[jsalk]

Bernie took a road trip from Wisconsin a few months ago to pay us a visit.  He ordered a pair of HT3's but hadn't decided on the final finish.  It was either going to be African bubinga or American cherry.   In the end, ropey figured (curly) cherry won out.

Here are some pics:



As you can see, Bernie wanted the option of going active in the future and ordered outboard crossover cabinets.  He also wanted a hand-rubbed, high-gloss finish.  We gave him both.

Here is a close up of the front baffle which was fashioned from solid figured cherry:



Detail of the rear of the crossover enclosures:



The switch?  Bernie ordered the contour switch which was also installed in the outboard crossover enclosures.

Happy listening Bernie!

- Jim

[bfherzog]

I have owned my HT3's for over a month and have formed some conclusions.
The first and most obvious is that the speakers looks are stunning. Never in my life have I seen woodworking done to this level of perfection!
Right out of the box the sound was beautiful. These speakers don't seem to require a lot of break in time. Their sound is well balanced and smooth. Imaging is three dimensional and of realistic size. Their dynamics are very good. Bass respnse is impressive but requires an amp with guts, especially in the reproduction of organ pedal tones.
Wife acceptance factor here is unbelievable. My wife is an orchestral string player who never has been one to pick at me regarding my audiophile hobby. Over time I have frequently opted for good sounding speakers over good looking ones. She has simply responded by not listening any longer than she has to. Since the HT3's arrived she has become much more involved in home music listening than ever before. Yesterday she remarked that the HT3's sounded wonderful and were very beautiful whereas most speakers looked as if they were designed for industrial use.
I have owned many speakers, some of which were very good and very much more expensive than these. None were as beautiful or as sonically satisfying as the HT3's. In sum, these are the finest and by far the most beautiful speakers I have ever owned.   Bernie

[DMurphy]

[ My wife is an orchestral string player who never has been one to pick at me regarding my audiophile hobby.]

I was particularly gratified to get this feedback.  Since I spend a good bit of my time playing in string sections, I'm glad your wife liked how the HT3's produce this kind of music.  I voice all of my crossovers on classical music, which imposes a far more demanding load on speakers than the typical pop mix.   Of course, now you'll probably tell me you were listening to Kool Jazz 106.7 when she walked into the room. 

[Daygloworange]

[ My wife is an orchestral string player who never has been one to pick at me regarding my audiophile hobby.]

I was particularly gratified to get this feedback.  Since I spend a good bit of my time playing in string sections, I'm glad your wife liked how the HT3's produce this kind of music.  I voice all of my crossovers on classical music, which imposes a far more demanding load on speakers than the typical pop mix.   Of course, now you'll probably tell me you were listening to Kool Jazz 106.7 when she walked into the room. 

Dennis,

I'm just wondering. What types of classical are you using when you evaluate? Is it predominantly orchestral works, solo instruments, vocal works? Just curious.

Cheers

[koiman]

DMurphy,
When you say you voice all the crossovers for classical music are you referring to all of the Salk HT3's
Thanks,
Lee

[NealH]

Those are some nice looking speakers.  Veneer work looks outstanding.  I really like these lighter color woods on this particular speaker.  Heck, most speakers for that matter.  I feel like they are easier on the eyes - that it is easier to see and appreciate the entire speaker.  

[zybar]

Great looking as always Jim!

George

[DMurphy]

<I'm just wondering. What types of classical are you using when you evaluate? Is it predominantly orchestral works, solo instruments, vocal works? Just curious.>

Mostly orchestral, with some solo vocal as well.  Massed string sound will reveal any tweeter voicing problems, but the most revealing source is massed brass.  French horns in particular are only reproduced accurately with the crossover is really optimized.  Otherwise, there will be a "blare" and opaque quality that says all is not well in the phase integration.  A few weeks ago at DCDIY I was comparing the el cheapo stock Insignias with a pair  with a redone crossover.  We had a high quality switch box that would allow instant A-B's and compensate for any sensitivity differences.  The revised pair did sound better on pop vocals, but not dramatically.  As soon as I played some Wagner at full cry, the difference was huge. 

[DMurphy]

<When you say you voice all the crossovers for classical music are you referring to all of the Salk HT3's?>

Not being on site in Michigan, I can't do that.  But fortunately the quality control for those drivers is very high.  I just meant I voice any new design using classical music. 

[Daygloworange]

French horns in particular are only reproduced accurately with the crossover is really optimized.

Very true, they can be brutal if you don't have a good upper mid-range.

The revised pair did sound better on pop vocals, but not dramatically.  As soon as I played some Wagner at full cry, the difference was huge. 

Agreed. Sometimes the differences can be minute between speakers on some recordings, and huge on others. Thanks for that elaboration. When I was auditioning speakers, I would bring along everything, pop music, pop vocal, well produced rock music, solo harp, (which I really like ) some orchestral that I like. I think you absolutely need to do that to make a fair evaluation.

I find that sometimes the mid-range can be similarly voiced between two speakers, but then the lower mids ( particularly transient response, and timbre ) can be hugely different. Also, quality and quantity of bass.

Thanks for your thoughts on that, Dennis

Cheers

[brj]

Massed string sound will reveal any tweeter voicing problems, but the most revealing source is massed brass.  French horns in particular are only reproduced accurately with the crossover is really optimized.  Otherwise, there will be a "blare" and opaque quality that says all is not well in the phase integration.

Dennis, can you tell us what specific recordings you use?  I'm always on the lookout for good classical recordings, especially ones that feature heavy brass.

Thanks!