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The Official Salk Sound Owner's And Discussion Thread - Page 244

post #7291 of 8826
5/21/12 at 6:55am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by repete66211 View Post

Speakers will ship today. Come on home!
Attachment 247195

Attachment 247196

Gorgeous! Congrats and welcome to the Salk family!
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post #7292 of 8826
5/21/12 at 8:04am
Thanks Nuance. I'd be lying if I said your speaker thread and consistent cheerleading didn't influence my decision. I'm sure they're going to sound great and I know they'll look fantastic, so I thank you for the reference.

I'll post more pics/impressions once I have everything where I want it. Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to getting things set up.
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post #7293 of 8826
5/21/12 at 8:06am
^^^

nuance has done damage to many wallets... mine included...

how many more minutes?
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post #7294 of 8826
5/21/12 at 8:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ccotenj View Post

how many more minutes?

The counting has yet to begin. They're scheduled to ship later today. FedEx says I'm two days away from Salk so I should have them Wednesday. I was surprised about that, assuming it would take longer. And since it's been more than 70 days since I've ordered another couple of days won't make much of a difference. For the time being my primary concern is how to get those speakers up my stairs--especially the 100+ pound sub--and what to do with the empty boxes in a 950 square foot condo.
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post #7295 of 8826
5/21/12 at 9:03am
[quote=repete66211;22046321]Speakers will ship today. Come to me!

Man i am just waiting to hear those words!!! Hopefully this week

I cant remember when i have been this anxious for something!
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post #7296 of 8826
5/22/12 at 8:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by repete66211 View Post

The counting has yet to begin. They're scheduled to ship later today. FedEx says I'm two days away from Salk so I should have them Wednesday. I was surprised about that, assuming it would take longer. And since it's been more than 70 days since I've ordered another couple of days won't make much of a difference. For the time being my primary concern is how to get those speakers up my stairs--especially the 100+ pound sub--and what to do with the empty boxes in a 950 square foot condo.

70 days since you ordered... wow.. you scare me.. Was it because there was a driver shortage or you changed your orders or it just took that long?
Just curious, how did you get the photos so early? I didn't see Jim posting it in AC..?
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post #7297 of 8826
5/22/12 at 9:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lifeisbeautiful View Post

70 days since you ordered... wow.. you scare me.. Was it because there was a driver shortage or you changed your orders or it just took that long?

If they arrive tomorrow it will be 75 calendar days since I paid my initial deposit (and 72 since I finalized veneer choice). Walnut has a deep grain so additional coats were required. Coats take days to dry, so the days add up. And right as they were nearing the finishing stage it was discovered that the driver supplier was out of the SEAS W15s. Those had to be shipped from Europe, so that added a couple more weeks. I ordered them during the busy season (tax return time) and I believe Salk made a couple of marketing appearances in there (Wisconsin GTG, audio show) which can obviously slow things down for a smaller manufacturer. It just seemed to be a perfect storm for delayed delivery, but Jim kept me updated regularly with how things were coming along so I wasn't stressing about it. And of course art takes time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lifeisbeautiful View Post

Just curious, how did you get the photos so early? I didn't see Jim posting it in AC..?

Jim emailed me the pictures on the day they were completed. Taking photos takes time so Jim doesn't always post pics of new speakers, apparently just unique models or those with unusual or especially attractive veneers. I'm not sure why he took the time to take pictures of mine, but I certainly appreciate it.
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post #7298 of 8826
5/22/12 at 9:45am
Thread Starter 
75 days? Try waiting roughly six months! Seriously, though, the wait is worth it, and I very much look forward to hearing your thoughts. I hope you like them as much as I do my SongTower's.
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post #7299 of 8826
5/22/12 at 10:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nuance View Post

75 days? Try waiting roughly six months! Seriously, though, the wait is worth it, and I very much look forward to hearing your thoughts. I hope you like them as much as I do my SongTower's.

Nuance, I think your case has to be dismissed :-) If I remember right, yours was the first ST with Ribbons. So, the new design time needs to be included. Plus you have the hand rubbed high gloss..
But, just curious. Was there anything else that contributed to nearly 6 months besides the two I mentioned above..?
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post #7300 of 8826
5/22/12 at 10:53am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by lifeisbeautiful View Post

Nuance, I think your case has to be dismissed :-) If I remember right, yours was the first ST with Ribbons. So, the new design time needs to be included. Plus you have the hand rubbed high gloss..
But, just curious. Was there anything else that contributed to nearly 6 months besides the two I mentioned above..?

