[owlsalum1]

Hi Bigload,
I'm new to the forum and new to the Salk family. I just took delivery of a pair of SS M7s from Jim and I'm exclusively a 2-channel music listener. Perhaps my experience will help. My M7s are rear ported and I'm set up in the living room of a fairly large 1 bedroom apartment. I have the M7s placed roughly 2 feet from the wall. Don't forget how important placement is for bass reinforcement, especially in a corner!

To my ears the 42 Hz -3db specification cited by Jim for the M7s is probably pretty accurate. Also a tightly damped 42 Hz, again subjective. Personally, I wouldn't consider my M7s without subwoofer reinforcement and that's exactly what I do in my system. I supplement my M7s with a REL R205, very carefully integrated by trial-and-error to my taste. A bit of advice, if you choose a subwoofer for your M7s be picky about brand and model. The majority of subwoofers are designed for HT shock and awe use - which is perfectly valid - but I can assure you only a fraction are tonally correct for high end music reproduction. I'm partial to REL for that reason because of a lot of experience with subs for monitor reinforcement. As always, your mileage may vary.



I've attached a photo of my M7s installed in my system for grins. You can see the subwoofer in the right corner. This pair is finished in glorious African Bubinga personally selected in coordination with Jim right down to the vender and lot #. My poor photographic skills don't come close to doing justice. I can post better pics if members are interested in seeing how a current lot of Bubinga from Salk turns out.

Cheers!

[Bigload]

Owlsalum1-

Thanks very much for the advise on the sub and the great pic.  Those look marvelous and I am sure sound wonderful as well.  I will put some thought into the sub.  My initial thought would be get the monitors and give them a spin.  Then, more than likely, have Jim build a Rythmik for me.  But.... maybe I will order now so we can match veneer.  Thanks again.

[a63vette]

Gorgeous!

[ricardojoa]

Hi Bigload,
I'm new to the forum and new to the Salk family. I just took delivery of a pair of SS M7s from Jim and I'm exclusively a 2-channel music listener. Perhaps my experience will help. My M7s are rear ported and I'm set up in the living room of a fairly large 1 bedroom apartment. I have the M7s placed roughly 2 feet from the wall. Don't forget how important placement is for bass reinforcement, especially in a corner!

To my ears the 42 Hz -3db specification cited by Jim for the M7s is probably pretty accurate. Also a tightly damped 42 Hz, again subjective. Personally, I wouldn't consider my M7s without subwoofer reinforcement and that's exactly what I do in my system. I supplement my M7s with a REL R205, very carefully integrated by trial-and-error to my taste. A bit of advice, if you choose a subwoofer for your M7s be picky about brand and model. The majority of subwoofers are designed for HT shock and awe use - which is perfectly valid - but I can assure you only a fraction are tonally correct for high end music reproduction. I'm partial to REL for that reason because of a lot of experience with subs for monitor reinforcement. As always, your mileage may vary.



I've attached a photo of my M7s installed in my system for grins. You can see the subwoofer in the right corner. This pair is finished in glorious African Bubinga personally selected in coordination with Jim right down to the vender and lot #. My poor photographic skills don't come close to doing justice. I can post better pics if members are interested in seeing how a current lot of Bubinga from Salk turns out.

Cheers!

Hi,
looks like you got a mckitosh stuff there. Is it a preamp or an integrated amp?
Im looking for mckintsh tube pre and i was curious how is your set up.
Thanks

[owlsalum1]

-ricardojoa

First, thanks to all for the compliments and interest.

The McIntosh unit you see in my rack is in fact a MR-85 tuner. I live in Chicago where we're lucky enough to have one of the finest 24/7 classical music stations in the country: WFMT. On a good day (typically weekends when RF traffic is minimal), analog broadcast with my MR-85 approaches reference quality. That's how serious this audiophile is about broadcast FM.

A summary of my system for comparison to the mix of components you may be thinking about:

Analog:
Avid Diva SP II turntable
SME 309 tonearm
Clearaudio Maestro cartidge
McIntosh MR-85 tuner

Digital:
PS Audio PWD DAC fed by NAS storage, nearly all 96/24 or better high-resolution source files (FLAC only)

Electronics:
Aesthetix Calypso line stage
Krell S-275 power amplifier
Liberty Audio B2B-1 phono stage

Misc.:
Furman SPR-20i AC regeneration (the only 'power conditioning' I accept as beneficial for a high-end music only system)
SolidSteel racks
Sound Anchors stands for the M7s
REL-R205 subwoofer for bass reinforcement of the M7s
All audioquest interconnects (DBS) and speaker cables, I run my system mostly balanced
Audience powerChords

Jim has always said his SS series does justice to the best front end gear and electronics. Believe it!

