To much Bass - where is the problem?

[admin_exported]

Hi all,

System specs are in my sig, I am starting to realise that my system is perhaps kicking out too much bass. On some recordings the bass is just silly and sounds uncontrolled and a bit boomy. I have experimented with speaker position and pulled my speakers out a good 0.5m - 1.0m, this helped but the bass is still out of control on some tracks.

With a lot of music my system sounds great but unfortunately with a lot of stuff it just doesn't. I am leaning toward either the speakers or CDP, what do you guys think? Is it that my speakers just aren't up to the job of controlling the signal that is coming from my amp?

Room dimesions approx 6.5m X 2.5m, speakers are placed either side of a fireplace on the longest wall.

All replies gratefully received 🙂.

Thanks,

 

[the record spot]

Probably down to the recordings themselves to be honest. Some discs are mastered well, others have everything turned up to 11, others are too bassy, some too shrill, some just plain rubbish.

Check out the discs you like the sound of, see who the mastering engineer is credited as, take it from there. Likewise, if you find discs you really dislike, check the mastering engineer, see if you can find a list of his work, try another disc out, if it's the same, it's probably his work that's the culprit.

 

[Anonymous]

I'd try experimenting with bunging/partially bunging the bass port on your speakers.

jules.

 

[ESP2009]

There is a good deal of discussion about room acoustics and positioning of your speakers relative to your listening location. Although no expert on this kind of thing, I wonder whether you are too close to your speakers. My own speakers can sound too boomy in a similar way to yours and I put it down to poor positioning in a room unsuited to floor-standers - my fault, I moved them from another room with better acoustics (I won't bore you with details). I am now seriously considering buying stand mounts.

I recommend you search the forum for similar threads on the subject of room acoustics, positioning and the rest of it. However, I agree with the Record Spot about CDs. My speakers aren't consistently overbearing in the bass department, but I have found a good test piece in the shape of the first track of 'A Word in Your Eye' by the Lens - lovely, clear mid- and high-end, but a very powerful bass. My TDLs really boom on this track, so if I can find a pair of speakers that can rein this in, whilst maintaining the clarity and detail elsewhere, I'll be happy. That said, I note that the boomy and flabby sound diminishes when I sit approx 5m away (my living room is oriented the opposite way from yours).

 

[matthewpiano]

Try a different interconnect. I use Chameleon Silver + and love it, but it is quite a bassy sounding cable and, if your system already has a propensity towards bass, it might just be exaggerating it. You might actually find that Chord Crimson suits your set-up better.

 

[ESP2009]

matthewpiano:Try a different interconnect. I use Chameleon Silver + and love it, but it is quite a bassy sounding cable and, if your system already has a propensity towards bass, it might just be exaggerating it. You might actually find that Chord Crimson suits your set-up better.

Coincidentally, I recently purchased some Chord Crimson off Fleabay at a very reasonable price and I have to agree with Matthewpiano; found that they seem to tame the bass a little...to my ears anyway. On the other hand, they also seem to reduce the high end a touch - the speakers are a little less bright.

However, I must emphasise that this is my own subjective view, based on limited listening and comparison to-date.

 

[plastic penguin]

Slightly contentious - although I love my CD73T, when I rigged it to a Naim Nait 5I I found it to be fatiguing, almost to the point of giving a serious headache. However, when I played my Marantz Tuner & DVD's thru it it sounded fine.

I believe that the weak link is the CD player, fine with budget/mid range electronics, stretch it a little further & the Arcam, in my view is found wanting. . .

Before investing in a new CD check out the other suggestions first. . . .

 

[jaxwired]

matthewpiano:Try a different interconnect. I use Chameleon Silver + and love it, but it is quite a bassy sounding cable and, if your system already has a propensity towards bass, it might just be exaggerating it. You might actually find that Chord Crimson suits your set-up better.

You took the words out of my mouth. I recently started using MA RS6's which have bags of bass and I've found the Crimson helped tighten up the bass and tame the boominess. Truly worth trying.

 

[JamesOK]

spooks1982:
Hi all,

System specs are in my sig, I am starting to realise that my system is perhaps kicking out too much bass. On some recordings the bass is just silly and sounds uncontrolled and a bit boomy. I have experimented with speaker position and pulled my speakers out a good 0.5m - 1.0m, this helped but the bass is still out of control on some tracks.

