Help mismatch maybe?
You have a mismatch. The speakers are a Power Paradigm device (they expect constant power from the amplifier, regardless of load), and your amplifiers so far are Voltage Paradigm (they make constant voltage regardless of load). Anytime you mix the two a tonal aberration is created; in this case your description is exactly how this combination will act. For more information see: http://www.atma-sphere.com/papers/paradigm_paper2.html |
Atmasphere, I understand your argument from other threads, I think, but aren't 99% of our systems technically "mismatched" based on your criteria? What about an amp that doubles into 4 and 2 ohms better than the NAD, say a good Class D or a modest Musical Fidelity A3CR for that matter? Is there a better solution for speakers with complex loads of 8 ohms or less? |
I have a pair of 22L2s in a room that measures 24' long by 12' deep by 7 1/2' ceiling. Speakers are on the long wall, a little more than 2' from side wall (left speaker), about 8 1/2' feet apart and about 1 1/2' from the back wall (measured to rear port). Zero problem with bass. Too much in most cases, but I find moving the speaker forward or back in 1/2 inch increments to either add or subtract LF response significantly. I've paired these speakers with an MF 308I integrated, an Anthem Statement A5 multichannel, a Sunfire multichannel and now another MF Integrated (an A5 this time that is rated 250x2 into 8 ohms). Zero problems with lack of bass response. That said, unless your ceiling is the culprit (I doubt it), I'd suggest trying different amps and getting the speakers a little closer to the wall by 1/2" increments to see what you can come up with. I doubt the 21L2's are that lacking considerably in bass response compared to the 22L2s (perhaps a bit, but not that much). The more current powerful the amp (not necessarily wattage), the more slam you'll get from the speakers. If you have isolation tweaks, try removing those too as I've found time and time again that they can thin the LF response, particularly with amplifiers. Make sure the speakers are level and not firing at an upward angle, as that may thin sound as well. Try ICs next, but I wouldn't spend my money on them until I got a better amp in your situation. |
NAD is not always the smoothest on top end, but lack of bass in this system does surprise me also. I doubt lack of bass is due to teh NAD. I've heard them I believe on NAD electronics in a sizable showroom and did not notice an inherent bass problem. Of course, all rooms are different. The 22L did have a bit more inherent bottom end in comparison in the same showroom however. Play with location some more as mb9061 suggests maybe. Amps that double power output into 4 and 2 ohms, like some Musical Fidelities and many Class Ds will inherently do bass better than the NAD though. Onkyo has a new 80 watt/ch Class D integrated that has gotten great reviews frommany and it can be had for under $500 I believe. That would be a low cost alternative to try perhaps if needed. |
Gentelman, I am out of town as of today due to an illness in the family but have internet capability. Wow, you sure are giving me alot to think about and I appreciate it. I will be home by this weekend. But..guess what? Mb9061 may have hit upon something.. When I purched these speakers, I was advised to tilt the speakers upwards, plus..It was also recommended in a review I had read on the Quads to boot. The review even went on to show a level on top of the speakers indicating the amount of tilt to have. (I have never listened to them level). The point was, to insure the tweeters were at ear level etc. Would'nt it be nuts if that was the problem all along? I can't imagine it could be such a simple fix. But I'm hopeing.. I will keep all of you posted. Mike |
