Upgrades to the Salk HT3...

Marbles · « **on:** 6 Apr 2005, 04:01 pm »

As a service to those who are interested in or are buying the Salk Sound Veracity HT3, I thought I would start a thread listing the upgrades I'm getting, and I was hoping those who have ordered would do the same in case I missed something.

Jim's attitude as near as I can tell is: If you want something..you should be able to get it, but it will cost you....I'm very cool with that.

For me, I'm getting Waterfall Bubinga with solid Bubinga baffle.

Upgrades:

Interanl wiring will be Ridge Street Audio Poiema!!
Binding posts will be Cardas Patented
XO will be upgraded to Sonicaps where possible and small value Sonicap bypassing caps other places.
Finish is a hand rubbed laquer

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #1 on:** 6 Apr 2005, 04:13 pm »

Marbles,

Just looked up bubinga wood. Its a nice finish...should look really nice in your room !!

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Marbles · « **Reply #2 on:** 6 Apr 2005, 04:18 pm »

Nice wood (and as Major Woodie, I should know

) but the title needs a little work..Chastity???

The veneer that Jim has should be similar to this....

brj · « **Reply #3 on:** 6 Apr 2005, 05:26 pm »

Good thread, Marbles - thank you!

Do you (or anyone else) know what the standard internal parts are for those items that you are upgrading? Jim's website does a good job of discussing the finishing options, but I'm wondering about things like wire, caps, binding posts, etc..

By the way, do the "Cardas Patented Binding Posts" have the same actual post as the "Cardas Binding Posts" but simply offer a better mechanical connection?

Thanks!

Marbles · « **Reply #4 on:** 6 Apr 2005, 05:54 pm »

First I want to discuss the binding posts. The Patented posts do have a sleave to take the internal wire to the binding post. I won't be using it though.

The Ridge Street Poiema!! is a ribbon speaker cable and getting a flat cable into a round hole wouldn't work. What Jim (and Robert Schult) is going to do is make a small slot just beneath the binding post for the internal wire to come out of. It will then make a 90* turn straight up and into the posts. Then I will lay the external wire on top of this, creating an external to internal speaker wire connection thus removing any sonic deteriment the binding post could cause.

Jim uses Lynx wire which is an OFC with a silver coating cable as standard.

On all XO's but the HT3, he uses Sonicaps, but he only uses Sonicaps on the tweeter of the HT3. I do not know what other caps he uses, or any other XO parts.

brj · « **Reply #5 on:** 6 Apr 2005, 07:32 pm »

Thanks for the clarifications and additional information, Marbles!

Your concept for the Cardas Patented Binding Post/Poiema!! combination is interesting. If you have copper or silver coated wire coming from inside the speaker (and want to keep it raw instead of attaching spades), I'm guessing you would want to use Silclear or Walker SST at the junction to prevent/reduce oxidation.

That binding post concept also gives me an idea...

For those that might be looking at externally housed crossovers, why not eliminate the speaker mounted binding post entirely? Basically, you would simply increase the length of the "internal" speaker wire from each driver and pass the excess out of what would be the binding post holes. (I'm guessing that a strain relief device at this location would be a good idea.) The extra length - chosen for your needs - becomes your speaker wire. This still leaves you a binding post at the external crossover, but eliminates the extra post at the speaker that an external crossover would normally require. You could even implement the Marbles/Salk/Schult connection at the external crossover if desired.

The only downside that I can see is that you can't swap speaker cables later. Assuming the use of good wire to begin with, I don't know that this would be an acoustic issue. It would still be an issue if you need a longer length later. If you are prone to constant speaker replacement or just long term thinking, I guess it might also affect resale value.

Marbles · « **Reply #6 on:** 6 Apr 2005, 07:41 pm »

You could certainly change speaker cable later...just disconnect at the driver and run new wire to the outboard XO. You would have to pull each driver you needed changed, but that would be no big deal.

That is a good idea for people who do get the outboard XO....

Which is another option I failed to mention above......Thanks

brj · « **Reply #7 on:** 6 Apr 2005, 08:02 pm »

No problem.

