[stereocilia]

Can we take names from other product categories?  If so, I vote for "Savia."  It implies wisdom and has a nice ring to it.  Salk Savia...too much alliteration, maybe.

I've heard that one of the hardest parts of product development is naming, especially for international products.  For instance, people who speak Spanish think 'Nova' is a funny name for a car because it means "it doesn't go."

[jsalk]

Jim, just for clarity, are you offering both tweeter/crossover options, and if so, which one does the $1500 price correspond to, and what is the price of the other?

The $1500 price (or slightly less) refers to the version with the OW2.  The alternate version with the DX19 will be available at a slightly lower cost since it is a less expensive tweeter.

- Jim

[randybessinger]

These speakers look very interesting.  Congrats Dennis (and Jim).

[gkhowell]

Just from their appearance, how about the "Slim Jims"? 

[cdorval1]

How about "Martin-Murphy One"?

Dennis, I respect your integrity but also think your name should be on it.

I am very intrigued by this design, and looking forward to it, having lived with a beautiful pair of MBOW1's for a while now.  It is a terrifically balanced small bookshelf speaker.

Best of success with the launch!

Craig

[DMurphy]

Just from their appearance, how about the "Slim Jims"? 
[/quote]


Now THAT one makes sense. 

[Nels Ferre]

Slim Jims....great name...I wish I had thought of it.   

[stereocilia]

I'm afraid that when I think of 'slim jim' I can't help but think of that commercial with the WWF guy (can't remember his name, Randy Something?):
http://www.retrojunk.com/details_commercial/409/
is it just me?  If it is, sorry.

[Rob Babcock]

Wow, another beauty!   Man that's a lot of speaker for $1,500!   If it sounds as nice as it looks it may be your best bargain yet.

[matix]

How about "STARLET"?  Looks like a star in the making...

[jsalk]

BrianM -

Well, we can certainly customize the finish.  However, I think the price differential would be a deal breaker.  It would put you too close to the cost of the QW's and HT2's.  Its all a matter of labor.

Which raises the question of how exactly you're going to market those two existing models vis a vis the new, er, Salk Synergy Composts.

It's simply not an issue.  The market will sort it out. 

For example, we have always offered the MBOW1's (another great Dennis Murphy design and a very good speaker in its own right).  For some people, it is the perfect speaker for their budget and application.  But the availability of the MBOW1's does not seem to impact the demand for Veracity HT1's.  In fact, more than a few MBOW1 customers have gone on to purchase HT1's or HT3's and just moved their MBOW1's to another room. 

For some, this new design will be a perfect fit.  But for others, the Veracity QW's (another 2-way transmission line design) or the HT2's will make more sense.

With many customers, part of our job is to help them sort this out.  It is a matter of discussing their budget, their room size, their application, their listening tastes and habits, and their aesthetic likes and dislikes.  Taking all that into account, one model speaker may make more sense than others.  I might note here that, while it rarely happens, we sometimes conclude we simply don't have a fit for them.  In those cases, we either recommend some other brand of speaker or begin development of a new model to address those needs.

This new model will be a perfect fit for someone looking for a slim, floor-standing speaker with a high SAF and exceptional performance characteristics for an investment of under $1500.

With every potential design we consider, there are certain questions we always ask.

First, if this were the only pair of speakers in my home, would I be satisfied?  If we can't answer yes to this question, we do not offer the model.  Obviously there is a huge performance difference between, say, the MBOW1's and the HT3's.  Yet, I listen to MBOW1's every day in my shop and find them quite enjoyable.  For a small, bookshelf speaker, they are simply incredible performers.

The second question is whether or not the design constitutes a price/performance breakthrough.  We feel that every speaker we offer represents an incredible audio value.  Our HT3's, for example, are not inexpensive.  But many HT3 owners have reported replacing much more expensive speakers because the HT3's simply out-performed them. 

In the case of this new design, I am not personally aware of any commercial transmission line speaker using drivers and crossovers of this quality anywhere near this price point.  In that regard, we are excited to be able to offer it to our customers.

