Salk Song 3 Towers Speakers Preview

There are a slew of unconventional aspects of the new Salk Song 3 tower speaker, but one thing that really differentiates it is the high level of fidelity for the price: $2,895/pair. This makes it one of the less expensive speakers at AXPONA, but it doesn’t make it one of the lesser sounding speakers.  On the contrary, the sound was superb. Detailed highs, well-defined soundstage, and tightly controlled bass: all come together in the Song 3 for a sound which could match the quality of other speakers at AXPONA that were many times more expensive. New drivers offering high performance for low cost are one of the major keys to the how Salk Sound is able to offer this much bang-for-the-buck.

The Song 3 possesses a true 33 Hz extension, courtesy of the large ported section of the cabinet combined a new bass driver that remarkably manages both high sensitivity and a low resonant frequency while keeping a nicely linear response. The lower placement of the bass driver on the front baffle minimizes cancellations caused by acoustic reflections rebounding off of the floor out of phase with the direct sound, so a smoother frequency response in bass frequency bands can be had at the listening position. The bass driver itself employs a number of design choices for higher fidelity at low frequencies: light but stiff Egyptian Papyrus fiber cone, a copper sleeve on the pole piece for reduced inductance, and an aerodynamically vented chassis for reduced compression. Owner/Designer Jim Salk noted how the speaker came together after this bass driver became available, as the previous attempt at a $3k tower with deep frequency extension was aborted due to the inadequacy of the bass drivers which were then available.

There is a lot more to the Song 3 than just bass. A ribbon tweeter from the the highly-regarded manufacturer RAAL takes the highs stretching well out to an ultrasonic 40 kHz, and a very capable 4” bamboo cone mid-woofer with good off-axis performance is ideal suited for its assigned frequency band of 280 Hz to 3,500 Hz. The Song 3 can be had in any of the standard Salk finishes of the higher-end Salk speakers with no increase in price, which makes these an even greater bargain considering the high level of craftsmanship of even the standard Salk finishes. High fidelity sound with an attractive cabinet at slightly under $3k for a pair; a deal this good is sure to keep Salk very busy in the future!

The Song 3 can only be purchased directly from Salk Sound.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.