Filling out the sound

I am not familiar with Rega gear, but I think that speakers are the most variable piece of gear in the chain of equipment. If you don't want to take the whole system back and start over, try some speakers that are known as having a warmer sound. I can vouch for Dali Helicon 400 MkI (not II).

You will probably have to get tube gear to reproduce or better your old system in this respect though.

Floor reflection typically causes some cancellation in the upper bass, around 100-200 Hz range. First try an area rug in front of the speakers.

my impressions of rega speakers (which i regard highly) is that they're extremely silky and revealing at the high end and tend to leanness at the lower end--curiously, rega doesn't publish frequency specs, so it's not easy to tell how deep they're supposed to extend. i'm not sure bases/footers/etc. will markedly increase low end response. tho i'd certainly experiment with placement, room treatment etc., at the end of the day i'd look at adding a sub.

Gentlemen,

Thanks for the responses.

Cmalak – Your point is well taken. This system is an assemblage of Rega products over time without audition. Therefore, I have no benchmark to refer back to.

Cmalak and others – You put forth my best hope; toying with speaker placement. Hopefully, I will pickup a bit of what I yearn for through repositioning. It’s what the US importer of Rega products suggested as well.
I do have to face up to the fact that the nature of the beast that I’m contending with (Rega products) in a perfect setting will not yield exactly what I’m looking for. I simply want to maximize its abilities.

Why did I assemble this system anyway? For durability (others in the house play it), affordability, the design of the R7 speakers (our cats can’t reach the fabric to hurt it) and cosmetic consistency.

BTW – Anyone care to suggest another high-end manufacturer who creates a full line of gear like Rega? (Pre & power amps, CD, TT, speakers, and tuner)

Randy

Randy...the other one that comes to mind is Linn, Cambridge Audio and I think Naim (also UK-based). Any reason why you want all the components from the same manufacturer? I would think that one-stop shop brands probably have core strengths in one or 2 categories but offer less than optimal offerings in other areas just to provide a full suite of products. Just a supposition...In the US, there are holding companies that own a portfolio of different brands in different categories. I am thinking of Harman which owns Revel and JBL speakers, Mark Levinson electronics, AKG headphones, Harmon Kardon electronics, and Lexicon electronics among others. But they have different looks and design principles etc...Hope this helps.

Getting back to your system, do you have a local dealer of the Rega products that you can consult. Part of their aftermarket service is to help clients with system install and dialing in. They could help you better place speakers in your room and maybe suggest some room treatments. Good luck.