Really feel the need for change!

[admin_exported]

Hi all,

I have a Musical Fidelity A3 amp and A3 CD player currently feeding my beloved pair of Monitor Audio Studio 20SE's and linked together with Chord Rumour Bi-wire cable.

My problem is that I can't seem to get any bass out of it all. I can feel it and since I got the Chord Cables I noticed alot more punch but even though I've got the speakers right up against the wall it still seems weak. However, when I stand-up walk about the room I get loads of boom. So obviously I have a room that doesn't lend itself very well accoustically. Having said that, and this might sound like a contradiction, this set up does actually sound really good and the low end is there but I just feel I need to go deeper.

So, if you are all now confused it's probably because I can't make up my mind whether or not to change the speakers.

I've listened to other systems with much bassier low ends and really love hearing the really deep low notes. Currently I feel them but can't hear them. So, with all this in mind I'm considering putting the 20SE's up for sale. My reckoning is that I can probably get about £600+ on eBay. So, my real question would be does anyone have any advice on what good quality second hand speakers might be a good match for my amp and cd player.

How do the new Monitor Audio speakers compare to the likes of the 20SE's. I've seen some RS8's for £699, would they be anywhere near as good etc?

I know i'm going on a bit here but I'm really lost as to what to do?

Thanks in advance if you've bothered to read all the above!

 

[Anonymous]

Hi, I thought the ols 20SE were quite good, a bit lean but good, the RS range I reckon will be a huge step back. But I think you have some kind of room issue a speaker change isn't going to cure, because you can feel them and can't hear them, plus your getting boom. First try simple things like repositioning the speakers, and later try some form of bass trapping before changing speakers.

 

[Thaiman]

I had A3 pre/power and cdp set up in 2001 and they kick out almighty bass with the best of them at the time. I never get on with monitor Audio due to my personal taste (I like a balanced sound). The speakers I had at the time was Ruark Talisman2....awesome build and will sound better than most speakers under £500 today.

From my experienced, speakers cables can alter sound slightly such as let more information come through but never I heard a cables that can add a a lot of bass to the sound yet....remember you only can takeaway signal run on cables - not add to it!

 

[Andrew Everard]

From long experience with the Studio 20s I'd suggest pulling them back out into the room to kill that boom and then rolling in a subwoofer underneath them.

Which sub? Well I did once run REL Studio sub with the 20SEs in a tiny room, but found it much easier to control the bass that way, but I'd suggest something small but punchy - try the likes of the smaller MJ Acoustics models, or maybe one of the compact Velodynes.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the advice although not sure I want to go down the lines of a subwoofer. I know the 20SE's are good but have seen some Ruark Prologues on eBay. They might go down a bit lower. Hmmmm I seem to be stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea!

 

[Anonymous]

what size is your room? i had a similar problem using floorstanders in a room that was not big enough for them. The room was also v poor acoustically. Maybe stand mounts would solve the problem. i changed to stand mounts and that helped.

 

[Thaiman]

[quote user="carey"]but have seen some Ruark Prologues on eBay.[/quote]

If you are going for Ruark try for Talisman 2 at similar price, sand fill the carbinets carefully! Too much and the sound become slow even if you gain a lot more in lower bass. I really think they are one of the most under rated - cheap 2nd hand speakers out there.

 

[gregory]

sometimes it's the recording that lets the bass down not always the system but i agree with the other members about re posistioning the speakers out into the room a bit more.take your time with this as you know experimenation will reward in the end.i'm sure you are going to get there in the end without having to sell your beloved speakers.a great test is to try some of bach's organ music.this should tell you if you have bass or put on dazed and confused.sometimes and i'm not being rude but people forget that bass should be musical not just deep,i would rather have bass i can follow rather that can wallow.

 

[Anonymous]

Hello again and thanks for all your comments.

I just measured my listening room for the 1st time and was surprised at how smallish it was. It's 3.6 wide and 4.6 long in metres with a suspended wooden floor. Carpeted with 2 sofas and the wallpaper is a textured type so don't get many echoes or the like.

The amp and cd is wallmounted to avoid vibrations from the floor and the MA Studio 20SE's are on thier dedicated plinths and spiked. 30cm from the side walls and currently 7cm from the backwall.

Strangely, since I first posted on here I've played various different CD's again and noticed an astonishing difference between them all in relation to bass production. Some discs sound better than others and I realise that mastering and production quality differs massively. With this system you can really tell when the sound appears to want to stay in the speakers or grab you by the ears, so to speak! I even have a few of the Naim Sampler CD's which are REALLY well produced and they sound fantastic.

Maybe in true Hi-Fi enthusiast fashion I'm starting to fall for the age old affliction of wanting to get more and closer.

Years ago I had a really good mate who ran a set of Mordaunt Short standmounts through an old receiver, I can't remember the brand or the speaker models. He used 79 strand standard cables and the CD player was nothing special either. Blimey it's over 12 years ago now. It was the year Leftfield brought out that stunning album Leftism. Since then, and no matter what system I've heard or had the use of etc, to this day I have never heard that album sound as good as it did then! Even Dire Straits and some The The at the time all sounded brilliant on that system.

What I remember the most and I suppose pine for the most was the way the bass just dropped down all the way and the way my ears just seemed to go all the way down and back again so effortlessly. It wasn't loud or massiveley noticeable but I remeber the impression it left on me all those years ago.

Now when I play that same album, it seems to just dissappear halfway and what does my head in is that I know where the note goes from memory but can't get to hear it now. It's unbelievably frustrating.

It is times like this that I would long to be a reviewer of Hi-Fi so I could look for that musical mystery amongst all sorts of components. I realise it's not spending the money but finding the mixture that has the ability to move my soul!

So for now I'll keep the dream alive. I do however have the fortunate compromise currently in the system I own to have beautifully clear mid range and open sounstage, just need that little bit more and then, hopefully then will I be satisfied!