Dynaudio Contour with Marantz - Tuning the sound with positioning

WishTree

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Hi - I finally managed to take the delivery of the speakers and here is how the set up looks like...

err.. I am unable to insert but here is the link to the pic

http://lh5.ggpht.com/__vS4mGfZtUI/TQdsyPQl04I/AAAAAAAAC7w/XyLUneS5y0M/s912/131525_10150111781077247_752732246_7974051_8264252_o.jpg

I am in love with the sound (even more when compared to B&W CM9 - Bass with CM9 was weak, muddy and treble was too jarring for any practical listening session) ! Right now - The base is very tight and the mid / high is very very clean.

I am right now feeling that low frequency is slightly over powering and the high frequency levels are a little low in levels. Is there a way I can tune the position of the speakers to make the sound level uniform over the entire spectrum?

Please let me know your valuable suggestions

The speakers are about 30 cms from the back wall. The base is so unbelievale
 

WishTree

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Thanks Craig. I am right now doing the test with speakers about 70cms from backwall. It has improved the control of the bass but the level of bass is still more than the rest of the spectrum. Definetly very surprising because my CM7 or CM9 never gave me that much bass ever !
 

Craig M.

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the contours can generate a lot of bass. i had some on home dem and really liked them, but did find the bass a bit heavy handed in my room.
 

jaxwired

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WishTree, I have been using S1.4s for more than a year. Yes, they have loads of bass, but I've come to believe that the bass is not dominating the sound. Play something that has little bass and you will find the contours are truly faithful to the recording and will produce very little bass. When you play something that has plenty of bass, you get it in spades. You aren't used to the bass and that's understandable, but you will get used to it and then you will likely love it. The bass is very strong, but it's very high quality clean sounding bass. I do agree that the speakers need to be as far as possible from room boundaries (without getting ridiculous). The other important factor is the amp. The contours sound best with lots of solid state power. They are not easy to drive in my opinion. I don't know what you are using. I'd say 125w/ch into 8 ohms is minimum if you want to get the best from them. Of course, it depends on the amp, but more power is better in this case.

BTW, they look fantastic! Gorgeous
emotion-21.gif
 

WishTree

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Craig - Yes.. It is unbelievable to hear the amount of bass these speakers are generating and except at the very low end all of it is "basket ball" tight which is even more impressive!

Bluebrazil - Room changes /modifications are not so applicable in my case (rented appartment / moving out soon / Acceptance Factor by the counterpart)

jaxwired - You have the same speakers! Awesome!! I am driving them with Marantz PM-11S1 which is rated at 200 WPC (into 4 ohm). I think this is already reference class for Marantz and it is a very nice sounding amp and some of the reviews say it is lean on bass! My friends who have auditioned felt that the sub woofer was on, on many tracks we tested which I take it as a compliment but I have a feeling that in the long run, the bass will tire me out and so was seeking opinions before I start with the tone control of the amp.

Does playing / tuning with Tone Controls is not a recommended thing in the HiFi world?
 
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Anonymous

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WishTree:
Craig - Yes.. It is unbelievable to hear the amount of bass these speakers are generating and except at the very low end all of it is "basket ball" tight which is even more impressive!

Bluebrazil - Room changes /modifications are not so applicable in my case (rented appartment / moving out soon / Acceptance Factor by the counterpart)

jaxwired - You have the same speakers! Awesome!! I am driving them with Marantz PM-11S1 which is rated at 200 WPC (into 4 ohm). I think this is already reference class for Marantz and it is a very nice sounding amp and some of the reviews say it is lean on bass! My friends who have auditioned felt that the sub woofer was on, on many tracks we tested which I take it as a compliment but I have a feeling that in the long run, the bass will tire me out and so was seeking opinions before I start with the tone control of the amp.

Does playing / tuning with Tone Controls is not a recommended thing in the HiFi world?

If you need to fiddle with tone controls then go ahead. Anything to make a great sound in your particular room. Stuff what the " Hi Fi " world thinks or does. It's down to your ears. Sure if you can find other means of controlling the bass then follow some of the previously recommended advice. My room is not very bass friendly and can boom with any speaker. but careful speaker positioning combined with some well placed soft furnishings have eliminated that problem for me.
Tinker away see what happens
 
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Anonymous

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having looked at your picture......I would personally try a Toe in positioin of 5% and see how you go. The back wall is very sparse. Some acoustic panels/ paintings/ drapes/ as mentioned above might do very well. but I guess all that depends on how you like your decor. Looking at your decor some wall hangings / tapestry might be in keeping. You don't have to buy them to check. Just pin up some drapes, curtains or sheets and see how the sound changes.

good luck
 

jockey.wilson

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Dynaudio used to have the advertising slogan: Dynaudio knows Bass

It worked on me when I bought my Contours about 9 years ago. Properly driven, there are few standmount speakers that have the weight and bass impact still of these, and I suspect that your 1.4's even more so.