Third, and perhaps most important, will customers purchasing a given model feel their money was well spent?  Will the speaker's performance exceed their expectations at that level of investment?

In terms of this new model, if price were not an object, are there better speakers out there?  Obviously there are.  Are there better speakers available at or near this price point?  We don't think so. 

If these were the only speakers in our home, would we be happy?  Absolutely.

Will customers who purchase this model feel they made a good investment?  We feel confident they will.

I hope this makes sense.

- Jim

[Ron Stewart]

I've never actually heard a transmission line speaker, but I've done a lot of reading about them. A common impression is that the bass performance of TL speakers is surprising/contradictory/impossible/paradoxical with respect to the size of the drivers and/or enclosures.

I've never seen a Salk speaker, but nearly everyone who has says they are works of art. The photos posted here and at the Salk web site bear that out too.

Combining those ideas, I started thinking about seemingly impossible,yet beautiful and elegant works of art, and the name that springs to mind is M. C. Escher... so I propose the Salk Escher Loudspeaker.

Ron

[Ron Stewart]

Here's another idea for a name: Salk Siren.

Sirens were denizens of the deep (an oblique reference to the bass) and sang with such beauty that sailors were irresistibly drawn to them (to their doom, but let's ignore that part...).

Ron

[rajacat]

Here's another idea for a name: Salk Siren.

Sirens were denizens of the deep (an oblique reference to the bass) and sang with such beauty that sailors were irresistibly drawn to them (to their doom, but let's ignore that part...).

Ron

I like that name. Salk Siren a little alliteration...very nice.

Raj

[DMurphy]

Hmmm    Salk Siren     That's pretty good.  We might have to come up with a Greek logo so people aren't expecting fire trucks to pull up, but-----Salk Siren.  Pretty darn good. 

[Philistine]

As an HT3 owner I guess that gives me a vote. aa
I like the Siren name too, perfect match.

[PhishPhan]

How about something Greek...

Apollo- among other things the god of music.

Circe- the daughter of the sun known for her ability to turn men into animals. aa Sometimes I feel like an animal when I dance around to my music. Only when I'm alone of course.

Hermes- the messenger god. God of the boundaries and the travelers who cross them. A messenger from the gods to the humans...

or

Iris- Hermes' interpreter for the humans.


I especially like the last two; the speakers serve as a messenger of the music gods to us mere mortals, or something like that.

I mentioned the Greek themed idea a while ago. Don't know how I missed siren as a possible name. That sounds pretty good.

[Imperial]

Here's another idea for a name: Salk Siren.

Sirens were denizens of the deep (an oblique reference to the bass) and sang with such beauty that sailors were irresistibly drawn to them (to their doom, but let's ignore that part...).

Ron

Salk Siren, it does have a nice ring to it.
But Siren is also the main used name for a high volume piercing thing called an alarm.
It's the best suggestion so far though!

I suppose I could add some alternatives too.
It sort of look like a slimline Proac 38.

I suggest:

- Salk Intrepid (Meaning: the fearless, the full of courage, brave in the face of danger)
- Salk Dauntless (Meaning : the same as for Intrepid)
-----
- Salk Sojourner (Meaning: here for the moment, to move on.., going on to a better place)
Could point to a starting point in say the Salk lineup, once you use this, you get hungry for more.

That also give a possible other suggestion.
- Salk EXT Jr. (Self explanatory...)
or
- Salk HT2 Jr. (... yeah...)
 
Imperial

[Nels Ferre]

Intrepid doesn't work...same name as a crappy American car.

Siren is  pretty darn good.   

[jsalk]

Many great ideas so far!  A HUGE thanks to everyone who has offered ideas.

One note however... 

Since this is Dennis Murphy's design and not ours, I personally don't feel "Salk" should be part of the name.  And since Dennis indicated earlier he did not feel comfortable with his name being part of the speaker name, I guess the name would have to stand on its own.

I think we have some good possibilities here.  A few more to choose from and we should be all set.

Thanks again to everyone who has participated to date.

- Jim