Fast becoming one the best pairings we’ve heard are the Salk Sound speakers, with the McGary Audio tube amplifiers and Anticables cables (still an odd name for a cable company, but I like it). Salk Sound also debuted a new speaker that features Purifi Audio drivers.
The Story
The big story for Salk Sound for the last three years is how good it sounds with McGary Audio amplifiers. Using the Salk SS 9.5 tower during the capital audiofest weekend, in a stunning red paint finish, we got to see how great the pairing continues to be even against a set of audio show competitors ramping up their own game.
During the weekend the SS 9.5 loudspeaker was swapped out for a new and yet unnamed loudspeaker from Salk Sound that uses the new Purifi drivers. Sadly, those shifts we missed due to our promise to make the most widely comprehensive coverage of the show. Which means I’m left to share this picture that was teased by Salk Sound days before the show. A regretful consequence of spreading ourselves wide, but at a point, also thin.
The Sound
What I can tell you about the system we did hear, consisting of the Salk Sound SS 9.5 and McGary Audio SA-2, is that it’s one for the record books. Ever since McGary and Salk have joined forces, we’ve been gifted with an extremely musical (in the best way) and detailed rendering of recorded tunes. The Salk SS 9.5 in this exhibit shown their ability to play dynamics and portray midrange without congestion or shadowing colors.
The System
McGary Audio SA-2 – $7,985
McGary Audio SA-1E – $6,600
Salk Sound Stream Player
Salk Sound SS 9.5
Salk Sound “Unnamed Speaker”
Exogal DAC
Anticables throughout system
For more Capital Audio Fest 2021 coverage—CLICK HERE!
