You all have seen plenty of pictures of SongTowers, so I'm mostly trying to show what the Pelin Burl looks like.
Sorry for the almost 2 month delay, but sheez, whenever I had free time I would grab another cd. Besides, now my impressions aren't tainted by the enthusiasm of the new toy. I should also mention that I don't exactly have state of the art equipment driving them. A 5 year old JVC home theater receiver and Samsung blue ray player.
So Jim, Dennis and the SongTowers introduced to me to 1 new and 1 long forgotten type of music. First is well recorded music. My old speakers (almost 30 year old DCM Time Windows) would reveal really badly recorded music, but after that it was pretty much all the same. Now I don't agree with folks who say the not so well recorded music sounds awful on SongTowers. It still sounds better than it did on my old speakers; it's just really well recorded music sounds SO DAMN GOOD I don't want to bother listening to anything else. The second thing which I had long ago forgotten about is 2 channel stereo. (OK, I do cheat a little. 2.1 I also use a sub.) To make up for the less than stellar performance of the Time Windows I would always have the receiver set to "opera house" or "pavilion". I felt like having the music come through 5.1 made it a bigger and therefore a better sound. Not so with the SongTowers. They are so clear and room filling on their own that adding other speakers just muddles the sound. Also, the sub is not required. The SongTowers play amazingly deep for the size of the drivers. I just like to have a little extra low frequency. The point of all this is that now I'm thinking I may have to have my old Rotel class A amp repaired because 2.1 is the only way I listen to music now.
I know this is hardly original, but I have to say the main way I would describe the SongTower sound is accurate and clear. It's like you are enveloped in a room size high quality headphone. It's so easy to become lost in the music. “Crap that cd is over already.” “Oh double crap I just sat here and listened to 4 hours of music when I should be posting to AudioCircle.” The sound is so precise. I can hear the pick clicking on the guitar strings. I can hear the strings ring and then diminish. I can hear the drum sticks striking the cymbals, not just the sound of the cymbals. Although after the cymbals are struck, I can hear them splash and diminish. Oh and voices. I definitely now hear texture in voices I was never hearing before. It is so cool hearing your collection of well recorded cd's for the first time again. Someone else mentioned and the thought crossed my mind as well, "how can a speaker sound better than this?" And that's driving them with mediocre equipment. OK, I gush. So be it. I should also say that I purchased the SongCenter as well. I only use it for dvd's. I can say that with my old Energy center I had to boost the signal up to 7 on the receiver to really be able to hear the entire dialog, but not so with the SongCenter. Center channel signal is now back to no gain and the dialog is completely distinct.
I want to give a special thanks to Nuance (such an appropriate name in regard to these speakers) for turning me on to Salk and SongTowers. Also, for sending me an email explaining how to upload the pictures. Thanks again Brandon!
Happy Listening,
Pete
