SoundScapes & AVA at CA AUDIO Show

fritzspeakers · « **on:** 16 Jul 2011, 08:41 am »

Here's a little preview of Jims SoundScapes & Franks gear in San Francisco...

advanced101 · « **Reply #1 on:** 16 Jul 2011, 09:36 am »

Amazing pattern in the veneer. It almost looks like the passive driver has arms and is flexing.

SJ David · « **Reply #2 on:** 17 Jul 2011, 03:19 pm »

Here is a link to my post in AVA on the audio show. I am glad I had the opportunity to hear these systems of Jim's. Beautiful to look at and even more so to listen to. Solid foundation, wide-open clarity up to the extreme reaches of my hearing, and superb integration of drivers. Might need a fair amount of power but not sure about that. Certainly the AVA 300 watt hybrid was doing the job. Something to check with Salk Sound about.

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=96298.40

Nuance · « **Reply #3 on:** 17 Jul 2011, 03:21 pm »

That veneer is really cool! What is it?

qwknuf6 · « **Reply #4 on:** 17 Jul 2011, 06:49 pm »

To me it looks like burled walnut with sapwood.
That will be my next speaker veneer!

Mark

fsimms · « **Reply #5 on:** 17 Jul 2011, 08:40 pm »

Quote

5. Honorable mention and a real sleeper at the show was Jim Salk's Soundscape speakers which were not only beautiful to behold but also had probably the best bass I heard at the show. These speakers had an MSRP IIRC of $13,000

From:

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?3719-California-Audio-Show-2011

$13,000

Bob

DMurphy · « **Reply #6 on:** 17 Jul 2011, 08:58 pm »

Quote from: fsimms on 17 Jul 2011, 08:40 pm

From:

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?3719-California-Audio-Show-2011

$13,000

Bob

Well, Jim's going to raise the price, and the 13k probably also includes the custom veneer.

Saturn94 · « **Reply #7 on:** 17 Jul 2011, 10:34 pm »

I remember a quote somewhere from the CAF about the SC10 being $11K. Perhaps this is the new "base price" and the $13k price included upgrades?

coke · « **Reply #8 on:** 17 Jul 2011, 11:23 pm »

The veneer is pretty expensive and I think I also see some hardwood trim which adds to the cost.

hi5harry · « **Reply #9 on:** 17 Jul 2011, 11:45 pm »

They looked great , sounded fantastic , and best of all Frank was there playing the music for us. What an honor!

yo2tup · « **Reply #10 on:** 18 Jul 2011, 12:09 am »

by "music" I'm assuming you mean "Keith don't go"

RPM123 · « **Reply #11 on:** 18 Jul 2011, 01:29 am »

Quote from: fsimms on 17 Jul 2011, 08:40 pm

The rest of the frequency range wasn't too shabby either! The AVA with the Soundscapes was a great match!

Glenn

vintagebob · « **Reply #12 on:** 18 Jul 2011, 01:50 am »

After spending three days at the CA Audio Show I can say one thing for certain...Jim is one HECK of a nice guy. This man flies out to CA and upon arrival finds that the hotel has mixed up his reservations. They send him to Oakland (the other side of the Bay) to find a room?! He ends up sleeping in the parking lot?! The next morning he tries to arrange for delivery of the SoundScape speakers but the delivery service said they tried to deliver them the day before?! He finally gets them toward the end of the day and one of the shipping cartons is completely destroyed?! The SoundScape escapes unharmed but now Jim must find a way to reconstitute a shipping carton to get them back home. Jim is unfazed...

You wonder why I think that Jim is a nice guy? He let me into the Salk/AVA room all three days. ; )

I want to buy speakers from a guy like that...

The Salk/AVA room impressed me. A lot! I didn't listen to all of the rooms but I did listen to a few and I kept coming back to the Salk room. I even dragged my girlfriend there on Saturday and made her listen to a lot of different rooms. We both preferred the Salks. Many of the rooms sounded very good. Some of the speakers just didn't have the clarity of the Salks. Some just didn't have the range from top to bottom. Some didn't disappear as well. Each room seemed to have something missing in comparison. I finally came back on Sunday and just listened. I really enjoyed myself. Jim even played "Mele Kalikimaka" by Jimmy Buffett for me. I'm fairly sure that no one else at the show was playing Jimmy Buffett Christmas music. Dang it sounded good.

The SoundScapes were amazingly room friendly. I know my HT2-TLs would have struggled in that small room but the SS just took it in stride with no acoustic panels of any type. They sounded great from top to bottom and disappeared into the room. I listened to many types of music on them and they handled each with aplomb.

At one point Jim went from mellow nice guy to a serious speaker designer as he explained the choices they made for the bass section of the SoundScapes. It was obvious that a lot of thought went into the design.

