[jsalk]

Bill wanted a pair of Veracity HT3's and an HTC center channel in birds eye maple.  About the time he placed an order, we had just completed the production system for building SongTower speakers.  We were so happy with how that system worked, we decided to adopt it to HT3's as well.  So it took a little longer than anticipated to complete Bill's speakers.  But I think it was worth the wait (and hopefully, Bill will too).

The new system features fully mitered joints all around.  So there is no possibility of telegraphing seams and there is 50% for glue surface in each joint.  The braces are fully dado'd in place as well for 50% more glue surface there as well. And we went to a single 3" free-flowing flared port to increase the port diameter and reduce port noise ever further.  We think these are all very worthwhile added features.

Bill's speakers are the first utilizing these changes.  Here are some pictures...



with grills...



and a close-up...



Bill also wanted a stand for his HTC.  It had to be exactly 20" from the floor to the top of the HTC center channel and inclined at 5-degrees.   We thought it turned out quite well.



Happy listening, Bill!

- Jim

[Woodsea]

Those look great.  What is the sound difference with the new build process?  I would think a color closely matching the finish would be better than the black for the cloth.  It could be just me     The center stand is really nice.

[Bill@LakeGeorge]

That's all right I don't think the grills will be seeing much time on the speakers anyway, unless my grandsons are around.

Thanks Jim they look great, I can't wait.

Bill

[jsalk]

Woodsea -

What is the sound difference with the new build process? 

I don't know if there are any significant audible differences.  But we are always looking to continually improve our products. 

The 3" port is a good example.  A single 3" port has more total area than two 2" ports.  This provides for greater air flow.  Plus the flared openings create less turbulence than a straight port.  The only drawback is that the 3" port has to be longer to arrive at the same cabinet tuning.

We started using this port on the SongTowers and wondered if it would work for the HT3's.  We thought that perhaps it would require too much length for the design.  But when we did the calculations, we found that it would work.

At the same time, we were developing templates to use the same production system for the HT3's that we now use on the SongTowers.  So in cutting the templates, we had to decide which direction to go and opted for the new port.

Does it make a difference?  From a theoretical point of view, yes.  Less port noise should be the result.  As a practical matter, I doubt you could hear the difference.  First, the port noise from two 2" ports was quite low to begin with.  Second, the port exits out the rear of the cabinet and the sound emanating from the woofer masks any port noise that might be present.

As for the build process, there is now no possibility of telegraphing seams since all joints are mitered. Plus there is 50% more glue suface in a mitered joint, so it is stronger.  Dadoing the braces in place also increases their glue surfaces and locks them in place.  It all makes for a more rigid cabinet.  Does it sound different?  Probably not.  But it is better, so we made the change.

We chose to make these changes because small incremental improvements add up over time and our aim is to continually improve our products.  We normally don't even talk about changes like this since we make them on a constant basis. 

- Jim

[Bill Baker]

Beautiful work as always Jim

[Bill@LakeGeorge]

Well I got part of my speakers yesterday.  I arrived home to find 2 HT3's sitting outside my garage, DHL tracking said they were still in Michigan. 

These are gorgeous.  The bass is incredible, everything is so defined.

I am waiting for the rest of my delivery to setup and calibrate and will report back, but so far in a word incredible.

Thanks Jim

[satfrat]

Hey Bill, I hope the fact that my Cowboys beat up on your Giants won't deter you from inviting me over for a listen sometime down the road?  I'm thinking these Salks are maybe just a little better in the visual & audio department than your most excellent Onix were? 



Cheers,
Robin

[randybessinger]

Outstanding Jim. I am going to write and see if you have any interest in making a stand for the HT-1 I am using as a center. 

[martyo]

Beautiful Jim! These are the first I've seen with a "full grill". I know in certain situations grills are needed and some of us just like them, they sure do cover up a lot of the beautiful work. Of course either way is better than my current set-up, grill on the right, off on the left.    I do like the contrast of light wood and dark grills. 

