AudioCircle
Industry Circles => Salk Signature Sound => Topic started by: jsalk on 14 Feb 2019, 05:54 pm
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We just completed the first pair of SS 9.5's and are doing extensive listening tests before signing off on the design.
No details yet, but here are some pictures...
(http://salksound.com/gallery/SS 9.5/SS-95-fireburst.jpg)
Here is a shot with the grill on one speaker...
(http://salksound.com/gallery/SS 9.5/SS-95-fireburst-grill.jpg)
A close-up of the front...
(http://salksound.com/gallery/SS 9.5/SS-95-fireburst-cu-front.jpg)
A close-up of the side...
(http://salksound.com/gallery/SS 9.5/SS-95-fireburst-cu.jpg)
More details to come in about a week or so. Stay tuned...
- Jim
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Hot.
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^^Smokin' Hot!
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Wow, just wow.
:duh:
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Wooowwwwaaaaa!!!
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Awesome! :thumb:
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Gorgeous veneering...
Best,
Anand.
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Jim,
How long before you tell us what you think of the new design?
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Hope they sound as good as they look.
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I think mine is 2nd in line to get built! So excited now that I see the finished product!
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Wow cool
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Holy crap! No ... really ... holy crap! :inlove: :dance:
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Wow! Love the chamfers! I can't wait to get my set! :) :) :)
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Stunning cabinet design. The grill compliments the shape of the speaker extremely well. I can't wait to listen to them. Awesome craftsmanship.
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The finish is stunning. I hope the testing is successful and you're able to bring them to market. Are you able to offer the chamferred cabinet with other models? When doing the chamfers, do they require the burst finish for the seams? They kind of remind me of Avalon Acoustic speakers, which I liked the look of.
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The finish is stunning. I hope the testing is successful and you're able to bring them to market. Are you able to offer the chamferred cabinet with other models? When doing the chamfers, do they require the burst finish for the seams? They kind of remind me of Avalon Acoustic speakers, which I liked the look of.
We have done chamfered cabinets in the past upon request. But they require a lot of labor in a one-off situation. They require quite a few templates to be developed in addition to the cabinets themselves. So the cost is generally prohibitive. But we can certainly do them.
As for the chamfered edges, they can be veneered. We are building another set of these cabinets for a customer who did not want burst edges. His chamfers are veneered. It adds a bit of labor and time, but is not a problem. The standard build will be with burst edges, but the up-charge for veneered chamfers should not be all that much.
As for the sound quality, thus far I keep hearing the word "stunning" from those who have heard them. One of our severest critics said he thought that Dennis Murphy's crossover work on these is the best he has ever done. And that says a lot.
- Jim
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What kind of price point are you trying to stay in with this model?
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Anyone else see the upside down owl on the side?
Or, if you look closely, the owl morphs into a Gremlin.
Yes I'm sober, in case that prompts questions as to my state of mind.
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Yowza. Jim and Dennis strike again. :beer:
These look awesome, Jim. And if Dennis blessed them, well, nothing more to say.
I'm going to try to get on board with these.
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What kind of price point are you trying to stay in with this model?
They will be under $10,000, but how much I can't yet say.
- Jim
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These are Gorgeous!
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Jim,
Gorgeous work by you and your team, you really hit this out of the park, but you typically do that.
Does the 9.5 imply the size of the woofer?
Can you reveal how low in the bass region these go?
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Jim,
Gorgeous work by you and your team, you really hit this out of the park, but you typically do that.
Does the 9.5 imply the size of the woofer?
Can you reveal how low in the bass region these go?
Yes, 9.5 is the woofer size. These are tuned to an F3 of 25Hz.
- Jim
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Stunning addition to the speaker-world, Jim. Very fine.
Any chance you can post a pic or two of the backsides? I'm just that way.. :green:
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I just have to add the same ting - holy crap! :o When you can, Jim, please tell us about the driver complement and such.
And, will these be at Axpona? :popcorn:
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The tweeter and mid-range look as if they come from the Song3 BeAT: Beryllium dome tweeter and Audio Technology midrange.
Pretty sure that's the Satori 9.5" woofer from the Song Encore, + something on the side.
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The tweeter and mid-range look as if they come from the Song3 BeAT
Beryllium dome tweeter
Audio Technology midrange
Pretty sure that's the Satori 9.5" woofer, + something on the side.