With a lot of music my system sounds great but unfortunately with a lot of stuff it just doesn't. I am leaning toward either the speakers or CDP, what do you guys think? Is it that my speakers just aren't up to the job of controlling the signal that is coming from my amp?

Room dimesions approx 6.5m X 2.5m, speakers are placed either side of a fireplace on the longest wall.

All replies gratefully received 🙂.

Thanks,

I had the same problem with my B&W DM603 S3's. The bass was very boomy and woolly. I solved it with a suggestion on this forum. Got myself down to Tesco, bought a couple of granite chopping boards. Also a packet of squash balls. Cut the squash balls in half, put them under the chopping boards and put the speakers (complete with spikes in place) on top of the boards. I didnt believe it would make much of a difference, but it totally sorted it. Tightened up the bass and mid range and took away the boominess. I think as my system is upstairs, the speakers were making the floor vibrate which caused the problem.

 

[ESP2009]

JamesOK:

I had the same problem with my B&W DM603 S3's. The bass was very boomy and woolly. I solved it with a suggestion on this forum. Got myself down to Tesco, bought a couple of granite chopping boards. Also a packet of squash balls. Cut the squash balls in half, put them under the chopping boards and put the speakers (complete with spikes in place) on top of the boards. I didnt believe it would make much of a difference, but it totally sorted it. Tightened up the bass and mid range and took away the boominess. I think as my system is upstairs, the speakers were making the floor vibrate which caused the problem.

Ah, the Tesco granite chopping boards - splendid items! A massive cost saving over the alleged audiophile traps costing as much as 10x the price! Together with squash balls, they're worth a fling (well, maybe not literally). Type both into the forum search and see what discussions turn up. A word of warning though; I renewed my squash ball contingent recently and had forgotten that not only do the little devils 'bleed' but they also issue a dying gasp as you slice into them - very disturbing!

But more seriously, there is a school of thought that you need to be careful about what your speakers (and stands) actually sit on - a suspended wooden floor can, apparently, make any tendency towards boominess even worse, transmitting the bass like a giant sounding board. I admit I need to take a bit more time checking this situation myself - having only tried the chopping board and squash ball combo under the components themselves.

 

[Anonymous]

'Ah, the Tesco granite chopping boards - splendid items! A massive cost saving over the alleged audiophile traps costing as much as 10x the price!'

You could try bicycle inner tubes, too. They do work, and 'decouple' quite well. But the benefits are a long way shy of the likes of the likes of the seismic sink, in themselves a good way off what the VSSS does. They might be pricy, but Townshend's stuff is well worth the outlay.

 

[Anonymous]

spooks1982:

Hi all,

System specs are in my sig, I am starting to realise that my system is perhaps kicking out too much bass. On some recordings the bass is just silly and sounds uncontrolled and a bit boomy. I have experimented with speaker position and pulled my speakers out a good 0.5m - 1.0m, this helped but the bass is still out of control on some tracks.

With a lot of music my system sounds great but unfortunately with a lot of stuff it just doesn't. I am leaning toward either the speakers or CDP, what do you guys think? Is it that my speakers just aren't up to the job of controlling the signal that is coming from my amp?

Room dimesions approx 6.5m X 2.5m, speakers are placed either side of a fireplace on the longest wall.

This is what I found when auditioning the 685s with the K2 combo. Too much bass and mids that were low on detail. I moved to MA BR something with Marantz (6002) and that was an improvement. At least it sounded better to my ears.

 

[Anonymous]

Are they mp3's? I find if I am playing hip hop mp3s then lots of bass is always prevalent on them to the point where it gets ouf of control.

 

[Craig M.]

your room is quite narrow, so i'm guessing you sit with your back right against the wall? that can cause problems with thickening the bass, also you may be having certain bass frequencies which bounce between the front and back walls setting off a resonance problem in your room. have you tried pointing the speakers straight at you? i personally think if you can't cure it with tweaking the speaker position, then you should change your speakers. probably not what you want to hear. i had dynaudios that where quite hard to position so the bass didn't boom on some tracks, if you could stretch to some atc speakers they might be a good solution, sealed box and very controlled bass makes positioning easy.

 

[seasiders rock]

what type of floor do you have ?

do you have floorboards by any chance.....

