Equipment setup

Is it TOO LATE to convince the neighbors you are DEAF?

In years past, I got a lot of traction using that technique.

Nobody wants to mess 'with the deaf guy' who enjoys his music and may occasionally like it a little loud.

If it's not too late, give that a try and get back to us.

I set up the system in a different room, which is about 8x16 but it is not enclosed and opens up into two other rooms, so there is a lot of space surrounding the room and it really has made a big difference. The space between the couch and the speakers is around 10 feet and then there is an additional 10 feet behind the couch. Also, there is another room to the right of the system which is 8x16 as well, but the rooms are separated by an arch. The bass is no longer an issue and I'm getting a lot of clarity. I can really turn up the volume now. Only problem is that the neighbors are starting to complain. Will have to look into soundproofing. Thanks for the advice everyone.

Your speaker/amp selection = total overkill for the size of the room. I looked up your speakers and they are big units and rated to 30hz anechoic, yikes! I don't believe you could stuff enough room treatment into that space to make a difference. Throwing money at cables will accomplish nothing.
It's time to start over with a much larger room or speakers and amp to match your current room. I have a small room 10x14 for my secondary system, speakers are matched to the room and amplifier to speakers, with virtually zero dollars invested in cables or room treatments, and it sounds fantastic.

I should say that out of cables that I have heard, which include the Nordost Heimdall, the most basic XLOs, Cardas Crosslink, LFDSilver Horizon, and Kimber8 TC, the CRL cables have sounded the best on my system in terms of the price. The Golden Reference and the Heimdal's sounded really good, but they are out of my price range.

Thanks for the responses. I am actually working on amp stands right now, so let's see if that makes a difference. As for cables, I am using the Cable Research Labs bronze series. They're inexpensive and the only other cable that I prefer to these is the Cardas Golden Reference, which is currently out of my price range.
Does anyone have a suggestion for acoustical room treatment? Where should I look?

I second the acoustical room treatment suggestion.

I also have a small room -- 10.5 by 12.5. I have been working with it now for 2 years. Small rooms have special needs in terms of speakers and treatments.

The Decware website has an excellent white paper on treatments and small rooms.

The side walls need to be diffusive. For the front and back walls, one needs to be absorptive and one needs to be diffusive. In my roon the back wall is absorptive and the front is diffusive.

Treatments will make all of the difference in the world. I would rather have an average system in an excellent room than the other way around.

Good luck. Email me if you have any questions.

Any room, especially one that small, will benefit tremendously from acoustical room treatment. It is likely that the midrange and treble are being overwhelmed by the mid-bass in your setup. You could build some bass traps for the corners and some acoustical absorption panels for the first refection points that will tame these bass nodes and early relections.

A few months ago, I did just that and it was the best $500 I ever spent on audio, even though my room is much larger. If you are interested in knowing more about how to do this, email me.

Good luck.

Did you tell the dealer what size room you had before you purchased the speakers? I ask this question because while I haven't found the specs to this speaker I think your room is too small for them. Are you sitting on a concrete slab or what type of floor? It looks like these are acoustic suspension which would reduce some bass bloat. Have you given them enough time to break in? If not put on a cd and let them cook for a couple days. These speakers need space to breath. A room that size should not have a speaker that goes below 40Hz. The bass could be overwhelming. Acoustic dampening could help. I have heard systems setup like yours with smaller speakers and a small sub and it integrated much better than a floorstander. I have had the same problem in my 13x14 foot room. But I have two 12" Dali subs (acoustic suspension)that integrates well.
Try placing the speakers at the long square end of the room. I would start with them about 6 feet apart and sit about 6 feet away and make sure your tweeter is at ear level or close. See if it helps. The position of the amps may not change much. Placing them on an amp stand may have some positive effect.
I still suspect the speakers are not broken in or room is too small. Wires (interconects or speaker wires) could be a factor too.

I don't think you can compare your room with the dealers in a fair manner. Most dealers have an acoustically designed listening room, you don't. Your room is actually considerd small and your gear is more than adequate to fill your room. I don't think the placement of your gear is a problem. I would try moving the speakers at least 2-3 ft away from the windows and perhaps 2-3 ft away from the side walls. If nothing seems to work, maybe your dealer can help you with the setup.