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My Journey to find the "perfect" speaker... - Page 29

post #841 of 6914
3/14/08 at 9:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by merrymaid520 View Post

Alimentall,

Being the NHT rep around here, any thoughts on the power5 amp? I just bought a proceed amp3 for my ascend sierras and ran across the closeouts deals going on for this amp. The ICE power intrigues me, why are they being discontinued?

it's a nice amp, actually and a fantastic deal. But NHT's parent company closed or went bankrupt due to bad management. The new employee owned NHT can service them, but without the ability to refine and expand upon the matching preamp, there's no point in building more amplifiers.
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post #842 of 6914
3/14/08 at 11:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by QueueCumber View Post

You definitely want to buy Bose... You will not be happy with anything else.




W/P 8 mains and Sophia surrounds? Listen to QueueCumber you must! Did you purchase these before listening to the Bose Lifestyle and get a case of "buyer's remorse"? (/sarcasm off)
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post #843 of 6914
3/14/08 at 11:29am
Nuance,

I have enjoyed following your journey. Hopefully things get on track for you and you can continue soon.

Hopefully you don't mind a question... I remember that you were pretty happy with the 850s when you took them home from Craig's. What changed over time? Did you notice things as you listened to them over time? I saw you mentioned their presentation of horns and cymbals as lacking. Just curious for more insight on your experience with them.

thanks and best wishes.
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post #844 of 6914
3/14/08 at 12:50pm
Hey Nuance,

very sorry to hear you've suffered a financial setback

I hope this all clears up for you - and you know, you're still a pretty young fella, you've got lots of time to eventually get your dream speakers. And I'm sure that you will in due time
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post #845 of 6914
3/14/08 at 1:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alimentall View Post

Oh, BTW, NHT is closing out Xd for $3K through ListenUp. If that's not the closest thing to perfection for $3K, I don't know what is. Never mind that I'm pissed off that no one asked me to help close them out as the most successful of Xd dealers. , but it doesn't matter when you close your eyes.

John, does this price include factory warranty and if so how long?
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post #846 of 6914
3/14/08 at 1:15pm
i assume so. Should be one year on electronics, 5 years on drivers.
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post #847 of 6914
3/14/08 at 1:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alimentall View Post

i assume so. Should be one year on electronics, 5 years on drivers.

I just wrote them to make sure. Edit-they wrote back, yes 2 years electronics and 5 drivers.
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post #848 of 6914
3/14/08 at 7:41pm
ok, I ordered them. I have right now my undefeated and still champion Salk HT3's both passive and active through the DEQX, Salk Songtowers, Aerial bookshelfs, Era 5's, Ascend Sierras, JBL Lsr 6325, and a few others. Any one in the KC area that wants to compare is welcome to PM me. I will now finally get a chance to have John's ultimate XD against some fairly stiff competion (some of which he is familiar with like the Era's).
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post #849 of 6914
3/14/08 at 9:06pm
Well, the DEQX'd HT3s should give'em a tussle. I'll be curious what you think. Can't beat the deal, that's for sure.
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post #850 of 6914
3/14/08 at 9:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Randybes View Post

ok, I ordered them. I have right now my undefeated and still champion Salk HT3's both passive and active through the DEQX, Salk Songtowers, Aerial bookshelfs, Era 5's, Ascend Sierras, JBL Lsr 6325, and a few others. Any one in the KC area that wants to compare is welcome to PM me. I will now finally get a chance to have John's ultimate XD against some fairly stiff competion (some of which he is familiar with like the Era's).

DEQX HT3's should be quite the competition, thats a mighty fine setup!
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post #851 of 6914
3/15/08 at 7:37am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Randybes View Post

ok, I ordered them. I have right now my undefeated and still champion Salk HT3's both passive and active through the DEQX, Salk Songtowers, Aerial bookshelfs, Era 5's, Ascend Sierras, JBL Lsr 6325, and a few others. Any one in the KC area that wants to compare is welcome to PM me. I will now finally get a chance to have John's ultimate XD against some fairly stiff competion (some of which he is familiar with like the Era's).

I am looking forward to your comparison and thoughts.
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post #852 of 6914
3/15/08 at 8:57am
Yeah, me too. hopefully tomorrow I am going to take a little drive to hear the HT3's myself... Sounds like a nice lineup.
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post #853 of 6914
3/17/08 at 11:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Randybes View Post

my undefeated and still champion Salk HT3's

After listening to them, I can see why they are undefeated!