I guess I was assuming a soldered connection of the speaker wires to the drivers, although I certainly don't know this to be the case. Even then, many people still wouldn't have a problem with changing out the wires.

jsalk · « **Reply #8 on:** 17 Apr 2005, 04:23 pm »

Marbles -

Just to get you in the mood, here is a pair of HT3's in the finish you ordered (except your's will have a piano gloss finish).

- Jim

Bingenito · « **Reply #9 on:** 17 Apr 2005, 04:28 pm »

Wonder what they look like in Macassar Ebony and Figured Claro Walnut....

zybar · « **Reply #10 on:** 17 Apr 2005, 04:40 pm »

Wow, those look damn good Jim!!

It's going to be a hard time deciding on what my second pair of HT3's should look like...

BTW, I have a very experienced friend coming over this week to hear the HT3's for the first time - I am anxiously awaiting his thoughts...

George

jsalk · « **Reply #11 on:** 17 Apr 2005, 05:27 pm »

I did some HT1's in that combination (macassar ebony and claro walnut) and thought they were about the nicest combination I had ever done. But they went to a client before I had a chance to get a picture.

Here are some HT1's I just finished in macassar ebony with fiddleback plum-pudding mahogany supplied by the client.

Too bad you can't really see the ebony very well.

As for the HT3's, I guess we'll find out in time...

- Jim

jsalk · « **Reply #12 on:** 17 Apr 2005, 05:36 pm »

George -

Let me know what he thinks.

- Jim

zybar · « **Reply #13 on:** 17 Apr 2005, 05:36 pm »

Quote from: jsalk

I did some HT1's in that combination (macassar ebony and claro walnut) and thought they were about the nicest combination I had ever done. But they went to a client before I had a chance to get a picture.

Jim,

Looks like you managed to snap off a picture after all:

It really is a stunning combination.

George

Marbles · « **Reply #14 on:** 17 Apr 2005, 05:54 pm »

Quote from: jsalk

Marbles -

Just to get you in the mood, here is a pair of HT3's in the finish you ordered (except your's will have a piano gloss finish).

- Jim

Drip, drip, drip...pulls some of Marbles fingernails out....drip drip drip.

Thanks for the torture Jim.....

Speakers look great in pictures...even better in person. Looking forward to getting them

jsalk · « **Reply #15 on:** 17 Apr 2005, 06:20 pm »

George -

I forgot about that one. That is not the pair I was thinking about. I forgot I had done that HT1, for use as a center channel, in that same combination. Thanks.

- Jim

Bingenito · « **Reply #16 on:** 17 Apr 2005, 08:46 pm »

Quote

I did some HT1's in that combination (macassar ebony and claro walnut) and thought they were about the nicest combination I had ever done. But they went to a client before I had a chance to get a picture.

Here are some HT1's I just finished in macassar ebony with fiddleback plum-pudding mahogany supplied by the client.

Too bad you can't really see the ebony very well.

As for the HT3's, I guess we'll find out in time...

We shall see them in my living room

in about 5 weeks!

Marbles · « **Reply #17 on:** 28 Apr 2005, 02:56 am »

Looks like Jim will be raising his prices about 10% on June 1st.

Apparently you can lock in the current (lower) price for 12 months with a small deposit.

Details on his website.

www.salksound.com

brj · « **Reply #18 on:** 28 Apr 2005, 03:28 am »

Thanks for the notice, Marbles, and Jim is very considerate to give people both a fair warning and such a generous offer.

When are you supposed to get your custom-modified HT3's, Marbles?

Marbles · « **Reply #19 on:** 28 Apr 2005, 03:39 am »

He's working on them now, but it could take a while because of the Piano Laquer finish. Apparently after he sprays the laquer it has to cure for 10 days before he can procede. If at that point he sands through any part of it, the time frame starts all over again.

My best guess would be about 30-45 days.

The piano laquer finish takes a long time because of the curing, but there is also a LOT of work involved with it as well.