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If there was a speaker Olympics there would be multiple Salk models competing in multiple events I’m still loving mine and enjoying the music every chance I get!
Recently an audiophile friend and I drove 130 miles to Scottsdale, AZ from Tucson to hear the Salk BePure 1 Monitor speakers. We have been curious about this speaker and the Purifi driver since they were first introduced. We were not disappointed.Our first impression was how clear the BePure 1 is, distortion is close to nonexistent. The BePure 1's join a small select group of speakers I have heard that sound excellent at first listen like the TAD CR1 Compact Reference and Vandersteen Model 7.I brought a thumb drive of well recorded music I was familiar with, we listened to a track or two from almost every album. The BePures easily revealed the differences in the recordings, this speaker pretty much requires an excellent the front end. Paired with good electronics, tiny details in recordings are clearly heard, old albums become new again. All DSD and super high-res was converted to 24bit/96kHz using dBPoweramp.Electronics were the Van Alstine DVA Digital Preamp and the AVA Fet Valve 600R amp. The DVA preamp has a built-in 24bit/96kHz DAC. I have heard both of these units in my system so I sort of knew what to expect. Both units have a clean, clear sound. My Salk HT2-TL speakers sound better with a little more warmth which is why I use the AVA Fet Valve CFR preamp and SET 400 amp.Speaker placement was not optimal, they were temporarily set on 24" high stools in front of the fireplace hearth, usually they sit on the hearth, a compromise everyone can live with. Imaging was good but would have been mind blowing if set up farther away from hard surfaces and spaced wider apart. The sound in the center sweet spot was sort-of full bodied but on either side of the sofa the balance was thinner, probably a side effect of placement and the room. The BePure 1 speakers are monitor speakers, no matter how good the Purifi woofer is, they are only two 6.5" drivers. The listening space was a combined living/dining room with a vaulted ceiling so deep bass was missing. A medium to small room will work best with this speaker, add a sub for truly state-of-the-art full range sound. I have heard a few subs, so far the only brand I would consider pairing with the BePure 1 is a REL. In a small to medium room a pair of Rythmik or GR Research subs are too big.The Satori Beryllium tweeter is more forceful compared to the RAAL tweeter I'm used to. On some music almost too forceful. Planet Drum by Mickey Hart is all percussion, the bells really came alive, a little too alive. At first we were listening with the grills off. Our host said Jim voiced the BePure speakers with the grill on. All our subsequent listening was with the grills on and the balance was better. Part of the emphasis on the highs is due to the DVA Digital Preamp and the AVA Fet Valve 600R amp, both lean toward a more detailed presentation.A review of the DVA Digital Preamp in Part Time Audiophile said:"There were a few times when I felt that the DVA almost stripped too much of the dirt and the junk from the music, causing a slightly lean quality that simply wasn’t there with the FET Valve CFR. But the DVA compensated by being more exhilarating."My exact feelings too. Perfect sound was hit and miss, it depended on the recording. I prefer the warmer quality of the FET Valve CFR preamp. With the DVA preamp it was too easy to slip into analytical mode thinking "Wow, listen to this" instead of relaxing and listening to the music as a whole.I wrote about the Fet Valve 600R back in 2022:"I own both the SET 400 and the previous model, the Synergy 450. The sound is very close but the SET 400 is a little more balanced, smoother and does a disappearing act. A friend brought over his 600R, it doesn't have the warmth of the SET 400 so it appears to have more upper midrange and treble, it definitely has greater headroom but I never play music that loud except for demos."As you can tell I have mixed feeling about the DVA Digital preamp and Fet Valve 600R. My thoughts are about pairing these electronics with the Salk HT2-TL speakers and the BePure 1 monitors. The DVA Digital Preamp and 600R could be a perfect match with older, less revealing speakers like my previous Von Schweikert VR2's or speakers that have a silk dome tweeter. Not that the DVA and 600R are bad with the BePure's per se, but a different pairing would let these speakers really bloom. Perhaps different tubes in the 600R would bring the highs and midrange in better balance. Jim Salk recommends the McGary Audio SA1E with the BePure speakers.Would I replace my HT2-TL speakers? That's an open question. I would have to hear a BePure in my room, it's all about synergy. I love the clarity of the Purifi driver, there is absolutely no comparison. I also love how the RAAL tweeter and the SEAS drivers are perfectly matched and integrated into a holistic sounding speaker with a balanced presentation. I have time to decide, there is a strong possibly there will be a BePure2 in Tucson in a year.The Salk BePure speakers rarely come up for sale. My recommendation is if one does show up, throw all caution to the wind and buy it immediately. They are that good.Wayne
I have the BePure 2 - McGary SA1E combination. It's the best speaker/amp combination I've ever had in my home, over nearly five decades of being an audio nerd. As I've written in other threads, the difference between this set up and my previous systems (all of which included solid state amps) is that with Salk/McGary I'm listening to a musical instrument, instead of a set of stereo components.
