[nyc_paramedic]

I've been meaning to send Jim an email regarding a pair of obscure speakers he used to sell a long while back. I've attached the email here. IIRC, Dennis had a hand in designing the speakers, so I thank him deeply as well. Email:

"Jim,

I just wanted to drop you a small note about the Salk Computer Monitors you sold me a long, long time ago. If I remember correctly, these are a titanium Tang-Bang(sp?) driver with a small cloth dome tweeter. They were in the foyer as news/background classical when I first got them, as we were busy with Darling Coffee, the newborns and didn't want to keep cycling the tube amps connected to the HT2-TLs.

We always thought they sounded good. They were expensive for "background music" speakers, but as small business owners ourselves we wanted to support your company, and we knew they would be prettier than anything we could order off Amazon.

After the sale of my HT2-TL's we placed the Salk CMs in the living room connected to the small NAD D3020 DAC/amplifier. I'll admit that the room is still very well treated with RealTraps (ceiling first reflection points; corners; side walls), but HOLY MACKEREL do they sound amazing for such a small driver. They're on the short wall of the room in a near-field configuration. On the right tracks, i.e., vocals, small chamber classical, they are so very engaging. They seem to play deeper than their 70Hz spec would suggest, but it's the midrange that I still can't believe isn't too far off from the HT2s.

Thank you.

Nick"

[DMurphy]

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on the smallest speaker I've ever designed.  I barely remember this one.  I have a clearer recollection of a version that used the TB driver full range.  I think Jim is still using that one.  But the  2-way version should sound a good bit better.  Too bad it was so expensive to build.  The TB driver is no slouch.  I used it as a midrange in my Slims towers that sold for around $3,000/pair. 

[DFpritchard]

Not computer monitors but small 6.5 inch 2-way monitors I bought from Dennis Murphy 4-5 years ago.  Based on the Dayton Audio BR-1 maybe?  I needed something to listen to while waiting for my Song3s (and later BePure2s) to arrive.  I think they were about $200-300 a pair at the time and, at that price point simply outperformed anything else I had heard.  I am not sure what role, if any, JS had in these but it became clear to me that Dennis Murphy has a Midas touch with the bits and pieces of speakers that go largely unnoticed and unseen.  Subsequent experience with the Song3s and BePure2s confirm this observation (Does one observe with one's ears?). 

I don't think enough attention and praise goes to these smaller, less expensive speakers.  Considering the value and performance, that's a shame.

[AllanS]

Dennis Murphy has a Midas touch with the bits and pieces of speakers that go largely unnoticed and unseen.

Sing it from the mountain top.  I may end up cycling through a lot of gear but my BMRs and Supercharged Song Surrounds aren’t going anywhere.