2. amps-preamps
  3. 1050798009

what's my problem?

here's my scoop:

I have a pair of NHT 2.5i's
rotel rcd 971 transport
MSB link DACIII
Unison Research Unico

I'm not getting the clarity or the air i was hoping for. I picked up the integrated last week, and i figured I'd give it warm up time and some break-in. Not sure what's going on. It HAS started sounding better...smoother...but it just isn't giving me the extension that i want, nor is it giving me the midrange clarity that i expected...

What do you guys think my weak spot is? I'm starting to think it might be the speakers. Perhaps i've simply outgrown the NHT sound. Further, my speakers are a little large for my room which translates to a fairly boomy sound. (The setup sounded better with the smaller NHT 1.3a's that i owned up until recently)

I have heard nothing but good things concerning the Unico, so i'm fairly certain it is not the problem. My front end is decent too (I've heard it in various setups and always sounded good).

Speaker cable is Audioquest type 4 (crap) and interconnects are Monster interlink 400 (also crap). The monster could be one of the causes of the problem.

Also, i have the stock tubes in the unit. Would a change of tubes reap an astonishing change?

HEELLLLPP!!! i'm going crazy!!!

thanks guys,

Steve
loose
s7horton
1,077 posts
 
I guess there are a couple things you could try. First, I'm not sure how much you have experimented with speaker placement. Any chance you could pull them out farther into the room? Second, I've found out recently that cable plays a bigger role in a system than I had first thought. You might look at upgrading the cables. I heard acoustic zen sound fantastic for not a whole ton of money.
jcbtubes
400 posts
 
Get rid of the MI 400!! You don't have to spend lots of money on cables to significantly improve upon what you're running now. This also includes upgraded power cords. As mentioned, speaker placement tweaking can greatly improve the sound. Also consider speaker stands and equipment stands - Sistrum and Neuance come to mind. Don't underestimate the effect of good stands. When you've attended to these areas, then tube rolling can be very effective. Good luck.
sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
Yes, cables, cables, cables.....
The Audioquest are OK for an inexpensive cable, but the MI400 should go.
How much are you willing to spend, new or used?
blkadr
739 posts
 
At 86 db efficiency and a 3.6 ohm minimum impedance, Im afraid you may be low on juice. The Unico is rated 80wpc for 8 ohm -and- 4 ohm. If the suggestions above dont do the trick you might need to try an amp that is really suited to difficult loads. This might be what you need to "open up" the sound.
dill
2,525 posts
 
get rid of the monster cable interlink 400, it is about the worst interconnect on the planet ... just about anything will sound better .... upgrade the power cord on the amp too ... also give the amp more time to break-in ...
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