 

[SteveR750]

The 685's are not exactly the last owrd in bass depth or output, sounds like its a problem with the interaction with your room. Someone posted above to try experimenting with the bungs to try to shift the port fundamental away from a room resonance which is a good idea. You could try moving house if none of the above work - I have a "rubbish" room acoustically and although I have got an acceptable sound, I know that it could be much better (as I have heard it in a different room and it did!). I reckon that moving house is the ultimate and most effective upgrade you can make...!!!

 

[ESP2009]

SteveR750: I reckon that moving house is the ultimate and most effective upgrade you can make...!!!

So, we can expect WHF to begin house reviews in future issues then? Perhaps there's room for a specialist edition of that 'Relocation, Relocation' show: move over Phil and Kirsty, here's introducing the WHF Team...

Failing that, you need to be completely single and be able to do exactly what you want to do to your home and hi-fi without fear of interference or recrimination!

 

[SteveR750]

ESP2009:
SteveR750: I reckon that moving house is the ultimate and most effective upgrade you can make...!!!

So, we can expect WHF to begin house reviews in future issues then? Perhaps there's room for a specialist edition of that 'Relocation, Relocation' show: move over Phil and Kirsty, here's introducing the WHF Team...

Failing that, you need to be completely single and be able to do exactly what you want to do to your home and hi-fi without fear of interference or recrimination!

I am and thats still doesnt work...

 

[ESP2009]

Right, pick up the phone to Phil & Kirsty - we look forward to seeing you on TV!

 

[matthewpiano]

Imagine going to look round houses and taking your hi-fi kit with you.

'I just need to check the sound quality available in this house before proceeding further!! What? Its suffering from subsidence? Oh well, my B&Ws sound good in that lounge so I'll live with the other issues.'

 

[ESP2009]

matthewpiano:Imagine going to look round houses and taking your hi-fi kit with you. 'I just need to check the sound quality available in this house before proceeding further!! What? Its suffering from subsidence? Oh well, my B&Ws sound good in that lounge so I'll live with the other issues.'

And I bet the stories people can tell would be a whole stranger, but that's a completely different thread...

 

[SteveR750]

matthewpiano:Imagine going to look round houses and taking your hi-fi kit with you.

'I just need to check the sound quality available in this house before proceeding further!! What? Its suffering from subsidence? Oh well, my B&Ws sound good in that lounge so I'll live with the other issues.'

You mean you don't.....

I have always looked at new houses with where will the hi fi go uppermost in my mind. I have foten asked about the floor and how it is constructed ad wouldnt even consider one with a suspended/wooden floor!

 

[matthewpiano]

SteveR750:
matthewpiano:Imagine going to look round houses and taking your hi-fi kit with you.

'I just need to check the sound quality available in this house before proceeding further!! What? Its suffering from subsidence? Oh well, my B&Ws sound good in that lounge so I'll live with the other issues.'

You mean you don't.....

I have always looked at new houses with where will the hi fi go uppermost in my mind. I have foten asked about the floor and how it is constructed ad wouldnt even consider one with a suspended/wooden floor!

I only rent but it was a consideration when we looked for our current place. Its a nice solid concrete floor here so no floorboards or the like to cause issues. When we do eventually buy I'll be keeping the hi-fi foremost in my mind!!

 

[Big Chris]

Further to the recommendations of changing interconnects, I'd recommend taking a look at Kimber cable.

I used to have VDH's 'The Bay' between my CD and amp, and it was just too warm & fuzzy. Swapped out to some Kimber 'Silver Streak's and the clarity, detail and soundstage opened right up, and I lost that leaden warmth to the sound, without veering towards lean-ness.

Not heard their 'Timbre' I/Cs, but they're also meant to add detail and tighten up the sound, and they're cheaper than the S.S.

 

[JoelSim]

SteveR750:
matthewpiano:Imagine going to look round houses and taking your hi-fi kit with you. 'I just need to check the sound quality available in this house before proceeding further!! What? Its suffering from subsidence? Oh well, my B&Ws sound good in that lounge so I'll live with the other issues.'

You mean you don't.....

I have always looked at new houses with where will the hi fi go uppermost in my mind. I have foten asked about the floor and how it is constructed ad wouldnt even consider one with a suspended/wooden floor!

I certainly will be bearing the hifi in mind when I move. Needless to say, the topic will never come up in conversation with the missus, but it will be a serious consideration.

ÿ