Good Analog EQ

Thanks again for the responses.

I do have the optional stands and I used to use them, but find they're more boomy with them than without (I attribute that to the bass port being more open).

I have spoken with Michael Kelly and I have auditioned other speakers. The others didn't overload the room the way the Aerials did, but the midrange sounded thin. I guess my room must be causing a null in the midrange as well. Both the Aerial 9's and LR5s seem do have a significant dip between 400 and 1000hz. I have a 15 db difference between these frequencies and 95hz where I have a huge bump (at least according to the graphs that Audyssey room correction shows me).

I have tried stuffing the ports of the 9's with dacron (from my pair of Von Schweikert VR4.5's, which never sounded boomy) but I think that just affects frequencies below where I have the bump and, as Michael Kelly predicted, makes the bass sound more congested at loud volumes.

I will try bringing my speakers further into the room to the positioning you mention, but since I cannot move my listening position, I wonder if I'd be too close - almost near-field monitor range of 4ft or so.

Marty, it sounds like that unit is digital? How do you have it connected?

One other embarassing question, when measuring speaker position from the front/back wall, do you measure from the back of the cabinet or front(woofer)?

Floyd,

I run RCA from the pre to the SMS, then RCA out to my main amps and on to the Parsifal monitors. I also run RCAs from the SMS to my subs. This utilizes the 80hz roll off for the Parsifals.

If I decide to spring for a Marchand X-over, then I'll run a separate pre-out to the Marchand, by passing the SMS in the main signal path. For the bass, I'll still run through the SMS, out to a bass amp, and onward to the Encore woofers.

I believe that the SMS does A to D, for PEQ in the digital domain, but I'm honestly not certain. Since I've so far dealt with frequencies below 80hz, I'm not all that concerned. Whatever damage A/D does, in my room, it is dwarfed by the benefit of the PEQ at these frequencies.

If I want to cross to the Encore woofers at 150hz through the SMS, I'll find out if this favorable cost/benefit can be maintained up to those higher frequencies. As of right now, I haven't tried it, so I don't know the answer.

Marty

PS I fully understand the reluctance to add A/D to a minimal path, "purist" analog system. This recent experience has convinced me -at least on a preliminary basis - that, for deep bass, it's worth it.

Measurements should be made from just behind the center of the woofer cone. The Aeriels shouldn't have a dip in the midrange. It's more likely that the room nodes in the bass are eclipsing it. 15db humps in the mid bass due to room/positioning are not uncommon. And as you noted, that hump is way above where the port kicks in. Moving the speakers to 8'4" from the back wall and 2'4" from the side walls will put the speakers about 6' from your 12' listening position, which, although a little extreme, should be a very interesting change for you, as long as you toe them in to point about a foot or so behind your head. Of course experimentation is the key. Avoid 6'3" as this is 1/4 of the room length. 4'2" would be 1/6 but would still be very close to your back wall. 5' mightn't be too bad. How high is your ceiling?