Soundscape 10 Listening Opportunity in Bay Area - limited time

ttsakai · « **on:** 23 Sep 2010, 06:07 am »

Hi Everyone,

I've been fortunate enough to be offered the opportunity to audition the prototype version of Jim's Soundscape 10 speakers with my audio system in my listening room for a limited time. With this unique opportunity I would like to extend an offer to other Salk fans in the Bay Area to have the chance to listen to this recently released top-of-the-line product if you haven't had a chance thus far.

I'm open to scheduling times with Salk enthusiasts to come to my home and listen to these speakers with my system. Understandably this is not the same as having the speakers inserted in your personal audio systems and listening environments but hopefully this will at least give you a general idea of the general sound characteristics of these speakers.

To give you an idea of the components in my system and what is driving the Soundscape 10 speakers, here is an itemized list:
Sony SCD-1 VSE Level 7 mod
Sonic Frontiers SFL-2 upgraded to SE+
Spectron Musician III Mk. II Monoblocks w/Bybee & V-cap upgrade
Prototype Salk Soundscape 10 speakers
All Synergistic Research power products (including Powercell 10SE)
All Synergistic Tesla Interconnects and Speaker cables

Room treatment installed.

I've attached a photo which will give you an idea of my listening room layout and components. I can only support CD or SACD source content (no computer audio capability - still old school only)

If you are interested in taking me up on this offer, please send me a PM via Audio Circle.

Regards,

Tracy
San Jose, CA

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #1 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 12:02 pm »

IN the meantime, how do they sound?

fsimms · « **Reply #2 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 12:53 pm »

Quote

I've been fortunate enough to be offered the opportunity to audition the prototype version of Jim's Soundscape 10 speakers with my audio system in my listening room for a limited time.

Quote

To give you an idea of the components in my system and what is driving the Soundscape 10 speakers, here is an itemized list:
Sony SCD-1 VSE Level 7 mod
Sonic Frontiers SFL-2 upgraded to SE+
Spectron Monoblocks
Prototype Salk Soundscape 10 speakers
All Synergistic Research power products (including Powercell 10SE)
All Synergistic Tesla Interconnects and Speaker cables

Room treatment installed

Spectron Monoblocks! Wow, you will have enough power to make them sit up and talk! My SoundScapes sound fantastic when even driven by my cheap digital amp! You also have a tube preamp! It sounds like a match from mount Olympus. The SoundScapes must sound incredible!

Please post comments and all the people who take Tracy on his very generous offer please post comments too!

Wow! Just Wow!

Bob

vintagebob · « **Reply #3 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 05:37 pm »

I'm in!

K Shep · « **Reply #4 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 05:49 pm »

I'm in too.

Sonny · « **Reply #5 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 06:04 pm »

I want to be in....when are is this scheduled?
Thanks
Tuan

johsti · « **Reply #6 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 06:13 pm »

Not sure when this will take place, but I'd love to hear that setup. PM sent.

chlorofille · « **Reply #7 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 06:21 pm »

Wish I wasn't 13,777 KM's away from SF bay area !
Would love to hear that too...

targa02 · « **Reply #8 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 06:29 pm »

I would love join in! PM sent

ttsakai · « **Reply #9 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 08:22 pm »

Hey Guys,

Thanks to everyone who has expressed interest in hearing the Soundscapes. I will not be scheduling any large get togethers but rather more intimate group listening sessions because I feel this is more productive and rewarding for the participants. I realize larger group settings are advantageous for the sharing of information and building camaraderie but my primary objective is to ensure that people have a quality opportunity to listen to Jim's speakers in a more optimal scenario.

I will be responding to each of your PMs to arrange smaller listening sessions.

Regards,
Tracy

fsimms · « **Reply #10 on:** 24 Sep 2010, 12:59 pm »

Quote

I have to say that they definitely surpass my current HT-3 speakers in every way. The soundstage is much larger. There is less of an edge on the higher frequencies which results in a more natural sound and the bass is much more compliant and "room friendly" in comparison to the rear port setup of the HT-3s. I would also say that the music sounds much more effortless and the transparency seems to be there in spades.

Excellent description! Thanks!

Bob

writeface · « **Reply #11 on:** 26 Sep 2010, 04:45 am »

Thanks to Tracy I got a chance to spend some time with SS10. It was great seeing Bob again, meeting Dean, Herbie for the first time. Two and half hours of non-stop music ranging from Orchestral, Jazz (love that L.A. Four's Going Home and Gene Ammons's gentle Jug), a bit of pop, vocal...

