Monitor audio rx6 too bright?

[albireo]

I own a pair of Monitor Audio GS10 hooked to a Creek Evolution amp. I simply love these speakers. I wouldn't call them bright, however, they are EXTREMELY revealing of the music you play through them.

I can easily tell now what CDs/LPs in my collection have been properly recorded and mastered, which ones are mastered hot and which ones are really poor jobs. I can also tell how most modern CDs or remastering have been ruined due to the so called "loudness wars".

I am not implying the OP music is poorly mastered in general, but it's a variable to take into account. There's a number of recordings of mine I can hardly listen to anymore with my GS10. On the other hand, the insight they give on properly recorded one is just mindboggling.

 

[moon]

I don't think people bash the brand at all, they just have different tastes and say so. I don't like them either, the ones I've heard at least, but, hey, there are plenty who don't like my gear - I mean, I have Naim, after all

On his forum I'd say there are far more people who like MA than those who don't, and it is they (the likers) who are more vocal than the rest, as you'd expect. I have noticed, however, that mentioning you don't like them is very controversial, whereas no-one seems to mind if you say you don't like Q Acoustics, Kefs and many many other brands. It's a bit like saying you like the Technics SL1200 or Linn LP 12 on a turntable forum :beer:

Really good post, nice and level headed. I don't really mind what people say about any kit I have or have had, because they don't have to listen to it, I do though.

I have no problem with the BX's and Denon. The BX's they are fairly new to me. Certainly not harsh, smooth and detailed would be my tupence.

 

[plastic penguin]

Hi Vortex

What's your room acoustics like? is it reflective e.g. hardflooring, no curtains etc etc.? or do you have carpet, sofas, bookcases etc etc?

Did you buy without listening first?

I did demo them with a cambridge audio

Amp suprisingly the combination didnt sound that

Bright .

My setup is in carpeted basement about 20 by 20 ft

But i have the setup in one half of the room

To get more low end . The only thing that i can

Think of is a part of the ceiling That could be causing reflection.

Ahh what the hell ill just post a pic of the setup

I've heard RS6s with Cambridges 840 and they sounded fine. With their budget stuff it is a total 'NO NO'. My friend has the 640 and it sounded brittle at best.

 

[kevinJ]

Is it possible that i might have damaged them without

Properly breaking them in , max volume would have been around - 2db on a

90 @ 8 ohm amp.

Just wondering, since I had a Denon avr1909, do you actually turn that amp up to -2dB?
When you listen to music/movie, and you turn up the volume, at some point, you'll notice that only the high frequencies will get louder, but the low frequencies will not anymore. That's the point where the amp is delivering all its available (peak)power, and it starts getting dangerous for your speakers. On my 1909, that was at about -18 to -15dB.

If you keep turning the volume up after that point, the sound will become very harsh and bright, and you'll probably destroy your speakers.

 

[the record spot]

For me, with the right amp and source, little below a thousand pounds beats Monitor Audio speakers.

I suppose you could say that about any number of combinations PP; for me, there's not a whole lot that'd come near my setup just now for me. Horses for courses and all.

 

[plastic penguin]

For me, with the right amp and source, little below a thousand pounds beats Monitor Audio speakers.

I suppose you could say that about any number of combinations PP; for me, there's not a whole lot that'd come near my setup just now for me. Horses for courses and all.

Given I heard countless amps and a number of CDPs with the MAs, I've always maintained Arcam/MA is possibly the best, synergy-wise, I heard for the money - even betters the Leema in pure sonic chemistry. However, the current set-up isn't my end game so Leema and MAs are irrelevent.

 

[the record spot]

Wasn't really talking about MA specifically PP - e.g. my current setup for instance. Somebody else could have their preference that doesn't feature Arcam or MA at all.

 

[chris hollands]

I purchased a MA RX6 AV Xmas 2011 and paired it with a Denon 2311, i can genuinely say that i was not happy with the sound all year, found it very harsh . I took the decision to change the Denon in November for a Yamaha RX-V3067.

The difference is night and day, a sound i feel is much better suited to the Monitor Audio`s , showed me why it is so important to demo the equipment as i bought the Denon without listening to it because it had been so heavily reduced in price in the sale.

 

[Vortex160]

Hi there

I just got a pair of monitor audio rx6 which are paired with a denon 791 avr

The highs and vocals are very bright and taxing on the ear.

Its as if theres no body to the vocals , increasing or decreasing the treble tone makes no difference

Things still sound harsh even at low volumes .

What could be the reason behind this ?

Is that the denon doesnt match with the rx6?

Any suggestions

Could be for a variety of reasons. Did you audition the speakers with your amp and like the sound at the time? If not then why did you buy them...?

If yes, then it could be that the speakers need to be run in and/or that you have hard/bright room acoustics. You could try moving the speakers close the rear wall and play around with placement, that will make quite a difference and you can see if that brings out the lower frequencies a bit more.

IMO, no point thinking about changing the speakers until (a) you know what kind of sound you're after and (b) you know why the current setup doesn't provide what you're looking for.

How does reflection contribute to harshness even if stuff is played on low volumes .