This is what Jim said about the design in another thread:
We took the best of the Song3 BeAT's, Song3 Encore's and the SS8's and combined them into this new design. It will feature the BE tweeter and AT mid from the Song3 Beat's, the 9.5" Satori woofer from the Song3 Encores, dual side-firing passives and an open backed midrange from the SS8's. And we took a slightly different approach to the basic cabinet design.
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I was just strolling by :dance: and stumbled on this new design. :thumb:
Absolutely love the progressive chamfer on those cabinets!
They look incredible! Would love to hear them as well.
Amazing work Jim, you and your guys have created a [very pretty] monster.
...f3 of 25hz!!! My kind of Monster! :bounce:
Cheers
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I was just strolling by :dance: and stumbled on this new design. :thumb:
Absolutely love the progressive chamfer on those cabinets!
They look incredible! Would love to hear them as well.
Amazing work Jim, you and your guys have created a [very pretty] monster.
...f3 of 25hz!!! My kind of Monster! :bounce:
Cheers
Yes, we have been listening now for about two weeks and they've performed extremely well. This may likely be the best pair of speakers we have ever produced.
- Jim
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Yes, we have been listening now for about two weeks and they've performed extremely well. This may likely be the best pair of speakers we have ever produced.
- Jim
That's great, but I just got my Song3's less than a year ago! Good thing I agreed to let me wife buy new area rugs she wanted because.... Honestly, these may be too big for my room. Do you think a version with the 7.5" driver is doable and worth it? OR would it not be enough of a gain over the Song3 Beats?
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We have done chamfered cabinets in the past upon request. But they require a lot of labor in a one-off situation. They require quite a few templates to be developed in addition to the cabinets themselves. So the cost is generally prohibitive. But we can certainly do them.
As for the chamfered edges, they can be veneered. We are building another set of these cabinets for a customer who did not want burst edges. His chamfers are veneered. It adds a bit of labor and time, but is not a problem. The standard build will be with burst edges, but the up-charge for veneered chamfers should not be all that much.
As for the sound quality, thus far I keep hearing the word "stunning" from those who have heard them. One of our severest critics said he thought that Dennis Murphy's crossover work on these is the best he has ever done. And that says a lot.
- Jim
Jim,
Hard to believe you have any critics, let alone "severe critics."
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That's great, but I just got my Song3's less than a year ago! Good thing I agreed to let me wife buy new area rugs she wanted because.... Honestly, these may be too big for my room. Do you think a version with the 7.5" driver is doable and worth it? OR would it not be enough of a gain over the Song3 Beats?
They, of course, would play down to 25Hz vs. 33Hz. But the BeAT's would sound pretty much the same down to 33Hz. The only other difference would be the open backed midrange which would produce a larger sound stage. If I had the BeAT's (which I'm in the process of building for myself), I'd be perfectly happy.
- Jim
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Jim,
Hard to believe you have any critics, let alone "severe critics."
Well, I do have a very opinionated associate. He is extremely critical. So every speaker we put our name on has to be approved by him as well. This is very valuable as we want those whose opinions we trust to speak their minds. In that regard, we have no use for "yes" men or women.
Once in a while we will have a speaker with a new finish I think is fantastic. He'll "hate" it. Of course, there is no accounting for taste and I'm usually right about finishes.
- Jim
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They, of course, would play down to 25Hz vs. 33Hz. But the BeAT's would sound pretty much the same down to 33Hz. The only other difference would be the open backed midrange which would produce a larger sound stage. If I had the BeAT's (which I'm in the process of building for myself), I'd be perfectly happy.
- Jim
Jim,
Will you be running a sub(s) with your BeAT's?
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My mind sees a lot of different things in the wood grain. Predator looking thing from Aliens top side. A few other things on the side as well. I also see a spider or web on the front. It's like beautiful abstract art.
I wish I had a chance at owning a pair. ( but then again I'd need components and an amp to power them properly.) I feel like my current HT2 TL's could use a better receiver than what I have. This older Integra DTR-8.4 sounds good with the AVA amp. I just feel like my speakers deserve better. :)
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Yes, we have been listening now for about two weeks and they've performed extremely well. This may likely be the best pair of speakers we have ever produced.
- Jim
Can you elaborate? Specifically, in what ways do you feel it is superior to the SS8 (since you named is SS 9.5 it would be logically compared to SS8)?
Does the Satori produce a faster bass decay than what is in the SS8? Can the AT midrange produce a more detail or more holographic soundstage than the Accuton? I would assume the tweeters produce nearly indistinguishable highs. Is that correct?
