[TJHUB]

You are very welcome Patrick.  I'm just glad there was a way to repay you for everything you've done for me with my subs.  

The Soundscape M7's are a VERY nice speaker.  I was very happy to FINALLY hear the RAAL tweeter as well.  Fantastic sounding speakers!

[bigbwb]

Patrick,
Racking up the new audio toys again I see;)  First the 2100 pre and now a new DAC, 'bout time you catch up!
I need to hear those SS7's!

You are very welcome Patrick.  I'm just glad there was a way to repay you for everything you've done for me with my subs.  

The Soundscape M7's are a VERY nice speaker.  I was very happy to FINALLY hear the RAAL tweeter as well.  Fantastic sounding speakers!

Terry,
How did the SS7's sound (the RAAL in particular compared to your LCY)?  You two are a bad influence on each other:)

[Warpdrv]

Hey Brandon....  yes - bad influences, but all in the name of the best possible sound... 

I probably shouldn't tell you that I just picked up the Integra 80.3 to replace the D2v in the main rig....

That should put some money back in my pocket to cover the latest upgrades... 

Let me know when you have some free time - although I would suggest after I get the EE+ DAC in the system mid month...

[Nuance]

^ Whoa - awesome!  I hate you!

[Bill Baker]

Looks to be a very impressive speaker. I am a fan of Accuton mids mated with ribbon tweeters and with the RAAL.............

[bigbwb]

Good for you man!  The integra pre's seem to be a great piece for the price and like you said, it saved you some cash after dumping the D2v.  Let me know your thoughts on it, I have always thought of adding one into my setup someday (rather than my typical receiver for HT).

Once you get the EE DAC, let me know, I can shoot up for a listen!

Hey Brandon....  yes - bad influences, but all in the name of the best possible sound... 

I probably shouldn't tell you that I just picked up the Integra 80.3 to replace the D2v in the main rig....

That should put some money back in my pocket to cover the latest upgrades... 

Let me know when you have some free time - although I would suggest after I get the EE+ DAC in the system mid month...

[Warpdrv]

Patrick- I grabbed that Daryl Stuermer album...nice stuff....thanks for that visual que!!

Def a fantastic album - everyone that has heard it at my place always asks about it.....   
Super clean presentation, great ambiance - if your a Genesis fan, IMO its a must have album !!

Another of my very favorites - completely shows off good mids and tweets...  WOW album for me
His harmonics are amongst the best I have ever heard, extremely impressive guitar player !!
Formerly of Jefferson Starship / Starship
Craig Chaquico - Acoustic Planet

^ Whoa - awesome!  I hate you!

Ha - I'm not here to make friends with you...... !!!!    eeerrr I hope were still friends...

Looks to be a very impressive speaker. I am a fan of Accuton mids mated with ribbon tweeters and with the RAAL.............

I must say that the Accuton mids are a huge eye opener for me - mids are extremely natural....
RAAL - hmmm not sure what more needs to be said there....

What other speakers have you heard with the Accuton and tweet combo....   ?

Good for you man!  The integra pre's seem to be a great piece for the price and like you said, it saved you some cash after dumping the D2v.  Let me know your thoughts on it, I have always thought of adding one into my setup someday (rather than my typical receiver for HT).

Once you get the EE DAC, let me know, I can shoot up for a listen!

Will do my good man - will be hosting a good amount of Packer Games this year, would be great if you and your better half can make an appearance, and check out the new gear I'm counting on you guys for that awesome Brie Bake !!!!    wickedly good and FATTY !!!  I'll supply the bacon

[bigbwb]

Will do my good man - will be hosting a good amount of Packer Games this year, would be great if you and your better half can make an appearance, and check out the new gear I'm counting on you guys for that awesome Brie Bake !!!!    wickedly good and FATTY !!!  I'll supply the bacon

That would be great!  Erin and I are always up for a Packer party.  The Brie can come along too:)

[mr_bill]

Warpdrv - PM sent

[Warpdrv]

Hey Mr bill - I didn't get that PM...    Nothing in my inbox

[mr_bill]

Thanks Warp, I think I got the PM to send this time - should be in your inbox.

