Monitor Audio RX2 not so bassy as expected

[admin_exported]

Hi everybody,

well I just got my new Monitor Audio RX2 with a NAD C356 BEE amp. Those both products look great, especially the speakers....WOW!

But, after having fixed the cables and putted some rock music and electro, it seems to the bass is quite absent...

This is wierd because many RX2 owners found them quite bassy... I know that they are brand new and that they need some time to be at ther best but, ye, a lack of bass with those speakers is surprising. I putted them closer to the wall to gain some bass but it isn't that better...

So does everyone experienced this with MA RX or other brand new speakers? My room is about 30 m².... is it maybe simply due to the fact that I have no extra Sub in my set up?

 

[matthewpiano]

Give your speakers time. My BX2s took a good 30 hours before they produced bass as well as I expected and MA actually suggest a running in time of 50-60 hours for the Bronze range and, IIRC, more for the Silver/RX range.

Be patient and I'm sure you'll find things fill out a bit!

 

[Crocodile]

Wouldn't hurt to re-check your speaker cabling just in case you've made a mistake & wired them out of phase. That would certainly rob them (or any other speaker) of bass.

And that's my last post on this forum as it's just too much like hard work. :wave:

 

[Anonymous]

Also try placing them closer to the corners of the room (more effective than rear wall only), this is where bass tends to load up trapping these frequencies. They are a relatively small enclosure though so don't expect the earth to move.

 

[Anonymous]

Also try placing them closer to the corners of the room (more effective than rear wall only), this is where bass tends to load up trapping these frequencies. They are a relatively small enclosure though so don't expect the earth to move.

 

[Cypher]

Monitor Audio speakers need a lot of time before they start to sound good. More time than any other speaker I know.

 

[chebby]

Monitor Audio speakers need a lot of time before they start to sound good. More time than any other speaker I know.

Hopefully not longer than the dealer's returns policy allows.

If they don't sound good, take them back for a refund/exchange and don't take any flannel that involves you keeping them beyond the point the dealer can refuse a return.

It is just possible you have a duff pair.

 

[Paul.]

Leave them running whilst you are at work, you will eat through the burn in period in a few days.

 

[Inter_Voice]

I just wonder if the rear port plugs of the speakers have been taken out or not :?

 

[matthewpiano]

From the Monitor Audio website:

Running in is a very important stage of owning a pair/set of speakers. If the speakers are driven too hard straight out of the box, it can cause permanent damage, much like running in a car engine. The average running in time varies across the ranges from 50 - 60 hours for Bronze up to 70 - 100 hours for Platinum.

and:

If you are very anxious to hear your MA speakers at their best, then I would suggest running them face to face so they are more or less touching and wiring one of them out of phase. (Connect the negative to positive and positive to negative. Do this on one speaker only.) You can then run them at an average listening level and you will hardly be able to hear anything. They can then be run constantly for four or five days.

With approximately 3 hours use each day, my speakers soon changed quite dramatically, particularly at the bass end, within 2 weeks.

The BX2s aren't bass-light speakers after running in, and the RX2s certainly aren't shy in that department. I'm sure a bit of patience or following the running in advice copied above will reward you with what you are looking for.

Day off today and just listening to the new Red Hot Chilli Peppers album. Loads of tight, punchy bass with real depth coming out of the BX2s. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant speakers.

 

[Rethep]

Moving the speakers more to the backwall instead of into the corners is better imo. To the corner means more of the same distance to side- and backwall. That emphasizes to much of the same frequencies.

Although the more your speakers are from the backwall, the more deeper soundstage you have in general. You must find that balance.

 

[robg1976]

Give them time Mate My BR5 did not sound great out of the box, after about 3 months est( 80 hrs) they really started to shine. 3 years in they sound better than ever and the quality and finish is oustanding they look just the same as the day i got them,

Also try different speaker cables, i found Blackrodium speaker cables to be perfect, use jive bi-wire if you can, i tryed qed silver anniversary and it was to bright. and dont forget placement is everything try different positions closer to rear wall can extend the bass. nad amps have a tendancy for leaning towards bass so you should get a good tight bass and good timing.

hope this helps if not go back to dealer as the br5 or bx5 i think they now called are a little more but have that extra bass driver

 

[Blackdawn]

and:

If you are very anxious to hear your MA speakers at their best, then I would suggest running them face to face so they are more or less touching and wiring one of them out of phase. (Connect the negative to positive and positive to negative. Do this on one speaker only.) You can then run them at an average listening level and you will hardly be able to hear anything. They can then be run constantly for four or five days.

Sounds interesting. Is it good for the speakers to be run like this? Does the one which is out of phase sound different to the one run normally?

 

[AEJim]

and:

If you are very anxious to hear your MA speakers at their best, then I would suggest running them face to face so they are more or less touching and wiring one of them out of phase. (Connect the negative to positive and positive to negative. Do this on one speaker only.) You can then run them at an average listening level and you will hardly be able to hear anything. They can then be run constantly for four or five days.

Sounds interesting. Is it good for the speakers to be run like this? Does the one which is out of phase sound different to the one run normally?

It does no harm at all, it's exactly the same as wiring them in-phase. The difference is where both speakers usually push and pull air at the same time, one of them will now pull as the other pushes, so when you face them together they will cancel each other out to a large extent.

In isolation both speakers will sound the same, when both working in a "normal" listening configuration while out of phase you will generally notice the bass sounds a little light and, more obviously, the treble takes on an odd quality of spaciousness, becoming very vague and separate from the rest of the sound.

 

[Splash]

I found my RX2's to be quite bassy straight out of the box. I own a BK XLS200 sub which I NEVER use when listening to music, the RX2's definitely go down low enough.

Try playing a tune such as Groove Armada's Suntoucher and you really should be feeling that deep bassline. If you don't then check the wiring!

 

[deanhartley]

Hi everybody,

well I just got my new Monitor Audio RX2 with a NAD C356 BEE amp. Those both products look great, especially the speakers....WOW!

But, after having fixed the cables and putted some rock music and electro, it seems to the bass is quite absent...

This is wierd because many RX2 owners found them quite bassy... I know that they are brand new and that they need some time to be at ther best but, ye, a lack of bass with those speakers is surprising. I putted them closer to the wall to gain some bass but it isn't that better...

So does everyone experienced this with MA RX or other brand new speakers? My room is about 30 m².... is it maybe simply due to the fact that I have no extra Sub in my set up?

The idea that one of your speakers could be wired out of phase is very likely here. There is an easy visual way to check. Turn the amp off. Remove the speaker cables from your amplifier. Get a battery and place the red and black speaker cables onto the battery terminals. + to + , - to -. The speaker cone should move forward. If you use a AA battery it will only move very slightly, but maybe enough to view the direction. You can toggle the + on and off with the battery as it will be easier to see the direction. Repeat the procedure with the other speaker. If they both move outwards, then the speaker and connecting cables are all wired up correctly. Re-connect to your amp.

It is unlikely there is something wrong with the drivers. They will either work or not.

Hope this is of help,

 

[Anonymous]

Hi,

My speakers are wired correctly as there is a (+) on one of the part of the cables so I can't be wrong 😉. Bass is present, so they are not out of phase. I'm going to give some more time to the speakers (I used them 20h untill now). Hope bass is going to be more present... it just gives me a feeling of not filing my room right now... Medium and bass sound is still not so dynamic and quite muffy. But high fequencies are beautifull.

So I will come back in a couple of days for further feedback of the bass 😉

 

[chebby]

Not sure if anyone has asked this yet, but what are you comparing the bass to? What speakers did you have before the RX2s?