SongTowers arrived today...pics

Bigload · « **on:** 26 Mar 2010, 03:04 am »

Very, very nice! I won't repeat what everybody else says about these speakers. I am just thrilled to finally be in the club and realize what I have been missing. Jim did a great job matching the cherry finish to my furniture from the pics I sent to him. I may not be able to resist ordering more Salks before the weekend is over now that I have heard them. What a joy. I am using the AVA Insight SL Preamp/Vision DAC combo unit with an AVA Insight 240 amp. My sources are a Marantz SA8003 SACD/CD player and a Wadia 170i digital output iPod dock with all Apple lossless files. Also using Audioquest Diamondback i/c's from CD player to preamp, and from preamp to amp. Chris Botti, Diana Krall, and Dire Straights have never sounded better. I am thrilled, astounded and down right giddy. Hats off and thank you to Mr. Salk and Mr. Van Alstine for their very amazing American made products and excellent service. Here are a few pics of my day...

rlee8394 · « **Reply #1 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 03:23 am »

Bigload,

Are these the dome or ribbon version? How about a close-up of the drivers? Is the finish the standard curly cherry veneer dyed to match your furniture, or are they a custom veneer?

Thanks,
Ron

Bigload · « **Reply #2 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 03:35 am »

Here ya go... a pic of the drivers. Yes, they are dome tweets, standard cherry died to match the furniture.

floresjc · « **Reply #3 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 03:38 am »

If you wouldn't mind, a few close ups of the Wadia please. This is a piece of gear I'm really interested in getting and I've never seen one on a forum. Perhaps you could give a quick run down of how you like this piece of gear as well? I'd be hooking it up the same way as you, through an AVA preamp to a 240.

JerryM · « **Reply #4 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 04:12 am »

Quote from: floresjc on 26 Mar 2010, 03:38 am

If you wouldn't mind, a few close ups of the Wadia please. This is a piece of gear I'm really interested in getting and I've never seen one on a forum. Perhaps you could give a quick run down of how you like this piece of gear as well? I'd be hooking it up the same way as you, through an AVA preamp to a 240.

Good eyes!

Bigload · « **Reply #5 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 04:18 am »

Quote from: floresjc on 26 Mar 2010, 03:38 am

If you wouldn't mind, a few close ups of the Wadia please. This is a piece of gear I'm really interested in getting and I've never seen one on a forum. Perhaps you could give a quick run down of how you like this piece of gear as well? I'd be hooking it up the same way as you, through an AVA preamp to a 240.

Here ya go floresjc....
I am very pleased with the Wadia. Just make sure everything is converted in lossless. Run a digital coax to your DAC equipment and you are good to go. I find this gives me a quality a little better than most regular CD's but not quite as good as most SACD's, but pretty darn close in a lot of cases. I think I read this is the only product that Apple has licensed to export a digital signal from the iPod...but who knows if that is right or not. I also would share that when I want to check for bass performance, a lot of times I use a Philippe Saisse track from my iPod on the Wadia titled "Back into FX". It really sounds great on the Wadia and if you want to use your iPod, I know of no better way to get a respectable performance than the Wadia. (But there might well be something I am not aware of too.) Hope this helps.

mchuckp · « **Reply #6 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 05:02 am »

Great looking speakers! I'm a cherry guy myself. Can you pull them off the back wall some?

vintagebob · « **Reply #7 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 05:06 am »

Oh Yeah!

Enjoy ALL of that!

Bigload · « **Reply #8 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 05:09 am »

Quote from: mchuckp on 26 Mar 2010, 05:02 am

Great looking speakers! I'm a cherry guy myself. Can you pull them off the back wall some?

Thanks. and...Yes, they are too close to the wall and not aimed well either. Tomorrow is experiment with placement and aiming time. My wife will be gone all day, so I can slide furniture around and do things like that without her complaining.

mchuckp · « **Reply #9 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 06:05 am »

Quote from: Bigload on 26 Mar 2010, 05:09 am

Thanks. and...Yes, they are too close to the wall and not aimed well either. Tomorrow is experiment with placement and aiming time. My wife will be gone all day, so I can slide furniture around and do things like that without her complaining.

