Ok, I am happy to finally, as promised, be able to post this user review of my newly upgraded 2 channel system consisting of AVA FET Valve Hybrid preamp, 600r amp, DAC, and Salk Signature Sound HT3 speakers. I will start by explaining the process I went through to get to where I ended up now (a completely new system):
Old Original System Description:
Preamp: Anthem Statement D2v1 with ARC (active room control)
Amp: Anthem Statement P5 (325w/ch @ 8ohms)
Audio Source: Cary Audio CD 306 SACD player
Video Source: Arcam FMJ DV139 Universal Player
Power Conditioning: Balanced Power BP-1 ultra-power Isolator (7.5 amp, for source components)
Speakers: Salk Signature Sound HT2-TL based 5.1 system
Room: 15.5’ by 13.5’ by 9’ rectangular (no acoustic treatments)
Picture of old original system below:
New Upgraded System Description:
Preamp: AVA, FET Valve Hybrid
Amp: AVA, FET Valve Hybrid 600R
DAC: AVA, FET Valve DAC
Power Conditioning: Balanced Power BP-1 ultra-power Isolator (7.5 amp, for source components)
Speakers: 2 channel, Salk Signature Sound HT3’s
Room: Room: 15.5’ by 13.5’ by 9’ rectangular with full acoustic treatments (Qty 18: 2’ by 4’ panels, Qty 9: solid large triangular corner base traps)
Picture of new upgraded system below:
Why did I upgrade? I was seeking a higher level of sound and image quality. After having a full up 5.1 system with all of the digital complexities and nuisances for several years I felt that I would be more satisfied with a simpler “higher quality” 2 channel system. So, based on this desire and simplistic approach, I decided to go forward with a wholesale system upgrade. After much research and discussion (with fellow Salk and AVA owners and lengthy discussions with Jim and Frank) I placed my orders for the new system components. The hardest part of the process is waiting for delivery. From the time I made the decision to upgrade, formulating a plan for selling the old and buying the new, executing the plan, and finally receiving everything a total of 4 months had passed (that’s one third of a year). While I was waiting for speakers and components I took the opportunity to improve my media room by adding full complement of acoustic treatments. The acoustic treatment addition was a very worthwhile upgrade and I highly recommend doing this if you have not done this already.
AVA’s FET Valve Components:
I thought highly of my old system in terms of sound quality (all digital) and lived with it for over 6 years. The combination of the Anthem and Cary Audio stuff was very good; Lord knows that I paid dearly (too much) for the stuff. There is always the “unknown” associated with deciding to replace old stuff with new stuff. Reading about Frank’s new FET Valve Hybrid components on Audio Circle from users was compelling but without actually “hearing it” first makes the decision process very difficult without validating the improvement via directly comparing to what you already have. Because of the Audio Circle network and communication with current users (friends) of the new FET Valve Hybrid stuff I was able to gain enough confidence go forward blindly and went ahead and ordered up the new stuff.
This turned out to be the correct decision by a large margin. The extraction of all source information with the FET Valve Hybrid components is indescribable. High and low frequency details that were left behind and never recovered by the Cary Audio and Anthem products were immediately apparent and one of the biggest improvements I noticed. The Clarity of signal (the full signal), fluid – lifelike sound delivered instantly, without grain, harshness, or blur. Tonal quality of horns (clarinet, flutes, saxophones, trombones, etc…) and strings (violins, cellos, acoustic guitars, etc.…) are produced lifelike with not even a hint of imitation. Hard rock tracks are revealed in full clarity, with full accuracy, as you would expect to hear them in a recording studio. The endless power, endless volume, coming out from the 600R amp is impressive. The paltry .5 amp quick blow fuses that came with the amp lasted about an hour. I replaced them with 4 amp quick blow (for HT3’s). I am not sure what more can I say. Frank’s stuff performs precisely as he and other users have described and testified; and now I have independently validated this with my own direct experience. I love these components; they are by far the best sounding and performing components I have ever heard over my 30+ years of audiophile hobbying.
Salk Signature Sound HT3’s:
I really liked my HT2-TL’s, and was originally going to order a pair of the SS8’s as the upgrade but budget constraints redirect me to go forward with the HT3’s. Going with the HT3’s allowed me to add the full complement of acoustic treatments to my media room which I felt was a requirement for my system upgrade.
Picture of media room with acoustic treatments below:
The quest for the SS8’s will live on, and in couple of years, I will be ready for another upgrade. The HT3 speaker is a mature, highly formulated and honed, design. I knew that I could not go wrong with this choice. Again I had not actually listened to the HT3 speaker before I ordered it but my previous experience with the HT2-TL’s and Jim made it an easy decision. After a long and fretful wait (by far the hardest part of upgrading) Jim sent me pictures of the finished product with the highly figured claro walnut veneer. 6 days after I received the pictures the HT3’s arrived and now life is very good.
Picture of HT3 Claro Walnut below:
HT3 Assessment:
These are exceptional speakers built with extreme high quality. The HT3 physical size (dimensional aspect) combined with the high build quality create the feel and legitimacy of being a “Serious” and “Professional Grade” or "Recording Studio Grade" speaker. Unpacking the boxes and going through the set up was pure joy. I hooked them up to the 600r amp in a passive bi-wire fashion to start off with. Being familiar with my media room I knew where to make the first guess as to the optimum room placement location. From performing a little bit of hunting I think I am “in the optimum placement zone” but haven’t fully figured out the precise (and slight) tow in angle yet. I don’t think there is much more pay dirt left to find with tow in angle though because THEY SOUND REALLY GOOD but I will experiment with this in the near future. The first thing I noticed was the image presented by these speakers, it’s HUGE. It’s so big you can walk around in it (yes). These speakers also disappear! Listening at night with the lights off takes you to another world. All of the descriptive adjective that you have all read about Jim and Franks stuff does apply here. Truly life like. All of my media is new again, veil(s) have been removed and you will hear it all, the good, the bad, the good studio recording, and the bad studio recording. As compared to the HT2-TL’s the HT3’s go deeper and stronger in bass (also less boom), the RAAL tweeter out performs the LCY tweeter (RAAL is more lifelike and transparent). But the game changer is the endless zone or sphere of the image (you walk around in it) and how the speakers disappear in the image.
I really like listening to high quality sound sampler CD’s for speaker and system evaluating: I have 2 Balance Power Technologies sound sampler CD’s (they are awesome), an UpScale Audio Sampler (great), both Salk Signature Sound CD’s (awesome), Stereophile’s Sampler & Test CD. This stuff is good and really covers the gamut for speaker/system characterization.
An awesome track that reveals the full range, full dynamics, and full emotion of the HT3 is on Santana’s Guitar Heaven CD Titled: The Greatest Guitar Classics of all Time. Track 4: While my Guitar Gently Weeps. This cut has cello, a deep bass slap, Carlos’s classic acoustic guitar licks, and a kick ass electric guitar compliment in a stunning emotion presentation. If you haven’t heard this then I would recommend it highly. Also, all of the good stuff is better now with the HT3’s: Jennifer Warnes, Tommy Emmanuel, Eva Cassidy, etc….
So, in summary, this user review is really a comparison of two completely different systems: 1) The HT2-TL's with Anthem & Cary components In a room without acoustic treatments against 2) The HT3’s with AVA FET Valve Hybrid components in a room with acoustic treatments. Bottom line is system combination #2 is MUCH BETTER than system combination #1.
I am a product development guy who’s is starting to get long in the tooth. I have had my share of “hard-earned” product development successes (41 patents/patents pending in the medical device & semiconductor sectors). What Jim and Frank have accomplished is beyond noteworthy. What is a good Engineering? A good engineer creates things of value (products) that have never before existed. This is in contrast to a Scientist who seeks fame and fortune trying to understand the phenomenon’s of nature that already exists. If you strip away the veil of the big corporate marketing images that dominate the Audiophile marketplace you are left with actual people (Engineers) behind the scenes making real products. Jim & Frank, from what they have actually accomplished, stand as giants in their profession through the value of their products. My hats off to you!!
Kyle