Very nice Bill.

[95bcwh]

Jim,
  I wonder, what does it take to make the top a smoother curve like this:
( No..I don't mean to suggest that you copy the Kharma... just a picture to illustrate what I mean)



Rgds
barry

[jsalk]

Jim,
  I wonder, what does it take to make the top a smoother curve like this:
( No..I don't mean to suggest that you copy the Kharma... just a picture to illustrate what I mean)

Rgds
barry

Barry -

If you notice the bottom of the cabinet, it is curved as well. 

The way this is usually done is called, among other things, translamination.  Imagine a piece of 3/4" or 1" mdf cut in the shape of the cabinet.  Now duplicate this and cut out the internal section of the piece to duplicate the internal dimensions of the cabinet. Duplicate this many times and finally cut another piece just like the first.  Now stack all of them one on top of the other and glue them together.

Using this technique, you can create virually any cabinet shape with any internal shape you want including all bracing.

Since the pieces need to be exact, they are normally all cut with CNC or pin routers with templates. 

This is something we may try with some future model.

- Jim

[PhishPhan]

Those look great.  What is the sound difference with the new build process?  I would think a color closely matching the finish would be better than the black for the cloth.  It could be just me     The center stand is really nice.

Who cares what the cloth looks like? If I had the honor of owning these speakers I'd want to see those beautiful drivers, not the grill. I think the black would look nice in my closet.

Those speakers look stunning. I think Birdseye maple is my favorite wood, and these have done nothing to dispel that opinion.

You don't give student discounts do you?

[Woodsea]

I agree about the closet as well!  I just view it as more aesthetically pleasing if you need the grills for whatever the reason, to have a tan-like cover rather than the EYE catching Black against the fine Birds eye. 

[klh]

I actually prefer the black cloth from a practical perspective. These are going in a home theater. And probably a high end one at that. Having a non-reflective black grill on while watching movies is a major bonus. When the lights go back on, off go the grills. You get the best of both worlds.

[Bill@LakeGeorge]

Well the grills made a brief appearance on the speakers during assembly, they mount with magnets (very cool).  Since 9:00am these babies have been playing tunes from every source I have.  Jim gives you a birth certificate and I think these are already out of diapers. 

Right now, Dave Matthews Live at Radio City.

What really sets these apart from my previous speakers is the awesome bass and the clear airy highs that just seem to float above the stage, magical.

The construction of these is something else, I hope one of my grandsons does run into them , they will get the s**t knocked out of them

[Bill@LakeGeorge]

Well I have been breaking these babies in for the last week, I leave the system run while I am at work.  Jim told me they were probably 95% broke in when they shipped.

The last 2 days they really started to open up.  The soundstage fills the front of my room from floor to ceiling.  If you close your eyes you can see the stage and musicians. I can't believe it.

When I first listened I knew it was a step up over my previous speakers.  They were gutted Onix Ref 2's with new drivers and crossovers from Danny Ritchie (GR Research) and they were great.  But after 100+ hours on the Salks there is no comparison.

Jim you need to tell buyers these need break in.

And to top it all of these are gorgeous to look at   they could be, no they are the finest piece of furniture I have.

Thanks Jim and Company

[DMurphy]

Given that you like the speakers so much, I should probably just leave well enough alone (and I couldn't be happier that you like them).  But I do have to say a couple of words about break-in.  I'm sure you think you heard what you said you heard.  And maybe you did.  But for the record, the drivers that were used to design the HT3 had far less use than you've given yours.  And the crossover components were brand spanking new.  So if something changed with further use, that change would in theory negatively affect the performance targets I was seeking.  In that regard, I've measured my HT3 many times over the past year, and the results are always the same.  No change in frequency response.  No change in distortion.  No change in sensitivity.  I sincerely hope the tweeter response hasn't changed, because that would indicate that the ribbon element had stretched beyond its factory setting, which couldn't be good.  And there's no scientific basis for expecting any change in crossover component performance.  The one exception to all this is the woofer surround, which can relax a bit with use and change the box tuning slightly.  That won't affect basic frequency response or crossover optimization, but it could help eliminate any sense of boominess in the midbass.

