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Most beneficial change .

I am seeking opinions about what to change first , my speakers or my amplification .

I have a Primaluna Prologue 2 integrated feeding Reference 3a Decapo i speakers from a Granite Audio 657 CDP using the tubed side most of the time . I have rolled the input tubes on the integrated to warm things up some which helped nicely . The system is in a small 10'X11' room on the diagonal with some room treatments . The room is carpeted and my chair is overstuffed leather with a matching foot stool .

I get good tone , extension , details , resolution and PRaT but it is kind of boring ! It all sounds pretty good but I don't want to tap my toes ,bob my head or play the air guitar ! I can listen for long periods of time with ease but just don't want to . Easy to fall asleep ! I guess that I would like to increase the dynamics and musicality . I prefer tubes .

Suggestions ?

Thank you for your input .
saki70
etbaby
138 posts
 
Your room is too small. The reason that you cannot tap you toes to the music is that the wavelengths of mid bass and low bass are too long and are not supported by your current room dimensions. You could try adding some bass traps. This might eliminate some of the standing waves that are cancelling out some of your midbass. Until you maximize the room acoustics do not spend any more money on speakers or amplification. You cannot change the law of physics but you can eliminate some self induced problems.
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
I agree with SBank on the quality of your speakers. They are very good. I would be careful with large full-range speakers in that room, it would get overloaded with bass in a very unpleasant manner IMHO without really well applied room treatment - those seem to be good speakers for the dimensions of your room. Is the PrimaLuna running EL34s or KT88s?
lloydc's avatar
lloydc
759 posts
 
Your issues are symptomatic of digital reproduction. The solution is to go back to analogue. Changing speakers, or anything else from the line stage forward, will not solve the problem, because it is at the front end of the chain.
cruz123
586 posts
 
Ok, you have recommendations to change your speakers, your room, and or your front end. No one's mentioned your amp yet, so I say change that :). I'm sure someone will post shortly suggesting that you change your cables. Of course, there's always the possibility that you simply listen to boring music.

In all seriousness, the biggest improvement I have ever had in my system was going from a integrated amp to a separate preamp and amp. IMHO, integrateds in the class of the primaluna can be bested pretty easily. Your speakers have a good rep, so I would look at the other components first.
elf73
104 posts
 
Maybe you need some new music?

Go on Craigslist and get some Ikea Lack End Tables for $5 and stick it under your CD player...

or Neuance shelves.

But yeah it could be the amp. I have the PL2. I had a McCormack DNA .05 Rev A and the sound was more visceral i suppose. I really liked this amp. But the cost benefit of an integrated and tone of tubes make me happy with my choice in the PL2.

The PL2 sucks for some music for sure. I just listen to Metallica and Pennywise on my ipod and in the car now.

I'm using Coincident Triumph Signatures 90db (I think), first order crossovers. I think your speakers are better and more sensitive. So doubt that is the problem. Could be your speaker placement. Thought I read the deCapo's were finicky about placement... could be wrong.
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