[WGH]

I think the Salk HT2-TL is close to the perfect speaker. The first time I listened to the HT2-TL was at the 2009 RMAF. The Songtowers were playing on Friday morning and I loved the sound, Jim said the HT2-TLs would be playing that afternoon so off I went to check out all the other systems and speakers for the rest of the day. The Salk room was the last stop for the day and indeed the HT2-TLs were making music. Jim and Mary's room was an oasis of soothing sound after the cacophony of dissonant noise I endured in almost all the other rooms. If the Songtowers were a Wow, the HT2-TLs were a WOW! More of everything, I found my next speaker.

I have owned the HT2-TL speakers for 12 years and have loved every minute... but maybe it's time for a change. More on that later.


My Salk HT2-TLs next to the Fritz Carbon 7. No, I'm not thinking of trading out, Fritz loaned me a pair when I visited him in San Francisco a couple weeks ago. The Carbon 7's are now making a tour around the desert Southwest and will be for sale at a discounted price.



Mesquite HT2-TL build thread: https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=100672.msg1015847#msg1015847

My mesquite HT2-TLs are something special. I made the mesquite veneer from a huge mesquite plank and along with the 1-3/4" thick solid mesquite front baffle and 100 lb weight they are a solid, inert fast speaker that starts and stops as quick as any other speaker I have heard. Gotta love the clarity. Every change in electronics is clearly heard, which makes the speaker a great tool to review new equipment. Music is where the HT2-TLs really shine. In the last 12 years recording and DAC quality has increased exponentially. I started streaming ripped CDs and now download studio quality hi-res like the free 24bit/192kHz David Chesky Sampler and DSD256 from 2L. The HT2-TLs easily show off the uncompromising quality of these latest recordings.


Tucson Audiophiles started in 2013 and has grown to a small and active group of music lovers. We all have different systems and get to listen to an amazing selection of music and electronics, from all custom tube gear, Audio Note, and Pass to the latest from PS Audio. Speakers range from Falcon Acoustics LS3/5a, Magnipan, Joseph Audio Perspective2, Klipsch, and Nola Metro Grand Reference speakers. Each month is like a mini-RMAF. A person gets a good point of reference after listening (and borrowing) all this audio stuff, which is how I know the HT2-TL's are the equal of the best speakers available. Add a REL sub that goes down into the teens and the combination competes with any of the 5 figure speakers I have heard.


The HT2-TLs like power, 200 watts per channel is the sweet spot and because they are revealing (not the same as bright or ruthless), what they are fed is important. The latest from Van Alstine and HoloAudio work beautifully together. Their sound is closer to a studio monitor than a design that excels at making music like the Fritz Carbon 7s, which are a little more forgiving of the source but is also a speaker that can be enjoyed all day every day. Like the HT2-TL, the Carbon 7's also have a deep and solid center image, these little speakers literally disappear.


A Thought Experiment

What if the HT2-TLs were just as distortion free and detailed but also a touch warmer? More bass would be a bonus but since I use a sub not necessary. Some of you can see where I'm heading.
The Purifi 6.5 is a drop in replacement for the SEAS Excel W18. Of course the crossover would need to be redone too, if only because of the different sensitivities.
An expensive upgrade at over $2000, but cheap considering the speaker would be new and state-of-the-art. The Purifi was not available 12 years ago.

I have never heard a speaker with a Purifi driver, I may not like it. Fritz has a speaker that uses a Purifi driver and feels the expense is not worth it. Which is why this is a thought experiment.
Perhaps it has been done and the results were meh.

Thoughts anyone?

[ccotenj]

I will not disagree with this.  I got mine in July of 2010.  They were one of the first pairs with the RAALs, Jim had actually already started building them already, and when I asked him if he could use the RAALs, he of course said yes.

Mine are the crotch mahogany ones that are on the HT2-TL page on Jim's site.