Now--obviously you're going to reply that theory and measurements can't contradict real changes in what you heard.  And I can never convince you that you didn't hear what you said you heard.  But I do want to float the alternative hypothesis here--which is that you weren't used to the sound of the HT3 when you first turned it on, but that your ears adapted to the sound with use (and perhaps very quickly).   This is just my opinion and Jim might want to completely disagree with me.  But I personally would never claim that any design I've worked on requires extensive break-in to realize its full potential.  I simply don't have a scientific basis to substantiate that claim.

[fsimms]

I don't know if the speakers need warm up or not.  I have had my HT1's for 4 years.   There is a factor that I have seen with my speakers.  I will play songs and think.  "Wow, I knew that these speakers were good, but I didn't know they were that good!"  They have been playing over 4 years for 24/7.  I don't think that they are still breaking in.

[Big Red Machine]

The full frequency range you now hear is a result of the stretching of your eardrums, not the speakers!!

[jsalk]

Break-in is an interesting topic I am asked about all the time.  

I certainly have had many customers comment that our speakers really "open up" after 100 - 200 hours of "break-in."  So obviously something is going on here.  But what is it?

From all the research I have done, I think I can safely say the following in regard to the drivers themselves.  There are two types of performance changes drivers go through with use.  The first is mechanical in nature.  From everything I have read and the experience of many designers in measuring drivers, this appears to take place in the first 1/2 hour or so and any performance changes after that are very unlikely due to mechanical break-in.

The second is thermal break-in.  It takes a very short while for drivers to reach operating temperature when starting cold.  This happens every time you turn your system on and start playing music.  But this thermal "break-in" happens very quickly.

Based on the above, I would have to conclude that any changes that occur over 100 hours or so are not due to changes in  driver performance.  Which leaves only crossover performance as a possible physical explanation.

I have never done testing in this regard and have not run across any valid studies on the matter.  But it is certainly possible that capacitors do become more efficient in charging and discharging with an extended break-in period.  This is pure speculation on my part, but if they do, the increased speed would most likely be noticeable at the top end of the audio spectrum resulting in more micro detail.

I have had the opportunity to A/B new HT3's (after about a 20-minute driver break-in period) with HT3's that were played extensively and, try as I may, I have never been able to discern any significant performance differences.  That only thing I have noticed is that the bass quality seems to improve as the rubber surround on the woofer loosens up a bit.  However, this would not account for the reports I have had about the speakers "opening up" over time.

I do not doubt that people are hearing what they are hearing and their experiences are real.  But I suspect that as they spend more time listening to new speakers, they become more tuned in to subtle performance characteristics they did not notice at first.  To the extent that this theory has any validity, it would certainly apply to a speaker like the HT3 which is quite a bit more detailed than the speakers any given listener was likely to have prior experience with.

As I have written in the past, we all have "reference" standards as to what the ideal speaker should sound like and it is based on prior experience.  There are many people who are very impressed with the sound quality of a Bose-type speaker system.  But as they are exposed to higher and higher quality systems and spend more time with them, their point of reference changes. Some would say they become spoiled (I know I have with the HT3's).  We have all probably experienced this first-hand.

I have always felt that this built-in frame of reference changes over time and that much of what is often described as "break-in" is related to this effect.  Whether I am right or wrong about this is certainly debatable.

From my perspective, regardless of what the source of this break-in phenomenon is, it is real as far as the listener is concerned.  And as long as they are extremely happy with the turn of events, that is all that really matters.  Whatever the source of this phenomena, I know that if someone is happy with the speakers the first time they hear them, as with fine wine, things can only get better with time.  

- Jim