Hi Overwelmed by the review of what hifi, I bought acoustics q 2050i. They look great, they are build greatly too. Happy as Larry I've unpacked them and connected them to my amp. Cambridge Audio Azur 540 v2. And what? nothing, maybe my expectations are too high - I thought. But wait I just spend almost 500 quids and what? sorry?I just wasn't blown by the sound they delivered. On next days what I did I connected them as bi-wiring and that helped a lot. I get a feeling that clarity of the sound has much improved, but still I'm missing something. I don't feel the stage, I don't feel that dynamic when listening to it quietly. So now I'm not sure wheres the problem, might be that Cambridge Audio does not play with it in harmony. Should I change the amp? Do you have any experience with amps that will play nicely with Q 2050i? I've seen some posts that Marantz pm6004 might be great. Can anyone recommend any others amp that will not rip my budget off?
acoustics q 2050i, to high expectations?
- Thread starter vidlasty
- Start date
BigH
Well-known member
Can you have some auditions? As you probably know its risky buying hifi on the back of a review. It could be your amp. it could be your room, it could be you, it could the spaekers. If you can I would try to hear your speakers with Marantz 6005 and NAD D3020. As for biwiring it should not make much difference, maybe you are getting used to the sound?
MeanandGreen
Well-known member
What speakers did you have previously and how long have you had your new ones? How much use have they had? New speakers won't give their absolute best straight out of the box. They may just need more time running, especially if you think they are lacking dynamics at lower volume compared to what you're used to.
MeanandGreen
Well-known member
Just read the What Hi-Fi? Review of these and it does suggest a good period of running in for these. Also they mention the sound may be too polite for some people's tastes. Reviews aren't everything, but I'd be inclined to say either you haven't given them enough of a workout yet, or they just don't do it for you in your listening environment.
Al ears
Well-known member
I would ask what speakers did you have before and what are you using as a source. Those speakers may need more running but rpobably not. If they do not sound right to you now I don't think they are suddenly going to improve that much.
In my experience the 2050i needs space to breath, this is important.
Without it they sound a bit fat in the bass and this obscures mid and higher frequencies giving a dark, rather 'shut in' style of presentation. Get them right and they sound pretty good.
Of course you simply may not like what they do, after all a review is just 'another persons opinion', yours may be different.
If they are not working for you, running in and bi-wiring is not going to make the difference, Send them back.
Without it they sound a bit fat in the bass and this obscures mid and higher frequencies giving a dark, rather 'shut in' style of presentation. Get them right and they sound pretty good.
Of course you simply may not like what they do, after all a review is just 'another persons opinion', yours may be different.
If they are not working for you, running in and bi-wiring is not going to make the difference, Send them back.
Well I had missions m74i with SONY TA-F248 but I gave it to my father. They played really nice, and they still do at my parents place.
Next I bought q 2050i and had no amp, so I used my old SONY mhc 551. Finaly I bought that CA AZUR 540 v2, second hand and was not blown away. Comming from mini SONY to CA i expected big change.
As a source I still use my apple/mac with FLAC format. I have in plans to buy proper DAC but I dont have money right now.
And thats how the speakers are set in the living room:
Next I bought q 2050i and had no amp, so I used my old SONY mhc 551. Finaly I bought that CA AZUR 540 v2, second hand and was not blown away. Comming from mini SONY to CA i expected big change.
As a source I still use my apple/mac with FLAC format. I have in plans to buy proper DAC but I dont have money right now.
And thats how the speakers are set in the living room:
It's all a bit close and tight for big speakers but I think you have simply bought the wrong equipment for your taste.
Return then if you can and buy something else, that said the Cambridge amp is not the leveliest either.
Return then if you can and buy something else, that said the Cambridge amp is not the leveliest either.
thanks Dave,
Unfortunetly I can't return them, its been a while since I got them - 3/4 months.
maybe someone with q2050i will chime in sharing his pairing with amp.
Unfortunetly I can't return them, its been a while since I got them - 3/4 months.
maybe someone with q2050i will chime in sharing his pairing with amp.
gasolin
Well-known member
The distance between spakers should also be the distance from each spakers to the listening position, seems theres to much distance between the speakers or to little from the speakers and the listening position
left speaker is to close to a wall so it will have more bass.
Try a different amp
left speaker is to close to a wall so it will have more bass.
Try a different amp
gowiththeflow
Well-known member
So your source is a Mac, playing FLAC files, but you don't have any Dac outside of the Mac?
Presumably you have some software that allows FLAC files to be managed and played from the Mac?
How are you connecting the Mac to the amp?
Presumably you have some software that allows FLAC files to be managed and played from the Mac?
How are you connecting the Mac to the amp?
gowiththeflow said:
Good point, how are you doing that?
A usb dac might help, the Behringer UCA202 is less than £25 and sounds very decent.
Sadly it seems that you may simply have bought the wrong equipment for you and your room. Just emphasises why listening to equipment before purchase is important. If you had a little more experience in hi-fi matters you might have realised that the speakers were a bit big for your space or that the Cambridge amp is a very different beast to you old Sony.
Sadly such experience really only comes with hands on, sometimes that can be expensive.
Well...... You can go and get your old speakers back, give your parents the q's -if no improvement swap the amps around.
Not familiar with the M series of mission nor those Q's but having heard the baby's of the 20 range thought they sounded dull.
Don't see the logic of going from the mission to the Q's
But try that.
Not familiar with the M series of mission nor those Q's but having heard the baby's of the 20 range thought they sounded dull.