Never before had I owned a speaker anywhere this long a time.  Once I could afford to buy speakers, I went through MANY.  Until I got these.  I knew as soon as I listened to them, the speaker journey was over forever.  It was odd not to have updgrade-itis.

I also have a HT2 center, as well as pair of custom surrounds Jim made me, all in the same crotch mahogany.  There are a pair of Seaton Submersive HPs in here to keep them company.  IMO, that combination of speakers and subs is very hard to beat.  Especially factoring in the price.

I have not heard a Purifi driver, so I can't really say, but...  for the cost of the drivers the (very likely) difficulty in designing an xover, would it be "better" or just "different", and how much so?

[ccotenj]

I will not disagree with this.  I got mine in July of 2010.  They were one of the first pairs with the RAALs, Jim had actually already started building them already, and when I asked him if he could use the RAALs, he of course said yes.

Mine are the crotch mahogany ones that are on the HT2-TL page on Jim's site.

Never before had I owned a speaker anywhere this long a time.  Once I could afford to buy speakers, I went through MANY.  Until I got these.  I knew as soon as I listened to them, the speaker journey was over forever.  It was odd not to have updgrade-itis.

I also have a HT2 center, as well as pair of custom surrounds Jim made me, all in the same crotch mahogany.  There are a pair of Seaton Submersive HPs in here to keep them company.  IMO, that combination of speakers and subs is very hard to beat.  Especially factoring in the price.

I have not heard a Purifi driver, so I can't really say, but...  for the cost of the drivers the (very likely) difficulty in designing an xover, would it be "better" or just "different", and how much so?

Note:  I bought mine without ever hearing them.  The word of mouth from people I trust was good enough for me, and I also knew that if for some unknown reason I didn't like them, someone would take them off my hands without me taking too much of a loss.  When used ones went up for sale, they went fast.  And they didn't go up for sale very often.  Once people got their hands on them, they weren't letting them go.

[Early B.]

A Thought Experiment

What if the HT2-TLs were just as distortion free and detailed but also a touch warmer? More bass would be a bonus but since I use a sub not necessary. Some of you can see where I'm heading.
The Purifi 6.5 is a drop in replacement for the SEAS Excel W18. Of course the crossover would need to be redone too, if only because of the different sensitivities.
An expensive upgrade at over $2000, but cheap considering the speaker would be new and state-of-the-art. The Purifi was not available 12 years ago.

I have never heard a speaker with a Purifi driver, I may not like it. Fritz has a speaker that uses a Purifi driver and feels the expense is not worth it. Which is why this is a thought experiment.
Perhaps it has been done and the results were meh.

Thoughts anyone?

Whoa!!!  That would be a very cool and expensive, but risky, experiment. However, it's reversible and you could sell the Purifi drivers to recoup some of your costs. Jim could tell you if it's a worth pursuing.

[Rusty Jefferson]

I don't think changing the woofers would be worth the cost/effort. It's a lot of work to redesign and implement a crossover network. The box tuning would also have to change, the Purifi need a lot of vent space because of the large excursion. That might require cutting the box.

I have a small 2 way with the Purifi woofers (sealed) and it is a wonderful driver. Sounds great and is so well behaved the crossover is quite simple. Consider doing a separate project with those woofers and leave the Salks as is.

[Rshorb]

I agree with Rusty. It would be cheaper to buy a pair of used Bepure2's than try and change those HT2's. I'll also add that I own both the HT2-TL's and the Bepure2's and monitors. While the paper cone of the Purifi drivers is a tad more forgiving than the W18's. It's not as much as one would think.

[DFpritchard]

In case anyone is interested, there is a pair of HT2-TLs for sale on usaudiomart for $2500.  Excellent condition, apparently.  Seems like a great deal for someone in the market.

[Rocket]

Hi,

I've had a pair of Salk Sound HT2's, HT3's, Song 3's and now Bepure 2's.  All great speakers.  Its my understanding that the purifi drivers may not work in HT2TL cabinet as it was tricky for Jim as they had to design a TL system which would work with these speakers.