Tracy's idea of small group worked out very well as we had less voice chatter to distract us, and we could zone into the music. Including Tracy, there were about 6 of us being graced by the presence of beautiful, elegant SS10. I heard from Tracy that the ones we listened to are the personal pair of Mr.Salk. It was a pleasure, Mr.Salk. Thank you!

Toward the end of the listening session we made Tracy do A-B with his HT-3, as if making him walk to his wonderful SCD-1 every so often with our CD choices weren't enough:) He is a determined man, patiently spinning our disks every time in the spinner to clean it up, load it on the player, wait for the slow player to pick up the track, fixing the volume to our desired level and walking back to his den (since we have taken up all the space in the main listening area).. while we sit in the sweet spot enjoying the resonance of the played track yet wanting more:)

The speakers disappeared, music dominated the well treated room, huge, huge sound stage, even played at very loud volume we could detect no distortion/noise. Bass was ample, oh boy, more than ample, full-bodied.

I preferred SS10 for non-vocal Jazz and orchestral pieces. I have HT-3s at home and I love the transparency, clarity of the female vocals on HT-3. I found SS10 to be a bit veiled in that aspect.
We played Holly Cole on both SS-10 and HT-3 side by side and could detect the difference in vocal clarity. Additionally we also played L.A Four's Going Home tracks on both SS10 and HT-3. It sounded equally great on both of them.

I went to Tracy's place a bit reluctantly as I was worried that I might start disliking my HT-3 after I return home [and all that it entails --dealing(pleading) with the wife to allow me to change the speakers, the interminable wait for them to appear, not to mention the dent it will make in my wafer-thin pocketbook]

Make no mistake, SS10 are fantastic speakers, but my HT-3s are going nowhere:)

vintagebob · « **Reply #12 on:** 26 Sep 2010, 05:48 am »

Wow! Thanks Tracy.

Soundstage - amazing
Imaging - amazing
Clarity - amazing
Air - in droves
Bass - almost too much (Tracy will have to put things back on the shelf and straighten all of the pictures after each session)
Integrated top to bottom - yes

I'll agree with writeface somewhat on the vocals but I'll bet that some of that could be room related (although Tracy's room is well treated). Some of the instrumental stuff was fantastic. When Tracy put in Martin Taylor's "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" I had to ask him to stop. I could hear my wallet opening!

I started out the session sitting in a boomy bass modal spot that turned me off to the speakers at first, especially after SMV "Lil' Victa" I latter moved around the room and found the bass response to be much better. I also noticed that I enjoyed the sound more and more as time went by, I guess from adapting to the presentation of the music.

I could see getting these speakers in your own space and then playing with the setup. They may need to be placed differently than the rear ported HT-3 or HT2-TL. Then, you may need to spend some time living with them to get use to the presentation. Lot's of potential for bliss!

Lucky for me that Tracy turned off that Martin Taylor song just in time...I think.

Tracy's room and setup were fantastic. It was extremely kind of him to host us today. Thanks!

Also, many thanks to Jim for allowing us another chance to hear these speakers.

fsimms · « **Reply #13 on:** 26 Sep 2010, 11:38 am »

Quote

Soundstage - amazing
Imaging - amazing
Clarity - amazing
Air - in droves
Bass - almost too much (Tracy will have to put things back on the shelf and straighten all of the pictures after each session)
Integrated top to bottom - yes

Amazing!

I know what you mean. They are so good in these areas that it is difficult to put into words.

Bob

PS which holly cole song or disk showed that problem?

fsimms · « **Reply #14 on:** 26 Sep 2010, 02:10 pm »

Quote

I preferred SS10 for non-vocal Jazz and orchestral pieces. I have HT-3s at home and I love the transparency, clarity of the female vocals on HT-3. I found SS10 to be a bit veiled in that aspect.

I haven’t noticed that problem with the SS10’s. One problem that I did notice was on the song “Keith Don’t Go” by Nils Lofgren. When Nils sings in high notes, after minute 5, he sounds a little like Alvin the chipmunk on my Stax electrostatic headphones. With the midrange back off of the SS10’s that impression is more pronounced. Putting the back on the SS10’s Keith doesn’t sound like Alvin. That is, it sounds better than my Stax electrostatics. I don't think that I have this ambiance thing down pat.

Did you listen to the songs with both the back on and back off?

