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Recommendations for improving visceral impact?

Hi!  I recently upgraded the majority of components in my system, and am happy with how it's going. I'm very happy with the detail, musicality, and separation of instruments. However, I think it's still lacking in visceral impact and also (particularly in two-channel listening) spatial imaging (both left/right and depth).

Our primary use is home theater - so improving impact is more important to me than improving imaging. 

Here's my setup - would love any recommendations for ways to improve... 

  • Left & Right: B&W 803S
  • Center: B&W Nautilus HTM1
  • Rears: B&W 301
  • Sub: Monoprice 10" Monolith
  • Preamp: Marantz AV8802A (with upgraded fuse)
  • Amp: Rotel RMB-1585
  • Amp/Preamp Interconnects: Bluejeans RCA

The room is approximately 18' deep by 20' wide. I've added GIK acoustic panels around the room, as much as possible based on room layout and aesthetics. 

Unfortunately the couch is against the wall, which I'm guessing isn't helping... but there's no other option for placement. I've also tinkered with speaker placement as much as possible; the B&W's like to be quite far apart, and I'm maxed out on width at this point.

I'm using the Audyssey room correction -- it's necessary since the front left speaker is a few inches from the left side wall and a corner, and is incredibly boomy without it.

I'd prefer not to change out any components at this point, so my thinking is that the interconnects between the Marantz and the Rotel, and perhaps from changing power cords and/or adding a power conditioner, could be the way to improve here.

Thoughts or suggestions? Thanks!  

awilder
erik_squires
16,146 posts
 
Check out the GIK bass and soffit traps, they will help room correction work better.


Set your main speakers to small.


Turn off room correction. Put your sub in your listening location, then walk around possible placement locations until you hear the best bass. Put your sub there. Re-apply room correction.



Best,
E
awilder OP
41 posts
 
Thanks Erik.  I do have a couple of the GIK Bass traps (just two, one in the corner near the sub, the other in the opposite corner). And I don't think I can add any more traps or panels if I want to preserve my marriage....

Interesting idea to set the main speakers to small.

The sub is in pretty much the only place I can put it -- though I've done the 'crawl' and I think it may be in the best location already anyway.

Perhaps I'm using the term "visceral impact" incorrectly. It's not so much the "boom" at the very low end... it's more about the fact that the system feels a bit recessive overall, or not as "forward" as I'd like. Said another way, it doesn't make me want to _move_. 


helomech
1,702 posts
 
Replace those B&W with super large JBLs - done.
awilder OP
41 posts
 
Ha! 

And yep, after a bit more Googling, I see that I definitely used the wrong term. I'm looking to help improve presence, and help the system feel a bit more forward.
birdfan's avatar
birdfan
175 posts
 
I certainly agree with all the recommendations noted thus far. I know you said you were happy with your current gear, but looking at your system, I can't help but think your current Sub is the weak link here. If tweaking the room acoustics doesn't get you where you want I would seriously consider replacing your current sub with something like a REL t9i, or better yet a pair, would certainly get you closer to the visceral impact your looking at. RELs will also give you better imaging, depth of sound stage,a and will help with the "there-ness" you're looking for. 
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