Playing around...

Marbles · « **Reply #20 on:** 26 Mar 2021, 12:09 am »

Jim, glad to be seen! Couldn't be happier with my HT3's and HT3 center. So glad to be off the speaker merry-go-round.
Hope all is well with you.

DEP14 · « **Reply #21 on:** 26 Mar 2021, 01:05 am »

Well, now I at least know what speakers that Tweeter went in!

I would of course love to hear them. Certainly a different approach.

Thrilled with my SS12's of course.

Marbles · « **Reply #22 on:** 26 Mar 2021, 02:03 am »

"Thrilled with my SS12's of course."

I have my bucket list wife; cars; bug out location; house ; daughter (wish I could say that about my son's); and speaker/sub-woofer combo.

When I see someone with a nice car, etc.. I always compliment them. Doesn't mean I want what they have, I almost always don't.

SS12's might be a different story..never heard them..but I would love to listen to them , and love to own them.

You are fortunate to have a pair..I applaud you.

DMurphy · « **Reply #23 on:** 26 Mar 2021, 06:48 pm »

Hi Marbles Your moniker brought back some memories. Do you by any chance still have those cylindrical Norh speakers I modded for you? Not the Easter Ham ones, but the cylinders? I've always thought they were some of the nicest 2-ways I've ever heard.

Marbles · « **Reply #24 on:** 26 Mar 2021, 07:06 pm »

Still have them, probably will never get rid of them. As far as I know, I have the only 2 pair in the world, the little ones the ones you mentioned.

I heard some speakers made of granite in a rectangle shape that had some of the best imaging I ever heard, that was like 15 years ago and I think they only sold about 10 pairs. Eric Hider has (had?) a set.

I think you or Jim should put something like that into production

If you can find something to cast and you want a column shape, two sonotubes of different diameters would be pretty easy.

JDoyle · « **Reply #25 on:** 26 Mar 2021, 08:11 pm »

Marbles, Can you post some pics of those?

Marbles · « **Reply #26 on:** 26 Mar 2021, 08:42 pm »

Jim's thread got hijacked enough and don't think it would be fair to him.

I can pm you a pic later today or tomorrow.

PEB · « **Reply #27 on:** 27 Mar 2021, 01:28 pm »

https://www.sfoglini.com/products/sporkful

nyc_paramedic · « **Reply #28 on:** 11 Apr 2021, 03:36 pm »

Quote from: DMurphy on 24 Mar 2021, 09:37 pm

Is your accountant having fun too? I worked up a passive version of this because I wanted to hear the general sound even if the higher crossover point and lower sensitivity pretty much ruled them out as a commercial product. The tweeter needs some work, although it's perfectly fine for an active application. What impressed me was the impact and clarity of the dual Purifi woofers. Others have had trouble making these work, but the ported version Jim designed for the prototype I was working on is great--no port noise and lots of detail, with solid extension down to 32 Hz. It would make a remarkable conventional passive speaker with a different tweeter. ......

For a passive, would these work well with the RAAL from the soundscape series?

jsalk · « **Reply #29 on:** 12 Apr 2021, 03:52 pm »

Quote from: nyc_paramedic on 11 Apr 2021, 03:36 pm

For a passive, would these work well with the RAAL from the soundscape series?

Yes, they would likely work with the RAAL 70-20. That said, we will likely develop a design using them with the Satori beryllium tweeter.

- Jim

nyc_paramedic · « **Reply #30 on:** 12 Apr 2021, 05:02 pm »

Quote from: jsalk on 12 Apr 2021, 03:52 pm

Yes, they would likely work with the RAAL 70-20. That said, we will likely develop a design using them with the Satori beryllium tweeter.

- Jim

Would you be so kind as to share dimensions?

jsalk · « **Reply #31 on:** 12 Apr 2021, 05:30 pm »

Quote from: nyc_paramedic on 12 Apr 2021, 05:02 pm

Would you be so kind as to share dimensions?

With plinths and spikes, they will be 42" H x 8 1/2" W x 13" D.

- Jim

Fatcat · « **Reply #32 on:** 15 Apr 2021, 02:41 pm »

Since these are active speakers, what amplifier/DSP package are you using with them?

Best... Carlo.

jsalk · « **Reply #33 on:** 15 Apr 2021, 05:18 pm »

Quote from: Fatcat on 15 Apr 2021, 02:41 pm

Since these are active speakers, what amplifier/DSP package are you using with them?

Best... Carlo.

Hypex FUSIONAMP FA252

- Jim

Fatcat · « **Reply #34 on:** 15 Apr 2021, 07:36 pm »

Those Hypex plate amps are nice!
This has to be one of the more interesting speakers I’ve seen lately.
I wish more people would give active speakers like this a chance. They have so many advantages going for them. I just reviewed a pair of Phil Bamberg’s active speakers for Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity https://hometheaterhifi.com/reviews/speaker/floor-standing/bamberg-series-3-tmw-active-loudspeaker-review/ and they were excellent. I think people might come around to actives like this if they only got a chance to hear them.

Best... Carlo.

jsalk · « **Reply #35 on:** 16 Apr 2021, 05:25 pm »

Quote from: Fatcat on 15 Apr 2021, 07:36 pm

Those Hypex plate amps are nice!
This has to be one of the more interesting speakers I’ve seen lately.
I wish more people would give active speakers like this a chance. They have so many advantages going for them. I just reviewed a pair of Phil Bamberg’s active speakers for Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity https://hometheaterhifi.com/reviews/speaker/floor-standing/bamberg-series-3-tmw-active-loudspeaker-review/ and they were excellent. I think people might come around to actives like this if they only got a chance to hear them.