Bob

DMurphy · « **Reply #15 on:** 26 Sep 2010, 02:40 pm »

You beat me to it, Bob. The reason we didn't go with a strictly front-firing or strictly bi-pole design is that there isn't one single approach that works equally well with all program material in all rooms. In most cases, the added depth and air provided by the rear wave information in the SS10 will make for a more enjoyable and realistic listening experience. But on simpler program material with a highlighted instrument or voice and little intended ambience, you can lose some presence and clarity. That's just an inevitable trade-off, and that's why Jim provided a cover for the rear, and also easy access to the chamber to add some poly fill. Jim's personal pair hase an empty chamber with treated walls. I believe that if you added some fill and closed the rear opening, the SS10 would sound very similar to the HT3, except for the greater bass extension and slightly more relaxed high frequencies from the RAAL. The Accuton mid is certainly at least equal to the W18 in clarity, and offers better dispersion on the top.

Woolz · « **Reply #16 on:** 26 Sep 2010, 03:06 pm »

I would agree with Dennis and Bob. Having owned the HT-2 and now the Archos the difference perceived could easily be the open back mid-range. The sealed midrange is more immediate sounding than the open back, but I would not say clearer. I would also not characterize the open back as sounding "veiled". The sound is more spacious and less "in your face". There are times when I miss the more immediate sound but not overall.

jsalk · « **Reply #17 on:** 26 Sep 2010, 03:28 pm »

Just a note for clarity...

The "back" Bob and Dennis are referring to is a SOLID rear grill that turns the mirange section into a psuedo-sealed midrange (much like the HT3's). I don't think I shipped a solid grill with the SoundScapes I sent to SF. So I suggested to Tracey in an email today that he see if he could close off the rear of the midrange section and see how that works in his room. Hopefully he can experiment with that as well as the level of acoustic stuffing in the midrange section.

One of the things we designed into this speaker is adjustability of the amount of rear wave induced ambiance. By varying the amount of stuffing, users could adjust the rear wave level to fine-tune to their room. And by using the solid grill, they could completely eliminate the rear wave.

When Bob visited my home, he spend a good deal of time listening to various musical selections with and without the solid back. Some music benefited greatly from the added ambiance provided by enahanced rear wave output, while other musical selections with vocals and single instruments benefited greatly with the solid back in place.

I'm sure Bob has had an opportunity to experiment with this in his room and can probably provide additional feedback.

- Jim

fsimms · « **Reply #18 on:** 26 Sep 2010, 05:03 pm »

Since you don’t have the backs, I would suggest a two part solution. First put stuffing in the chamber to optimize the amount of ambiance for your room. Speaker poly fill is probably what would be recommended. I don’t have any poly fill so I used socks and then changed to small kitchen hand towels. You can optimize the amount for your room. If you had to err then I would suggesting putting too much stuffing as to putting too little stuffing since you don't have a real back.

Second, a good approximation of the back is a couch cushion. The ones that I have can sit on the speaker and come flush with the back of the midrange tunnel. That way you can just put on the cushion and take it off as you please to regulate the ambiance.

As funky as this is, it seems to work just as well as the back.

Bob

yamashirod · « **Reply #19 on:** 27 Sep 2010, 06:26 pm »

I was fortunate to visit Tracy on Saturday and it was a pleasure to meet Bob, Goku, Herbie and his wife. It was kind of Tracy to invite us to his home and listen to these gorgeous speakers in an equally gorgeous room.

We listened to various types of music for a couple of hours through the SoundScapes and they sounded mnagnificent. Once we got over the intial shock and awe, jaw dropping reaction we just listened and tried to be more critical at the end of the session. All of the superlatives people have stated are true, the speakers are incredible. Huge soundstage, 3D like imaging, very deep and authoritative bass and very precise.

Initially the highs sounded subdued and the midrange seemed somewhat muted. It could be that my ears are not accustomed to hearing this kind of clarity. As others have stated, the highs didn't have the "sizzle" due to the RAAL. I will say though that the entire sound presentation out of the SoundScapes is so smooth and effortless; with certain pieces I can feel the emotion in the music. Incredible!

At the end Tracy was kind and ambitious enough to allow us to compare the SoundScapes to his HT-3s. You don't hear too much these days about the HT-3s which are amazing speakers too. There is no contest in the bass reach and there were subtle differences in the mids and highs. I would take either one in a heartbeat if I could afford these. I have SongTowers and I'm still very happy with them; shows you where I'm at.

Thanks again to Tracy for putting up with us and to Mr. Salk for allowing us to hear these incredible speakers in San Jose.

Dean