For those thinking about veneer choices, I've attached another closeup showing what Jim was able to do with the Bubinga lot he and I chose for the project. Again forgive the horrible flash glare, but I'm pretty sure you get the idea - how eye-popping this recent Bubinga finish turned out.

[ricardojoa]

-ricardojoa

First, thanks to all for the compliments and interest.

The McIntosh unit you see in my rack is in fact a MR-85 tuner. I live in Chicago where we're lucky enough to have one of the finest 24/7 classical music stations in the country: WFMT. On a good day (typically weekends when RF traffic is minimal), analog broadcast with my MR-85 approaches reference quality. That's how serious this audiophile is about broadcast FM.

A summary of my system for comparison to the mix of components you may be thinking about:

Analog:
Avid Diva SP II turntable
SME 309 tonearm
Clearaudio Maestro cartidge
McIntosh MR-85 tuner

Digital:
PS Audio PWD DAC fed by NAS storage, nearly all 96/24 or better high-resolution source files (FLAC only)

Electronics:
Aesthetix Calypso line stage
Krell S-275 power amplifier
Liberty Audio B2B-1 phono stage

Misc.:
Furman SPR-20i AC regeneration (the only 'power conditioning' I accept as beneficial for a high-end music only system)
SolidSteel racks
Sound Anchors stands for the M7s
REL-R205 subwoofer for bass reinforcement of the M7s
All audioquest interconnects (DBS) and speaker cables, I run my system mostly balanced
Audience powerChords

Jim has always said his SS series does justice to the best front end gear and electronics. Believe it!

For those thinking about veneer choices, I've attached another closeup showing what Jim was able to do with the Bubinga lot he and I chose for the project. Again forgive the horrible flash glare, but I'm pretty sure you get the idea - how eye-popping this recent Bubinga finish turned out.

Wow, thanks for sharing.

[Nuance]

^ Agreed.  That is one sexy veneer!

[Kinger]

Beautiful looking speakers and listening space.

[Frans]

Owlsalum, what stands are you using? I've had a devil of a time finding the right 18" stands for my M7s.

[Lightning03]

The stands appear to be Sound Anchors.

[Frans]

The stands appear to be Sound Anchors.

Thanks, I just noticed that in the description. Going to check those out.

[bummrush]

Nice. Can I ask how much for the S. A. stands?

[owlsalum1]

Hi Guys,

To answer your questions about my stands, I do indeed have my M7s on a pair of Sound Anchors.

I'm also the owner of a pair of Harbeth Compact 7s (ES3 version, which I also love a lot and intend to keep). Those stands in the pic are S.A.s 3-poster for the Harbeth C7, my pair the 19" stands. Because I'm partial to Sound Anchors, I originally thought about having a custom pair made just for my M7s, but then considered trying my existing C7 stands. Why not? If they did the job for my M7s I could switch at will between my M7s and C7s with the same stands.

They turn out to be terrific. You'll notice the stands are wider than the M7s (the C7s have a wider width dimension). That's a blessing in disguise. I'm experimenting with toe-in (and I'm finding the balance I prefer from the M7s to be toe-in sensitive). The wider footprint of the C7 stands has meant I can change toe-in of the M7s by just rotating them on the stand while still maintaining full contact. In my opinion that really matters with the M7s, which are both heavy and have a relatively high center of gravity. Rock solid support is crucial. The 19" C7 stands (together with the spikes) put the center of the RAALs at about 42". When seated that puts my hear height at just below the RAAL, and I'm also finding I prefer that for best balance to my taste. Listening to the M7s with ear height right at the tweeter center is a bit too insistent for me. But the C7 stands are also available in 17" if you'd prefer a 2" lower tweeter height. Your choice for the best balance in your environment.