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Jim, I was wondering on any thought of a RAAL instead of the BE tweeter , any benefits or not I've always liked the speed, precision, and incisiveness of a RAAL.
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Doesn't the SS8 have a RAAL tweeter?
Jim, I was wondering on any thought of a RAAL instead of the BE tweeter , any benefits or not I've always liked the speed, precision, and incisiveness of a RAAL.
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Doesn't the SS8 have a RAAL tweeter?
The SS8 according to teh site, can be ordered with a RAAL or BE
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Jim, I was wondering on any thought of a RAAL instead of the BE tweeter , any benefits or not I've always liked the speed, precision, and incisiveness of a RAAL.
If you love the RAAL, you'll love the Be tweeter. Hard to tell them apart in listening tests. The Be tweeter was the best we have ever measured.
- Jim
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I spotted an alien on the side. Does that count?:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:
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These are probably the coolest looking Salk speakers I’ve seen and it’s always been hard to pick a favorite. Love the chamfered edges.
Jim, are you guys going to be showing these at Axpona this year? Or maybe another show?
Looking at the side view reminds me of some Aztec art.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=191032)
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These are probably the coolest looking Salk speakers I’ve seen and it’s always been hard to pick a favorite. Love the chamfered edges.
Jim, are you guys going to be showing these at Axpona this year? Or maybe another show?
Yes, these will be shown at AXPONA with McGary Audio's new tube amp. Should be a great combination.
- Jim
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Jim, we are eagerly awaiting pics of the soon-to-be-announced SS9.5C Be center channel--Satori Be tweeter, Audio Tech mid, flanked by Satori 9.5 woofers and 12'' passive radiators. A center with heft, style, and attitude to spare. :icon_twisted: :icon_twisted: :icon_twisted:
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Jim,
I see that they are priced at $0 per pair on your website. I’ll take a pair! You have my address. :lol:
-Ron
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Jim, we are eagerly awaiting pics of the soon-to-be-announced SS9.5C Be center channel--Satori Be tweeter, Audio Tech mid, flanked by Satori 9.5 woofers and 12'' passive radiators. A center with heft, style, and attitude to spare. :icon_twisted: :icon_twisted: :icon_twisted:
You would end up with a center channel that was a large as one of those tiny houses.
- Jim
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Jim,
I see that they are priced at $0 per pair on your website. I’ll take a pair! You have my address. :lol:
-Ron
Boy, you are fast! I was working on that page just today and haven't set the price or placed it on the product menu yet. The way I built the web pages, they default to $0 if there is no price set.
- Jim
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''You would end up with a center channel that was a large as one of those tiny houses.
- Jim''
Perhaps, yet Legacy Audio's Marquis center has dual 12'' woofers, 4'' ribbon tweeter, and 8'' midwoofer, coming in at 14''x38''x13'' (HxWxD) and 85 lbs., though it lacks the passive radiators. ''One man's castle is another man's shack,'' as someone somewhere may have said sometime or other. :wink:
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I visited Jim’s shop yesterday and listened to the SS 9.5's and was mightly impressed. I own a pair of SS 12’s and have always felt they would be the last speaker I would ever own. As I listened to the 9.5’s my “last speaker” declaration started coming under fire.
I was immediately struck by the sense of being immersed into the music unlike I have ever experienced. The speakers had a surround like soundstaging quality to them, with pinpoint imaging. The height and width of the soundstage was larger than that of the SS 12’s. There was also a feeling of warmth to the bass and mid range without loss of definition.
Jim and I talked for a while and I asked him about the SS 9.5 and why I thought they sounded better than my SS 12’s. He told me the 9.5's were more musical than the SS12's. I asked him what he meant by that. Jim said he wanted to design a speaker that produced the soul of music, essentially providing a you are there experience.
Jim also disclosed that ever since he built the first pair of Salk Speakers that his overarching goal was to design speakers that produced the minutest of musical detail. He went on to say that a couple of critics told him that his speakers sounded clinical and didn't reveal the soul of music.
He designed the SS 9.5's and the Song 3 series to incorporate the best of both worlds, musicality and detail. I would encourage anyone intending to purchase speakers to give Jim a call or give them a listen to at the AXPONA Show, April 12- 14TH.
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Musicality is a tricky thing to define. It may be something that is recognized by ear. I’ve had my Song 3 speakers for a while now and I think “musical” does define them. As far as I am concerned they are superb. And for the money they might be untouchable. My younger son used to compete when he studied guitar. Whether he won or not the judges said he played the music, not just the notes. Of course I liked that. I like my speakers too. There is every reason to believe that the 9.5 set will play music magnificently.
