• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Salk WoW1 Bookshelf Speaker Review

beefkabob

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 18, 2019
Messages
1,636
Likes
2,074
Talk about an unfocused business model... lol. How could a small company catering to a specialized niche market perfect anything with such a wide offering.

As a comparison, when I bought a pair of S400 last year, Buchardt Audio only had 2 models on the catalog with 3 finishes each. They’ve since expanded their lineup with 2 new powered speakers for a total of 4 products. When I see that, I know they are taking the time to perfect each model. And if you look at their powered speakers there’s a lot of similarities with the passive line. They are building on top of their previous designs, perfecting and improving it. And creating their own unique R&D culture focused on the goal of providing quality attainable sound reproduction for home environments. And that piques my interest. Oh, and they also publish a good amount of measurements.

In all fairness, fewer products doesn't mean a focus on quality and R&D, but too many products shows a lack of focus.
 

beefkabob

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 18, 2019
Messages
1,636
Likes
2,074
I run a tutoring business. We specialize in writing, do a lot of reading, and then have some test prep and math. Without a doubt, we're best at the writing, our best and better than our competitors. Another center will have a shelf full of curriculum notebooks, covering everything from biology to writing. They won't do any of it well, but they'll sell a lot of product. I'm not interested in half-assed teaching, and I'm not interested in half-assed audio. It should get the job done. The results should be clear.
 

Duke

Major Contributor
Audio Company
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 22, 2016
Messages
1,523
Likes
3,745
Location
Princeton, Texas
Last edited:

Adam Bernau

Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 14, 2020
Messages
92
Likes
170
Also not an attack, but what are some? What ticks all the boxes of this price, quality of finish, size, and performance? I also have an issue with appearance and size being a major issue for speaker selection (WAF). I ended up with Ascend Sierra Lunas (with hidden subs) and have been happy with them, but I didn't feel like I was swimming in options when I did the research in buying them.
Sorry, i have corrected that in my post- i was referring to the alternative choices of midwoofer that would work much better in this box.
 

beefkabob

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 18, 2019
Messages
1,636
Likes
2,074
Much better!

What else are you an expert at?

I can call you on your BS. You sell tube amps. Fidelity is not your game. Ship Amir a speaker. Perhaps your Gina model. Get it tested. Stop the word games. Put up.
 

Duke

Major Contributor
Audio Company
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 22, 2016
Messages
1,523
Likes
3,745
Location
Princeton, Texas
I can call you on your BS. You sell tube amps. Fidelity is not your game. Ship Amir a speaker. Perhaps your Gina model. Get it tested. Stop the word games. Put up.

I think it would be out of place for me to talk about my products in this thread. I'd like to respond, but not here. If it matters to you too (or to anyone else for that matter), then I invite you to start another thread.

If you're going to take down my response to his personal attack, take down his personal attack too.

I edited my own post (#244) before seeing your post (#249) telling Amir to take it down.

Once you're no longer enraged at me, maybe you'll see that my post was kinda funny. Yeah I was being a smart@$$, which was uncalled for, but sometimes the middleschooler in me just can't resist the urge.

Seriously, I don't have anything against you or your writing skills. I just thought it was funny that THAT post happened to be where one of your sentences evaded proofreading.

Next time you can throw the pie at my face. I'd deserve it.
 
Last edited:

EchoChamber

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
May 22, 2020
Messages
673
Likes
925
This is fun... We can’t say ASR is a boring forum. ;-)
 

ROOSKIE

Major Contributor
Joined
Feb 27, 2020
Messages
1,917
Likes
3,396
Location
Minneapolis
The D&D 8C is a great example. Look at all the R&D and obsessive attention to detail that went into making the D&D 8C a masterpiece. With laser focus on getting the most out of that design. It is now far from a DIY project... And they only have one single product offering, because the goal is not to have a large catalog, but the perfect product.
With all due respect, there is no perfect product for everybody.
That basically sounds like an Apple advertisement. This is the classic split exemplified by Android vs Apple. One has many choices(Android) which please some folks very much and confuses others, the other has very limited choices and that pleases some but seems overly generic and catered to other folks.
I think it is great that there are companies that make 1 or 2 speakers, and others that make a wide range.
That said I will back up the premise that any $1600 speaker needs to be excellent sounding and well engineered.

