I received my Song 3 Encores in late January and once I got them set up (it figures) things exploded at work. So while listening time has not been what I had hoped it would be, it still has been extremely enjoyable and the exact therapy I need to help me unwind from a stressful day. I’ve only been listening to CD’s too… nothing HD yet, but I hope to soon. I’m embarrassed I haven’t even set up the Salk Stream player I also got, but they tell me being busy is a good problem to have… it also helps justify the expense of the new iPad I need to get so I can use Roon on the Stream Player.
However, I’m really enjoying playing the CD’s, I’m going through my collection and playing disks I’ve almost forgotten I had. As others have said, it’s wonderful to hear things that I never heard on my old system. I’ve also discovered the downside other’s have said, that not all recordings sound great. Still, it’s been great fun and I am loving my new Encores.
I decided on the Song 3 Encore (un-auditioned) after listening to the E3’s and SS8’s in Jim’s shop in 2015. The E3’s were a bit of a stretch for me new, and I think I was hoping for a pair to come along used before I pulled the trigger on the SS8. I don’t know why I still waited, but I did.
When the Song 3 was announced, I was intrigued, but I really wanted more bass. When the S3 Encore came about, the “ding ding ding” bells went off. That Satori 9.5” woofer looked to be the answer to my craving for bass. I read the reviews and all the postings in this circle and I debated making the 5 hour trip to visit Salk again, but I decided I could trust the reviews since I had already seen (and heard) the quality from Jim’s shop.
I decided to order them and I’m absolutely delighted with them… these really deliver! This is my Goldilocks speaker that’s just right… they sound fantastic, go low with ease, they’re clean and crisp and I don’t suffer from fatigue. I was able to choose custom finish that is not only beautiful to look at, it families with the décor (a major plus from the wife). All of this at a price point that didn’t blow my budget!
For my tastes, bass gives such a nuance to music, it dots the i’s and crosses the t’s... I’m not into boomy, just the real life re-creation of the music I love with those special low end notes that make the difference. The Encore is truly a wonderful speaker.
It’s not just the Satori woofer that makes them shine, the BE tweeter and the Eton mid range are also fantastic. While I’m not crazy about the Eton’s looks, especially in pictures, I think it makes the speaker look wider than it actually is. I’d prefer the cone to be black, rather than the silvery white look, but it’s not a deal breaker, they both work very well together in creating an excellent soundstage.
In person, these speakers are not all that large; with the grills on they actually look pretty slim. They fit well in my 15’ x 24’ Family Room that well, yes, also happens to contain other furniture. I went front ported so when tucked up away with the grills on, they work well for everyday listening.
The plinths (sans spikes) on carpet easily allow the 97 lb speakers to slide out into the Room
and the magnetic grills are a cinch to remove when I want to seriously listen. Besides the Encores, I also went with a new Benchmark DAC (DAC3 HGC) and Amp (Benchmark AHB2) as well as Jim’s Salk Stream player. I’m very happy with the choices I made.
