How do the Salk Sound HT3 sound like

BrassEar · « **Reply #20 on:** 17 Nov 2008, 07:42 pm »

Quote from: zybar on 14 Nov 2008, 08:30 pm

Dennis,
I thought I was able to get in room response (EQ'd via a TacT unit) into the mid 20's with my HT3's.
In terms of bass below 25Hz, my Vandy 5A's do that in room, but they are way more expensive than the HT3's and achieve that with a powered woofer.
George

George. Sorry but I am very confused by your various posts. Do you still have the HT3s, Vandy 5A's AND the EP CS2's? How would you rate all of these speakers?

TIA!

zybar · « **Reply #21 on:** 17 Nov 2008, 07:46 pm »

Quote from: BrassEar on 17 Nov 2008, 07:42 pm

George. Sorry but I am very confused by your various posts. Do you still have the HT3s, Vandy 5A's AND the EP CS2's? How would you rate all of these speakers?

TIA!

I currently have all but the HT3's at home.

I owned the HT3's for a few years, but sold them to a fellow AC member a little over a year ago.

FWIW, I feel that my time with the HT3's puts me in a "qualified" position to comment on them.

This certainly isn't the place to rate or compare the various speakers.

George

Nuance · « **Reply #22 on:** 18 Nov 2008, 03:44 pm »

Quote from: Big Red Machine on 16 Nov 2008, 01:00 pm

Big challenge for the HT4 to be better than the HT3, wouldn't you think?

Yes, I would say so, but Jim and Dennis are masterful. If they want it done, it will be done.

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #23 on:** 14 Dec 2008, 01:09 am »

I had the pleasure today of auditioning member AliG's Salk Veracity speaks using some records I had brought along for the occasion. He has some very fine equipment in front of them. What is unique about G's system is that he listens in the nearfield in a very small room that he has treated extensively. I know these records very well but they sounded so much more alive and reach out and touch it dimensional that it was scary exciting. What it sounded like was standing at the podium of a full orchestra, at a table in the club right in front of the stage, amongst musicians jammin in the studio, whatever was playing. I was very impressed. I might have to get me some of these. Very fine and near perfectly drawn renderings with loads of dynamic life and extention. Thanks, G, I had a good time. My humble system is warming up as I type to listen to these recordings over. They are good ones, BTW, G was taking notes:

If Only I could Remember My Name- David Crosby (Classic Records) with Jack Casady AND Phil Lesh slapping the bass;
Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances- Dallas Symphony Orchestra (Athena Records);
Listen . . - L.A. Jazz Choir (Mobile Fidelty) recorded live by Keith Johnson;
All My Tomorrows- Carol Kidd (Linn Records) 20th anniversary edition;
I had intended to play Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers' Live at Keystone Corner 3 but darn if G hadn't put a copy of this on first up. Pure coincidence. Mine was a regular Concord Jazz release but the one we listened to was a recently released remaster;
Larry McNeely, Geoff Levin, Jack Skinner- self titled (Sheffield);
Kor (Proprius).

One caveat. I think there could have been a little more flesh on the bone in the lower treble, upper mid range. Don't know if this a characteristic of the speaker or how spread apart they were from where I was sitting.

fsimms · « **Reply #24 on:** 14 Dec 2008, 12:57 pm »

Quote

I know these records very well but they sounded so much more alive and reach out and touch it dimensional that it was scary exciting.

AliG has his system running pretty good! It becomes less scary after you get used to it.

Quote

One caveat. I think there could have been a little more flesh on the bone in the lower treble, upper mid range. Don't know if this a characteristic of the speaker or how spread apart they were from where I was sitting.

AliG said that if you would have told him that then he may have been able to fix that with changing a couple of tubes.

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #25 on:** 14 Dec 2008, 01:33 pm »

Thanks, fsi, thing is, I was having too much jaw dropping fun to think about it. It was an afterthought, really. If I didn't make this clear, I thought AliG's system was freakin awesome!

HerculePirate · « **Reply #26 on:** 14 Dec 2008, 03:58 pm »

Can you please describe the components of AliG's setup please.
I am so looking forward to the Veracity HT3.

The size of AliG's room...
I have a living room and a small bed room 12 x 15 feet.
I also have a tact 2.0S....I may consider the smaller room for Privacy sake...
Also talking about room treatments .... Any advice...free or involving costs
Regards
HP

fsimms · « **Reply #27 on:** 14 Dec 2008, 04:25 pm »

Quote

Can you please describe the components of AliG's setup please.

I am familiar with what AliG has.

VPI Aries III turntable with JMW 10.5i arm and Dynavector 20H phono cartridge.

Dodd battery phono preamp and Dodd battery preamp.

Moscode 301 amp with Telefunken smooth plates.

He also has an Audio Research Reference CD7 player.

He likes Virtual Dynamics power cords. I am not sure what other interconnects and speaker wires are.

The rack is made from Billian (Borneo Ironwood)

Just about every inch of the walls is covered with thick sound absorbing panels.

AliG also has a highly modified Tact 2.0s that he uses now as a stand alone DAC sometimes.

There are some more pictures in this topic.

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=61341.0

Bob

CatchMeIfYouCan · « **Reply #28 on:** 15 Dec 2008, 12:08 am »

I know AliG, he came to visit me once and I went to visit him twice and he told me about this website.