However, to be driven well they need an amp that can deliver high peak current, not neccessarily high power. My Naim power amp is only (conservatively) rated at 100 watts/channel into 4 ohms, but can sustain high peak current due to its large power supply. It may be that your Marantz just struggles to give enough current? Also, surely you are not using them with the PV1? That would be bass overkill in my book.

How about speaker cables? Perhaps some 'silver' cable like Chord Rumour might address the balance a bit, as they are generally regarded as being 'bright'. That said, it would be better to get everything right in the first instance without having to tweak cables, or tone controls really...
 

jaxwired

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If the bass is really bugging you, then these might not be the right speakers for you. Little annoyances on day one usually turn into torture by day 100. OR, you might grow accustomed to it and love it. I don't like tone controls just because it puts more electronics in the signal path which could reduce the purity of the signal. However, you should try using them. But definately go easy on them as all tone controls I've ever used corrupted the sound when used at their extremes. But the tone controls are definately the most effective way to tame the bass. The next most effective thing is to move the speakers farther away from the walls. You could also try the port plugs, this will tame the bass alot, but I personally found the speakers to sound muffled and uninvolving with the plugs in place and I wouldn't use them if you paid me. Lastly, you can try wall and room treatments like drapes, rugs, and acoustic panels, but as you have stated that would have to wait until you are in your own home.

I think you are still just growing accustomed to the sound. Give it a 2 months and see if the bass is still bugging you then. It takes awhile to get your mind around the fact that these stand mounts speakers are producing all that weighty bass. If they were big floorstanders, you would probably be more happy with it as it would make intuitive sense. It's first rate bass and adds a rich sumptious sound to music that many speakers are missing. I love mine. Good luck and how about more pics?
 

WishTree

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Jockey.Wilson - I like the DynAudio's slogan! They really know how to generate such tight bass! PV1 is for sure off (even otherwise it is set to work below 50 HZ). Also, as per the Marantz PM-11 is considered, I would like to believe that it has enough current to drive Dynaudios Regarding Cables, I will get to that, if I am unableto get things absolute right with other possibilities. Honestly, I am not a huge cable believer but my beliefs have changed after experiencing these stand mounts deliver so much bass

Jaxwired - Well, it is not really bugging me right now but overwhelming me for sure. You are right about the optical illusion part of such small speakers delivering so much controlled tight bass. I will anyways keep them for few months, on the minimum side! The Foam Plugs are missing and Dynaudio is kind enough to send them to me for free! Once, I get them I will try them too. Given smaller size of my living room (11 feet X 16 feet), I have always had foam plus on with B&W CMs as I would like the roll off curve as steep as possible and my PV1 could manage all the missing gaps very effortlessly. Right now, I am very happy with one notch down on bass + one notch up on treble (of the tone controls of Marantz) and PV1 off, but I would like to defeat the tone controls at some point of time!!
 

Craig M.

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11 x 16 feet? i'm not suprised the bass is heavy, i really think they need a large room. power-wise, i'd be suprised if your marantz can't cope, my old moon i3rs drove them just fine.
 
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Anonymous

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131525_10150111781077247_752732246_7974051_8264252_o.jpg


they look great
emotion-21.gif
, having just got a pair of dynaudios i know what you mean re. the bass, mine are only the entry level dyns yet they are fantastic and are much bassier than i thought they would be, but perfect for my room, i hope you can get this little issue sorted and get to really enjoy those amazing speakers...
 

WishTree

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Thanks Craig for the reassurance on the amplifier part! I was hoping that Marantz PM-11 should be a tank to support any odd loads that can be thrown at it - Given the fact it looks and weights like a serious Amp!

Maxflinn - I am glad we both are into dynaudio and enjoying the sound. I am still very impressed by the clarity, details and tightness that Dynaudio has brought in when compared to my previous B&Ws. I actually also liked the sound of Excite X36 but they are really too big for this room or any place that I will be moving in near future!

With the Tone control, I am very much sorted for now and a week down the line, I will be defeating the tone controls to see if my ears got used to this amount of details and clarity and are ready for the actual reproduction of the recordings!

I am still amused by the amount of bass these stand mounts are able to generate !!!

On a different note - The Stand4 has two columns (front and rear) and right now both are filled with sand. Any one has experience with experimenting on this to see the effect on performance?
 

bluebrazil

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i have the 52se's on the stand 4's. although mine have attabites in they are only half full (if that). couldnt hurt you to go down to about two thirds full of sand and see if that makes a diffference. btw i know its a messy job and i ended up buying a funnel it was infuriating me so much.
 

WishTree

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Thanks Bluebrazil. I agree with you on the messy part. The design is even more tricky with contour s1.4 as the top plate of the stand is not used and the two coloumns thread into the bottom plinth of contour. Now to change the damping material or even to tighten the thread the whole thing need to be dismantled and fixed again :(
 

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