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Congested sound, new speakers?

Hello out there,

I hope I can use your collective insight, wisdom, and experience to help me out. I am currently running a system comprised of a modified Pioneer DV-525 running into a Z-Systems RDP-1 digital preamp/EQ, then into a Camelot Uther V2 MkIII DAC, directly into a Bel Canto EVO 200.2, powering Thiel CS1.5 speakers, all strung together with DH Labs wire (D-110 digital, BL-1 II balanced interconnects, and Q-10 speaker wire).

My tastes in music have changed over time and I find myself listening less to modestly dynamic, all acoustic music (folk, jazz, solo classical) and more to music with electric instrumentation (fusion, jambands, progressive rock)with sustained high dynamics. While very good with the acoustic material, my system sounds a bit congested and confused with the more complex material. I suspect that it is the small Thiels, but I would like your opinion on different speaker options, considering my shift in listening material. I haven't been speaker shopping for awhile and work has kept me too busy to read much of the audio journals. What do you think? New speakers worth investigating? I am sure I could use some proper room treatment as well, but that is an area that I am not particularly familiar with. Any and all suggestions and advice would be appreciated; I just need to get a handle on some reasonable options! Thanks in advance. . .
stereojen
sedond
1,387 posts
 
stereojon, i woodn't do *anything* w/yer current set-up until ya move. *none* of the negative comments about your thiels are true, imho, except chstob's comment that they can fall apart when pushed. but, this is cuz they want *lotsa* power, something that yer bel-canto prolly has.

*but*, there *is* one ting that thiels *cannot* do well that hasn't been mentioned: they make wery poor nearfield speakers. this is due to their 1st-order 6db/octave x-overs, & their relatively large (vertically) front baffles. thiels need lotsa room around them, & ewe should be *at least* 10' away from them for the sound to properly integrate at the listening position. then they will sing, w/acoustic, electronic, or any other music ewe throw at 'em.

bottom line - wait 'til yure in yer gnu listening space, where they can be properly set-up, before ya make any system changes. your gnu space should work fine, w/the possible caveat that, at 12' wide, i'd recommend sound absorption treatment at the 1st-reflection point at the side walls. if ewe can treat the ceiling's 1st-reflection point, this wood also be helpful...

regards, doug s.

redkiwi
1,092 posts
 
Very good point about near-field listening with Thiels Sedond. Right on. But I don't find the mids of the Thiel 1.5 to be very open, which is what makes them better for electronic than acoustic music in my opinion.
sedond
1,387 posts
 
redkiwi, perhaps yure rite about the mids of the 1.5's - i dunno, i'm not familiar w/this specific model. but, i've heard several of their other models, and they all had a *family* sound. i own a pair of 3.5's, now in a secondary system. i've never heaard *any* of 'em that dint sound open in the mids, & as stereojon seems to like 'em for acoustic stuff even w/his present near-field listening set-up, if i were him, i'd give 'em one more shot in the gnu room prior to trying someting different. ackshully, *regardless* of how his system is now, going into that room, from his current one, i'd wait until the move before making any changes. listining, stereojon? ;~)

doug s.

stereojen OP
4 posts
 
I'm listening. I thought there was a pretty good chance that the near field listening situation might be the root of the problem. I might still want to make a speaker change, add some room treatment, and experiment with tweaks, but, like several of you have suggested, I really need to get to know the room first. I should be able to give myself 10-12 feet from my listening position to the speakers, so things might improve a lot. Thanks for all of the thoughts, guys. Love to hear any more thoughts you might have.
redkiwi
1,092 posts
 
Sedond, the 1.5 is quite different from the 3.5, 2.3 and 3.6 which as you say are all fairly open in the mids. The 1.5 sounds somewhat pinched by comparison.
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