The purifi drivers are fantastic imo and worth every penny.  However, the 3 way design of the HT3's also reduces distortion as they work in a lower range and you'd get a  nice improvement over the HT2TL's.  When I first bought the HT3'S I immediately noticed more clarity in the midrange due to the 3 way design.

The only reason I sold my HT3's and went with the Song 3's was convenience due to a change in room which was smaller and I a front ported speaker worked well. I'd still have a pair of HT3's any day.

Jim has a beautiful pair of refinished HT3's for just $3.5k usd that you might want to consider.

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=187052.0

Cheers Rod

[WGH]

Its my understanding that the purifi drivers may not work in HT2TL cabinet as it was tricky for Jim as they had to design a TL system which would work with these speakers.

Jim has a beautiful pair of refinished HT3's for just $3.5k usd that you might want to consider.

Thanks Rod, I was just wondering if there was an (affordable) upgrade path for all those 12 year old HT2-TLs. Buying a new or used speaker would make the most sense for people who want to upgrade. I consider my mesquite speakers a work of art and beautiful to look at, the thick mesquite plank the veneer was cut from was unique and one-of-a-kind. The used BePure2 speakers on US Audio Mart may sound better (different) but as beautiful as curly cherry is, it's not mesquite.

But love is fickle, if I had ever listened to the BePure2 and fell in love (like I did with the HT2-TL) then making the 36 hour road trip to Chesterfield, VA would not be a problem. Catch some fall colors, see the World's Largest Ball of Twine in Cawker City, Kansas along the way and eat plenty of regional road food.

Midrange clarity can be an elusive animal, I have never noticed the HT2-TL's to have less clarity than any of the speakers in our audiophile club. I do think the speakers need the best possible source and wires or they can tend to sound slightly harsh. My music server has 3 independent linear regulated power supplies; the AVA Fet Valve CFR Hybrid preamp has CV4024/12AT7 Mullard, NOS/NIB and Genalex Gold Lion B749/ECC82/12AU7 reissues, both sets of tubes fleshed out the midrange compared to the stock JJ's. The addition of the Hapa Silver and Gold/Silver Quiescence interconnects plus Aero USB cable increased clarity that has to be heard to believed. The REL Gibraltar sub also enhances midband clarity, watch the video for more info how this works. And then there is HQPlayer which has 55 digital filters, upsamplers, and dither algorithms enabling me to fine tune the sound to perfectly compliment the electronics, wires and speakers. Read about how filter length affects the sound about halfway down this page. Miska is HQPlayer's developer. The HoloAudio May is one of the few DACs that don't modify (upsample then downsample) the digital input allowing HQPlayer to do it's magic.

I recently listened to the Fritz Carbon 7 speakers in two different rooms. In my living room the speakers sounded mellow, in a small room at a friends house the Carbon 7s were alive and rocking. The 7's sounded like two different speakers. I'm really not thinking of replacing the HT2-TL's, they work too well in my room.

As I get older and listen to more stereo systems I have come to the conclusion my stereo is good enough.

[Saturn94]

…As I get older and listen to more stereo systems I have come to the conclusion my stereo is good enough.

My thoughts as well. 

[Hydro]

I have a pair of the early HT-2 speakers with the LCY tweeter. Your question about swapping out the Seas speakers for Purify intrigued me. I have a good friend in the speaker business and he uses Purify in his high end builds. I own two of them, one with two 6" drivers in a mtm config with a Be tweeter and dual 12" woofers that is tri- amped with Hypex plate amps. The other pair uses the Be tweeter with two 8" Purify woofers in a tri-amped 2 1/2 way floor stander. They both sound amazing and the sound is on par with my SS-10's. Since these are not passive crossover designs I thought it would be nice to hear the Purify speakers in a passive system. My friend had 4- 8 ohm 6" paper cone speakers in stock and he was kind enough to let me try them in my Salks.I swapped the speakers out this afternoon and it was a direct drop in. The hardest part was getting the Seas woofers out. I didn't have much hope of it sounding good and expected to have to eq it using a mini dsp unit. However the result was quite pleasing. The bass isn't quite as fat but is still full and obviously without any distortion.The mids are smoother with more depth to the sound stage. The highs are well integrated. I only got to listen for a few minutes today but will give them some critical time this weekend with and without dsp.   

