The Official Salk Sound Speakers Thread

[Big Daddy]

Please discuss your Salk Sound speakers in this thread. You can include pictures, reviews, or any other comments regarding your speakers.

Manufacturer’s Website: http://www.salksound.com/

[Intamin]

Reviews of Song Towers: http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/s...-songtower-qwt and http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazin..._songtower.htm

I own a pair of Song Towers, which can be viewed in my gallery. I'm very happy with my speakers, and here are some photos of other Salk speakers in various finishes.

Pictures:
Song Towers

HT2's

Song Towers

HT3's

Modified HT3's

Song Tower RT

HT2-TL

Archos

Un-named new flagship speaker. Flat to 18hz

[Big Daddy]

They are beautiful.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Very, very nice indeed!

John

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

They are beautiful.

Originally Posted by John72953

Very, very nice indeed!

John

I agree ~ GORGEOUS SPEAKERS !!!!

[prerich]

I love those custom finishes!!! Maybe oneday.....hmmmm?

[woodsart]

Sorry, BD that the thread sort of died. I think that I would like to try my review here, so here it is!!!

These were auditioned in North Carolina, at a Forum friends home....

The JIM SALK SONGTOWERS were as special as everyone said they were. They met every expectation that I had dreamed of!

And now my LISTENING EXPERIENCE.....

Alex took me upstairs to the designated listening room with a few components/receiver/oppo/squeezebox, a flat screen and of course the ELEGANT BLACK STs, which were just standing there with their intemidating glare saying 'JUST TAKE A LISTEN, I DARE YOU'. As there tall slender majestic appearance seemed a bit intimidating. Another truth...quality is a standout!!

Just wanted to sing..."I just can't take my eyes off of you", "Your just to good to be true"

Back to the madness and the seriousness and the listening room appearance....

A very simple room, but quite sufficient and kind of cozy one at that...perfect getaway to sonic immersion! Just close the door leave the world behind.....I envied Alex...a lot!!! I could tell he did not enjoy it.....NOT!!!

Alex was such a good host...very patient with me and my ignorance!!! Thanks sir!!

We started with Jim's demo CD. It only took the intro to bring a grin on my face, I might even looked a little glassy-eyed. Was I surprised...NO! I knew it wouldn't take hours of listening to know if this speaker was right for me and my expectations were met 100%!! I know that is a strong statement, but I really couldn't find any faults that bothered me...just a little boominess, but we concluded that was from some of the music and unfortunately the STs produced what was imputed!!!

Alex played through the CD as we talked a discussed the songs and others, I felt a calmness settling in, even though the music was pretty loud, I felt very relaxed and immensely entertained, The stress level of finding Alex's home (due to the GPS fault), was gone as I was settling in now to listen to the music instead of the look of the speakers, even though they seemed invisible. Guess one calls it 'SONIC BLISS'.

Song after song the Sts just produced beautiful notes. They seem to know I was there and was in critique mode, because they were just shining with one song after another, after another, after another. It was exactly as I expected from these beautiful speakers. And I might add that these were the base price STs.

The shocker was the STs were driven by an Onkyo 805 (a great amp, though), which was one of the reasons I wanted to visit Alex. His components were very similar to mine. There was no external amp, just the onkyo and I truly was taken back again.

To sum this time up, I found the drivers to be flawless. The dome tweeter was quite sufficient for me, no need to go for the ribbon. The bass, well, let's just say is was as advertised....I couldn't believe the low notes those accomplished....and the MIDRANGE, just as expected...just as I have read .....TOPSHELF!!!

For Jim, Dennis and all the staff at Salksound...

WHAT AN ACCOMPLISHMENT!!! CONGRATULATIONS!

The SONGTOWERS will truly be around for a long time as they are worth every penny.

And, again, thanks to Alex for his gracious invitation to his home for a listen and to Nuance who guided me and to others who also shared their opinions which led me to my conclusion.....

THE SONGTOWERS ARE MY CHOICE FOR MY PERFECT SPEAKER!

Thanks,
Rob

Just for a point of interest, I have auditioned many others speakers such Infinity, Quad, Dynaudio, Cambridge Audio (England) and B&W.

[woodsart]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Please discuss your Salk Sound speakers in this thread. You can include pictures, reviews, or any other comments regarding your speakers.

Manufacturer’s Website: http://www.salksound.com/index.shtml

Hey BD....The Link for the Salk page doesn't work any more!!!

Thanks!

[woodsart]

Manufacturer Web Site http://www.salksound.com!

[ls7z06]

Count me a loyal Salkist. I have a set of dark cherry SongTower domes in my family room and a full set of black Veracities (HT2TL fronts, HT1TL surrounds and a HT2C center) in the HT room. It was difficult buying black, but I figured that would be best in a dark home theater room. Now I wish I would have gotten dark curly cherry with a very dark, almost black stain on the wood instead. Oh well! They all sound wonderful regardless of the finish.