Haha - yeah, it does need to be dismissed; I was just goofing around. The galvanized aluminum baffle also contributed to the wait time, but has since been discontinued to cut costs in order to use the RAAL in place of the LCY ribbon without a price increase; I believe an all woof baffle is used now. I look forward to repete66211's impressions!
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post #7301 of 8826
5/22/12 at 1:30pm
^^^

yea those "all woof" baffles are tough to source...

i waited awhile for my mine... they took many coats of filler... addtionally, similar to nuancee, mine took a few extra days since i chose to wait for the raals... mine were almost done when jim did the changeover, and he made me an awesome deal on the raals...

edit: fwiw, they were worth the wait...
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post #7302 of 8826
5/22/12 at 7:14pm
Unfortunately I'm out of town on business right now. I'm hoping I can get home in time to set everything up tomorrow. I'm still pretty green with the Denon 4311 so I imagine there may be just a little tweaking going on this weekend.
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post #7303 of 8826
5/22/12 at 7:21pm
^^^

there's a few of us with 4311's... we'll get you through any rough spots...

you are gonna be a very happy man...
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post #7304 of 8826
5/22/12 at 7:34pm
Repete, these are SC-ST's right? I can't wait for your impressions, as I have the 4311 as well and am on the fence as to which Salk model to get. I'm happy to entertain any opinions from you guys! This is one knowledgable group of audiophiles!
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post #7305 of 8826
5/22/12 at 8:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by guillermorb73 View Post

Repete, these are SC-ST's right? I can't wait for your impressions, as I have the 4311 as well and am on the fence as to which Salk model to get. I'm happy to entertain any opinions from you guys! This is one knowledgable group of audiophiles!

Yes, SC ST's, SC SongCenter, Surround I's & Salk/Rythmik 12" sub.

Honestly, I'm not sure if my impression will be of much value. My place isn't an ideal listening space-my condo is basically one big room. Additionally, the limited space leaves me no options, dictating exactly where the speakers must be placed. And the Salks are replacing Polk Monitors, hardly a fair comparison.

My impression may be nothing more than "I love them".
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post #7306 of 8826
5/23/12 at 2:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by repete66211 View Post

My impression may be nothing more than "I love them".

We still want to know. I'm on the fence for a purchase later this year. ST, ST w/RAAL, or SCST.
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post #7307 of 8826
5/23/12 at 5:25am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by guillermorb73 View Post

Repete, these are SC-ST's right? I can't wait for your impressions, as I have the 4311 as well and am on the fence as to which Salk model to get. I'm happy to entertain any opinions from you guys! This is one knowledgable group of audiophiles!

Can you give us some specs on your room, intended use (movies or music or both, and if so, what percentage), WAF requirements, placement options, etc?

Quote:
Originally Posted by glangford View Post

We still want to know. I'm on the fence for a purchase later this year. ST, ST w/RAAL, or SCST.

Yes, we still want to know.

Here is my take concerning those on "the fence"

If you have a small or medium sized room the SongTower's (with or without the RAAL) will perform very well. If you plan to cross to a subwoofer (or multiples) they'll perform very well in large rooms too. The Super-Charged SongTower's will give you a slimmer profile and I'd imagine more headroom as far as maximum SPL levels go due to the superior woofers; you'll also get more midrange resolution. Finally, the RAAL's are worth it for everything but rap, R&B, rock or heavy metal music; even if you listen to that stuff you'll still want the RAAL's if you're as finicky as I am. I would guess the Super-Charged ST's sound identical to the HT2-TL's above 100Hz minus dispersion characteristics, with the former having better dispersion due to the smaller mid woofer. The Veracity will give you better bass slam and more depth, while the SC-ST's will have better dispersion; only you can choose which is better suited for you.

I hope that helps.
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post #7308 of 8826
5/23/12 at 6:33am
Nuance, when you say "the RAAL's are worth it for everything but rap, R&B, rock or heavy metal music", what do you mean by that? What about the RAAL wouldn't be suited for those types of music? Or are you saying with those types of music you wouldn't fully appreciate the benefit when compared to listening to orchestral or classical music?
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post #7309 of 8826
5/23/12 at 7:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by HAMP568 View Post

OMG!!!! These are beautiful!!!! I am finding out you are pretty much in my back yard and I never really heard of Salk before.

Actually it looks like I have passed your shop a few times.

I live in Oak Park and my wife works for the assessor's office near you. Do you allow visitors a demo listen?

Yes, people visit our shop all the time. It is best to set up an appointment so we can be ready for you.

- Jim
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post #7310 of 8826
5/23/12 at 8:18am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by steveko23 View Post

Or are you saying with those types of music you wouldn't fully appreciate the benefit when compared to listening to orchestral or classical music?