Another thing i suspect is that i might have damaged the speakers crossover when i biamped them .

Though i did everything in the book , connected the frontl/r terminals to the hf and surround b terminals to the lf,

Even took off the short circuit plates .i have the system back in normal mode now.stuff sounds more harsh or i could be just imagining things.

Is there any way to determine that there is no physical damage to the speaker?

 

[Vortex160]

Is it possible that i might have damaged them without

Properly breaking them in , max volume would have been around - 2db on a

90 @ 8 ohm amp.

Just wondering, since I had a Denon avr1909, do you actually turn that amp up to -2dB?
When you listen to music/movie, and you turn up the volume, at some point, you'll notice that only the high frequencies will get louder, but the low frequencies will not anymore. That's the point where the amp is delivering all its available (peak)power, and it starts getting dangerous for your speakers. On my 1909, that was at about -18 to -15dB.

If you keep turning the volume up after that point, the sound will become very harsh and bright, and you'll probably destroy your speakers.

Audessy had the channel level at -7 db for both the fronts , thats why i had to turn the volume up to -2db wasnt that loud to my ears unless i have gone partially deaf over the years .my question was regarding safe volume before breaking the speakers in

Cos i treated them as if they already had been run in , some people say its important some people think otherwise

Another thing i only increase the volume on tracks that are bearable to listen for example drum n bass or idm that have less high frequencies , soft alternative stuff like pink floyd sounds grating at even -20

 

[Vortex160]

Hi,

I recently bought some RX6's and, although second hand, I was told that they had hardly been used and still needed running in.

The amplifier is a Marantz PM7200KI with either Vinyl or CD/SACD as a front end.

I have to say I don't find them harsh in the slightest, very detailed yes and with the right record or disc they can sound absolutely beautiful, even at lower volumes. I listen to many different types of music and I haven't come across any recording where I would say that the sound was harsh.

Maybe your speakers do need some more running in. I'm not familiar with the Denon so I'm assuming that it can drive the speakers correctly. What front end are you using?

Otherwise the problem may be synergy between your amp and the speakers. My thoughts anyway.

Hope this helps

Steve

ive had them for about two weeks now , but i hardly have 10 hours on them :rofl:

as soon as i start listening i get put off by the grating sound and lack of sound stage and i switch off the system.

 

[Vortex160]

I had a kef and marantz setup before this and never recall it being bright even with low quality mp3s. And i have heard people saying that kefs are bright ,hmm..

 

[Vortex160]

Hi there

I just got a pair of monitor audio rx6 which are paired with a denon 791 avr

The highs and vocals are very bright and taxing on the ear.

Its as if theres no body to the vocals , increasing or decreasing the treble tone makes no difference

Things still sound harsh even at low volumes .

What could be the reason behind this ?

Is that the denon doesnt match with the rx6?

Any suggestions

Could be for a variety of reasons. Did you audition the speakers with your amp and like the sound at the time? If not then why did you buy them...?

If yes, then it could be that the speakers need to be run in and/or that you have hard/bright room acoustics. You could try moving the speakers close the rear wall and play around with placement, that will make quite a difference and you can see if that brings out the lower frequencies a bit more.

IMO, no point thinking about changing the speakers until (a) you know what kind of sound you're after and (b) you know why the current setup doesn't provide what you're looking for.

(a) im looking for smooth highs that have body , right now it seems like the tweeter and drivers are totally out of sync with each other , the highs sound like coming from a laptop! im used to laid back sound that has a slow impact (not a fan of the live or in your face effect) i would describe the sound from the current combo more harsh on the ears rather than bright .

i listen to experimental , leftfield , indie , post rock,idm and ambient mostly

(b)

-I suspect it could be my receiver (denon 791) , i was using the same receiver with canton bookshelves which sounded bright too.

-it could be that i havent broken them in yet , considering the system was on for an approximate total of 10 hours.

-im using a ps3 as source / cdp play mostly flac or wav( through hdmi)

-it could be that i got faulty speakers or i damaged them some how (i did bi amp them once )

-speaker cable?? im using audio quest flx 16 gauge

-room acoustics? its a carpeted basement with no potential for reflection except a portion of the ceiling that has a rectangular cavity for lighting and stuff , speakers are 6 feet away from each other 2 feet away from the back wall , toed in slightly ..

considering all of the above what do you think that is the most likely ?

 

[Frank Harvey]

I had a kef and marantz setup before this and never recall it being bright even with low quality mp3s. And i have heard people saying that kefs are bright ,hmm..

Exactly

I would set your speakers out of phase, face them inwards to each other a couple of inches apart and turn them up - get some hours (at least 50!) on them as the HF will settle down. Only then can you make an informed decision on whther they really do sound bright

 

[Anonymous]

My RX6's are coming up to a year old and a paired with a fairly bright amp in the cyrus. They do open up quite a bit and develop some warmth but the brightness stays. I find that when listening the first minute or so are a little taxing but after that you get absorbed in the detail and would not want to go for a smoother speaker.