... My Revel F208s are, to be frank, ugly. The shiny finish belongs in a whorehouse...
THIS! - why do people think all this plastic gloss is classy?? I deal with it as some products are just to good, but is it supposed to match the Glossy plastic bezel of ones crappy AVR? Layers and layers of plastic coating that yo pay extra for, nope. (of course I do understand there is a solid market for this or it wouldn't happen and I get that decision, so come on folks stop asking for it please :)
 

ROOSKIE

Major Contributor
Joined
Feb 27, 2020
Messages
1,917
Likes
3,396
Location
Minneapolis
Based upon literary one speaker in their catalog. What a well researched opinion.
Hey are you Average Joe from youtube? If so cool! You are real chill on youtube.

@jsalk send in more speakers to be tested. This will solve all of these problems. That fact is that whether justly or otherwise, you have a bad review on a site that is now very popular and growing.

I can tell from your extremely thoughtful and very articulate and genuine responses that you are honestly a great guy to buy from. The only thing missing here are more tests of your gear. That is the ruthless part that is scary but sort of exciting right??
 
Joined
Jun 13, 2020
Messages
57
Likes
76
Hey are you Average Joe from youtube? If so cool! You are real chill on youtube.

Not YouTube. But I started reddit /r/budgetaudiophile. You might be thinking of Joe N Tell. He's all a mod of Budgetaudiophile
 

q3cpma

Major Contributor
Joined
May 22, 2019
Messages
3,060
Likes
4,416
Location
France
Why can't people understand the concept of burden of proof? If you have trustworthy measurements of only one model of a brand showing bad design (and not just low cost optimisation), it's just basic logic to consider the whole brand as bad until more data is made by the same measurer. Keyword being consider and until, the level of "set in stone" just depends on the number of measured models.

Though I personally shun any manufacturer not providing at least basic data about frequency response, horizontal dispersion and distorsion/SPL in favour of those who do. Even if they can do good products, voting with your wallet for the more honest brands is important.
 

Beave

Major Contributor
Joined
May 10, 2020
Messages
1,331
Likes
2,728
Why can't people understand the concept of burden of proof? If you have trustworthy measurements of only one model of a brand showing bad design (and not just low cost optimisation), it's just basic logic to consider the whole brand as bad until more data is made by the same measurer. Keyword being consider and until, the level of "set in stone" just depends on the number of measured models.

Though I personally shun any manufacturer not providing at least basic data about frequency response, horizontal dispersion and distorsion/SPL in favour of those who do. Even if they can do good products, voting with your wallet for the more honest brands is important.

No, that's not basic logic at all. Basic logic says we have measurements on one speaker, and that's it. No assumptions should be made one way or the other about any other models from the same company.

Edit to add: For what it's worth, if you go through all the Stereophile measurements of speakers, there are countless examples of speakers with a port resonance or port interaction affecting mid/woofer response, and also examples of speakers from the same brand with clean measurements in that respect.
 

q3cpma

Major Contributor
Joined
May 22, 2019
Messages
3,060
Likes
4,416
Location
France
No, that's not basic logic at all. Basic logic says we have measurements on one speaker, and that's it. No assumptions should be made one way or the other about any other models from the same company.
Any argument instead of just stating the same? I'll quote myself:
A botched product at a price point where you can clearly rule out cost related compromises means a problem somewhere in the design phase. Unless a completely different part of the company designed those, I don't see why I can't judge the company by this result.
Edit to add: For what it's worth, if you go through all the Stereophile measurements of speakers, there are countless examples of speakers with a port resonance or port interaction affecting mid/woofer response, and also examples of speakers from the same brand with clean measurements in that respect.
Which is even worse, since such a lack of consistency in design means the "good" models were made by pure luck.
 

Beave

Major Contributor
Joined
May 10, 2020
Messages
1,331
Likes
2,728
I'd agree that luck can be involved in whether or not a speaker has significant port resonances. They're apparently hard to predict from modeling software; often not obvious in testing; often not obvious in listening; and fixing them can require lots of experimentation, prototyping, trial and error, etc.

Sometimes marketing sets a schedule and a price point, and fixing such problems takes too much time or money. Sometimes the companies aren't even aware their speaker has such a problem (not every speaker company has access to high-resolution measurements of the midrange that one gets from the Klippel or from an anechoic chamber).

Some companies have the resources to work hard to remove them intentionally, but many (most?) do not. So when speakers do not exhibit such issues, yeah, a bit of luck is/was often involved - or a lot of work.
 
Top Bottom