Apr 2015, 10:30 am

Yeah, they certainly do look great in their new home.

One question, Jon, do you have the spikes set directly on the hardwood, or are you using some sort of discs under them (I can't tell in that first photo)? I've ordered some SCSTs that will also go on hardwood (fairly fragile without any sort of lacquer, just the soft wood that can even show up heel marks from stiletto heels...), and I was wondering if most people with hardwood floors use the spikes with discs or some sort of other solution (I think Jim even recommended putting rubber router mat underneath the plinth to one person a while back).

Thanks, and enjoy your speakers!

-Eamon

http://herbiesaudiolab.net/spkrfeet.htm About half way down the page cone/spike glider. Their 17 bucks a piece but worth every penny. I can easily slide my VST's back and forth with ease and they take care of WAF placement issues.

Those E3's look freaking amazing. Looking forward to impressions!

Ace Deprave · « **Reply #35 on:** 13 Apr 2015, 12:28 pm »

Quote from: robcentola on 13 Apr 2015, 10:38 am

http://herbiesaudiolab.net/spkrfeet.htm About half way down the page cone/spike glider. Their 17 bucks a piece but worth every penny. I can easily slide my VST's back and forth with ease and they take care of WAF placement issues.

Those E3's look freaking amazing. Looking forward to impressions!

I too have the Herbie's Cone/Spike Decoupling Gliders. Not cheap, but worth the money in my opinion.

sfox7076 · « **Reply #36 on:** 13 Apr 2015, 12:41 pm »

I have herbie's under mine as well. I have the same issue with engineered hard wood (on top of 10" concrete slab with reinforced steel). NYC code makes residential buildings over build, so I have no issue with bouncing floors really, but the builder used crappy engineered birch. The gap means we can only use that engineered wood. Before I had exoticas, I had a Salk Rythmik sub. Dented the floor putting it in. Now I use Herbie's. Saves the floor. Not sure there is a sonic difference. Let the decoupling debate begin.

ernest787 · « **Reply #37 on:** 13 Apr 2015, 12:59 pm »

I have hardwood floors as well. I wish I could remember where I bought them from, but I have these little metal disks that my spike sit on. I then those cheap furniture disk under that.

They work well together to make sure my floor is not damaged by the speaker but it does not allow me to easily move my speakers by any means.

I've considered buying the gliders, but my $5 investment has worked well so far.

dpatters · « **Reply #38 on:** 13 Apr 2015, 01:02 pm »

I use the Herbies under my Vapor Joule Blacks which are quite heavy. I can move them fairly easily on my hardwood floor which made small adjustments easy to make
and doesn't mar the floor at all.

Don P.

JonnyFive · « **Reply #39 on:** 13 Apr 2015, 01:52 pm »

Correct, Herbies gliders. The floor is uneven so sometimes one of two of them will slide out, it can be tricky. I wish their indent was a little deeper.