His room is very small, about 11ft x 13ft with 10ft ceiling. The sound that came out of his speakers is simply phenomenal. I was depressed after visiting his room the first time, I had a system that cost 4 times more (JM-Lab Nova Utopia, BAT REX, BAT VK-150SE, Esoteric X-01) but didn't sound nearly as 'real' and as 'transparent' as his. He taught me about room treatment and after spending 1 year researching on this topic, I added a mix of absorption panels and diffusors to my room and got my system to sound better than ever. I still can't say that my system now sounds better than his, because there are things that I like about his system and there're things that his sytem can't do as well as mine. At least there's one thing I often use to tease him about - that my speakers can easily reach down to 20Hz in my room while the HT3 can't

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #29 on:** 15 Dec 2008, 02:58 am »

One of the reasons that the presentation of AliG's music is so immediate and transparent (besides his equipment and how everything marries up to include his cartridge and tangency to the groove) may be the close proximity of the speakers to the listening position and the distance from side walls relative to his nearness to the plane of his speakers. I mean like waveforms are hitting your ears fast!. I've heard it suggested that having one's speakers off the long wall as in G's room instead of a short wall may be better if it can be done. G's set up may be a case in point. And he has damped the walls behind the speakers and behind his seat very thoroughly to his credit and to his music. Waveforms hitting your side walls would be arriving much later in that case. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the area just behind G's equipment racks and between his speakers is recessed, too. That's G's good luck, I think. Like it's a bay window or something (couldn't tell for all the treatment). He's done a lot to take his room out of the equation. Bass linearity might be improved in a larger room but I'm amazed at what he has done.

And I think those Salk ribbons are definitely a step up in quickness, maybe extention, too, from my domes.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #30 on:** 15 Dec 2008, 08:35 am »

Quote from: fsimms on 14 Dec 2008, 04:25 pm

Quote
Can you please describe the components of AliG's setup please.

Moscode 301 amp with Telefunken smooth plates.

Barry has the Moscode "401" amp....

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #31 on:** 15 Dec 2008, 08:42 am »

Thanks, Chris, glad you got my back.

BrianM · « **Reply #32 on:** 15 Dec 2008, 02:33 pm »

Quote

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the area just behind G's equipment racks and between his speakers is recessed, too. That's G's good luck, I think. Like it's a bay window or something (couldn't tell for all the treatment).

Yeah, I would bet that back space enhances things. I was able to achieve the same kind of thing by putting my speakers on perpendicular walls, creating a triangular field receding behind them. I fully agree that well treated small rooms can produce great results, like being at the podium or in a front row seat at the night club. If AliG can achieve that with two TC subwoofers I don't feel so crazy trying it with my 2-way monitors (my room is only 11x12 or so), which aren't exactly mini-monitors. I'm sure he has significantly more absorption than I do.

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #33 on:** 15 Dec 2008, 04:01 pm »

Quote from: jimdgoulding on 15 Dec 2008, 02:58 am

And I think those Salk ribbons are definitely a step up in quickness, maybe extention, too, from my domes.

Once you go ribbon, well, there's no going back!

CatchMeIfYouCan · « **Reply #34 on:** 15 Dec 2008, 11:36 pm »

AliG's room's front wall (behind equipment racks) is dampened with absorption panels too. I recall he told me that he has about 20 absorption panels (4 inch thick, made from Mineral Wools 6lb/ft3 density) in his room. He also had quite a number of fiberglass insulation rolls (R-13 or something) that he bought from Home Depot, he stacked up these rolls at all four corners from floor to ceiling and then hid them behind the curtains.

Quote from: BrianM on 15 Dec 2008, 02:33 pm

Quote
Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the area just behind G's equipment racks and between his speakers is recessed, too. That's G's good luck, I think. Like it's a bay window or something (couldn't tell for all the treatment).

Yeah, I would bet that back space enhances things. I was able to achieve the same kind of thing by putting my speakers on perpendicular walls, creating a triangular field receding behind them. I fully agree that well treated small rooms can produce great results, like being at the podium or in a front row seat at the night club. If AliG can achieve that with two TC subwoofers I don't feel so crazy trying it with my 2-way monitors (my room is only 11x12 or so), which aren't exactly mini-monitors. I'm sure he has significantly more absorption than I do.

HerculePirate · « **Reply #35 on:** 16 Dec 2008, 03:03 am »

That is insane....
People.... I need some good links into room treatment.
Stuff to look for and where.
Regards
HP

yooper · « **Reply #36 on:** 16 Dec 2008, 03:44 am »

AC acoustics forum.... http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?board=73.0

IMO, Real Traps and GIK Acoustics offer up some of the best products and a great consultation...

http://www.realtraps.com/

http://www.gikacoustics.com/

I believe there is an acoustical difference between the two, but your budget will dictate your decision. Either way, great guys offering great products.

Your other option is to learn how to make tour own. Lot's of guys here do it, and if you have the tools and ability, there is a lot of info here and elsewhere on the DIY method.

Mark

oneinthepipe · « **Reply #37 on:** 16 Dec 2008, 03:49 am »

Sal @ acoustimac.com. Sal uses OC 703 in his 2" panels, and his prices are low. Shipping is fast and cheap. I just received two 2'X4'X2" panels, packed in a heavy cardboard box, and shipping from Florida to Massachusetts was $9.99.

CatchMeIfYouCan · « **Reply #38 on:** 16 Dec 2008, 05:15 am »

If the cost of buying 20 panels is beyond your reach, then consider building them yourself. They're simple to build. What you need are 2" thick mineral wool sheet (2ft x 4ft, density from 4lb/ft3 to 8lb/ft3), stack two sheets together to make a 4" panel. Such DIY panel should cost no more than $25 each. Do a search on the internet on "DIY acoustic panel" and hopefully you will find some people sharing their recipes.

Quote from: HerculePirate on 16 Dec 2008, 03:03 am

That is insane....
People.... I need some good links into room treatment.
Stuff to look for and where.
Regards
HP

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #39 on:** 16 Dec 2008, 01:01 pm »

You can buy 12 inches of 703 in 1, 2, or 4 inch thicknesses, in one box, for about $100 from several suppliers on line.