help with system

Native_bon

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Nov 26, 2008
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hey guys currently got cambridge audio 840c cd player, cambridge audio
640R AV amp . I heard the cd & amp in the
shop with B&W speakers, cant remember what model there were, sounded really good but sounding thin & lacking bass with my
tannoy R2 speakers. Am thinking of upgrading the speakers to the
B&W 684 speakers, Any advice guy. Oh cables interconnect Van den
hul the wave. Speaker cables 8VS kimber cables. thanx
 

d_a_n1979

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The Tannoy R2 speakers are good for what they cost but theyre not the be all and end all when it comes to bass.

The B&W 684's are superb with bass and really sing well when partnered with the right seprates but IMO; B&W dont gel well with C/A as the C/A amps can sound a bit clinical and forward sometimes.

Are you in a siuation where you can upgrade your AMP and/or CDP as well or is it just speakers at this time?

You could also consider changing speaker cable and interconnects as well (i.e Chord Carnival Silver speaker cable and Chord Crimson interconnects)

Also; what music do you listen to?
 

ALTANPSX

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684's are very good speakers. Also consider the 683's(better). CA will drive all of them. If you may buy a tower never consider a bookshelf (685).
 

John Duncan

Well-known member
I can't imagine the R2 sounding 'thin', I had them for a long time and never found them that. I'd be more inclined to say it's a 'feature' of the other kit, and would say it's the quality of the bass, rather than a lack of it, which is giving you an issue.

That said, I haven't heard the 640R, but I'll bet it's not the best amp out there for music, and could be the culprit.
 
A

Anonymous

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JohnDuncan:I can't imagine the R2 sounding 'thin', I had them for a long time and never found them that. I'd be more inclined to say it's a 'feature' of the other kit, and would say it's the quality of the bass, rather than a lack of it, which is giving you an issue.

That said, I haven't heard the 640R, but I'll bet it's not the best amp out there for music, and could be the culprit.

I agree. Using an AV receiver in stereo won't give you the best sound. Also, CA is thin and lightweight, at least the models I have owned (CA340C, CA 540A, CA 640C).

Now, the R2, if I remember well, have two 14 cms woofers. The B&W 684 has two 16.5 cms woofers. I'm sure they will give you a bigger sound, and more bass. But I'm also sure they won't be as musical, natural, with that delightful voicing that the R2 has.

If you like how your speakers sound in general, I would try a dedicated stereo amp with a good bass foundation, and if you still think there's something missing, then youïll have to change your speakers.
 

John Duncan

Well-known member
I'd have thought the R2s would be perfect for your musical taste, and that the 840c would be a bit clinical. However, given that you have it already, might I suggest a new amp - a Marantz PM7001 would sound very good, at a guess, and can be had quite cheaply (£330). Depends on budget really......

One last thing - how are your R2s positioned? Close to wall or in free space? Are the rear ports 'bunged' or 'unbunged'?
 

John Duncan

Well-known member
OK, experiment with placing them closer to the rear wall and/or bunging them (if you still have the bungs), you may find more bass.

But they have such a gorgeous midrange, I still say think the problem lies elsewhere.
 
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Anonymous

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JohnDuncan:OK, experiment with placing them closer to the rear wall and/or bunging them (if you still have the bungs), you may find more bass. .

John, it's actually the opposite: using the foam bungs will reduce low frequency energy, and transform the speakers into sealed boxes, which is not a good thing, as they are primarily designed as bass reflex systems.

IMHO, using such methods to increase or decrease low frequency output (insert the bungs to decrease, moving the speakers close to a rear wall to increase) it's always a solution which compromises sound quality. Speakers (specially floorstanders) sound their best when having a reasonable distance from the rear wall. This way dispersion improves, the speaker can breathe, you don't have nasty wall reflections, you get soundstage depth, etc.

If you move them close to the wall, you will have more bass, but other areas will be sacrified.

Of course small monitors need a bit of wall reinforcement, otherwise they sound thin. Also, some designs simply lack low frequency extension, so the only way to make them sound full-bodied is to place them close to the wall. But when it comes to floorstanders, I've always found they sound best with at least 50 cms of distance from the rear wall.
 

Native_bon

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Nov 26, 2008
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hey guys thanx. I had 2 try my luck. i just got the B&W 684 speakers!!. oh boy... my problems are gone. & i have not even run them in yet. My problem was i was not liking the sound or bass of my Tannoy speakers!! With the BM's in place everything has come together. can believe its the same system.... Should i go on..lol... well says it alll. Am happy now.
 

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