2. speakers
  3. 1278811625

Acoustic Zen Adagio Floor-Standing Speakers Set-Up

I have owned a pair of Acoustic Zen Adagio Floor Standing Speakers for two years. They have been in 5 different rooms in 5 homes and apartments in that time (been downsized a lot!). No matter what I try, I cannot get ANY bass response at all. I have used the Cardas speaker setup instructions and every other article I could find on speaker set-up. I have tried several different preamp/power amp/integrated solid state and tube electronics from McIntosh, Jolida, etc. with absolutely no bass. I have 3 test cd's from Stereophile and a tripod mounted Radio Shack SPL meter. I have laser rangefingers, etc. I have moved bookcases, cd and lp racks, equipment racks, etc. until I am blue in the face. I only have one piece of furniture, a recliner--the bachelor's dream sound room. I have tried Acoustic zen, Audioquest, and Cardas interconnects and speaker cables. Nothing, absolutely nothing, produces even a hint of bass. The speakers are connected in phase of course. I don't believe the speakers are damaged as they image well almost any where I place them, and the sound stage is very 3D. Can anyone offer a serious suggestion? I don't need any jokers at this point in my life please.

Thanks, Alwaysbroke
alwaysbroke
audiokinesis
2,772 posts
 
Five rooms and no bass. Hmmm.

When you stand with your back up against the wall, do you get bass then? If so, move your chair and/or move your speakers so that you get sufficient boundary reinforcement.

If you don't get bass even up against the wall, one possibility is mis-wiring of the woofers. Connect the + terminal of a battery to the + input terminal, and the - to -. The cones should both jump forward. On both speakers.

Another possibility is that for some reason the low end is getting rolled off before it reaches the speakers.

Duke
alwaysbroke's avatar
alwaysbroke OP
2 posts
 
Thanks for your suggestions. I have tried all of them to no avail. I lived in Knoxville, TN, some years ago in a big house with a basement. That was back in the days of good income, and I had a pair of Avantgarde Uno speakers, Cary tube amps, a variety of CD and SACD players, etc. It got to the point where I wouldn't even sit in the living room as the sound was so bad, zero bass no matter what I did. Finally, after a year of spending tons of money on different gear, I realized the bass was in the basement! I could stand on a ladder and get great bass near the ceiling as well. Man, did I feel stupid and a job loss led to me moving anyway.

I spent all night trying to find the solution and finally there it was, the piece of gear that had not been changed. It turns out the CD player is the source of the problem. As you suggested, the bass is being rolled-off before getting to the amps and speakers.

I never had the thought to listen to the test cd tone tests other than for bass. Once I did, I realized the bass was at least -20 dB compared to the higher frequencies. It is a wonder I could hear any bass at all and thank God I never listened to those other tones with the amp set at the volume I needed to hear the bass.

Looks like a new CD player is needed. I just bought a Jolida 9A phono preamp as I decided to get back to vinyl so I hope the bass is there when I buy a turntable.

Well, just call me stupid, just not ignorant!

Thanks.
audiokinesis
2,772 posts
 
Glad you found it!

Duke
More to discover