Hi John,
Well, you've said more about your wife wanting the SS8s than about your decision! Help us hear the comparison through your ears!
I was very tempted with the Black Limba SS8s but felt the color wasn't quite right for me. In a sense, the two woods are similar. They have the same feeling in the grain pattern. Though Tineo is more red and Black Limba more yellow.
Has your wife seen the blog, The Audiophile's Wife? ...
http://theaudiophileswife.blogspot.com/?m=0
She might get a kick out of it. My wife does. When I was telling her about the quality I'm looking for in tweeters and hopes for the RAAL, she quoted, "...trying to rig a system that only dolphins and dogs could appreciate."
.........Peter
Peter,
The SS8's presented a much more detailed midrange, along with a smoother, more defined and fuller presentation. I'm very familiar with the TL design as I've had ST's, HT1's, and Songbirds, and they all have the Salk 'sound'...great midrange and impressive bass from small drivers. I've heard HT2's before as well, so I knew what to expect. As we listened to the HT2's after hearing SS8's, the HT2's sound was more 'focused' than the SS8's. Midrange was still very good, but had more of a forward character than the SS8's did. The SS8's midrange was much smoother, and the soundstage was very wide. My wife said that to her, the SS8's filled the room while the HT2's were more well defined...she could easily identify where the sound was coming from with the HT2's. Granted, this was a less than ideal room, but the difference in sound to me was not small, and the SS8's were clearly the winner. By the way, I've also had the chance to hear the SS10's and 12's in the past, and the SS8 sound has the same character. If I'd never heard the SS8's I'd be happy with HT2's, but the SS8's are definitely a big step up. The other thing for my wife was what you'd pointed out earlier, the HT2's have a bigger footprint that the SS8's, though they are about 40 lbs lighter!
Oh, Mary Salk mentioned to my wife that she needed to check out that blog!
John