[mr_bill]

Warpdrv and I have been visiting offline and I have his permission to ask online (in his thread) about the performance of his Soundscape M7s and a speaker that I am really curious about too - The Paradigm Signature V3 Series - the S8, S6 or S2, all in the new V3 models.  Warp owns the Sig8 V3.

If you have any comments, please share.  I know that some of Warps friends have experience with both these brands/models and would love to hear from them.  I have no dog in the fight, but have read some very impressive accounts of the new Paradigm Sig V3 line as well as the Salk Veracity and Soundscape lines.

I am only interested in high end 2 channel systems - not the HT route, so big booms and timber matching is not important to me.  I am also smart enough to know that a smaller stand mount will not play as loud or go as deep as a floorstander.   

Thanks!

[Warpdrv]

Excellent Bill.....

Terry, Nuance, MerryMaid......  Don't pull any punches....   My Sig System isn't going anywhere so post up your true feelings on these in comparison to the Salks that you guys have heard or owned...

I know how I feel about them, but outsiders need to weigh in.....  We do have a GTG thread with some of the comparisons with the HT2's, Songtower RT's Sig S8's and the Ascends, please post the link...

Glad you posted this up to garner some discussion on the topic....    For 2 Channel, I'd def give my highest regards to the Salks with the RAAL tweeter....  the mids on the SS's are phenomenal...   otherwise the HT2's are more then impressive in my mind with a 18" LMS in the mix....  Don't think that the 18" driver is way more then overkill.... the SQ from that driver is what makes it stand out above and beyond to any bass driver I have ever heard....   TERRY....?  What say you...

[TJHUB]

Bill,

IMO, Paradigm doesn't make a speaker that comes close to the accuracy and transparency you get from Salk's line up.  Paradigm's BE tweeter is one of the best sounding dome tweeters I've heard, but you just can't beat the clarity detail achieved by good ribbon tweeters.  What killed Warp's Sig 8's at my GTG was the midrange.  To my ears, there was no transparency in the midrange.  I heard a congested midrange that was obviously being played from a speaker.  The treble was good, but not close to the transparency of the two pairs of Salk's there with the LCY ribbons (SongTowers and HT2-TLs).  I'm fairly certain everyone at the GTG felt the same way. 

I don't want to sound like a Salk fanboy, but I have yet to hear any other speaker even come close to them for 2-channel music.  I have yet to find the limits of my HT2-TLs.  They seem to be able to reveal any and all improvements I can achieve with my front end electronics.  I've owned my Salk's for about 2.5 years now, and I have no desire to replace them.

Everyone in our little audio group cross over to subs for bass duties.  I've tried to get away from subs for 2-channel music too many times.  Every time I go back to subs for music, I wonder why I ever tried to get away from them.  I won't try it again.  My 18" TC Sounds LMS Ultra subs mean almost as much to me as my Salk speakers.  I only mention this because going without subs for music would mean needing to go up the Salk lineup for more capable bass response.  To me, this would mean the HT2-TL's at a minimum. 

I'll also state that Nuance and I were together at a local audio store where we listened to a pair of B&W 802Ds with an all Bryston front end including the BDP-1/BDA-1 combo as the source.  The sound was just awful compared to what I hear every day at home.  That should say a lot for what Salk speakers bring for 2-channel music. 

As far as Warp's SSM7's go, it was tough for me to really judge.  It was obvious I was hearing the Salk sound, I just don't know how much better they were than my HT2-TL's.  I'm positive I heard why people seem to prefer the RAAL tweeter over the LCY, but I'm not out there trying to figure out a way I can upgrade to the RAAL.  I did think the Accuton midrange was very revealing.  I'm not sure what I thought of it compared to what I'm used to with my HT2-TL's.  I think Warp is going to have to bring them over to my place so I can hear them in my room and properly compare the two speakers.  What do you think Warp?   Are you up for that?

You should contact Jim Salk and see if you can connect with a current owner for an audition.

[Nuance]

TJHUB and I hear almost the same, or maybe we just know what we like and want and that happens to be the same thing...I don't know.  Regardless, my thoughts exactly echo what he stated: that the Paradigm tweeter is among the best domes I've heard (the Be Beryllium, not the older ones), but the midrange suffers from sounding like a boxed speaker trying to reproduce 80% of the sound spectrum we as humans hear.  And while the Be dome is very good, it still can't match the "stairway to heaven" and resolution effect that the finest ribbons possess.  I prefer the LCY, RAAL and G2 ribbons tweeters over every dome I've heard.  I also really like which ever ribbon tweeter Evolution Acoustics uses.

