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Recommendations for improving visceral impact?

Hi!  I recently upgraded the majority of components in my system, and am happy with how it's going. I'm very happy with the detail, musicality, and separation of instruments. However, I think it's still lacking in visceral impact and also (particularly in two-channel listening) spatial imaging (both left/right and depth).

Our primary use is home theater - so improving impact is more important to me than improving imaging. 

Here's my setup - would love any recommendations for ways to improve... 

  • Left & Right: B&W 803S
  • Center: B&W Nautilus HTM1
  • Rears: B&W 301
  • Sub: Monoprice 10" Monolith
  • Preamp: Marantz AV8802A (with upgraded fuse)
  • Amp: Rotel RMB-1585
  • Amp/Preamp Interconnects: Bluejeans RCA

The room is approximately 18' deep by 20' wide. I've added GIK acoustic panels around the room, as much as possible based on room layout and aesthetics. 

Unfortunately the couch is against the wall, which I'm guessing isn't helping... but there's no other option for placement. I've also tinkered with speaker placement as much as possible; the B&W's like to be quite far apart, and I'm maxed out on width at this point.

I'm using the Audyssey room correction -- it's necessary since the front left speaker is a few inches from the left side wall and a corner, and is incredibly boomy without it.

I'd prefer not to change out any components at this point, so my thinking is that the interconnects between the Marantz and the Rotel, and perhaps from changing power cords and/or adding a power conditioner, could be the way to improve here.

Thoughts or suggestions? Thanks!  

awilder
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,887 posts
 
I thought you couldn't hear anything in a vacuum. 😄
(Couldn't resist).

As for the OP's dilemma, if only you could just sit closer and move those speakers closer together.

All the best,
Nonoise
sgordon1
437 posts
 
glennewdick, if you can't hear a difference,
then there is no difference.  simple as that.

suggestion: don't do it.
mzkmxcv
777 posts
 
All speakers should be set to Small if your sub is competent.

it seems more like the 1khz to 3khz range tends to be related to what I’m talking about.


Audyssey’s default adds a 3dB dip at 2kHz, so that’s likely the issue (it also lowers bass). Buy their $20 app and correct the response by turning off Midrange Compensation (MRC) and adding back in the bass. So, it should go from these presets to something more like this (tweak with it).
awilder OP
41 posts
 
Well that's quite interesting, @mzkmxcv!

It looks like the Audyssey app doesn't work with the AV8802A though. :(

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/audyssey-multeq-editor-app/id1210584625?mt=8

(Anyone know otherwise?)

mzkmxcv
777 posts
 
@awilder

Yours has the older version, which has Audyssey Pro; which was basically a more advanced version of the $20 app, but costs $200 for the Pro kit :( and I don’t even know if you can still buy it.

My Denon also is too old for Audyssey’s app, but I have a measurement mic so I manually adjusted the built-in 8 or 10 band EQ for each speaker instead, as I disliked that dip.
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