Finally, I have to say that after meeting people like Jim (Salk), Frank and Dean (AVA) I still hold out hope for the good old USA. No hype. Just a passion for audio.

orientalexpress · « **Reply #13 on:** 18 Jul 2011, 02:06 am »

i came in late on Friday at 5.50 before It's close at 6pm,It's sound Great especially Classical music.Frank and Jim are nicest enough to stay past 6pm for the Demo.

,i have to came back on saturday for a second listening.Thanks again

Lapsan

kc8apf · « **Reply #14 on:** 18 Jul 2011, 04:54 am »

I had the pleasure of visiting Jim and Frank's room twice today. What an experience! I got completely lost in the music both times and ended up staying much longer than I planned. Unlike some other systems I heard, the SoundScape was neutral over the whole range and played the songs accurately including all their flaws.

Dean and Frank: Thanks for manning the room all day and be so welcoming.

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #15 on:** 18 Jul 2011, 11:17 am »

Spot on Bob!

Quote from: vintagebob on 18 Jul 2011, 01:50 am

After spending three days at the CA Audio Show I can say one thing for certain...Jim is one HECK of a nice guy. This man flies out to CA and upon arrival finds that the hotel has mixed up his reservations. They send him to Oakland (the other side of the Bay) to find a room?! He ends up sleeping in the parking lot?! The next morning he tries to arrange for delivery of the SoundScape speakers but the delivery service said they tried to deliver them the day before?! He finally gets them toward the end of the day and one of the shipping cartons is completely destroyed?! The SoundScape escapes unharmed but now Jim must find a way to reconstitute a shipping carton to get them back home. Jim is unfazed...

You wonder why I think that Jim is a nice guy? He let me into the Salk/AVA room all three days. ; )

I want to buy speakers from a guy like that...

The Salk/AVA room impressed me. A lot! I didn't listen to all of the rooms but I did listen to a few and I kept coming back to the Salk room. I even dragged my girlfriend there on Saturday and made her listen to a lot of different rooms. We both preferred the Salks. Many of the rooms sounded very good. Some of the speakers just didn't have the clarity of the Salks. Some just didn't have the range from top to bottom. Some didn't disappear as well. Each room seemed to have something missing in comparison. I finally came back on Sunday and just listened. I really enjoyed myself. Jim even played "Mele Kalikimaka" by Jimmy Buffett for me. I'm fairly sure that no one else at the show was playing Jimmy Buffett Christmas music. Dang it sounded good.

The SoundScapes were amazingly room friendly. I know my HT2-TLs would have struggled in that small room but the SS just took it in stride with no acoustic panels of any type. They sounded great from top to bottom and disappeared into the room. I listened to many types of music on them and they handled each with aplomb.

At one point Jim went from mellow nice guy to a serious speaker designer as he explained the choices they made for the bass section of the SoundScapes. It was obvious that a lot of thought went into the design.

Finally, I have to say that after meeting people like Jim (Salk), Frank and Dean (AVA) I still hold out hope for the good old USA. No hype. Just a passion for audio.

fsimms · « **Reply #16 on:** 19 Jul 2011, 10:34 pm »

From Stereophile:

Quote

I noted deep silences, good spatial effects, good low-end impact, and a fine sense of scale in this room occupied by Salk Sound and Van Alstine: Salk Sound Soundscape loudspeakers ($12,000/pair) and 300Wpc Van Alstine hybrid amplifier ($3000).

http://www.stereophile.com/content/salk-sound-van-alstine

Bob

trebejo · « **Reply #17 on:** 19 Jul 2011, 11:45 pm »

Wow, Stereophile noticing all the equipment in this room. Nice.

Wish I could have made it, it just was not a good weekend for me to get on the LA-Bay Area express.

I don't know if anyone else noticed, but Fritz has his own line of speakers yet he was nice enough to post the pictures here. Cosmically good manners, thanks Fritz.

Jim, Frank and crew, congratulations! Good honest hard work and a bunch of talent makes happier audiophiles of us all.

Nuance · « **Reply #18 on:** 20 Jul 2011, 01:06 pm »

Quote from: trebejo on 19 Jul 2011, 11:45 pm

Wow, Stereophile noticing all the equipment in this room. Nice.

It's about time! Finally some recognition, even though Jim isn't paying the magazine to advertise his speakers. That says a lot about the quality of these products, if you ask me.

avahifi · « **Reply #19 on:** 20 Jul 2011, 03:14 pm »

We have not paid Stereophile for any advertising either.

It was interesting to note that the other Stereophile mention stated that Jim Salk's room had the best bass performance at the show.

There those great Soundscape 10 speakers were, performing better than Jim had every heard them before, driven by invisible electronics, or at least by something not worth mentioning, and having such great sound.

Just wondering,

Frank Van Alstine