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ProAc sound with SS vs tubes

Folks

I am close to buying a Proac D20R. I listened to them at the dealership yesterday, driven by a low power PrimaLuna tube amp, and was totally gobsmacked by the glorious midrange. When I get them, I will be driving them with something very similar - an EL34 powered 40w/ch tube amp. So I have a feeling they will perform close to how they sounded at the dealership!

The one caveat was that at the demo, when I played a bass-heavy electronic track and pulled the volume up, the bass started to get flabby and the port started "huffing". I don’t know if that is the technical term, but it felt like the speaker was losing grip on the bass and starting to lose control of the lowest frequencies with the synthesized bass jabs losing their timing. The track was Algae & Fungi, Part I - by Biosphere from the album Cirque, in case anyone is interested.

Based on that, my question is: is this something that is inherent to the speaker? I plan to switch my tube amp to a SS of significantly higher wattage soon. I am thinking either Ayre-V5xe, or the Hegel H-20 or one maybe even a Plinius-SA102 or SA-103 if I can find one at a reasonable price.

Can any Proac owners tell me if the bass response will tighten up with more power and a SS amp behind the speakers? Or is this a limitation of the D20R’s design that it’s bass response will not be well controlled with tracks that are bass heavy and highly rhythmic?

Thank you so much!
badri
badri OP
69 posts
 
@jperry That confirms what I have been hearing around here and elsewhere. The higher end models in the Response range such as the D30R, the D40R and the brand new D48R all seem to get rave reviews. The 20R alone seems to suffer from bass control issues and is considered by some to be worse than the D18 which it is supposedly based on.

This is why I was wondering if the issue was a case of overall system match and if the 20R bass sounded better controlled with high power solid state electronics.
jperry
2,448 posts
 
The bass control is better with the Aesthetix Atlas, but they sound great with tubes. It really depends on the type of music you select. For small jazz, female vocals, folk music, etc the Quicksilver amps are tough to beat.
heinrichmilw's avatar
heinrichmilw
57 posts
 
Looking to purchase a pair of D48R after shortly after Axpona. I would like to keep it simple and go integrated. I listen to mostlyJazz and classic Rock. My room is 23 x 15. I would appreciate any suggestions.
sbrownnw
693 posts
 
@badri, I would recommend the following setup, which I am using with my Studio 148s, to possibly help tighten up the bass you are concerned about:

Soundocity SEV9 outriggers:
http://www.soundocity.com/economical_products.html
I like them as they are easy to level the speakers as the spikes adjust from the top.  Use them under the supplied ProAc plinth and do not use the supplied ProAc spikes.

Some speaker spike floor protectors like the discs shown here (unfortunate they do not sell just the protectors separately:
http://www.amazon.com/Sewell-Speaker-Spikes-4-Pack/dp/B0080JCMS6

8 hockey pucks from a sporting goods store (I got mine from Sports Authority).

The hockey pucks rest on my carpet with the metal speaker spike protectors on top of the hockey pucks and then the Soundocity SEV9 rest on the floor protectors.  Easy to level and I really think this setup lets the downward firing port breathe and have the right distance between the floor and the port flare.
sbrownnw
693 posts
 
Stopped using the hockey pucks and, instead, using metal spike floor protectors (even though my listening room is carpeted) under the Soundocity outrigger spikes.
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