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Songer Audio: Simple is Best!

I have been an avid audiophile for decades. I own a large collection of high end gear that I use in multiple rooms, frequently rotate, and listen to constantly. I attend AXPONA and CAF perennially and regularly visit audiophile friends to experience their systems. I’m really into music and audio!

My long audio journey has brought through my system many different speaker configurations, including multi-driver box speakers (B&W, McIntosh, Raidho, YG, Wilson Benesch), panels (MartinLogan, Magnapan, TSW Apogees), omnis (MBL), horns (OMA), open baffles (PureAudioProject, Linkwitz, Cube), various subs (MartinLogan, JL, Linkwitz), full rangers (DIY, Voxativ, Cube, and Songer). I’ve experienced myriad tube and solid state configurations as well as most analog and digital source types. Additionally, I’ve experimented with numerous DSP and analog processing devices including some state-of-the-art components.

My ultimate litmus test is my long-term engagement. No matter how sophisticated, resolving, acclaimed, or expensive a speaker or system may be, if I find myself disengaged, distracted, or just bored, then I will move on from it. I have found that the systems and speakers that hold my attention most are typically the simplest. I tend to increasingly gravitate to simplicity.

The Songer S1x speakers are both the simplest and the best speakers I’ve ever owned. Source to the minimalist conrad-johnson preamp to a magnificent AirTight 300b amp to the single-driver, full-range, field-coil, Songer S1x speakers is a truly magical combination. These speakers are my favorite that I’ve owned (preferable to even my significantly more expensive and sophisticated Wilson Benesch Resolutions which are otherwise superb speakers). They hold their own to anything I’ve heard at shows.

The Songers have bass that should be impossible from a single driver and a 9 watt amplifier! The resolution is superb, the stage is huge, the dynamics are excellent, they are the epitome of musical and natural, and I could listen to them for hours at a time without ever losing interest. Every time I rotate in one of my other speakers, I quickly gravitate back to the Songers.

I credit this incredible accomplishment to Ken Songer’s magnificent driver design, no crossover, the field-coil motor, a superb cabinet, high efficiency, and the perfect point source single full range driver.

At $45,000 a pair, the Songers may be one of the greatest bargains in high-end audio. They’re in that rarified club with the world’s truly great speakers.

If you’re attending CAF, the Songers are a must listen. If you’re in the $50k price range for speakers, contact Songer and arrange a demo. You will not be disappointed!

One more thing….since purchasing my Songers, I’ve had the great pleasure of getting to know Ken Songer. On top of being a brilliant designer and a master craftsman, Ken is also one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in the audio world. I do not consider myself to be his “customer”, I consider myself to be a proud patron of his art!

(This is my current system configuration. It’s a temporary set up. I’m in the process of building new equipment racks and tweaking my cable configurations.)

audionutjeff
abd1
203 posts
 

I also augment the bass on my Cubes, and whatever other speakers I'm using, with a pair of REL Carbon Special subs. Before that I used REL S/510's which were also excellent. I know some people shudder with the mention of subs but once I tried a pair of RELs I can't really go without. I barely have the subs turned up on the gain dial to probably around 20% and tend to cross them over around 50-60 hz. They really just add some punch and weight and depth. When I sold my S/510's, the guy who purchased them had eschewed subs forever. He had a pair of high end Gryphon standmount speakers that got great bass. When he hooked the subs up he wrote to me and said he couldn't believe how much better and deeper the sound was. I don't want to change the topic of the thread, but my point is don't be afraid of trying some subs with single drivers to help get the extension you want. That being said, I've listened to my Cube's without subs and the bass is excellent. It doesn't rattle the windows but it is full, detailed and fast. In the right room you probably wouldn't need a sub for 95% of music listening unless you really want to feel the bass.

 

As far as amps go, I've always heard that the Cubes prefer amps that have little to no feedback and have a low damping factor. I remember reading that's because the magnet structure of the driver is so strong and the driver is already "damped" or heavily controlled by the magnets. So an amp with a high damping factor can over control the drive and make it sound dry and dull. I've read reviews where the reviewers have preferred lower wattage, low damped amps vs higher powered amps. I've used probably 10+ amps with my Cubes and I have also found that to be true. I currently have 3 main amps I rotate: Line Magnetic LM845 Premium, LTA ZOTL40 Ref+, Coda S5.5. All sound different but excellent with the Cubes. I've even used a 1.5wpc 45 tube amp and they sounded excellent. I've used everything from GanFet class D, Class A, Class AB, tubes, 300b, 45, 845, EL34, KT88, etc... and all sound great. But I do generally recommend lower power, lower damped amps with little or no negative feedback.

audionutjeff OP
70 posts
 

@abd1 

Great feedback!  I am so torn on doing subs.  I had a JL f113 and a pair of JL f112 v2 with the CR-1 crossover.  No matter what I did, I could not get them right!  The time alignment is always a challenge with subs!  I have heard such universal praise of the REL subs, I may reconsider them.

Great amp experience!  I’ve not tried an 845 tube amp with the Songers, but I’ve heard they’re great.  I have three friends with Coda amps and they rave about them.  The LTA amps are intriguing, I love the concept of that Berning OTL circuit.  I just was at an audio club friend’s house and he had the legendary Audio Note Onganku amp with 211 tubes.  His all Audio Note system was superb.  
 

Given your love of the Cubes, I see a pair of Songers in your future!  😉 

audionutjeff OP
70 posts
 

@mdalton 

I always enjoy my show demos with Rethm speakers.  Wonderful sounding speakers.  Treehaus speakers are terrific and the live edge hardwood baffles are stunning.  The DSP is a dealbreaker for me though.  Their electronics are works of art!  

mdalton's avatar
mdalton
810 posts
 

If you’re looking into subs, in addition to REL, I would encourage you to look into MJ Acoustics, a boutique UK brand.  I just purchased one with a custom walnut finish - to match my resto-mod Altec Santiagos - and have been stunned by his good they are.  And I worked directly with the company founder, who is a delight.  

abd1
203 posts
 

@audionutjeff 

I had JL subs as well and felt the same. They hit hard and sounded good but I couldn't get them to blend in like the RELs. Depending on your size room, I recommend the S/510's to start. I upgraded to the Carbon Special but it is overkill IMO. I love them but they are more sub than I'll ever need. I know REL has new models out so might be a great time to find some used S/510's.

I'd love to hear the Onganku amp! I got to listen to the Songer's with a pair of 1 of a kind mono tube amps that Pat built for himself and he had a Tambaqui dac. It was stunning and goosebump inducing. One thing I love with my speakers and I'm sure you experience with the Songer's is that they easily reveal any changes you make to your system. Cables, components, anything I change I can immediately tell. Even my wife will sit down to listen and within 1 song will say "something changed" and she is not an audiophile, but she does have better hearing than me :)

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