We just moved into a house and I set up all the AV stuff first. Got my priorities straight.

I have them 35" off the wall. I kept my mouth shut to see the wife's reaction. She actually noticed the were "pretty far out" but surprisingly is okay with it.

If you have some wife issues with placement, you may have to inch them out over several weeks.

She shocked me even more yesterday and agreed to let me put up 7.5" thick bass trap panels on the wall. I think someone is slipping her crack and I swear it is not me. Hope they keep it up though.

Nuance · « **Reply #10 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 06:12 am »

Bigload,

Those look great - congrats! I am very happy you're enjoying your new toys. Now I can sleep well tonight.

mathgeek97 · « **Reply #11 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 02:06 pm »

Bigload,

Very nice. Diggin' the cherry finish, it's a timeless, classic style. They look a lot like mine!
Be sure to give them plenty of room. Basically whatever your wife and your room will allow.

I'm also an Apple Lossless guy, wirelessly streaming mine from a PC upstairs to an Apple Airport Express in the listening room. The Wadia is a pretty convenient solution though...

GhostintheToast · « **Reply #12 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 03:18 pm »

Great stuff Bigload! They look gorgeous!! I too am interested in the Wadia. Thank you for the feedback!

My babies are in the shipping yard, awaiting my pickup today!

______________________________________
Currently listening to:
Bibio - The Ephemeral Bluebell

sirbrine · « **Reply #13 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 05:42 pm »

Very nice Bigload!

I asked Jim to match the furniture on my Song Tower order too.

Hopefully my STs are not too far behind yours. My wife and I are anxious to get them.

Nuance · « **Reply #14 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 06:00 pm »

Lots of soon-to-be owners. I am excited for you all!

Bigload · « **Reply #15 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 07:05 pm »

Thanks for the nice comments. I took a vaca day today so I could play. Have been experimenting all day with different types of music on CD, SACD and Wadia. Can't find a clunker. Everything sounds great. The AVA Vision DAC combined with the Wadia and the Salks really works. I have the Salks now about 16 inches from the wall and that seems to work the best for my room. I expected this would be good, but I did not expect this. I appreciate all of the knowledgeable folks on this forum leading me here.

HAITIMAN · « **Reply #16 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 07:52 pm »

Nice job of matching the furniture!

Congratulations on a fine system.

I expect delivery of my SongTowers in about 5 weeks or so.

taoggniklat · « **Reply #17 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 08:58 pm »

very nice...

floresjc · « **Reply #18 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 09:00 pm »

Thanks for the pics, they are really helpful.

I see there is a remote, which I didn't think there was. Now I'm really intrigued. Can you change playlists with it? (as in, switching between a Rock and Classical playlist on the iPod, not what songs are in them). I pretty much thought you had to put the thing on random play and let it go, but if you can somewhat browse the iPod playlist menu, this might be a must for me.

I have all my songs in Apple Lossless on my Mac and iPod already.

Edit: Does it charge the thing as well?

Bigload · « **Reply #19 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 10:56 pm »

Quote from: floresjc on 26 Mar 2010, 09:00 pm

Thanks for the pics, they are really helpful.

I see there is a remote, which I didn't think there was. Now I'm really intrigued. Can you change playlists with it? (as in, switching between a Rock and Classical playlist on the iPod, not what songs are in them). I pretty much thought you had to put the thing on random play and let it go, but if you can somewhat browse the iPod playlist menu, this might be a must for me.

I have all my songs in Apple Lossless on my Mac and iPod already.

The remote will not change playlists, and the playlist does not display on the TV screen.

However using the remote, it will change to the next and last song. It will do play and pause. It will change modes from analog to digital. And there is a +/- button and I forgot what that does! And if you use a universal remote or a remote that has learning, you can program those functions into your main remote. And yes it charges.

Edit: Does it charge the thing as well?