[brubacca]

Good Morning.  The title says it all.  I am looking to move to a Floorstanding speaker and I think that a Ribbon Tweeter is for me.  The reason to moving to a floorstander is to get as full range as I can without a Sub.  I dislike subs and have never heard a setup that I like with one. 

My system is as follows:
Rogue Cronus Magnum (100W /Ch)
Schiit Gungnir DAC fed via Sonore microRendu

Room,
8.5' Ceiling
13.5' x 23.25' Room with Speakers on long wall, one end of the room half wall open to Kitchen/rest of house.
Hard Wood Floors w/ carpet.

The challenge:  I only have about 12" behind the speakers to the wall and only about 5' apart.   This is a multipurpose room.

So what would the recommendation be?
The Silk tower is the most I could ever imagine spending on a pair of speakers and the absolute top end of what I could spend.  If there were definite benefits to going all the way here I would consider and save for it.  Financially I'd be happier at the Song 3 or Supercharged Song Tower level of price.

I listen mostly to Keb Mo' and Jazz like Louis Armstrong.  I also have a heavy diet of female vocals on tap.  Sometimes I like to throw on Pearl Jam or Metallica and really blast it.  Other likes would be Jack Johnson/John Mayer.  Dave Matthews band and Eric Clapton also get significant time in rotation. 

The only change I am looking to make is the speakers at this time.  I'm not changing the amp, so the speakers should work well on 100W.

Thanks for any opinions. 

Regards,
Charlie

[dflee]

What price range are you in? New or used?
Sounds like you need to be looking for either sealed or front port.
Woofer on the side to help with sound stage and a high efficiency to deal with watts.

[jsalk]

Simple...Song3.

- Jim

[WGH]

I have the Salk HT2-TL speakers, the sound is clear and detailed and sound so natural the speakers disappear. I have read the Supercharged Song Tower's sound is very close so that is what I would recommend. The Songtower's can also have a front port so the speaker can be placed close to the wall.

Where are you located? There are so many Salk speaker owners there is a strong possibility there is one close to you. We are all enthusiastic and waiting to show off our speakers.

Wayne

[Art_Chicago]

Song 3 is a very nice speaker, indeed.

pm sent to OP.

[WGH]

Simple...Song3.

- Jim

Interesting... I'll have to get to RMAF when the Song3's are there.
No upselling at Salk Sound either, just happy customers.

[desertrider]

I agree the Song3 sounds like it will fit your needs perfectly. Also, keep in mind you can get them front ported so your small space behind them wont be a big issue. Thats what I did on mine.

[brubacca]

Thanks for the ideas 

Desertrider- tell me about your Song 3.  I haven't seen much on them.

[desertrider]

@brubacca I dont know yet as theyre still being built There arent too many out in the wild, but I know theyve gotten rave reviews from those who have heard them. Jim has some quotes on his website under the Song3 page.

Song3
Production Notes: Satin black - FRONT SLOT PORT
69%
Invoice    

Finished
Deposit    

Finished
Panels Cut    

Finished
Cabinets Glued Up    

Finished
Cabinets Veneered    

Finished
Cabinets Routed    

Finished
Cabinets Sanded    

Finished
Sealer Coat 1    

Finished
Sealer Coat 2    

Finished
Sealer Coat 3    

Finished
Sealer Coat 4    

Finished
Final Topcoat    

Finished


SongCenter RT
Production Notes: Front ported - satin black
69%
Invoice    

Finished
Deposit    

Finished
Panels Cut    

Finished
Cabinets Glued Up    

Finished
Cabinets Veneered    

Finished
Cabinets Routed    

Finished
Cabinets Sanded    

Finished
Sealer Coat 1    

Finished
Sealer Coat 2    

Finished
Sealer Coat 3    

Finished
Sealer Coat 4    

Finished
Final Topcoat    

Finished

[*Scotty*]

