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
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 ...
well, the speakers have been pulled out into the room as much as they can be. No room to pull them out any farther. I have another pair of cables that i could try...the MIT Tmax one wire (i think that's its name)...not sure if they're any better. Any suggestions on reasonably priced interconnects that might fit the bill?

Speaker stands are irrelevant (floor standing speakers)

As far as the amp is concerned, I'm not sure what to say. From what i've read, it's capable of running even fairly difficult loads (dealer mentioned this also). Further, it has had such high praise by people in the audio world that I cannot see it being at fault (although i could be gravely mistaken).

Further, despite the ratings of the NHT's, I have been told (by the dealer) that they are an easy drive. At one point, he tried to sell me an Alchemist Nexus integrated (i think it's rated at 35w/ch). He claimed that this would drive them properly. I would hate to have to ditch the amp as it's brand new (and was tough to find in my area)

At one point, i had a Roksan Kandy mkIII rated at 120w/ch driving them... didn't do as good a job as the Unico. Would the Simaudio I 5 fare any better? Should I go with separates? (ie higher power amp/ separate preamp)

should i keep the amp and find some smaller speakers that might match up more synergistically with the Unico?

After so many years of playing with audio equipment, I seem to have lost my way...(and my mind)

i'm in audio hell.
Hi Loose:
Give your Unico time to break in, before you do too much more. I had a similar experience, when I replaced my ADCOM 545 with a Musical Fidelity A3 integrated amplifier. It took about 2 months for the break-in to run its course and then, I just needed to upgrade the power cord and things are fine (frustrating though). Looking down the road, speaker placement , as opposed to amplifier load, may wind up being the toughest hurdle as the NHT's have side firing woofers. I run similar speakers (Acoustic Research 302 Classic Series. 85 db sensitivity ... designed by Ken Kantor/NHT) with both the MF A3 (85wpc) and a second pair with a NAD 320BEE (50wpc) and there is plenty of power. Sit tight and write back in a few weeks. regards, Rich
Please upgrade the Speaker cables and Interconnects. Kimber Hero and 8TC are nice for the price. The NHT speakers are very nice but I have found they like power to rock. After the above if you not happy you need to move to better speakers Maybe ProAc may have your sound. Please note that NHT speakers have a smooth laid back sound. You may like something a little more lively like the ProAc 's The other gear is real nice, so you could upgrade to a very revealing speaker like the ProAC etc. A Linn LP12 would also be a great source to add to this system.
Try DH Labs digital and interconnect cables. Will be an inexpensive fix. Lots of choices on speaker cables...