Have you posted any impressions/comparisons of the HT3's? Now that I have heard them I would like to read what others have thought and what they would compare them to.
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post #854 of 6914
3/18/08 at 7:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by funkmonkey View Post

After listening to them, I can see why they are undefeated!

Have you posted any impressions/comparisons of the HT3's? Now that I have heard them I would like to read what others have thought and what they would compare them to.

I have but it has been quite awhile ago. I plan on doing some comparisions maybe this weekend, and will post my thoughts. Briefly, though, I always seem to go back to the HT3's because they seem to get everything right rather than standing out in any one particular area.
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post #855 of 6914
3/18/08 at 3:48pm
Thread Starter 
Aww man...reading about how good the HT3's are is like throwing salt in the wound. Why do I do this to myself? Maybe a break for the forums is necessary as well...
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post #856 of 6914
3/18/08 at 6:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nuance View Post

Aww man...reading about how good the HT3's are is like throwing salt in the wound. Why do I do this to myself? Maybe a break for the forums is necessary as well...

I hear you - sometimes you need to take a break and just listen to some good music!

I've taken a few breaks from forums like this occasionally and it can really help you get perspective. These are only speakers we're obsessing about here, and none of them are perfect. If I can truly enjoy the music I'm listening to, it doesn't bother me much that there are better speakers out there; that's *always* going to be the case no matter how much I've spent!
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post #857 of 6914
3/18/08 at 10:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nuance View Post

Aww man...reading about how good the HT3's are is like throwing salt in the wound. Why do I do this to myself? Maybe a break for the forums is necessary as well...

Nuance, my man, don't fret or sweat the small stuff. As a fellow A/V hobbyist, I can tell you that there are countless times when I've discovered a great piece of gear, whether it be an amp, preamp, speaker, display, CD player, or whatever and only could WISH I had the spare bucks to purchase it for myself. It happens to most folks on this Forum at one time or another. Just save your coin, keep enjoying your hobby, and purchase wisely when you're able. I for one, have greatly enjoyed reading your input on this Forum, and buy or not but at this time, many can still benefit from your evaluations, impressions and critiques.
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post #858 of 6914
3/19/08 at 5:29pm
I am saving for these:

http://www.mbl-usa.com/rad101e.html
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post #859 of 6914
3/19/08 at 5:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by nakatalee View Post

I am saving for these:

http://www.mbl-usa.com/rad101e.html

Hope you have a large, well treated room!
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post #860 of 6914
3/19/08 at 6:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hifisponge View Post

Hope you have a large, well treated room!

It's going to be my mega million/power ball jackpot loterry strike make over project. Brand new everything....

note: Like I ever gonna win....

But for those who can afford it in reality, it's gotta be a life time concert experience.
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post #861 of 6914
3/21/08 at 12:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by nakatalee View Post

I am saving for these:

http://www.mbl-usa.com/rad101e.html

What I thought was funny, is at that price...do you really need to upcharge for the rosewood veneer?
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post #862 of 6914
3/22/08 at 5:09pm
Whoohoo! Pictures... makes it easier to find your reviews in here. Nice addition Nuance!
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post #863 of 6914
3/22/08 at 11:07pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by funkmonkey View Post

Whoohoo! Pictures... makes it easier to find your reviews in here. Nice addition Nuance!

LOL! Thanks. You inspired me to do it.
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post #864 of 6914
4/1/08 at 11:51am
Thread Starter 
The Journey Comes To A Close...For Now

So in light of all that has happened and all of the speaker's I've heard on my journey, I'm officially going on record and saying that the Salk Sound Song Tower QWT's are my "perfect speaker." They don't break the bank, they're gorgeous and can be wrapped in any finish you want, and their sound...WOW! I've never heard a midrange that detailed and lush in a speaker under $3000. The more I think about them, the more I want them. I simply cannot get that midrange accuracy out of my head, not to mention the detailed and extended high's and tight musical bass. Are they the be all end all speaker for me? Probably not. I will probably move up the Salk line eventually to the HT3's or whichever speaker is their flagship at that time. But do the Song Tower's fit into the requirements I've deemed from day one (found in the first post)? Yes, I believe they do.

