Too much bass
January 17, 2005
I have a problem that is very disturbing. My system is
composed of the following components: Denon AVR-3801 receiver, Denon DVD-2900 DVD player,
Klipsch RF-35 speakers,TARA Labs Reference interconnects and TARA Labs RSC Prime 1000
speaker cables. Whatever material I hear, especially with SACD, I get a lot of bass. At a
certain volume level I can't hear the music any more because of the bass.
I tried to changed the receiver to a two-channel integrated
amplifier many times. The last amplifier I heard was the Bel Canto eVo2i Generation II and
the problem was still there. What can be the problem?
Ilan
I can say with almost complete confidence that your bass
issue is due to speaker placement/room gain. Your room is reinforcing the bass response of
your speakers (often termed "room gain") and the result is too much bass. The
closer your speakers are placed to walls and/or corners, the more room gain you'll get.
The simple solution is to move your speakers away from the walls around them. The further
away from room boundaries you can get the speakers, the less bass you'll hear. One other
workaround is to stuff a piece of foam into the port of your Klipsch speakers. This will
reduce the bass output and might just restore the balance you need. This can be an
especially useful trick if placement flexibility is not an option.
Vintage horn speakers
January 14, 2005
Great site -- I love the feedback and reviews for consumers
like me looking for affordable high-end audio.
I have a question regarding vintage speakers. I currently
own an Anthem Integrated 2 integrated amp (tube preamp and solid-state amp) and a Musical
Fidelity A3 CD player and am looking to purchase speakers. I was considering purchasing a
pair of vintage Klipsch Heresy speakers from 1990. What are your views on purchasing
vintage speakers with horn tweeters? Why have manufacturers moved away from horn tweeters?
Brian
There are still a number of horn speakers produced
today, by all types of companies. Klipsch still makes 'em fairly affordably, but you can
also spend many thousands of dollars for very exotic horns. So horns may not be the in the
majority, but they are still in production and readily available. As for a vintage pair of
Klipsch speakers, if you like the way they sound, then by all means have at 'em. They're
efficient and will play loud. I'm not sure how the sound will compare with current Klipsch
speakers, but the cabinets on those older Heresy speakers may be nicer than what you can
get from the company today. Make sure the woofer surrounds are still in good shape before
you buy, though. Fifteen years can cause foam rot, and although it is fixable, it would
mean having to remove the woofers and likely sending them off to a repair company. Other
than that caveat, I'd say go for it.
New receiver for Bose system
January 10, 2005
Thanks for your informative website. Here's my setup: a
Sony STR-DE575 receiver, a pair of Bose 701s (five years old), Bose 201 surrounds, a Bose
center-channel and a 12'' sub. Will changing the receiver make a difference in sound? Do
you have any advice on which receiver will match the speakers (I'm looking at
Harman/Kardon)? Some people advise me to change the whole system, but I'm not yet ready
for that. I'm doing it one piece at a time, and I feel that the receiver is the first one
to go.
Thanks in advance, and more power to your website.
Cris
It looks as if your receiver offers 100Wpc to five
channels and does have Dolby Digital processing. It does not appear to me to be lacking
too much in the areas of basic home-theater operation. However, there are a few things I'd
look for in a new receiver. First, more processing features, such as Dolby Pro Logic II,
will enhance your enjoyment of a lot of two-channel sources. Second, a model with preamp
outputs will enable you to eventually add an external power amplifier. This may not be
important now, but if you upgrade speakers at some point you may need more power. Lastly,
if you have multiple video sources, you might benefit from some form of internal video
switching. I'd sit down and take a close look at what you want in a new receiver, make a
list of the features, and only then go shopping. A higher-quality unit might improve sound
quality, but you'll have to listen to know for sure.
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