^ That is what I am saying. The benefits of the RAAL may simply go unnoticed if you primarily listen to that other stuff. I listen to a good amount of rock and metal along with jazz, classical, vocal heavy, big band and new age stuff, so I can certainly hear the difference between the ribbon and dome, but perhaps not with everything.
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post #7311 of 8826
5/23/12 at 10:03am
Just to clarify things, if music contains a lot of top end detail, the ribbons will reproduce it extremely well. But many rock and similar recordings are highly compressed and lack a lot of top end detail. For this type of music, the ribbons do not have any advantage over domes since there is not much top end detail to reproduce.

I hope that makes sense.

- Jim
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post #7312 of 8826
5/23/12 at 4:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by steveko23 View Post

Nuance, when you say "the RAAL's are worth it for everything but rap, R&B, rock or heavy metal music", what do you mean by that? What about the RAAL wouldn't be suited for those types of music? Or are you saying with those types of music you wouldn't fully appreciate the benefit when compared to listening to orchestral or classical music?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nuance View Post

^ That is what I am saying. The benefits of the RAAL may simply go unnoticed if you primarily listen to that other stuff. I listen to a good amount of rock and metal along with jazz, classical, vocal heavy, big band and new age stuff, so I can certainly hear the difference between the ribbon and dome, but perhaps not with everything.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jsalk View Post

Just to clarify things, if music contains a lot of top end detail, the ribbons will reproduce it extremely well. But many rock and similar recordings are highly compressed and lack a lot of top end detail. For this type of music, the ribbons do not have any advantage over domes since there is not much top end detail to reproduce.

I hope that makes sense.

- Jim

IMHO, the RAAL's accuracy benefits all genres (just about every genre is played on our household). Whether or not it's worth the extra cost is a personal decision. To me it's worth it.

My recommendation for those on the fence is this; if the cost difference isn't an issue, go for the RAAL. If you are already maxing your budget with the dome version, forget about the RAAL and enjoy the excellent dome. Unless you compare them side by side (I did), you won't notice your missing anything.
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post #7313 of 8826
5/23/12 at 5:07pm
Thread Starter 
^ Right on - it just depends on the recording of said genre. Like Jim said, if something is all compressed you might not notice a difference, but on well recorded music the RAAL's are heavenly. I personally think you'll notice it on most of those stuff you guys listen to...or rather not notice it, as the RAAL draws no attention to itself; it simply allows what in those frequencies on the recording to play, which is quite awesome. It's the purest ribbon I've heard.
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post #7314 of 8826
5/23/12 at 5:22pm
^^^

not surprisingly, i agree...

i wouldn't sell a kidney to get them, but i'd sell plasma...
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post #7315 of 8826
5/23/12 at 5:23pm
They're here! :-D

More to come...
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post #7316 of 8826
5/23/12 at 5:24pm
I think a plan is finally starting to come together. A pair of SCSTs in my wife's choice (within reason) of veneer, possibly a Bubinga waterfall or a dark burl. Then a custom supercharged CC in black that will fit in the space between my mantle and plasma screen.
The SCSTs has a smaller footprint than the stand mounts I've been considering. I'd rather have another for the center, but she's not keen on having something in front of the fireplace (which we never use). I think it should be a good compromise.
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post #7317 of 8826
5/23/12 at 5:55pm
OK, what SongTower owner would like to volunteer to answer assembly questions?
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post #7318 of 8826
5/23/12 at 7:35pm
Post any questions. The STs are pretty straightforward with regard to assembly. Just take your time and you should be perfectly fine. Only the most basic of tools are needed.

Congrats on the new STs!
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post #7319 of 8826
5/23/12 at 9:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ccotenj View Post

nuance has done damage to many wallets... mine included...

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post #7320 of 8826
5/24/12 at 2:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nuance View Post


Here is my take concerning those on "the fence"

If you have a small or medium sized room the SongTower's (with or without the RAAL) will perform very well. If you plan to cross to a subwoofer (or multiples) they'll perform very well in large rooms too. The Super-Charged SongTower's will give you a slimmer profile and I'd imagine more headroom as far as maximum SPL levels go due to the superior woofers; you'll also get more midrange resolution. Finally, the RAAL's are worth it for everything but rap, R&B, rock or heavy metal music; even if you listen to that stuff you'll still want the RAAL's if you're as finicky as I am. I would guess the Super-Charged ST's sound identical to the HT2-TL's above 100Hz minus dispersion characteristics, with the former having better dispersion due to the smaller mid woofer. The Veracity will give you better bass slam and more depth, while the SC-ST's will have better dispersion; only you can choose which is better suited for you.

I hope that helps.

Thanks. Its a fairly large great room open to the breakfast area/kitchen. I don't plan on a subwoofer. 2.0 channel purely for music. That is what has me thinking SCST. RAAL? Not sure if my 55 year old ears would benefit.
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