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Jim
Is it possible to order the song3 BeATs with an open mid range just like these SS9.5s?
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Jim
Is it possible to order the song3 BeATs with an open mid range just like these SS9.5s?
It would be possible although there would be upgrade charges involved.
- Jim
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Anyone else find themselves coming back just to look at the pictures from time to time of these?
Jim, thoughts on a center (that isn't as big as a small house?)
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Anyone else find themselves coming back just to look at the pictures from time to time of these?
All the time. Finish work on Jim's speakers (let alone the sound) is impeccable.
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Anyone else find themselves coming back just to look at the pictures from time to time of these?
Jim, thoughts on a center (that isn't as big as a small house?)
We have had a few requests for a center channel using the BE tweeter, the AT mid and a pair of woofers. This would be a rather large center channel like the SS 7C center. As for a smaller center, right now I would use the Supercharged SongCenter or the Veracity HT2C center channel. We'll have to see if a smaller 2-way center channel using the BE tweeter and a pair of Satori 6" woofers might be worth the effort. In the meantime, we are working on a monitor speaker using the BE tweeter and a single Satori 6" woofer. When we finish that up, it will tell us a lot about the feasibility of a smaller version of the center channel.
- Jim
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We have had a few requests for a center channel using the BE tweeter, the AT mid and a pair of woofers. This would be a rather large center channel like the SS 7C center. As for a smaller center, right now I would use the Supercharged SongCenter or the Veracity HT2C center channel. We'll have to see if a smaller 2-way center channel using the BE tweeter and a pair of Satori 6" woofers might be worth the effort. In the meantime, we are working on a monitor speaker using the BE tweeter and a single Satori 6" woofer. When we finish that up, it will tell us a lot about the feasibility of a smaller version of the center channel.
- Jim
Thanks Jim, that makes sense. So with something like the 5 inch satori's on each side?
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Thanks Jim, that makes sense. So with something like the 5 inch satori's on each side?
Probably the 6".
- Jim
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Any chance these will make it to AXPONA?
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Never mind. Just read they will be at AXPONA. Great!
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Wondering why the CC be so big closer to SS line. I was thinking it would be smaller than SS line.
Why cannot this CC be closer to song 3 CC with 5 inch woofers and Be AT combination?
Never designed a speaker, so please realize my arm chair speaker design "ideas" :lol:
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Wondering why the CC be so big closer to SS line. I was thinking it would be smaller than SS line.
Why cannot this CC be closer to song 3 CC with 5 inch woofers and Be AT combination?
Never designed a speaker, so please realize my arm chair speaker design "ideas" :lol:
It could certainly be done with 5" woofers. But at the price that would be involved, people would want it to be able to play as low as possible. Thus, 7" drivers make more sense philosophically. But 6" drivers may also be a possibility. We are testing those now so we'll see.
- Jim
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Sorry to pile on with the hypotheticals for speaker designs from another armchair QB, but would it be possible to do the BeAT's with the 9.5" woofer from the Encores? The smoothness of the BeAT's really appeals to me, but I find myself weighing that against the 25hz of the Encore's.
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Sorry to pile on with the hypotheticals for speaker designs from another armchair QB, but would it be possible to do the BeAT's with the 9.5" woofer from the Encores? The smoothness of the BeAT's really appeals to me, but I find myself weighing that against the 25hz of the Encore's.
That's pretty much what the SS 9.5 is, although the 9.5 has passive radiators and an open-backed midrange....
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Sorry to pile on with the hypotheticals for speaker designs from another armchair QB, but would it be possible to do the BeAT's with the 9.5" woofer from the Encores? The smoothness of the BeAT's really appeals to me, but I find myself weighing that against the 25hz of the Encore's.
These are tuned to 25 hz as well.
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Sorry to pile on with the hypotheticals for speaker designs from another armchair QB, but would it be possible to do the BeAT's with the 9.5" woofer from the Encores? The smoothness of the BeAT's really appeals to me, but I find myself weighing that against the 25hz of the Encore's.
As ddps stated above, that is pretty much what the SS9.5's are. While it would certainly be possible to do an Encore with the AT mid, we already have more models than I'd like and the addition of another one would just create confusion. So if we did this, it would probably be on a one-off basis and would not be something we would add to our product mix.
- Jim