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How to warm up cold-sounding Rotel/B&W system?

I recently purchased Rotel 1062 Integrated, Rotel 1072 CD player and B&W 703 speakers. Perhaps system will settle in over time, but at this point it sounds very cold and clinical to me. Highs on many cd's are downright painfully harsh and generally the sound is fatiguing. "Warm and musical" it ain't. I tried the CD player with my old set-up: Nakamichi RE-1 receiver and B&W P5's, and this coldness was not apparent. I also tried substituting the P5's for the 703's with both Rotel pieces and the sound was still pretty chilly, though not quite as bad. Any suggestions? Maybe it's the amp? I have Transparent "the wall" speaker wire and whatever the cheapest Transparent interconnects are. I've heard people call Transparent stuff "cloudy" but never "chilly". Any suggestions?
stuartk
kotta's avatar
kotta
649 posts
 
I'm not familiar w/ your equipment from personally use, but it seems to me the logical choice is to either change the spks. or change the amp. An amplifier can have a huge difference in the way a spk. can sound. More refined w/better bass and an equally proportioned bass/mid/treble are some of the things a really good amp can do for your system. It sounds to me your amp isn't capable of bringing out the best that the spks. have to offer.
px25
31 posts
 
Stuart, although the RA-1062 is an excellent amp, it is a bit underpowered for the 703s. The amp will play the speakers, but will not properly drive them above moderate volumes in medium to large rooms. The 703s may seem efficient on paper, but appreciate good clean power. A Creek 5350SE is about as low powered of an integrated amp as I would go with these speakers. Compared to your P5s, the 703s are far more neutral with a more refined tweeter. If you keep your current electronics, try a pair of Van Den Hul D102MKIII cables between the amp and cd player and VDH Teetrack biwire cable for the speakers. Just my two cents.
distortion
571 posts
 
I suggest leaving your CD player going all day at low volumes. Just set the "repeat" function and head off to work. At least a hundred hours to break in that tweeter and woofer. Or maybe more.

I recommend Harmonic Technology Truthlinks as your interconnect.

If your previous equipment sounded fine in the same room then, it's unlikely thats your problem. But... Toeing in the speakers can help.

Ultimately Tvad is right. B & W's arent characterized as warm. They are a revealing speaker and generally appeal to those who like that sort of thing.
stuartk OP
2,921 posts
 
Thanks for the ideas, guys. I agree that the speakers are just not getting enough juice to bring them alive and that treying a different amp is next. Yes, the Creek 5350SE is one I plan to try. Others have suggested McIntosh and Musical Fidelity.
stuartk OP
2,921 posts
 
Thanks for the ideas, guys. I agree that the speakers are probably not getting enough juice to bring them alive. Trying different amps is next. And, yes, the Creek 5350SE is on my list. Others have suggested McIntosh and Musical Fidelity. The previous system sounded quite musical in this room, so I'm having difficulty attributing the unmusicial sound of the Rotel + B&W gear to the room. RE: "warmth", perhaps I should clarify that I like a clear sound that is neither especially warm nor especially cool. At this point, the sound is way over on the cold side, so I say it needs to be warmer, but probably not as warm as some of you may be thinking I mean when I say "warm". Words are so nearly useless when trying to describe sound!
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