OP said he listens at "low to moderate" levels. He has no need for more power. He has plenty.
Simply add one good sub. You can always add another but at these levels he probably doesn't need it. It's such a simple fix.
Would like to get more bass out of my B&W 801 series 2 speakers
Hello,
I've been forum diving about ways people improve their music listening experience. So many directions to choose from, I'm looking advice which will give the most bang for the buck given my situation.
Years ago I was visiting a friend who had these same exact speakers, and I went on a quest for my own pair. His setup had a *more rich sound*, but he is no longer with us for me to pick his brain. Don't know anything about how he was driving the speakers.
In general I think the current setup gives me good detailed sound, but probably a little thin in the bass. Might be because of my listening levels (low to moderate). I wouldn't call the mid/high frequencies warm, but they aren't harsh either... which was a concern with the class D amp. I'd characterize them as clean and detailed.
What I'd really like to do is bring out the low frequencies to join the party.
Environment:
massive, 32x40 with vaulted ceilings. Lots of windows.
Hardware:
B&W 801 S2
- on the original casters
- crossovers modified via the common Van Alstine mod
NAD C298 amplifier
- some decent biwire speaker cables
NAD C658 streaming DAC
- balanced xlr interconnects
Rotel CD player
What I listen to:
I listen to a wide assortment of music, this morning I went from classical to jazz... but usually I listen to rock/blues/reggae. You name it I listen to it.
Things I have considered:
- buy/build stands for the speakers.
- try out different amp(s)
there are a pair of GFA555 series 1 available locally (bi-amp?)
lots of folks recommend the Classe delta line
Any advice is welcome, thanks in advance!
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- 48 posts total
I should clarify this, I listen to low to moderate levels because I am caregiver for my folks and they live with us. Mom is mostly deaf and if played at higher levels she picks up *some parts* of it and it drives her to distraction. She claims it can’t be music, and it isn’t clear what part she picks up. If I keep things down it doesn’t bother her.
I know that is a monkey wrench into the equation, but the problem remains the same and I am working on it for the long game.
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Just wanted to add to the thoughts of Adcom GFA-555 amps. |
IMHO these are not great low level speakers. Some are but not these. Even at low levels the drivers seem to need high current to get decent sound out. The “stands” are basically 3/4” sealed wooden boxes the speakers sit on to raise them up and decouple from the floor. I’m traveling so can’t give you the size but they are a few inches less than the footprint of the speaker bottom. They have a “port” that opens in back allowing the sand to be filled then closed. There is no more bass in this configuration but what there is is tight and the tweeter and midrange better time aligned. Here’s a link to an old picture. |
- 48 posts total