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Modify my current speakers ?


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G'day Gents ( and perhaps Ladies ) : could you please advise on the following :

My speakers are MA Silver RX6, which I've had for a few years. They're quite good overall, but NQR for my tastes and limitations. Limitations are space and $s.

I only listen to classical music and in a fairly small room ; around 5 x 4 meters. Speakers are 1 - 1.5 m from the rear wall and about the same from side walls. I also use a REL T2 sub woofer ( subtly ) for lowest bass.

At times I find the experience a bit " overwhelming " in that when listening at " appropriate " levels for large scale orchestral or pipe organ music, it's irritating to my hearing.  Volume is no more than 10 - 10.30.

At lower levels, music loses " life / dynamics ".  At standard levels, music sounds better in my study, down the hall. Front end is Onkyo A9030 amp, Pioneer PD - D6 SACD and Technics SL10 TT. I mostly listen to CDs

I recently tried my headphones, which I haven't used in a long time, and it sounded great !  No irritation to the ears, lots of detail and ambience. However I don't want to listen through h/phones all the time.

So my questions are .... can I get speakers to give a similar quality of sound to the headphones ? Are the MAs too big for the room ? Would changing the tweeter on the MAs make listening more pleasurable  ?

I've had some stand mounted speakers previously, such as B&W CM5S2, KEF Q 150, and another couple which I can't remember. Although quite nice, they lack the " body " of floor standing ones.

In the past, and in different homes, I've used Tannoy Balmoral ( 12" dual concentric & fabulous sound ), another pair of more modern Tannoys ( S2 perhaps ? ), ProAc ( 1.5 ? ) and Elac. All much better than my present speakers, but now I'm in a smallish unit = limited space, have limited finances and pushing 74 ( hearing is still pretty acute though ).

I would appreciate all opinions and experiences.

Cheers,

Dennis

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15 hours ago, Berkel said:

G'day Gents ( and perhaps Ladies ) : could you please advise on the following :

My speakers are MA Silver RX6, which I've had for a few years. They're quite good overall, but NQR for my tastes and limitations. Limitations are space and $s.

I only listen to classical music and in a fairly small room ; around 5 x 4 meters. Speakers are 1 - 1.5 m from the rear wall and about the same from side walls. I also use a REL T2 sub woofer ( subtly ) for lowest bass.

At times I find the experience a bit " overwhelming " in that when listening at " appropriate " levels for large scale orchestral or pipe organ music, it's irritating to my hearing.  Volume is no more than 10 - 10.30.

At lower levels, music loses " life / dynamics ".  At standard levels, music sounds better in my study, down the hall. Front end is Onkyo A9030 amp, Pioneer PD - D6 SACD and Technics SL10 TT. I mostly listen to CDs

I recently tried my headphones, which I haven't used in a long time, and it sounded great !  No irritation to the ears, lots of detail and ambience. However I don't want to listen through h/phones all the time.

So my questions are .... can I get speakers to give a similar quality of sound to the headphones ? Are the MAs too big for the room ? Would changing the tweeter on the MAs make listening more pleasurable  ?

I've had some stand mounted speakers previously, such as B&W CM5S2, KEF Q 150, and another couple which I can't remember. Although quite nice, they lack the " body " of floor standing ones.

In the past, and in different homes, I've used Tannoy Balmoral ( 12" dual concentric & fabulous sound ), another pair of more modern Tannoys ( S2 perhaps ? ), ProAc ( 1.5 ? ) and Elac. All much better than my present speakers, but now I'm in a smallish unit = limited space, have limited finances and pushing 74 ( hearing is still pretty acute though ).

I would appreciate all opinions and experiences.

Cheers,

Dennis

hi Dennis it might help if you add what your amp and source components and even speaker cable and interconnects  you are using as they all play a part in the end result to what you are hearing others on here may be able to guide you to a sound that suits you for the better without much expense.

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15 hours ago, Berkel said:

I recently tried my headphones, which I haven't used in a long time, and it sounded great ! 

 

So, try listening to your speakers in "near field".   Move the speakers even further from the walls and closer together, and put your listening chair/s  1 to 1.5 metres from them in the middle of the room.  Obviously this means playing at a lower volume setting because it will sound MUCH louder sitting very close.  Other things you can do include soft/thick drapes on walls and windows and/or ceilings - or acoustic deadening material.

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Thanks for the replies.

Ray4410 : I did mention the rest of my equipment, minus cables.

I'd have to check the model, but my spkr. cables are Transparent Audio. 

 

Aussie Vintage : I think you're onto something. I've thought about sitting closer.  This idea struck me from listening to music in the car ...... it's more enjoyable that via my hi fi system. Maybe because I'm much closer to the speakers ? The same as through headphones ? I'll experiment.

 

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17 minutes ago, Berkel said:

Aussie Vintage : I think you're onto something. I've thought about sitting closer.  This idea struck me from listening to music in the car ...... it's more enjoyable that via my hi fi system. Maybe because I'm much closer to the speakers ? The same as through headphones ? I'll experiment.

 

In my last home I had a very awkward room where I struggled to get good sound, and near-field was my eventual solution.  Hope it works for you.

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BTW : I forgot to ask about electrostatic speakers. Does anyone consider them to be a viable alternative to my MAs ?

Having heard an old pair of Jantzens years ago at Audiophile, when Nik still had the shop in Fitzroy, their realism sticks in my aural memory.

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