As soon as I save up the funds, those Song Tower's will be mine! I don't know how long it will take, but mark my words: I will own them one day.

With that said, I will probably still continue to audition speakers and will continue to post reviews for them (if nothing else just for fun and to keep record of all my experiences). I especially want to hear the Salk Sound HT3's, though I'm a little worried I will then start lusting after those, even if I have already acquired the Song Tower's. Either way, I finally found a speaker that fits all my criteria, especially the price factor. I'll admit, the Vandersteen 5A's is a better speaker IMO, but it retails for 9.5 times the price of the Song Tower's and 3.5 times the price of the HT3's. It surely does not meet my price criteria. In lieu of that, I will never own it. But no worries, the Song Tower's will make me happy for many many years, and dare I say, are quite competitive to the 5A's in the midrange department. Yup...call me crazy if you will.

And now the hard part begins: Saving and then waiting.

Thanks to everyone who has assisted me on this journey. It's been very memorable, a great learning experience and has certainly been a blast! Even better, I've met some of the coolest people on the planet, many on this very forum. Thanks guys for everything; none of this was possible without you!

Brandon

Update: I have placed an order for a custom pair of Salk Song Tower's in Santos Rosewood. Woohoo! I will post a review when they arrive.
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post #865 of 6914
4/1/08 at 1:33pm
Congrats on the STs Nuance. They made it to my very short list. Good call.
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post #866 of 6914
4/1/08 at 2:37pm
Congrats Nuance! I'm cheering for you, especially since your recent comments helped lead me to ordering the ST's. Like you, I also want to hear the HT3's. But no rush since I don't need speaker upgrade envy.
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post #867 of 6914
4/1/08 at 2:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bahorn View Post

Congrats Nuance! I'm cheering for you, especially since your recent comments helped lead me to ordering the ST's. Like you, I also want to hear the HT3's. But no rush since I don't need speaker upgrade envy.

Why no V3 love around here? Seems like a good comprimise being a full 3-way speaker but around $1000 less then the HT3.
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post #868 of 6914
4/1/08 at 3:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChicagoTC View Post

Why no V3 love around here? Seems like a good comprimise being a full 3-way speaker but around $1000 less then the HT3.

Sorry. Don't mean to diss the V3. With better speakers and equipment, I'll probably listen more to music than movies. So the HT3 might be more appropriate. But I still need to hear both and am a long, long way off from even considering an upgrade.

I'm glad you asked though because I went to AudioCircle and read about Jim's trade in policy. Not sure if it applies to upgrading STs. But it is very generous.
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post #869 of 6914
4/1/08 at 5:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChicagoTC View Post

Why no V3 love around here? Seems like a good comprimise being a full 3-way speaker but around $1000 less then the HT3.

Yea, thats what I would like to know too. People seem to be equating the V3s with home theater duty primarily and the HT3s primarily for high end 2 channel service. The HT? name sounds like a Home Theater oriented speaker and V3 sort of reminds me of Von Schweikert's speaker nomenclature. I really would like to hear the STs, the V3s and the HT3s. But it is a long trip to PADs place for listening to V3s and HT3s. Maybe somebody closer to the Carolinas will have SongTowers soon.


I can't swing the price of the HT3s right now anyway. I like the ribbon tweeter sound, but I just might be fine with Song Towers. I am trying to re-establish a good combo 2 channel/multi channel system, after drifting away from what was high end High Fi in the 80s and living with a mid Fi Home Theater/ Stereo set up currently. Decisions Decisions
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post #870 of 6914
4/1/08 at 8:16pm
Hi I won't make a pitch for any of these speakers, but I would like to clear up any confusion about my primary design goals when I developed the crossovers. All of the Salk speakers I've worked on (HT1, HT2, HT3, V3, and SongTower) were designed for music. That means they will be perfectly suited to home theater as well, but that was not the primary intent. There are two main differences between the V3 and HT3. One is the woofer, which gives something like a 5 Hz advantage the HT3. The other is the midrange. The V3's is smaller, and that inevitably means the midrange presentation will be a little different because of differences in dispersion. Which you might prefer is pretty much a personal matter. I wish we could build a showroom with all of the models available for a side-by-side comparison, and a beam-me-up Scotty transporter to get you there instantly, but I haven't got all the kinks worked out of the mechanism yet.
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