@twoleftears et al.
Update on speaker shootout: Salks win.
I did extensive listening to all kinds of music, with many positionings of the speakers. There is no question that the Salks win, hands down.
Besides having an estimable bass response (even firmer and only a little deeper when paired with my REL sub), the clarity and precision of the upper midrange really gave me what I was looking for, without the harsh, aggressive treble of the Focals or Martin Logans or what I can only describe as slightly rolled off or veiled highs in the Fritz or Dynaudios. They just smudge the details I really want to hear.
There is no question for me that, among these speakers, none are perfect. The bass on the ML’s is low and tight; the soundstage on the Focals and the midrange is really luscious, expansive, and presses my "astonishment" button; the silky, across the board honesty and listenability of the Fritz is really an impossibly good combination. But given what I have discovered as my penchant for revealing and crystalline upper mids and treble, the Salks took the prize for me. On *some* tunes, I wished they would be a bit less forward, but this is a trade off which I think I can live with — even if I don’t address any of the issues in my room. (The REW data I’ve seen after a week of testing has shown me where some problems with my room are and I have some ideas about how to address them.)
So, there you have it. End of the road. Good process; back to the beginning, but learned a lot on the way.
Update on speaker shootout: Salks win.
I did extensive listening to all kinds of music, with many positionings of the speakers. There is no question that the Salks win, hands down.
Besides having an estimable bass response (even firmer and only a little deeper when paired with my REL sub), the clarity and precision of the upper midrange really gave me what I was looking for, without the harsh, aggressive treble of the Focals or Martin Logans or what I can only describe as slightly rolled off or veiled highs in the Fritz or Dynaudios. They just smudge the details I really want to hear.
There is no question for me that, among these speakers, none are perfect. The bass on the ML’s is low and tight; the soundstage on the Focals and the midrange is really luscious, expansive, and presses my "astonishment" button; the silky, across the board honesty and listenability of the Fritz is really an impossibly good combination. But given what I have discovered as my penchant for revealing and crystalline upper mids and treble, the Salks took the prize for me. On *some* tunes, I wished they would be a bit less forward, but this is a trade off which I think I can live with — even if I don’t address any of the issues in my room. (The REW data I’ve seen after a week of testing has shown me where some problems with my room are and I have some ideas about how to address them.)
So, there you have it. End of the road. Good process; back to the beginning, but learned a lot on the way.