Interesting thread.
You don't lack bass, you have too much treble
One of the biggest surprises in audio and acoustics is how damping a room with treatments makes small speakers sound so much bigger. Yes, you get a broader, deeper soundstage but you also seem to get a lot more bass, more power, more extension!!
What's going on?
What happened is your room was too bright. The overall balance was too heavy on the mid and treble so as a result your systems balance was off.
For this reason I often suggest before A'goners start chasing bigger and bigger speakers, that they think about the room first, add damping and diffusion and then go back to thinking about the bass.
Not saying you don't need a bigger speaker, but that some rooms may never have a big enough speaker in them due to the natural reflective properties.
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So I’m listening to Jazz @ 65-70 dbs and a trumpet pops in @80-85 dbs and it makes my ears hurt. The same can be said for Saxophone, electric guitars and some female singers. I currently have 6 absorption panels and furniture and CD racks for dispersion. Carpeted floor and a lot of soft things in my room. I have tried 2 preamps(both tube hybrid), two sets of mono blocks (both sets are tube hybrid) and a Hegel H390 (that is on the warmer side) and I’m still getting that sharpness above @80dbs. My streamer is still the modded BS Node N130, going to the Denifrips Pontus ll and the speakers are still the KEF Reference 5’s. Any thoughts? |
@curiousjim You may have the speakers toed in too much. Many speakers are really designed for little to no toe-in, so the slightly off-axis response is a lot smoother. Another thing to try is the floor behind and in the floor between speakers. Bare surfaces there can often result in a lot of hash. Also, most underestimate the benefit that treating the ceiling between speaker and listener. Lastly, check the wall behind your head. Try absorption or dispersion there as well. |
Thanks for the reply. The speakers have maybe 1° of toe-in. I will make it zero. The floor behind them is carpeted, but I will definitely try more absorption behind them. Behind me is almost no wall at al. There are two door size walkways and a pass through from the kitchen. And, I doubt very seriously that the wife will let me put any treatments on the ceiling, but I can always ask. 😁 |
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