2. analog
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What can I do to improve my 2nd system?

My 2nd stereo system is in my 14 ft x 18 ft bed room. The system is placed on the short side as shown. The sound path is laptop/CD/SACD player -> DAC -> power amp -> speakers/subwoofer.  All the details including the placements and cabling are shown in the picture.  The subwoofer is connected from DAC to sub. line-in and line out to power amp thru a build-in HPF fixed at 80Hz 12dB/Octave, which I found the best way for integration bet. the main and sub. The bookshelfs are slightly toed in.  After adding the sub., I like the almost full-range sound out of this system but wonder what else I could do to further improve it.  Any advise is appreciated.   

lanx0003
lewm
13,169 posts
 

I have no idea what QLN or Magico do.  Can you elaborate?  I cannot believe that either company would countenance placing rubbery supports under their speaker cabinets, but I am all ears.  I have a better idea about Townshend ISO platforms.  They seem to constrain speaker movement while also claiming to isolate the cabinet.  I am not preaching against isolation. I am preaching against mushy or springy feet that allow the cabinet to move in response to a musical transient.  How could that be a good thing?  Has nothing to do with the type of speaker, in my thinking.

tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,957 posts
 

Not all speaker manufacturers….but if ya throw time and phase out w trash, what’s a bunch of doppler distortion ? It’s product specific, in the OP system, might help…

jerryg123's avatar
jerryg123
3,429 posts
 

Guess you need to look at their websites as well as PSB……

I agree the spongy stuff is not ideal. But the times they are a changing as is engineering.

lewm
13,169 posts
 

So far as I know, Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion still operates in the modern world, Relativity notwithstanding. What changes are the stories that audio entrepreneurs dish out to lure customers.

lanx0003 OP
865 posts
 

@lewm You intrigue me to dig into the decoupler/isolator subject. Here are articles, some support it and some don't. Please take it with a grain of salt. I went through several bookshelfs, starting from my 1st (NHT SuperOne 2.1) 25 years ago, Tannoy Mercury F1, Sony SSCS 5 and currently this Elac. I placed the IsoNode isolator underneath without a second thought back then because, just like many others, I heard noticeable difference in bass, tighter and cleaner. The effect on the subwoofer is even more pronounced. I think very few audiophiles will debate the benefit of using damping isolators under the subwoofer. I compared the $50 SVS Soundpath isolators with $3.5 a set of four damping isolators you could get from Walmart.  Very subtle different.  As a band bass player a band in college, I could testify that is not a placebo effect.  

I place the similar IsoNode isolators under the gears including CD/SACD player to reduce the vibration.  With that, the gap under the player has increased to 1+ inch to help dissicipate the heat from Parasound to answer @slaw, although I do agree a audio grade rack placing them individually will be more ideal.  BTW, the heat from Parasound PA is much less than the Cambridge IA I had for being a similar class A/B design.

https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/production-expert-1/2019/5/23/speaker-isolation-fact-or-bullshit-we-have-the-results-from-the-poll?mc_cid=2a1503e520&mc_eid=f10a2ce15b

http://ethanwiner.com/speaker_isolation.htm

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