I am a little surprised there is not much chatter about the Salks here. But I guess they are a little off the beaten path.

[woodsart]

Originally Posted by ls7z06

Count me a loyal Salkist. I have a set of dark cherry SongTower domes in my family room and a full set of black Veracities (HT2TL fronts, HT1TL surrounds and a HT2C center) in the HT room. It was difficult buying black, but I figured that would be best in a dark home theater room. Now I wish I would have gotten dark curly cherry with a very dark, almost black stain on the wood instead. Oh well! They all sound wonderful regardless of the finish.

I am a little surprised there is not much chatter about the Salks here. But I guess they are a little off the beaten path.

Yeah, think eveyone is at Audio Circle or AVS.

Your set-up looks very nice. Glad you are enjoying some of the best speakers made!

Enjoy,
Rob

[ls7z06]

I have been hanging onto a set of Polk FXiA6 dipoles as rear surrounds in my HT set up even though everything else was Salk Veracity. I just worked it out with Jim last week to build a set of Salk wall mount, rear surrounds to replace the old Polkies. Can't wait until they show up! That will make my set up 100% Salk (except for the SVS Sub). The new rears will be a new design speaker configuration using the same drivers as are used in a Song Surround I. However, the cabs will be sloped from top to bottom somewhat aiming the drivers downwards into the room, and they will be bottom ported. Sould be a perfect compliment to what I already have in place. I will update my gallery when they arrive. Jim has blown me away with every speaker he has built for me so far. I am betting this will be no different.

[-DLS-]

Well this is a quiet thread so I thought I bring it back up. I ordered some SongTowers and a front ported SongCenter with the latest RAAL ribbon tweeter and SongSurround I's with the OW1 dome tweeter. Jim estimated 45 days so I got just over 30 days left before they're completed.

I still have my Paradigm Studio's and will compare them along with any other speaker I can take home with a 30 day trial.

Here a pic with the RAAL ribbon. I got it in Satin Black though to match my VTF-15H's. I also got a set of Stainless steel screws and the Black screws so I'll see what looks better.

[Reference_head]

Originally Posted by -DLS-

Well this is a quiet thread so I thought I bring it back up. I ordered some SongTowers and a front ported SongCenter with the latest RAAL ribbon tweeter and SongSurround I's with the OW1 dome tweeter. Jim estimated 45 days so I got just over 30 days left before they're completed.

I still have my Paradigm Studio's and will compare them along with any other speaker I can take home with a 30 day trial.

Here a pic with the RAAL ribbon. I got it in Satin Black though to match my VTF-15H's. I also got a set of Stainless steel screws and the Black screws so I'll see what looks better.

Those look very nice did you demo them at all?

[-DLS-]

Originally Posted by Reference_head

Those look very nice did you demo them at all?

No not yet but they do offer a 30 day trial on standard finishes. I wanted to try the Ascend Sierra Towers or the Aperion Verus Grands but since there's no date on the Ascends yet and the Aperions duty charges were almost $500 I decided to try the SALK's. I've read nothing but good things about them and even a few good comparisons to the Paradigm Sigs. I guess I'll find out soon..

[Reference_head]

Originally Posted by -DLS-

No not yet but they do offer a 30 day trial on standard finishes. I wanted to try the Ascend Sierra Towers or the Aperion Verus Grands but since there's no date on the Ascends yet and the Aperions duty charges were almost $500 I decided to try the SALK's. I've read nothing but good things about them and even a few good comparisons to the Paradigm Sigs. I guess I'll find out soon..

Cool man can’t wait to hear your review

[-DLS-]

The wait is almost over.. My speakers were completed Wednesday and shipped out Thursday.. projected delivery date is this Thursday so I hope there's no delays at the border. there's usually always delays with shipments up here so I'm not gonna get my hopes up for Thursday and hope for at least Friday..

I also sold my Paradigms last Sunday so unfortunately I won't be able to compare them side by side but after owning them for over 2 years I think I'll know if these sound better or not. The guy really wanted them and after telling him I would sell them to him over 7 weeks ago I felt really bad so since I had the Energy's in house I decided to let them go. I still have the Energy's til next Saturday so if the Salk's come on time I can compare then to the V-6.3's

[callas01]

Originally Posted by -DLS-

The wait is almost over.. My speakers were completed Wednesday and shipped out Thursday.. projected delivery date is this Thursday so I hope there's no delays at the border. there's usually always delays with shipments up here so I'm not gonna get my hopes up for Thursday and hope for at least Friday..

I also sold my Paradigms last Sunday so unfortunately I won't be able to compare them side by side but after owning them for over 2 years I think I'll know if these sound better or not. The guy really wanted them and after telling him I would sell them to him over 7 weeks ago I felt really bad so since I had the Energy's in house I decided to let them go. I still have the Energy's til next Saturday so if the Salk's come on time I can compare then to the V-6.3's

congrats, Im sure youre going to love the Salks, you know they probably won't push the SPLs of the Digms, or maybe even the Energys, however I think the sound will probably be better then both... I hope you think so anyways.

