advertisement


What to do to get my system sounding better at lower volumes

Chris said:
From reading around, I am guessing that most people suffer to a certain degree from a similar "problem" whereby you need to turn it up to really enjoy your system.
Any suggestions ?
I have no idea in which direction to go. I would love to be able to listen at lower volume but my system sounds great at let´s say normal listening session loudish but at lower volume it tends to fall apart and ceases to surprise. Please note I am not talking about uncomfortably loud by any stretch of the imagination.
I run vinyl only (LP12, Ittok LVIII, P77), Sugden A21SE, Wd25tex speakers).

Might stand mount speakers help ? ( thinking of building Robert’s AR22 Tribute as I have all the parts bar the wood), or perhaps listen from a more near-field position ? Or use cans ?

Or should I just chalk it up to age and imbibe something nice ? Do all systems need a bit of "encouraging " or is it a case of suck it and see ?
Click to expand...


Trying other speakers is the most likely route to what you want.
I only heard the orignal WD25Ts and the midrange was quite unfocussed IMO. Not sure if this was fixed by the updated crossover.

I once heard Focal 716Vs on the end of Sugden A21 (I don't think it was an SE) and the sound was lively and most pleasing. Might be worth a punt on 706s or 716s, I can't imagine they are loads of money 2nd hand.
 
davidsrsb said:
Designing a good tone control is not simple. You actually only want a limited boost or cut of no more than 5-10 dB, ideally with some control of corner frequency. Getting the centre position flat is not trivial. Design from the RS catalogue, which is what UK manufacturers did, lacked decent pots and won't give good measured results or feel.
Click to expand...

Agreed. That's why various makers liked the idea of not bothering rather that try to do it well. However personally I'm not thinking of coventional 'baxandall' etc. More about switched versions of the QUAD 34 variety that make precision easier if you use precise components. Indeed, simply 'shelf' controls would probably do for LF boost in an ac coupled preamp.
 
I had some focal 806v on a second system and they were ok at low level but became bright and uncomfortable when the wick was turned up.
Best balanced speaker in my room is the MA gr10, excellent from about 60db to 88db but passed 90 db they start showing strain unlike my Dynaudio’s which only came alive at 90db +
 
Since getting my Audio Innovations Series 500, I've been able to enjoy music at low volume levels and the sound quality really works for me. I have a pair of Tannoy Monitor Gold 3LZ 10" loudspeakers.

All entirely subjective of course! Just my thoughts! :)
 
Listening at domestically acceptable levels [bearing in mind that neighbours may not share the same taste in music] means that many of us have to choose replay that is really good at lower levels than you might expect in a live setting.

It does seem to be the case that most really impressive "loud" speakers are far from easy when playing quietly. It also seems that most "quiet" speakers don't go well playing at higher volume settings. For example a Naim SBL has a minimum volume setting where it seems to dissolve into sounding like a small kitchen radio, with no tone or warmth of timbre at all, whereas [in my case] a single mono ESL [57] really is never going to emulate a rock gig well. It does go loud enough to simulate the sound pressures encountered in a live classical concert provided that you compare it with sitting half way back, which is the ideal place for a good balance and blend in any case.

When I want to listen really quietly with my ESL, I simply get closer to the speaker, and this get a magical effect - almost like listening with headphones, but without the horrible inside the head effect that is normal with headphones; at least for people who have never adapted to headphone listening ...

I have always enjoyed listening quietly, so have never developed a taste for really big sounding loudspeakers, but the ESL scales quite amazingly even if playing quietly. The sense of scale is more a question of a sense of space and distance rather than floor shaking bass. The bass remains lucid and articulate without having to let the neighbours share it whether they want to or not. Really just like a huge headphone, while retaining the detail in proportion to the timbre and scale of the performance. I could never return to conventional speakers now, though I have heard some good ones. Not least some Falcon BBC Monitor types that I found remarkably integrated and clear.

I shall soon have a pair of Wharfdale speakers [no idea what] over the next few weeks, fed from a vintage TT and unknown amps, all equipment from the 1950s to 1970s, along with a huge classical LP collection from the same era. I have no idea what condition or quality this might all be, but I am preventing it going to landfill, so although it might only be an experiment [and to wallow in some old school nostalgia], I expect it will be fun. It might end up as a second system to run beside my ESL that is currently only set up for VHF/FM Radio Three.