Don't see the logic of going from the mission to the Q's
But try that.
Al ears
Well-known member
Speaker positioning is all wrong I'm afraid. About as wrong as you can get. I'd give them a chance but reposition them .
At the moment there is plant of space behind left speaker but it is way to close to that sidewall, the right hand speaker is free from sidewall but has what appears to be a patio door behind it (way to close). They are also too far about relative to listening position.
If you can rotate your listening position through 90 degrees and have both speakers positioned along that wall to the left of photo, as far from the wall as you can permit. This set-up might change the sound dramatically. NOTE: This would only work with music, not so good if you are trying to watch TV *biggrin*
If you simply cannot re-arrange your listening position you are probably going to be better off selling them and getting a pair of small stand-mounters to fit just inside the mouth of the alcove.
At the moment there is plant of space behind left speaker but it is way to close to that sidewall, the right hand speaker is free from sidewall but has what appears to be a patio door behind it (way to close). They are also too far about relative to listening position.
If you can rotate your listening position through 90 degrees and have both speakers positioned along that wall to the left of photo, as far from the wall as you can permit. This set-up might change the sound dramatically. NOTE: This would only work with music, not so good if you are trying to watch TV *biggrin*
If you simply cannot re-arrange your listening position you are probably going to be better off selling them and getting a pair of small stand-mounters to fit just inside the mouth of the alcove.
I agree with Al ears
Get the tv away from that radiator and put your kit against the side wall.
Even standmounts in that hall clove will create problems with sound.
Get the tv away from that radiator and put your kit against the side wall.
Even standmounts in that hall clove will create problems with sound.
I will reposition speakers on the weekend, and will record that with any type of mic I got just to get comparison. Will keep you posted! TV will stay where it is, still got a room for that as it is 25 square meters. Thanks for all the tips. just can wait for the weekend!
I play just via VLC with regular mini jack output. I'm still looking for decent DAC with built in optical input, but it might be worth to even give a try to that Behringer UCA202. It is cheap indeed.
I play just via VLC with regular mini jack output. I'm still looking for decent DAC with built in optical input, but it might be worth to even give a try to that Behringer UCA202. It is cheap indeed.
vidlasty said:
The UCA202 ia a usb dac just plug and play using the attached usb cable.
It uses sensible components in a very simple configuration in a simple case, it is usb powered. Outstanding performance for what is barely beer money. By reputation the headphone output is not great and worth avoiding.
gasolin
Well-known member
Get something more decent then the Behringer uca202.
I don't like to spent money on something that's only okay, if you want a good dac get one that's good from the start, then your doing it right the first time, although it can sometimes be difficult to find something that matches thes rest of your system, if you buy something as cheap as the behringer uca202 i would bet you would think after some time, what if i buy somthing just a bit more expensive would i get much better sound. I mean 20-30 € isn't much for the behringer uca202 one for 100€ would propperly sound much better and still be cheap .
A long time ago i read an artikel about the uca202 and if you still want to use it you have to modify it, not so expensive, the it's good. (remeberthe frequency responce was very good even unmodified)
Instead of buying something cheap that's decent,okay spent a bit more and get something you like and would be happier with for longer time
I don't like to spent money on something that's only okay, if you want a good dac get one that's good from the start, then your doing it right the first time, although it can sometimes be difficult to find something that matches thes rest of your system, if you buy something as cheap as the behringer uca202 i would bet you would think after some time, what if i buy somthing just a bit more expensive would i get much better sound. I mean 20-30 € isn't much for the behringer uca202 one for 100€ would propperly sound much better and still be cheap .
A long time ago i read an artikel about the uca202 and if you still want to use it you have to modify it, not so expensive, the it's good. (remeberthe frequency responce was very good even unmodified)
Instead of buying something cheap that's decent,okay spent a bit more and get something you like and would be happier with for longer time
gasolin said:
Where did you get the idea that the UCA202 is okay?
Performance wise it is excellent and various (blind) tests show that it is effectively transparent compared to more expensive dacs such as the Benchmark. Savings are made on casework, power supplies and not using expensive components, this, along with chinese mass production, means value for money is outstanding.
The target market does not require 'audiophile' attributes, it is simply a device that gets the job done in as transparent a manner as possible. If you want something 'voiced' to suit audiophile sensibilities you will need to look elsewhere.
gasolin
Well-known member
http://nwavguy.blogspot.dk/2011/02/behringer-uca202-review.html
How to modify it http://nwavguy.blogspot.dk/2011/03/behringer-uca202-frankendac.html
How to modify it http://nwavguy.blogspot.dk/2011/03/behringer-uca202-frankendac.html
it could be the cambridge amp, I once tried the azur 650 and it went back the day after, not punchy and lacking verve, the QA speakers are supposed to be good but on the polite and refined side, maybe a mismatch, Get a better amp
gasolin said:
The modifications are primarily aimed at the headphone amp, the dac section is fine.
I know it is difficult for an enthusiast to take a £25 dac seriously, but the chips themselves are cheap, the implementation straightforward and the performance outstanding. You may need greater flexibility or you might fancy more 'bling' but in the context of a budget system it is all the dac you need, I have fitted several for 'non-enthusiasts' and they are, as I said earlier, fit and forget. They just work and are 'effectively transparent', on a tight budget the make great sense.
gasolin
Well-known member
I think many DACs provide similar performance only on optimum conditions, with clean current and no source jitter. When these conditions are not met, performance varies greatly. The Behringer UCA202 is powered from the USB port of the computer and does not re-clock the signal, so it will probably be very sensitive to the source.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram