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Salk bookshelf or Dynaudio bookshelf? Or something else?

Hi folks,

I'm considering Salk speakers but may not have them close enough to audition them.
Could anyone compare the bookshelves with my current leading prospect, the Dynaudio Evoke 10 or Special 40?

Here are some facts that relate to my situation:

ROOM: either 13x10 ft; 7 ft ceilings or 15 x 27ft w/10 ft ceilings.
POWER: Adcom separates (535L 60w/ch. with GTP 400 preamp)
MUSIC TASTES: mostly jazz and classical but a fair amount of rock.

CURRENT SPEAKER MOST LIKELY TO BUY: Dynaudio Evoke 10 or Special 40

SALK ITEMS CONSIDERED:
SongSurround I
WOW1
SongSurround Plus
Supercharged SongSurround

SPEAKERS RULED OUT:
Focal 906
B&W bookshelf (I forget the number)
Dali Oberon
Elacs of any kind
Martin Logan

Finally, has anyone tried the Salk 30 day trial for bookshelves? What did that cost in shipping, overall? (A rough estimate is fine.)

Thanks again for your time and insight.

Best wishes,

David in Denver

P.S. There are Totems in the area but I have not heard them yet.
hilde45

Showing 2 responses by verdantaudio

verdantaudio's avatar
verdantaudio
1,524 posts
 
What in particular are you looking for in terms of sound? 

How old is your 535?  Have you had it recapped/refurbished?  I did this with an older Carver preamp and amp (~25 years old) and have been pleasantly surprised.    I use it as one of the three amps that I voice my speakers with.  I have a range of stand mount / bookshelf speakers.  We also use a Rogue Hydra and Art Audio Quartet mono-blocks.  

You ought to be able to get a new tonearm and cartridge for your Thorens and if the speed is off, could be time for a new motor and/or power supply.  A Rega RB220 is like $400 and you can get a good cartridge like an Ortofon 2M Blue for $236.  

Audio-engine makes a decent DAC.  You probably want to focus on improving your file quality.  That is a lot of effort though and can be pricey if you have sold your CDs the way I did.  I subscribed to Tidal or you could look at Amazon.  Ultimately, the price of like 10 to 20 CDs per year.  


verdantaudio's avatar
verdantaudio
1,524 posts
 
I was having issues with my Carver and it needed to be re-soldered.  After about 15-20 years, you want to have any electrolytic caps replaced.  The service on my Carver was $400 and it sounds like new. The reality is, Carver was probably not as well made as Adcom in that era so the situation might not be as negative.  

The need for caps will be driven by use.  If used regularly, you will see that they will have ballooned out due to heat through time.  

Good CD Rippers can be had for modest amounts of money, the bigger issue is the amount of time.  

Regarding speakers, I make one that would be a good choice. It was explicitly praised by Part-Time Audiophile for it's delivery of upright bass but is pricier than what you are looking at $3999.  


Harbeth's would be a fine choice.  ATC has a speaker in that price range that would be interesting. A little pricier, you could look at the Devore Gibbon 3XL though it is also a bit pricier at $3499 

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