Do Plugged Virgos sound better?


I recently set up a pair of Audio Physic Virgo IIs and was having a hard time controlling a mid-bass hump. At first I used them on the carpet without their spikes, but when I spiked them to the floor the sound (and the bass) did not change all that much. I tried some other measures, messed with positioning and subwoofer settings on my Servo-15, etc., but still could not entirely rid myself of that boom. Then, on a whim, I plugged the bass ports with some rolled up foam. That actually seemed to help reduce the mid-bass boom and tighten them up a bit. Now the bass is pretty respectable (has good articulation and solidity) over a wide range of recordings. So for me, plugging the Virgo's ports worked well in my room. Have others done this, and if so, how do your results compare?

I used to have a set of B&W CDM 9NTs that came with foam port plugs for exactly that purpose, so that's probably why I thought of it.
plato

Showing 3 responses by plato

Hi Snickelfritz; what you said makes sense because if I run the Virgos without the sub the midbass hump is not nearly as prominent (presently I'm running the Virgos full-range). With the sub, no matter how low I cross it, it seems to increase the midbass too much.

And sure, if you have an accurate "kit" to measure the bass response, maybe we can chart the response and possibly fine-tune it a bit further. That would be great. Thanks!
I've tried some of the old-style, round Room Tunes, but not actual bass traps. But I may try bass traps in the near future if my latest efforts fall short of my expectations...
Elgordo, it is true that once plugged, they are no longer "Virgos" but I kind of dig their new sexy "navels".

Jfrech, I've seen Audio Physic's recommended positioning rules but in my room they are not that practical as I will have to move the speakers a lot farther into the room than I would like or would be convenient or aesthetically pleasing. Everything but the bass is spot-on, so once I refine that, maybe with tube traps as Snickelfritz suggested, all will be bliss...