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Looking for amp advice (punk, rock & reggae edition)

My current amp isn’t doing it for me. Marantz pm6005 which is class D @45 wpc. Speakers are Focal Chorus 807V. It’s very detailed but a little clinical, my biggest gripe is a lack of midbass. According to Stereophile the impedance curve dives to 4 ohm between 100 and 200 hz which is where I think I the problem lies. All indications are that more power is needed to corrrct this which seems plausible as the more volume I give it the more it fills in in that range. The problem is that apartment living doesn’t allow 100db listening sessions.

So, I’m looking for an amplifier (separates or integrated) that has the current needed to round out the sound. The speakers are staying for many more years so replacing them isn’t a viable option, plus I love the sound.

Im interested in going tube but I have no experience with tubes. I have so many questions regarding tubes it could probably be it’s own thread but it seems to me that people love these more than SS on the whole. I’m open to any suggestions though.

My budget is $2500 (used ok but prefer new)

I listen to punk, post punk, lots of reggae (specifically dub), some electronic, a little jazz and some jangle pop (think REM).

Im looking for a warm side of neutral sound with good detail that can keep its composure with fast music yet be gentle enough for jazz. I like bass, if there’s an 808 or that dubby bass guitar, I want to hear it. These speakers do a nice job when the signal is right.

My analog front end is a PDC with a 2M Blue through a Lounge LCR MKIII. All interconnects are AQ Evergreen.

Thanks
gochurchgo
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,128 posts
 
So, I’m looking for an amplifier (separates or integrated) that has the current needed to round out the sound.
@gochurchgo   I'm suspecting that is not the case. The amp you have right now is able to act as a voltage source on your speakers.  The way you describe it sounds like its more of a room problem. Have you tried moving the speakers a bit? For example, if you move them closer to the wall behind them, you will get more bass reinforcement. It may also be that if you shorten your speaker cables that you will get more impact. You might also try auditioning different cables as well, as they can have an effect.

I would certainly exhaust easy and inexpensive things like this first before buying another amp! If  you're on a budget, the last thing you need is to find that you've not solved the problem with the next amp...

Also just a FWIW: electronics really don't care what sort of music you play. The idea that there is a certain amp or speaker out there that is best for a certain kind of music is a persistent myth.
gochurchgo OP
931 posts
 
The way you describe it sounds like its more of a room problem. Have you tried moving the speakers a bit?
OMG yes. Every way I can even if it was an idiotic arrangement for a living room. I did everything but glue speakers to the ceiling. The biggest difference was starting the speakers 30" from the front wall and moving backwards in 2" increments. The thing is that I have a wall 3' on the left side of the left speaker but the right wall is 22' away (dining room). I know this drastically affects things but there's no way to fix that.

Also, I had read that if you stand directly between the 2 speakers you'll hear what they are putting out and then you need to make changes to their position to get that same sound in the sitting position. The hole in my midbass is evident when standing between the speakers.

They are easy to drive but the impedance curve drops to just above 4 ohms in that frequency range. The Stereophile review was done using a 100wpc tube amplifier so I have been looking at more power to fill in the holes.
gochurchgo OP
931 posts
 
You might also try auditioning different cables as well
 If you have some insight as to what to look for in a cable I'm all ears...
Post removed 
gochurchgo OP
931 posts
 
I seriously doubt it's a power issue seeing as how I'm powering much bigger, much more challenging Focals with a 32 watt amp.


Which amp and which speakers?
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