With classical or modern classical they are just superb, the brightness is not a problem. With pop, rock or folk the same. It is with electronica that the brightness is really apparent and only from digital sources. Play some cathode or pantha du prince from a digital source and there is a period of discomfort at the beginning of the listening session.

With any vinyl they are magic.

I have thought from time to time if maybe the B&W may have been a better choice but on the balance i would prefer the accuracy of the RX; plus the bass goes ALL the way down In fact the RX6 was my second choice to the RX2 which is even more forward, especially in the midrange (wife hated them for being big and ugly/imposing) so to my ears it was a compromise towards the smooth side.

I hope it works out for you

 

[Anonymous]

My

 

[Anonymous]

I've demo'ed the RX6 on a Creek amp and CD-player.
The resulting sound was too bright for my ears.

The BX2, on the other hand, sounded amazing.

Best,
Henrik

 

[Anonymous]

I have my rx6 for almost two years. It took me some time to find how to pair them. I had an old Marantz amp. don't remember exactly what was the number, and they sounded great, but still something was missing. Tried with Marantz PM6004, as I could read on some of the forums, that they paired perfectly, but it was a disaster. I listen mostly to classical music, and am a serius audiophile, when it comes to terms of relly loving the music, not analizing avery single bass or treble.

Finaly I tried them with Harman Kardon 990, and Marantz CD 6003. Bang !!!! Couldn't stop listening. Bought them immediately and i am still very happy about them. The sound of the orchestra, every detail, opera, the stage is here. HK990 drives them perfectly, you really need a powerful amp. to push these loudspeakers.

 

[Lo Fi]

You'll find there's a lot of people that comment on a brand based on hearing one or two of their products. Obviously, a couple of products from a number of ranges (and probably not even hearing certain ranges) isn't really going to give a representative opinion of that brand. With MA, many people base their idea of the MA sound on the old RS series, which was bright, and could be harsh if partnered wrongly. It's the same with KEF, Cyrus, Naim, ProAc etc etc, who have all seen changes to their 'family sound' over the past decade (some over the past few years), but you'll still get people giving their opinion on a brand based on a model they heard 10 years ago at a show somewhere.

This is why demo rooms are important. They may or may not be representative of everyone's living space, but they allow you to hear differences between speaker and electronic brands (away from other speakers), which is the most important thing when auditioning.

Hi David what amplifier would you recomend for MA RX6s and an Audilolab 8200 cd player to avoid an overbright system

 

[Anonymous]

I just replaced my rx6 for the same reason. Got the dynaudio x12 in stead for the money I received selling the Rx. I can listen to music without frustration again!

 

[the record spot]

Finaly I tried them with Harman Kardon 990, and Marantz CD 6003. Bang !!!! Couldn't stop listening. Bought them immediately and i am still very happy about them. The sound of the orchestra, every detail, opera, the stage is here. HK990 drives them perfectly, you really need a powerful amp. to push these loudspeakers.

Good choice, great amp. Great brand full stop IMO.

 

[plastic penguin]

You'll find there's a lot of people that comment on a brand based on hearing one or two of their products. Obviously, a couple of products from a number of ranges (and probably not even hearing certain ranges) isn't really going to give a representative opinion of that brand. With MA, many people base their idea of the MA sound on the old RS series, which was bright, and could be harsh if partnered wrongly. It's the same with KEF, Cyrus, Naim, ProAc etc etc, who have all seen changes to their 'family sound' over the past decade (some over the past few years), but you'll still get people giving their opinion on a brand based on a model they heard 10 years ago at a show somewhere.

This is why demo rooms are important. They may or may not be representative of everyone's living space, but they allow you to hear differences between speaker and electronic brands (away from other speakers), which is the most important thing when auditioning.

Hi David what amplifier would you recomend for MA RX6s and an Audilolab 8200 cd player to avoid an overbright system

Arcam A28, 38, Creek Evo2, Marantz 8003 or Pearl Lite, Roksan Kandy or Caspian, Audio Analogue... these MAs do require an amp with good control to grip those metal tweeters.

Sorry for jumping in, Lo-fi.

 

[Freddy58]

Arcam A28, 38, Creek Evo2, Marantz 8003 or Pearl Lite, Roksan Kandy or Caspian, Audio Analogue... these MAs do require an amp with good control to grip those metal tweeters.

Sorry for jumping in, Lo-fi.

On paper, I like the sound of these. Those amps you mentioned PP, any additions since you posted this? Do you still stand by this list? The one thing I wouldn't want would be something too bright/harsh.

Cheers...Freddy

 

[gasolin]

My advice ; get some Dali speakers. Dali Zensor 5 / Dali Lektor 6 / Dali ikon 5 mk2 are much better speakers with a natural sound and no harsh sounds at all.

I've never liked the RS/RX series from Monitor Audio. The BR/BX series are much better and more listenable.

Just my 2 cents

My zensor 1 is a bit to bright with my Denon dra f109 so for denon i wouldn't say dali zensor is the best choice, a denon surround reciver might sound different

OMG i comment on an OLD thread

 

[MajorFubar]

Holy Thread Resurection, Batman.