Best... Carlo.

A few years ago we developed a self-powered monitor speaker called the PowerPlay. We constantly get calls from people in apartments, especially efficiency apartments in large cities, who don't really have room for a large system. I thought it would be perfect for that application.

It had about the flattest frequency response you could imagine and sounded great. We took it to audio shows and audio society meetings. Often, people would turn up their noses when they heard the words "self-powered." But when we played them, everyone was impressed with their performance. I heard numerous people comment, "I'd never buy a self-powered speaker, but if I did, this would be high on my list."

Over the next three years, we sold ZERO pairs of this model and finally simply sold our original demo speakers.

I was speaking to a client who lived in New York and he said we were aiming at the wrong market. He thought this was a "lifestyle" product and not an "audiophile" product. He was probably right.

He suggested going to the Brooklyn flea market and demoing them. He thought that as soon as we sold a pair to someone in an apartment building, we would get lots of orders from others in that same building and, eventually, people in other apartment complexes as well.

If he was correct (and I think he was), we needed to establish a completely new market for this type of product. And that was something we weren't all that interested in doing.

So, for now at least, we won't normally offer self-powered speakers except as a custom item. And it's too bad since you can create an almost perfect crossover using DSP - something you can't do with a passive crossover.

My guess is that in 10 years most all speakers will be powered with built-in DACs, preamps, amps, Alexa and Google support, Airplay support, Roon support, etc. But we'll see...

- Jim

kingdeezie · « **Reply #36 on:** 17 Apr 2021, 12:44 am »

I would venture to guess that many people may share my perspective on powered speakers.

Something as beautiful as a Salk speaker, or something similar, that is expensive, is a long term investment for enjoyment.

A few years down the road if your powered plate amp breaks you are hosed. You have a 5-15,000 dollar paperweight, especially if the plate amp has been discontinued like they tend to do.

With a passive speaker that is well cared for, broken external electronics can be replaced and the speakers are still great.

With the way things are manufactured these days, will a plate amp go the distance? It’s a roll of the dice. The SS9.5 sounds great and will last a decade or more for the same financial investment.

DEP14 · « **Reply #37 on:** 17 Apr 2021, 11:33 am »

Quote from: Marbles on 26 Mar 2021, 02:03 am

"Thrilled with my SS12's of course."

I have my bucket list wife; cars; bug out location; house ; daughter (wish I could say that about my son's); and speaker/sub-woofer combo.

When I see someone with a nice car, etc.. I always compliment them. Doesn't mean I want what they have, I almost always don't.

SS12's might be a different story..never heard them..but I would love to listen to them , and love to own them.

You are fortunate to have a pair..I applaud you.

Yes, I am very fortunate. I recently changed my electronics and I find that I enjoy these speakers even more. It's a tremendous speaker, punches well above it's price range. I really wish Jim could still get the woofers for the 10's and 12's. Though Accuton is apparantly discontinuing the midrange driver also (boo). So right now I am debating is it time to order up a SS7C while I can still get one, and should I get an extra mid-range just in case...

I also do prefer the RAAL to the Be tweeter. I was fortunate enough to have these at my home and a friends Song 3 Encores at the same time. While different speakers we really did try to pay attention to the absolute highs and while not a huge difference we felt we could hear a bit. Both were quite good of course.

But these SS12's, while out demoing electronics I had the chance to hear the Wilson Sabrina X and Yvettes with the same electronics and same tracks. Granted, different rooms. But I would take the SS12's over both of those speakers every single day of the week, and I think the Yvette is a very good speaker.

charmerci · « **Reply #38 on:** 17 Apr 2021, 01:29 pm »

Quote from: jsalk on 16 Apr 2021, 05:25 pm

A few years ago we developed a self-powered monitor speaker called the PowerPlay. We constantly get calls from people in apartments, especially efficiency apartments in large cities, who don't really have room for a large system. I thought it would be perfect for that application.

It had about the flattest frequency response you could imagine and sounded great. We took it to audio shows and audio society meetings. Often, people would turn up their noses when they heard the words "self-powered." But when we played them, everyone was impressed with their performance. I heard numerous people comment, "I'd never buy a self-powered speaker, but if I did, this would be high on my list."

Over the next three years, we sold ZERO pairs of this model and finally simply sold our original demo speakers.

- Jim

I would have loved to have a pair but I already had most of my present system and I'm on a budget so I couldn't afford them.

JDoyle · « **Reply #39 on:** 17 Apr 2021, 02:39 pm »

IMHO, with the Powerplay (a fantastic name to boot), Jim was just ahead of his time...

It’s easy for me to dream though... I don’t have to do the work!

But I know I’ll be downsizing in the next few years.

I can imagine that I’ll want something smaller than my Encores at that point. How cool would it be to have a high quality pair of Salk cabinets with a single power cord. I’ll open the new cloud based version of Roon via the app on my phone and connect it to the Salks via a lightning cord to a USB on the back. The built in Dac and amp do the rest and I have a system that sounds as good as the one I currently have.

All this while my phone is being charged.

I’ll bet that Jim can probably build this right now.