What speakers are you using now, how loud do you play back your music and how much bass impact do you expect from your system?
The reason I ask is that you have about a 2700cu/ft. space not counting the rest of the house the space is connected to. The speakers you appear to be considering may have about the cone area of a single 7in. to 8in. woofer per side, in a room as large as your is, these won't produce the bass weight or impact that a speaker with a larger woofer could.
 I have heard a couple of Salk speakers at CAF in DC and I was very impressed with their performance and build quality. First class all the way.
I don't think you can go go wrong buying a pair of Salks, but you should be aware what of any given pair of speakers can and cannot do in your application.
Scotty

[brubacca]

I am currently using a pair of Sonus Faber Venere 1.5 (6" mid woofer each).  I have no appreciable bass for the bass heavy tracks.  I am trying to improve upon this.  I recently heard a friends Monitor Audio Platinum Speakers, with dual 6.5" woofers plus 4" mid and ribbon tweet.  It had great impact, but that speaker is too expensive and I don't believe that my 100W amp could handle those speakers or the Gold 300 (similar driver sizes).

I loved the open air of the ribbon tweet.  The Salks seem like a good fit, but how do I maximize bass response under say $4500 with the ability to jam them against the back wall. 

I am also considering the Tekton Seas Pendragon, it has the woofers, but I really prefer a ribbon tweeter at this point.
I also don't often listen very loud.  Peaks in the mid 70dB range when I am listening loud.  When I put the hammer down maybe peaks getting to 90 dB range. 


So what say you for "best" bass response given my power and financial limitation?

[screener]

Simple...Song3.

- Jim

I have to agree with Jim on this deal.

[brubacca]

I was hoping that Song 3 was the answer.  I'm really appreciative of the responses. 

So I watched a review of the veracity st and loved the electric blue finish.  How do we think that finish would look on the song 3?  Do the speakers come with grills?  I have little ones and like having the grills in place. 

[jsalk]

That finish would look great (if you like the color) on any speaker, including the Song3's.  Yes, they come with grills that attach via magnets hidden beneath the surface of the veneer.

- Jim

[*Scotty*]

brubacca,I would ask Jim Salk about this as he would know the most about his product line and which speaker might best meet your needs.
Scotty

[brubacca]

brubacca,I would ask Jim Salk about this as he would know the most about his product line and which speaker might best meet your needs.
Scotty

Jim thinks Song 3 and it will look good in electric blue with magnetically attached grills.

[brubacca]

My location is Eastern, PA. Basically half way between Philadelphia and Lancaster.  Near Victory brewing co in Downingtown, PA. 

On the list above I only saw one owner in Philly.

[brubacca]

Do all the models use the same RAAL tweeter? (Of the following)
Song 3
Supercharged Song Tower
Veracity ST

[DMurphy]

Do all the models use the same RAAL tweeter? (Of the following)
Song 3
Supercharged Song Tower
Veracity ST

No     The Veracity ST and SST use the 70-20 OEM tweeter.   The Song 3 also uses an OEM RAAL, but it has a narrower ribbon element and is intended to be crossed higher than the 70-20.  It is very similar to the unit used in the Ascend Sierra 2, and identical to the tweeter in my BMR monitor, Slims tower,  and Philharmonitor. 

[R Swerdlow]

I wouldn't worry that the tweeters aren't the same model.

I believe (Dennis just confirmed it) that the Supercharged Song Tower (SCST) and Veracity ST (VST) use the same ribbon tweeter made by RAAL for Salk's specifications.  Both speakers are 2-ways and make greater demands of a tweeter by requiring a lower crossover frequency and better performance at lower frequencies.  This tends to make virtually any tweeter more expensive.

The Song 3 uses a new ribbon tweeter identified as the RAAL 64-10.  It is said to be less expensive than the ribbon used in the 2-way speakers.  The Song3 is a 3-way speaker, and it's 4" midrange goes to a higher frequency than the mid woofers of a 2-way before crossing over to the tweeter.  This allows using a less expensive tweeter without compromising the overall performance.

Remember that the smooth integration of the tweeter with the mid woofers (in the SCST or the VST) or the mid range driver (in the Song3) by the crossover is as important as the quality and nature of the tweeter itself.  This is something where all Salk speakers excel.