Salk Sound Encore 3 or Totem Wind


How do they compare? I am buying either a used set of Salk Encore 3 speakers or Totem Winds. I cannot make up my mind. I will not be able to audition either speaker. They are both about the same money used. Can anybody help me make a decision? I have BAT equipment and my room is 13 x 16. I am currently using Vonschweikert VR4-jr and they are very nice sounding.

dpm2340

@dpm2340 I am currently using Vonschweikert VR4-jr and they are very nice sounding.

@dpm2340 lots of replies. not much help. In this hobby do you have to have an excuse to change? Manufacturers certainly say no.

"I feel I just need to look at a different speaker.".

 

You may not find members here making strong recommendations for lateral moves, or for the sake of just making a change. A personal decision, fwiw.

The Encores do tight bass really well. They're fast, non-boxy sounding speakers that weigh 100+ lbs each. I never had problems with boomy bass regardless of the room they were in. I appreciated that they were fairly easy to place also and not hugely difficult to dive. I haven't heard the Totems but I would absolutely buy the Encores again (or probably the new BePure2).

@dpm2340 it might be helpful if you shared exactly which model BAT amplifier you are using. BAT makes 75/80 watt tube amps and up to ~500 watt solid state amps.

While Salk Song Encore 3 spec 8ohms, and can be okay with tube amps, they dip down closer to 85/86db efficiency near 800hz to 1k range. Likely not a problem in a smaller room setting. Not an issue with the BAT solid state amps, plenty of power.  

Totem Winds are 4ohm 87db efficiency and might not perform their optimum with a lower power tube amp either. Sure, they could work, maybe not in their sweet spot. The difference powering my former 87db 4ohm Totems at 50-100w with a tube amp vs. a 200-320 watt per channel dual mono solid state amplifier was astonishing.  I could never run my Totems properly in Triode mode at 50w. They were okay at 100w ultra linear. They came alive with the proper solid state with lots of current. 

While all tube and solid state amps are not created equal, and it's not always about power, impedance matters with tube amps, which might favor the Salks in this case.

Your VR4 Jr shows 4ohm and 90 db efficiency, with lower impedance yet a little more efficient than either the Salks or Totems. The amp you are driving your speakers with matters. The general 3 dB rule: A 3 dB gain means twice (x2) the power. A 3 dB loss means half the power. My former 4ohm 87db Totems soaked up the power.

This is partly why some of the responses have been vague so far.