[WGH]

The highs are well integrated. I only got to listen for a few minutes today but will give them some critical time this weekend with and without dsp.

Interesting experiment, updates will be fun to read.

The SEAS and Purify have different sensitivities so a little DSP will probably be needed. Although 1.1 dB might not be a big deal, dunno, I'm not a speaker designer.

SEAS W18: 88db @ 2.83v at 1 meter

Purifi Audio PTT6.5X08: 86.9dB @ 2.83v at 1 meter

[Hydro]

I had a chance to listen to the Purifi 6.5 " woofers in the Ht-2 cabinets this weekend and they actually sounded pretty good. The tweeters needed about 1.5db cut and it sounded better with a 2.5db cut about 300hz. Those corrections could be done passively fairly easily. The problem comes in the bass. I needed to add about 3.5db at 35hz to get the bass where it needed to be, and it still didn't really sound right. As noted in the early comments in this thread the cabinet just wasn't made for these woofers. A sub would probably fix this. When I put the Seas driver back in I was amazed how much better they sounded. In my opinion the HT-2s sound really great stock and there is very little if anything  to be gained with the swap.

[mick wolfe]

  sounds like a word to the wise to me anyway. The HT-2 is an excellent speaker as is. The Purifi drivers are unique to the point where I'd only investigate speakers that are truly designed around them.

[WGH]

The Purifi drivers are unique to the point where I'd only investigate speakers that are truly designed around them.

Me too. I have been prodding a friend in Phoenix to buy the BePure2 speakers on US Audio Mart then drive out to Bangor, PA to pick up, so far without any luck.

[mick wolfe]

I had a chance to listen to the Purifi 6.5 " woofers in the Ht-2 cabinets this weekend and they actually sounded pretty good. The tweeters needed about 1.5db cut and it sounded better with a 2.5db cut about 300hz. Those corrections could be done passively fairly easily. The problem comes in the bass. I needed to add about 3.5db at 35hz to get the bass where it needed to be, and it still didn't really sound right. As noted in the early comments in this thread the cabinet just wasn't made for these woofers. A sub would probably fix this. When I put the Seas driver back in I was amazed how much better they sounded. In my opinion the HT-2s sound really great stock and there is very little if anything  to be gained with the swap.

What is your plan for the 4 Purifi drivers now that your experiment didn't quite pan out? I'm wondering if DIY plans for the BePure 2 will be offered?  This of course would include the cabinet and xover design plus recommended component choices.

[Hydro]

Mick, I just borrowed them for the test, they are back at Toby speakers now.

[mick wolfe]

 Thx for your effort and insights. Still wondering if DIY plans for the BePure 2 will be offered. Seems a shame to let this design fade into the sunset.

[Rocket]

Hi Guys,

4.5k usd what a great price and less than 12 months old. Worth every penny imo. I paid 12k aud shipped to Australia and bought these for my retirement.

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650013006-salk-sound-bepure-2-natural-curly-cherry/

Cheers Rod

[jsalk]

Thx for your effort and insights. Still wondering if DIY plans for the BePure 2 will be offered. Seems a shame to let this design fade into the sunset.

We will likely have plans and pre-built crossovers available in the coming months.  But I have to find time to do some new drawings and documentation first.  I would also like to produce a document spelling out tips, tricks and processes we've learned over the last two decades.  This would help even a novice wood-worker produce a great looking and great performing cabinet.

- Jim