But this is the real clincher: the C7 stands are a Sound Anchors stock item. You don't have to custom order and you don't have lead time for delivery. Check Acoustic Sounds for stock status and pricing. I purchased my pair from Acoustic Sounds. Harbeth sells so well AS nearly always has the C7 stands on the self for delivery.

How cool being able to share experience in building our own systems for the benefit of others!
 

[Frans]

Thanks, I'll look into those sound anchors, as I am not happy with my current solution. The toe-in issue is a great observation!

[bummrush]

Thanks I will look at website.

[Big Red Machine]

SA make some really nice stands.

How do you like the PWD?  Do you wish it could play back DSD files?

[mr_bill]

Owl, how do you like the new salk m7 speakers versus your Harbeth seven ES threes?

[owlsalum1]

Hi Big Red!

Initially my PWD was something of a pain. Numerous irritating firmware glitches and the early version of the eLyric upnp controller was a disaster. Paul and friends at PSA have since ironed out those bugs. Today I'm happy as a clam running my PWD with my iPad. Sonically, the PWD is everything PSA is most known for, absolutely killer bass and a slightly warm midrange I crave. And it's at its best when run balanced. Would I recommend it (now the Mk II)? Without hesitation. If you've got the scratch, the PWD is worth every penny sonically and beautifully built to last.

Re DSD: nope. I hear no sonic advantage to DSD compared to well implemented high-rate deep word depth PCM. In any case, I argue DSD is going the way of the dinosaur, only dying more slowly than dead-as-a-doornail DVD-A. I made the conscious decision when I pulled the trigger on the PWD to ditch DSD permanently. With a rapidly growing catalog of really fine 96/24 and 192/24 PCM downloads now available, I don't miss DSD one bit.

[owlsalum1]

-mr_bill

The Harbeths are more forgiving than the SS M7s. Subjectively richer in the lower midrange and upper to mid-bass. That's characteristic in my experience of all the British BBC LS3/5 specification inspired constrained thin-wall designs (a deliberate design decision by Harbeths Alan Shaw, also Spendor, Rogers, etc.). The M7s are ruthlessly unforgiving of flaws in upstream HW and source material. Extended high frequency response and a subjectively leaner balance throughout the midrange and down to bass cutoff.

The Harbeths really shine with human voice and certain other types of material such as small jazz ensemble music. The BBC monitor specification was, after all, intended to produce a better design for broadcast monitoring use. The M7s really roll with demanding wideband material where the RAALs kick-in. That's the only knock of any consequence I have against the Harbeths - an overly polite high end - but that glorious midrange compensates.

I love both for different reasons. Suppose I'm lucky in that I have another set of electronics, so I can mix-and-match my C7s and my M7s. I can tell you the same mix of upstream gear doesn't work for both. Haven't decided yet, but considering rotating my Krell for pure Class-A amplification (which I have) to run my M7s. A bit of Class-A sweetness (which I hear every time in Class-A amplification) might make already really fine into extraordinary.

Ciao!

[ricardojoa]

-mr_bill

The Harbeths are more forgiving than the SS M7s. Subjectively richer in the lower midrange and upper to mid-bass. That's characteristic in my experience of all the British BBC LS3/5 specification inspired constrained thin-wall designs (a deliberate design decision by Harbeths Alan Shaw, also Spendor, Rogers, etc.). The M7s are ruthlessly unforgiving of flaws in upstream HW and source material. Extended high frequency response and a subjectively leaner balance throughout the midrange and down to bass cutoff.

The Harbeths really shine with human voice and certain other types of material such as small jazz ensemble music. The BBC monitor specification was, after all, intended to produce a better design for broadcast monitoring use. The M7s really roll with demanding wideband material where the RAALs kick-in. That's the only knock of any consequence I have against the Harbeths - an overly polite high end - but that glorious midrange compensates.

I love both for different reasons. Suppose I'm lucky in that I have another set of electronics, so I can mix-and-match my C7s and my M7s. I can tell you the same mix of upstream gear doesn't work for both. Haven't decided yet, but considering rotating my Krell for pure Class-A amplification (which I have) to run my M7s. A bit of Class-A sweetness (which I hear every time in Class-A amplification) might make already really fine into extraordinary.

Ciao!

It sounds like to me that the harbeth are a warmer speaker based on your discriptions.
Salk has always been a type of speaker thats is very clean and transparent.
I think these type of speaker might pair well with tube gear to give them a slight warness.