Feedback QLN Prestige Three Speakers Requested

@grislybutter - Where in San Diego are you? North County? Downtown? I used to surf a lot at Sunset Cliffs out on Point Loma. Miss those days. Some of the best years of my life. Younger and more carefree... 

Regarding Hungary, I've been there twice and the women are stunningly beautiful! It's bananas! I'd like to go back! 

Which subs are you using? What are your thoughts on Rel subs? 

I'll try to upload a photo when I get the LTA preamp set-up in the system. Everything is on a Fern & Roby rack which I like a lot. 

@soix - Thanks! 

Yeah, I'm really curious about how the LTA will impact the system. It will be a big auditory unveiling, frankly. I'm hopeful it's a positive addition versus something I'm ambivalent about. I'd read some great things from folks who own LTA products and thought I'd take the plunge (My tube preamp was on the blink at the time and needed a replacement... That situation has been remedied so I'll have two preamps on my hands now.

And thanks for the recommendation on the SVS subs. It might be awhile before I pursue them, but I'll look into them. Did you ever try Rel subs? If so, what were your thoughts? 
 

@bluethinker66 I'm so glad you like the QLN 3s. Their emphasis on musicality over anything else is what sets them apart from other speaker manufacturers. These speakers are definitely long time companions. Congratulations and happy listening!

Regarding Hungary, I've been there twice and the women are stunningly beautiful! It's bananas! I'd like to go back! 

Ha!  I went to Budapest years ago and thought the same thing.  Tall and gorgeous women everywhere.  Who knew?

And thanks for the recommendation on the SVS subs. It might be awhile before I pursue them, but I'll look into them. Did you ever try Rel subs?

No, but I’ve heard nothing but good things although they’re quite a bit more expensive apples to apples and don’t offer any room integration software although they seem relatively easy to place given their high-level input architecture.  I mentioned SVS due to their performance/$, small size, user-friendly room integration software, and 45-day trial.  I do believe that once you hear your system with 2 subs you won’t go back.  It’s that significant. 

@bluethinker66

Bay Park, in the middle of SD proper.

Since I lived in Budapest for 30+ years I don’t know about the women being that beautiful but pretty spectacular for sure.

I tried different subs: Elac, SVS, Polk, Klipsch. I settled on a Martin Logan 700w. It was a step up from the "boom and chaos". But I need decent crossover control. Without it, generally, while the sound stage and 3D improved, it’s often sound chaos, reverb issues. Which is expected when both my monitors and the sub pound on the same frequencies and however sophisticated the Martin Logan and the placement are, it’s still not a clean soundstage.

I have a general dilemma with high quality monitors and subs: if a company invested so much in engineering two perfect speakers, who am I to mess with it and add a sub?

Are you able to get good bass when you crank the volume? I have the HS paired with a Willsenton R8 tube integrated and the bass is tremendous when you let it rip, lets say 5-10% before clipping or between 9 and 11 o’clock on the dial depending upon the song. What can be really confounding about the HS is that at lower volumes the bass becomes much less noticeable due to the prominance of the highs and mids which stay full sounding regardless of volume. You really have to push the tubes to get the bass. It’s a great low volume speaker due to all that detail, but it won’t shake the room. I imagine you’d need a really muscular Class A or AB design to get the low end at lower volumes.

It seems like your bass problems have continued despite moving to the QLNs, which makes sense since its still the same amp. I have a new preamp coming, I’ll be able to test the HS with my SimAudio W3 later this week and see if that gets better low volume bass results. The Sim isnt a Wattage monster, 240 watts into 4ohms, but its a high current design with a massive 1.1 kVA toroidal transformer.