2. amps-preamps
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Something is amiss

Hi guys,

Recently started getting back into audio after a 2-3 year hiatus (had to sell all my gear due to a financial crisis situation).

Picked up a modded Sugden A48B, which I have connected to an old pair of NHT 1.5's on a pair of cheap-o target stands. Using an Energy ESW-V8 sub to fill in the bottom. Source is an old Rotel RCD 971. Interconnects are MIT (old, not sure which model anymore). Speaker cables are a choice amongst Ecosse, Audioquest type 4 and cheapo monster 12guage.

Now, being familiar w/ the NHT line, i know the characteristics of the 1.5. In a nutshell: top end can be gritty/ harsh, midrange a little thin, recessed and not the most transparent, bottom end tight and tuneful down to about 60 hz or so, with a very steep drop off thereafter. They usually have very good focus and near pin point accuracy.

The room is small - approx 9 x 14 - small condo, kitchen area open to the living area, so left speaker is in an 'open area' (ie. no wall to its left).

The room's acoustics are very tough to deal with. There is a small wall unit housing a 27 inch tv in between the speakers, which i realize is not optimal. Carpet is moderately heavy, which can really dampen the sound. The room overall is not very reflective.

The sound w/ this setup is lacklustre. It is not particularly clear, does not have good focus, the top end, although does not extend into the highest of frequencies has a harshness to it that is irritating (Especially to my gf) and does NOT assist in making the audio picture 'clearer'. The midrange is veiled and vocals seem lost in the distance, to a degree.

Now, i understand the room is very poor acoustically; I used to own a unison unico w/ neat mystique speakers along w/ the rotel cd player coupled w/ an msb link dac III half nelson w/ upsampling and even THAT system sounded muddy in my room, whereas in a different room at my previous residence, it sounded wonderful. There is very little i can do about the room at this point, though, as i am only a condo renter and not the condo's owner.

Can anyone offer any ideas as to what i could do to improve the sound? I still don't have a lot of funds at this time, so cheapie solutions would be appreciated.

My thoughts:

Perhaps sugden A48b integrated is not powerful enough (although i really have no clue what its power rating actually is)...it's a model from the early 90's which was pretty heavily modded.

Perhaps the cables are not good matches... the Ecosse are the most gritty sounding/ harsh sounding, Audioquest sound blah and the monster, believe it or not, is the 'best' sounding of the bunch.

Perhaps it's just that i've grown away (and up) from the Nht 1.5's and require a more refined, more open speaker.

I'm soooo confused, so i'm turning to you audiogoners for opinions/ suggestions, as my bank account will not allow me to make any really stupid purchase mistakes.

Thanks in advance!
loose
loose OP
239 posts
 
No, i believe the meaning of nearfield listening is to have speaker arrangement in such a fashion that room boundaries do not affect the sound (or to a minimal degree).

I've experimented w/ pulling the speakers right out from the wall - in fact, nearly midway into the room (speakers were about 4' from the rear wall - and the distance from wall to wall in that plane is only 9').

If this is not what is meant by nearfield, apologies for the confusion.

Still, even in this arrangement, the sound is as stated earlier; it's edgy, yet still lacking in midrange presence, detail and openness.
loose OP
239 posts
 
Well, I flipped my listening room around by transposing the audio system and the couch. This has places the system on the apartment's outer wall rather than on a dividing wall.

The sound has improved dramatically, partially because the left speaker now has a back and side wall to support it (as opposed to neither). Further, the outer wall is cement vs. the dividing wall being cheap, thin drywall, so I believe this reinforces the sound as well.

I'm still not loving the speakers all that much, though.... Since I've owned much better, it's difficult to take steps backward.

Short list of speakers to audition in my hopes to open up the midrange... If anyone knows how any of these speakers interact w/ my Sugden A48b, please feel free to comment.

Any speaker

Short list:

Totem Arro
Totem Staff
Totem Hawks
StudioLab Reference 1
Epos M12.2 (NOT M12i)
Epos M15.2
Audio Physic Yara II classic
GMA Europa
Quad 12L

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys!
casouza
239 posts
 
If your MIT cables are old Terminator 2 or MIT-330, their internal networks do contribute to a muffled sound quality.
I guess MIT voiced Terminator 2 and 330 ICs to match entry-level systems.
MIT's more expensive cables do sound more transparent.
Within your budget, you may want to try Kimber 8TC for the speakers (always a good choice) and Tara Labs or Harmonic Technolgy ICs.
I hope this helps
panzrwagn's avatar
panzrwagn
519 posts
 

Nearfield simply means listening in an environment where the direct sound is at a higher level than the reflected sound. In acoustical terms, critical distance is that point where the direct sound level equals the reflected sound (or reverberant field) level. The only way to change that is by acoustical treatment. In your room 6 - 2X4 ft 2" fibreglass panels will make a dramatic difference above 200Hz. Below that bass traps are required. Acoustimac sells such a package in your choice of colors and fabrics for $770.93. 

Until you deal with your room, nothing meaningful can be done to improve your system. A system in which your room is the biggest and most often neglected component.

rocray's avatar
rocray
1,448 posts
 

What about a pair of super tweeters? Just a thought to maybe brighten things up a bit. 

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