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Low Level, Nearfield Nirvana?

I recently purchased a pair of highly recommended Genelec powered neafield studio monitors for use with the MIDI output of a Steinway baby grand.

The good news is that it is very enjoyable to have these nearfield monitors on top of the piano, to play and to listen to CDs and the piano and the close proximity means they can be played at low volumes which comes in handy to me as a nocturnal apartment dweller. And I find something very intimate and seductive about listening so closely to the speakers.

The bad news is that to my audiophile ears, they sound like crap and could cut diamonds with their tweeters. Maybe it is just the fact that my sources are being run through a Mackie mixer or with a CD changer but the sound is really very fatiguing. I suppose for $1000.00 I shouldn't expect Jadis and Magneplanar sound....

But it makes me wonder -- do any of your systems -- especially nearfield set ups -- really sound MAGICAL at low volumes?? That would really impress me. And I would love to hear all about it.

Even systems that have sounded wonderful to me often get washed out at volumes already well above ones that maintain good relationships with urban neighbors.

Any secrets for the ultimate late night city (or sleeping spouse/children?) configuration?

Thank you.
cwlondon
gunbei
2,327 posts
 
Hi CW. I use ProAc Tablette 50 Signatures, which are small mini monitors and very my listening between nearfield and a bit further back. I don't know if there are any secrets to nearfield listening. I'm still learning myself.

In general I prefer sitting back a ways because I like the soundstage pushed back a bit, but there are times when I scoot my rolling listening chair up and have some fun. In nearfield I feel the the soundstage grows in width, and the center locks in much better. Sitting further back, the stage is deeper and I feel overall more relaxed. My speakers are pretty easy to drive, so that helps quite a bit. I noticed with past solid state systems, that at lower volumes, the midrange seemed to get sucked out, but now that I'm using a tube preamp I don't experience this. It may have nothing to do with tube vs. SS, maybe just the gear I was comparing.

Yes, I'm able to lower the volume in nearfield, but I hate being so close to my gear. It's just a matter of personal preference. Many people prefer listening up close and personal. I'm just not one of them. Good luck!
myraj
351 posts
 
Headphones! :-)
jla
231 posts
 
I listen exclusively in the nearfield due to the size of my listening room. I recommend setting your system up along the long side of the wall. This has been very sucessfull in my room and allows the soundstage to open up since the speakers are not as close to the corners/walls. I too listen at lower volume late at night and after changing out many pieces of gear throughout the years I am currently most satisfied with my 45 watt Audio Research VT-50 driving my ProAc 1SC's. Good luck!
cwlondon OP
1,210 posts
 
Hmmmmmm.......interesting that we have two votes already for Proacs.

Would anyone vote for electrostatics for low volume magic?
I recently heard the new Quads being played through Quad amps and thought they sounded pretty good, if not very punchy.

As mentioned in my other posts, I am a Magneplanar fan and look forward to soon receiving a newly restored pair of Tympani IVs but maggies do sound better cranked up a bit, in my experience...

Any other ideas?
frogman
7,437 posts
 
I use two sets of speakers that while both planar, couldn't be more different in their presentation. My heavily modified Maggie MGIIIA's sound wonderfull cranked, with a huge and dimensional soundstage. But for near-field magic and intimacy at lower volumes, I have heard nothing that equals my Stax F-81 electrostatics. Also fabulous soundstage, but much smaller, and arguably more realistic than the Maggies'; with a midrange purity that is approached only by the original Quads in my experience, and fast, fast, fast.

Incidentally, a good friend is also a Timpany IV owner, who has tried a bewildering number of different amplifiers with them. To my ears, the only amps that he has tried that allow the Maggies to not sound hazy and a little veiled at low volumes, have been Jadis monoblocks. Great speakers, nonetheless; and if you want increased transparency at low volumes, I strongly encourage you (if you haven't done so already) to upgrade the crossover caps, and ideally the entire crossover networks. The inprovement in transparency is not subtle.

Regards.
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