new hifi system

[picoose]

hi everyone,

newbie here, i just bought a new hifi system with a modest budgest, which consist of:

- a Onkyo A-9010 amp
- a pair of Dali Zensor 1

I eventually will buy a turntable to listen to my records, but as of now, i mainly play music using streaming services or FLACs from my laptop.

I am overall quite impress by my new setup but find the sound crunchy when playing piano tracks for example ( i listen to a lot of Nils Frahm / Satie / ... ). It's just not crystal clear as i expected; it sounds like it "vibrates" a lot ( sorry i'm not sure what the exact term is! ) More bass-y / pop / rock tracks sound much better.

Could this come from the speaker cables / banana plug i use? I'm using the ones in this bundle: http://exceptional-av.co.uk/onkyo-a-9010-w-zensor-1-speakers.html I was actually thinking about buying new plugs as these ones look cheap.

I also know that speakers will improve with time; is that something i could hope for? Or is it a bad amp / speakers combo? Maybe i did it all wrong!

Any help / advice appreciated, thanks a lot!

 

[muljao]

Have you the speakers positioned correctly with good solid stands, or a very solid shelf

 

[lindsayt]

Are the ends of the cables stripped properly and clamped properly into your plugs?

Check that. If you still have a "crunchy" sound on piano, the fault is elsewhere.

There's quite a bit that can be done to alter the sound of your system by speaker placement and support.

What have you got your speakers on? Hopefully you haven't dumped them on the floor? Are they on stands that bring the tweeter or mid-bass driver up to the same height as your ears?

Are you sitting midway between your speakers? Have you tried placing the speakers right in the corners of your room, played some music and then moved them in towards the centre of the room untill the bass snaps into focus? When you do that, are the speakers in a domestically acceptable location?

Have you tried adjusting the toe-in? Maybe they'll sound best firing straight across or down the room? Maybe they'll sound best toed-in towards you?

Have you done a phase test to check they're in-phase? Google this for some tests you can play through your speakers to check.

Have you tried them firing length-ways and width-ways to see which sounds best in your room?

Could you add more furniture to your room to absorb / break up the room echoes (preferably without spending a load of money).

If you've done all that, and you're still not happy with the sound, don't feel bad. You've only spent £314. That's nothing in the crazy world of hi-fi. If you prefer small speakers, try something like some 2nd hand Royds, or Epos ES14's. If you can go large in the speaker department I'd be happy to give you a few suggestions.

 

[picoose]

crunchy might not be the right word for it actually, it's like it's rattling.i know it's a budget kit but i can't believe this is supposed to sound like this.

Are the ends of the cables stripped properly and clamped properly into your plugs?

Yes, i re-did this yesterday to make sure all the cables clamped properly.

What have you got your speakers on? Hopefully you haven't dumped them on the floor? Are they on stands that bring the tweeter or mid-bass driver up to the same height as your ears? Are you sitting midway between your speakers? Have you tried placing the speakers right in the corners of your room, played some music and then moved them in towards the centre of the room untill the bass snaps into focus? When you do that, are the speakers in a domestically acceptable location? Have you tried adjusting the toe-in? Maybe they'll sound best firing straight across or down the room? Maybe they'll sound best toed-in towards you?

The speakers are on a bookshelf, with the tweeter approximatly at the same height as my ears, and stand on the little pads that come with the kit.i usually sit midway from them. tried different location in the room but it doesn't seem to make any difference.

Have you done a phase test to check they're in-phase? Google this for some tests you can play through your speakers to check.

yes i did, polarity seems ok!

If you've done all that, and you're still not happy with the sound, don't feel bad. You've only spent £314. That's nothing in the crazy world of hi-fi.If you prefer small speakers, try something like some 2nd hand Royds, or Epos ES14's. If you can go large in the speaker department I'd be happy to give you a few suggestions.

yeah i know. i realised that i should have gone to a shop beforehand to test a few before buying it though. will pop by at Richer Sounds today and see if they have any advice. thanks a lot for all this lindsayt, really appreciate it!

 

[MajorFubar]

really your speakers should not be rattling unless something's loose or you're driving them too hard. Can't you return them if you haven't long bought them? In the UK, consumer contract regulations dictate that you have usually 14 days to return an item you're not happy with.

 

[hybridauth_Google_102448927921535339228]

May sound daft but try a thickish blob of blue tac on the corners of the speakers so that they are sitting on them. If you notice an improvement might be a idea to get some speaker stands in the future or just stick with the blue tac

 

[picoose]

really your speakers should not be rattling unless something's loose or you're driving them too hard. Can't you return them if you haven't long bought them? In the UK, consumer contract regulations dictate that you have usually 14 days to return an item you're not happy with.

that's what i'm thinking. it rattles even at low volume which makes me think the set might be faulty?i can still return them so i might just do that.

May sound daft but try a thickish blob of blue tac on the corners of the speakers so that they are sitting on them. If you notice an improvement might be a idea to get some speaker stands in the future or just stick with the blue tac

they stand on hard rubber bumpers, and it doesn't seem to make any difference unfortunately...

 

[davedotco]

Before you take things back.

How are you getting the signal from your computer to your A9010?

Could you be overloading on peaks?

 

[Blackdawn]

really your speakers should not be rattling unless something's loose or you're driving them too hard. Can't you return them if you haven't long bought them? In the UK, consumer contract regulations dictate that you have usually 14 days to return an item you're not happy with.

that's what i'm thinking. it rattles even at low volume which makes me think the set might be faulty? i can still return them so i might just do that.

If the speakers are rattling then there must be something wrong with them - I would take them back. Otherwise I would have put the problems down to your source (e.g. noise on the computer).

 

[ID.]