My question for you.. what if you don't like the Salks? Well, not that you won't like them, but what if they aren't the sound you want for your HT and music???

[-DLS-]

Originally Posted by callas01

congrats, Im sure youre going to love the Salks, you know they probably won't push the SPLs of the Digms, or maybe even the Energys, however I think the sound will probably be better then both... I hope you think so anyways.

My question for you.. what if you don't like the Salks? Well, not that you won't like them, but what if they aren't the sound you want for your HT and music???

Thanks man.. SPL levels was one of my main concerns but after a couple of PM's with some owners and an e-mail to Jim Salk it's safe to say that the levels I actually sit and listen to would be fine even at my loudest. It's the level that I'm used to cranking up the Paradigms when I'm doing stuff around the basement or rest of the house that I gotta watch out for.. Or when people are over and the speakers just start sounding quieter as everyone gets noisier. As long as I'm paying attention I should be good up to at least 105db's from my main spot which is pretty loud for any speaker alone without a sub.

I hope I like them better also.. It was a gamble - I was originally thinkin I got 30 days to try them out but since this guy really wanted my Studio's and had the cash to give me what I paid for them I know I wouldn't get an offer like that again if I waited. I pretty much had them for free for the last two years..

About me not liking them.. I questioned myself the same and so did my wife but she knows I've been wanting the Sig's for awhile and agreed to let me purchase an S6/C5 setup when we finally move. She agreed to sell our Studio's only if I agreed to keep the Salk's until we move - unless I was able to sell them for 80% of what I paid. I think they would be harder to sell than the Paradigms up here in Canada so I think I'm gonna have to live with them for at least 2 years whether I like it or not. I'm pretty confident that I will like them after reading comparisons to the Studio's and Sig's from a former Studio/current Sig owner and a few others that have heard them in a recent shootout with the Sig 8's. They were preferred by everyone at the shootout with comments of the ST's having a better mid-range and highs as good or even better than the Be's on the Sig's. I also know one owner of the dome version ST's that used to own Dynaudio Focus 140's and C1's and does not regret the move to the Salk's. That is only his personal opinion though but there have been several comparison's of the dome version to many other well regarded speakers and the ribbon upgrade is supposedly better. If I have to sell these I would most likely have to ship them to the U.S. which I don't wanna do so I hope they really are as good as they say. I'm trying not to have super high expectations so I'm not disappointed but I guess I'll find out soon. From What Jim says they should be great fro both HT and music..

[callas01]

Originally Posted by -DLS-

Thanks man.. SPL levels was one of my main concerns but after a couple of PM's with some owners and an e-mail to Jim Salk it's safe to say that the levels I actually sit and listen to would be fine even at my loudest. It's the level that I'm used to cranking up the Paradigms when I'm doing stuff around the basement or rest of the house that I gotta watch out for.. Or when people are over and the speakers just start sounding quieter as everyone gets noisier. As long as I'm paying attention I should be good up to at least 105db's from my main spot which is pretty loud for any speaker alone without a sub.

I hope I like them better also.. It was a gamble - I was originally thinkin I got 30 days to try them out but since this guy really wanted my Studio's and had the cash to give me what I paid for them I know I wouldn't get an offer like that again if I waited. I pretty much had them for free for the last two years..

About me not liking them.. I questioned myself the same and so did my wife but she knows I've been wanting the Sig's for awhile and agreed to let me purchase an S6/C5 setup when we finally move. She agreed to sell our Studio's only if I agreed to keep the Salk's until we move - unless I was able to sell them for 80% of what I paid. I think they would be harder to sell than the Paradigms up here in Canada so I think I'm gonna have to live with them for at least 2 years whether I like it or not. I'm pretty confident that I will like them after reading comparisons to the Studio's and Sig's from a former Studio/current Sig owner and a few others that have heard them in a recent shootout with the Sig 8's. They were preferred by everyone at the shootout with comments of the ST's having a better mid-range and highs as good or even better than the Be's on the Sig's. I also know one owner of the dome version ST's that used to own Dynaudio Focus 140's and C1's and does not regret the move to the Salk's. That is only his personal opinion though but there have been several comparison's of the dome version to many other well regarded speakers and the ribbon upgrade is supposedly better. If I have to sell these I would most likely have to ship them to the U.S. which I don't wanna do so I hope they really are as good as they say. I'm trying not to have super high expectations so I'm not disappointed but I guess I'll find out soon. From What Jim says they should be great fro both HT and music..

yeah, I have been following your exploits on AVS and the conversations there, however, I couldn't not find the shootout, but I did see the owner of the Sigs mention that the Salks were better.... However, better is always a relative and subjective term. Honestly, I hope you like the Salks enough to keep them for life. I say that not to downplay the Sig 6/8s, but it would be awesome for a consistent member to be on here and be the champion of a small branded company like Salk. Since Salk is in CA, I may have to see if I can hear them sometime if I ever get close to their HQs.