Improve Your Midrange - Add Another Pair!

[admin_exported]

Yesterday I massively improved my hi-fi sound for only £35. I found some Mission E30s open boxed for the price and set them up on my Arcam A32. The sound was brilliantly smooth and quite detailed with a nice soundstage, but they severely lacked bass depth. So, what did I do? I wired them in on the second channel on my Arcam with my Wharfedale EVO2 30s on the first. Then I placed the Missions on top of the Wharfeys (remember they have the inverted tweeter alignment) and played them both together...

It was utterly amazing.

I had no idea what I was missing in the midrange with my Wharfedales and putting the Missions on with them made it sound like Eddie Van Halen and Roth were in my room! Something which I have no experienced in my setup to this date! Timing? Perfect - there was no problem having two sets of speakers on at the same time, and the Arcam seemed to cope with the 8ohm Missions and 6ohm Wharfedales on at the same time, even at -20db!

I know many of you will not believe this improvement and that it would sound very mushy and badly timed with both on at the same time, but it was amazing! No, make that perfect - Johnny Cash was live in that jail and I was in the croud - fantastic! Has anyone else done this?

 

[Pike900fish]

Recently when i had a tweeter go on some Mission 734i Floorstanders I hooked up a pair of old JPW mini monitors(my first rear speakers) in the same way. To be honest, I thought the combination sounded better than the 734is alone. The JPWs tweeters were detailed and not as bright as the original...Only problem is it looked odd and there was no way she who must be obeyed would have gone for it!

So is this a permanent set up for you now?

 

[fr0g]

Hughes123:Yesterday I massively improved my hi-fi sound for only £35. I found some Mission E30s open boxed for the price and set them up on my Arcam A32. The sound was brilliantly smooth and quite detailed with a nice soundstage, but they severely lacked bass depth. So, what did I do? I wired them in on the second channel on my Arcam with my Wharfedale EVO2 30s on the first. Then I placed the Missions on top of the Wharfeys (remember they have the inverted tweeter alignment) and played them both together...

It was utterly amazing.

I had no idea what I was missing in the midrange with my Wharfedales and putting the Missions on with them made it sound like Eddie Van Halen and Roth were in my room! Something which I have no experienced in my setup to this date! Timing? Perfect - there was no problem having two sets of speakers on at the same time, and the Arcam seemed to cope with the 8ohm Missions and 6ohm Wharfedales on at the same time, even at -20db!

I know many of you will not believe this improvement and that it would sound very mushy and badly timed with both on at the same time, but it was amazing! No, make that perfect - Johnny Cash was live in that jail and I was in the croud - fantastic! Has anyone else done this?

I think the 'improvement' could be compared to using 5.1
It might sound 'more', but it ain't hifi.

In all honesty, I think you need to ditch the Arcam, AND Wharfedales, and get your JVC attached to a pair of Cerwin Vegas!
(Massive fun, but certainly not hifi).

 

[drummerman]

Agree with that. I think it shows more that your WD's have'nt got the speed and/or clarity needed with an arcam amp. Just a guess.

 

[Anonymous]

fr0g:

In all honesty, I think you need to ditch the Arcam, AND Wharfedales, and get your JVC attached to a pair of Cerwin Vegas!
(Massive fun, but certainly not hifi).

😉 Nah, CVs are for yobs...the idea is to get some speakers which look normal, in a nice wood finish and then hit the 120db peaks! Then again, the JVC could do with a bit of a warm up now you mention it...I wanna find some Wharfedale E90s for it (those Beasty 70s speakers that are over 1.5m tall with 6 drivers!)

Oh, and yes, the Missions are here to stay - and as far as I can tell, it sounds pretty hi-fi to me! LOADS of detail now!

 

[Anonymous]

Hughes, you really need to get on with replacing the Wharfys with something that's going to match the amp and listener a bit more...it sounds like things have reached the point of desperation!

 

[drummerman]

igglebert:Hughes, you really need to get on with replacing the Wharfys with something that's going to match the amp and listener a bit more...it sounds like things have reached the point of desperation!

Dont say that to him. He's so happy today!

 

[Anonymous]

drummerman:
igglebert:Hughes, you really need to get on with replacing the Wharfys with something that's going to match the amp and listener a bit more...it sounds like things have reached the point of desperation!

Dont say that to him. He's so happy today!

...false happiness...

 

[fr0g]

I think it would be orgasmic with some CERWIN-VEGA CLS-215 (although the neighbours wouldn't)

A friend of my brothers had an earlier equivalent, and you could 'feel' them from the end of his road apparently...His dad ended up soundproofing the room

 

[drummerman]

igglebert:drummerman:

igglebert:Hughes, you really need to get on with replacing the Wharfys with something that's going to match the amp and listener a bit more...it sounds like things have reached the point of desperation!

Dont say that to him. He's so happy today!

...false happiness...

delusional?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delusional_disorder

 

[Anonymous]

drummerman:igglebert:drummerman:

igglebert:Hughes, you really need to get on with replacing the Wharfys with something that's going to match the amp and listener a bit more...it sounds like things have reached the point of desperation!

Dont say that to him. He's so happy today!

...false happiness...

delusional?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delusional_disorder

...nah, just bloody hopeful...

 

[Anonymous]

fr0g:I think it would be orgasmic with some CERWIN-VEGA CLS-215 (although the neighbours wouldn't) A friend of my brothers had an earlier equivalent, and you could 'feel' them from the end of his road apparently...His dad ended up soundproofing the room

The early equivalent were actually tested by WHF, thats going back some years. I cant recall the model, but they had 2x15" woofers, dual tweeters, one back and front, and they were also about the same price as 215's.

Whoever it was who reviewed them said "a detached house in the middle of dartmoor is required to get the most out of them". I immediately wanted a pair.

 

[fr0g]

subliminal41:
fr0g:I think it would be orgasmic with some CERWIN-VEGA CLS-215 (although the neighbours wouldn't) A friend of my brothers had an earlier equivalent, and you could 'feel' them from the end of his road apparently...His dad ended up soundproofing the room

The early equivalent were actually tested by WHF, thats going back some years. I cant recall the model, but they had 2x15" woofers, dual tweeters, one back and front, and they were also about the same price as 215's.

Whoever it was who reviewed them said "a detached house in the middle of dartmoor is required to get the most out of them". I immediately wanted a pair.

I never heard them myself, but my brother mentioned that when playing some ambient dub (lots of sub bass), going too close to the speakers themselves resulted in involuntary tears, and vibration of the face (at listening levels that were not painful to the ears... scary.