Nils Frahm is pretty rattley. Close miked so you get all the clicks, thumps and rattles of the keys, hammers and pedals, but I assume this is something else.

Not really sure what you mean by rattle. Is it something rattling in the speaker, distortion, or just that the sound is a bit hard and bright?

 

[Rowan1981]

hi everyone,

newbie here, i just bought a new hifi system with a modest budgest, which consist of:

- a Onkyo A-9010 amp - a pair of Dali Zensor 1

I eventually will buy a turntable to listen to my records, but as of now, i mainly play music using streaming services or FLACs from my laptop.

I am overall quite impress by my new setup but find the sound crunchy when playing piano tracks for example ( i listen to a lot of Nils Frahm / Satie / ... ). It's just not crystal clear as i expected; it sounds like it "vibrates" a lot ( sorry i'm not sure what the exact term is! ) More bass-y / pop / rock tracks sound much better.

Could this come from the speaker cables / banana plug i use? I'm using the ones in this bundle: http://exceptional-av.co.uk/onkyo-a-9010-w-zensor-1-speakers.html I was actually thinking about buying new plugs as these ones look cheap.

I also know that speakers will improve with time; is that something i could hope for? Or is it a bad amp / speakers combo? Maybe i did it all wrong!

Any help / advice appreciated, thanks a lot!

When you say it "vibrates" do you mean the actual speaker itslef sounds like it is vibrating, maybe as if there is soemthing loose?

Or do you mean to say that the pianos in the music are not clear and sound different as to how they should?

 

[matthewpiano]

I experienced this with a pair of Zensor 3s. I took them back and the dealer said something about the 'spider' coming apart in the bass/mid unit. They were swapped with a new pair and all was well after that. Given that the Zensor 1s use a smaller drive unit of the same construction, you could be suffering from the same issue.

 

[lindsayt]

It sounds very much like there's a technical fault with your speakers.

There's a small chance it could be something in the room that's rattling. To check this, temporarily place the speakers in a different room and play the same music at the same volume.

If the rattle's still there, return the speakers for a full refund or replacement.

 

[picoose]

How are you getting the signal from your computer to your A9010?

I had an airport express set up at first. Now i plugged my laptop straight to the amp using a mini jack to rca cable .both sound the same.

Nils Frahm is pretty rattley. Close miked so you get all the clicks, thumps and rattles of the keys, hammers and pedals, but I assume this is something else.

When you say it "vibrates" do you mean the actual speaker itslef sounds like it is vibrating, maybe as if there is soemthing loose? Or do you mean to say that the pianos in the music are not clear and sound different as to how they should?

Not really sure what you mean by rattle. Is it something rattling in the speaker, distortion, or just that the sound is a bit hard and bright?

yeah i know, and i expect to hear these sounds in Nils Frahm music, but if i play something more classic ( like the Gnossiennes by Satie for example ) notes aren't crystal clear, it feels there's a vibration that's annoying to the hear, even at low volume.

 

[ID.]

Then I assume a technical issue (or perhaps that you were expecting too much from budget equipment...)

 

[picoose]

so i went to RicherSounds today and they came to the same conclusion, they think the speakers are faulty. i just ask for a return, so i should come back to you guys with some news shortly! thank you all for all the help / advices. btw, i can only recommend AV Exceptional services, really helpful and friendly staff too.

 

[picoose]

just in case you wondered how it sounds like ( at low volume ): -link deleted-

i tested both speakers separately and they both sound the same.

 

[picoose]

hello there, it's me again.

so the shop was kind enough to send me a new pair of Dali Zensor 1, which i installed this morning. unfortunately they sound exactly the same as the old ones. same rattley sound even at low volume.

I'm not sure the terms i use are the correct ones so to give you an idea of how it sounds, here's a little sample i recorded: http://tinypic.com/r/20b0oph/9

I honestly wonder what could be so wrong with my setup. could this come from my amp? an Onkyo A9010? or the cables i use? The amp is set on Source Direct, bypassing all the tone controls. Speakers are on a hard surface, on a shelf. Their position might not be ideal but i tried moving them around and it makes not difference.

any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[insider9]

Sounds distorted. Which input have you plugged yourself into on the amp?

 

[picoose]

Sounds distorted. Which input have you plugged yourself into on the amp?

It's on Line 1 at the minute. I originally plugged it into Line 3 i think but i could hear the same distortion.

 

[insider9]

Just wondered... The likelihood that you got two pairs of speakers and both faulty is remote. I'd start looking at the source and amp.

Have you got any other amp to try the speakers with? As well as could you try a different source? I know Onkyo has a Line 5 which is a mini jack on the front, as long as you have a cable you could just connect your phone ino it and test.

The possibility that you got two speakers that are both faulty is remote. I'd start looking at the source and amp.

 

[picoose]

i haven’t tried the Line IN at the front yet, will give that a go an let you know. thanks.

very unlikely it comes from the speakers now i think, that's why i'm trying to narrow it down to something else.

 

[insider9]

Trying line in with a different source would eliminate the amp+speakers and is probably the easiest to do. That would mean it's either the source your using or something wrong with your interconnect.

Good luck

 

[thewinelake.]

Oooh, that sounds bad!

Trying to think what's easy - amp swap-out? Or maybe easiest just to take speakers and amp back to RS to see if it does the same there?

 

[shadders]

Hi,

Are you playing from your laptop analogue output only when this occurs?

Could be dirty connections on the 3.5mm jack connection?

Or a noisy ground connection which is low volume, and turning up the volume comparatively reduces the noise.

Have you tried a cd player, or dvd player? Instead of a laptop?

Does rotating the 3.5mm jack connector when playing affect the sound?

Regards,

Shadders.