_____________

I do think that expensive replay tends to have become less easy for domestic use these days as it tries to emulate the sound pressure levels of concert giving, and particularly rock and pop.

Jim pointed out the use of optimod on VHF/FM, and I completely welcome the subtle reduction of dynamic range it brings. Most of us have ambient noise levels in our homes that are much worse than proper concert venues, so having [in effect] the quietest passages boosted a bit is both practical and helpful in home listening.

Only two pence' worth. Best wishes from George
 
Curtis said:
Some speakers do sound better at low volume levels than others.
They also tend to sound rather shit when the wick is turned up.
Choose your poison.
Click to expand...

Apart from Tannoy system 10. They sound good at low and high volumes.
 
I used to have Royd Albions, but they needed a fair bit of wick to open up. I eventually switched to the Royd RR3 because it sounded better at lower volumes.

IOW, as many others have mentioned, it's heavily reliant on your speakers.
 
One of the best low level systems I have heard was, believe it or not, a humble Linn Classik feeding Rega R3s. It somehow maintained musicality and a sense of space right down to very quiet levels. I got a pair of RS3s on the strength of that, I'm not sure they're quite as good as the R3s but they do work surprisingly well at low levels.
 
Jason P said:
One of the best low level systems I have heard was, believe it or not, a humble Linn Classik feeding Rega R3s. It somehow maintained musicality and a sense of space right down to very quiet levels. I got a pair of RS3s on the strength of that, I'm not sure they're quite as good as the R3s but they do work surprisingly well at low levels.
Click to expand...

That reminds me. Years ago, I remember hearing a pair of Regas playing at very low levels in Audio-T, Cheltenham, and I was surprised at how alive they sounded. I don't know what model they were, but at a rough guess I'd say the Jura.
 
I just got the Monitor Audio Gold 100s and have found them to sound fantastic at low volumes late in the evenings. Probably the best speakers I've owned in that regard - I wonder if it's the tweeters?

Also another way I've found to improve low level listening is to add a sub...... just subtly filling out the deep bass can be really enjoyable at low volumes in my opinion.
 
Can I suggest an old Yamaha amp or receiver which have very good variable tone controls. But beware. They rotate ‘the wrong way’
This catches people out so that they think it is turned off when in fact is turned full on

I also remember a comment form LJK Setright
Who used a Naim system and said low volume listening was very good through his Linn isobariks

And then of course there is Quad
 
I have exactly this problem, my Naim Superuniti and Neat Iota speakers in my near field study system don’t come alive until I crank up the volume. With the onset of tinnitus this isn’t good. Thinking of changing the speakers, perhaps Proac Tablette 10 as they are sealed box design ,but not yet heard them. Is there a relationship between the efficiency of speakers and low volume listening?
 
So far as I know there is no 'direct' relationship. However:

1) The smaller the speaker the lower the efficiency tends to be, and the less extended the bass. You can trade one off against the other, though. i.e. by making the speaker 'less efficient' at mid/hf you can bring that down to more like the bass level to get - overall - more extended LF response behavour.

2) The lower the level of the sound replay, the lower the bass may tend to sound compared with the mid. This is why altering the level tends to alter the sound balance you hear even when no other changes - e.g change in distortion - have occurred.

3) All affected by how those making the mastering of what your playing decided to set the tonal balance.

Thus the point made earlier: That using a suitable 'tone control' can help with the overall balance without having to change your general listening level. The challenge then is to get a 'suitable tone control'. The common Baxandalls weren't really right for that unless you were lucky. But they could help. And let you tweak for the differences between one recording an another to a limited extent.
 
Best low listening sessions I’ve had come about this time of year when the air conditioner and forced air heat are not necessary. You folks in the UK are lucky in that regard because I recon A/C is not required.
 
Thanks for that, I do find the Iota a tad “cool” sounding and a little mid shy. I confess to having a demo where they were playing pretty loud and coming away thinking maybe not quite what I want, then I was made a really good offer so bought them, won’t do that again! The Proac Tablette 10’s get a lot of love on the Naim forum and seem to suit nearfield situations i.e. desktop.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top