The Paradigms have design trade-offs, just like every other speaker in the world.  Their particular trade-off is the lack of timbre accuracy and good resolution at the expense of being able to be driven loud while still maintaining their signature sound; you can really crank these things and they'll just laugh at you and beg for more.  Salk speakers, on the other hand, cannot be driven to ultra levels and have a lower nominal rating than some speakers, and that is their trade-off.  It all depends on which trade-off you're willing to live with.

I've not yet heard Patrick's SS7's, but I hope to very soon.  I have heard the HT3's, SS12's, HT2-TL's and SongTower's; all with the standard tweeters and the RAAL upgrade.  In my opinion there is nothing that competes at this price range.  As we all know, though, this hobby is highly subjective, so I cannot stress enough how important it is for a consumer to listen for themselves, preferably in their own home.  One man's treasure is another's trash, and you can be rest assured Salk is definitely my treasure.  These speakers have yet to reach their limits, and they won't be going anywhere for a long time.

[mr_bill]

Mighty fine comments from someone that has never heard Salks or does not live anywhere close enough to hear them!

Keep em coming.  I really value a low low noise floor in a speaker (or system) and the resulting resolution and the resolution that you hear through the separation of instruments and the space they occupy, the ability to follow instrumental lines and low low level detail.  Plus, you need to connect to the music.

This has been helpful so far!

[Warpdrv]

As there is no question I agree with you both on the differences, I'm just glad that I don't hear as well as you both, and my audio descriptions never seem to match either.... 

I honestly can't say the midrange congestion stands out to me, but then again I haven't lived with Salks Voicing for very long. So I'd imagine the different voicing will start to stand out as I get more used to the perfect sound from my SS's

I haven't been able to A/B these 2 speakers in my own home just yet.... 

Now - I do have to say that I use my Sigs more for HT and party music then critical listening - and they are power houses like Brandon said - I like to crank my music from time to time and they really can take the punishment and stay linear at those higher volumes, plus that system serves as a very very large HT room and they fill the shoes of the size very well...   For me that is the key for that system...  Remember that they are still very very good sounding speaker, which is why I have them - this just means that the Salks are that much better....  for detail, very natural...

Anything that passes through the hands of Jim Salk and Dennis Murphy seems to get the midas touch.
Salk Sound - Philharmonic Audio

After Talking to Dennis about my SS M7's, he felt that the HT2's would be darn near every bit of the SS M7's except have better low end....   The M7's would offer a bit more revealing mids with the ceramic Accuton...

For 2 channel accuracy - IMO there are better choices then the S8's. For me the Sigs work great as a Brute Force type product that get you great sound - probably 85% of the accuracy of the Salks but don't get you that extreme detail like the Salks...

[Warpdrv]

Well Folks, its been a long wait - but my CC has finally showed up....  !! 

First things first - Jims packaging SUCKS !!!!!    Well in a good way I guess - its extremely well packed and wrapped. But my good lord - if your expecting to be a kid unwrapping a present on Christmas or a Birthday where you fling off the wrapping and get right to the goodies - yeah, thats not going to happen....  Its packaged and taped so well - I honestly felt like I was trying to break into a bank with the obstacles I had to get through to just get to the seriously beautiful product...     Hahhahaha

At any rate not having the space to accommodate the gynormous SS CC, I opted to go the route of an HT2C...  with a matching finish to the SS M7's...  I asked for a variation a bit different then the solid black back end of the mains and went with front, back, sides and top be all the same Cocobolo veneer, and corner edges be a fade to black look to give some sibilance to the solid black backs of the mains...   Jim and his crew did not disappoint in the finish, and its sounds perfect in blending with the mains....  only had a small amount of time so far, but it certainly blends and sounds much smoother in all aspects then what I had...   

I'll have to snap off some pics, but for now - I'm just chillin with some "Jeff Back - Live at Ronnie Scotts"
Awesome concert if ya haven't heard it before...   Check it out