2. amps-preamps
  3. 1043339600

HELP Why no bass? Why bright?

I recently purchased a new Arcam FMJ A22 integrated and the matching power amp (P25) and am struck by the lack of bass. By comparison, my Arcam DIVA A65 integrated was very warm sounding. Is it the amps, interconnects (Transparent Music Wave) speaker cables (DH Labs silversonic Q14 bi-wire) or the B&W CM2 and B&W CDM7 NT speakers? Do the amps need to break in? Could it be that the bass not lacking, but much more controlled?

HELP!!!
sydneysophia

Showing 3 responses by phasecorrect

phasecorrect's avatar
phasecorrect
2,013 posts
 
ALso...if your B&Ws are on loan...and you detest brightness as you stated...going with a soft dome tweeter ala Spendors,Castles,Proacs,etc might be the ticket...although this will not solve your bass issue...if you really crave more bass...you will have to add a sub to just about any monitors to achieve it...or go with a floorstander...which is another set of trade offs all together....
phasecorrect's avatar
phasecorrect
2,013 posts
 
B&W speakers are not known for deep bass(as are most Brit speakers)...they are designed for classical in mind afterall...and the same could be said for Brit amps...they can be a bit lean for some applications...most Brit equipment is "all about the midrange"...still...there should be some semblance of bass present...even within their limitations...B&Ws dont strike me as overly "thin" sounding...they are considerably brighter sounding than Spendors,Proacs,Castles,etc...but these are "rolled off" in the highs...so the comparison is somewhat exaggerated....
phasecorrect's avatar
phasecorrect
2,013 posts
 
ALso..to address your cable concerns...analog guys love Kimber cable for its warmth...and I have heard from fellow posters DH labs cable can be bright with the wrong equipment....I hope this helps...just for the record...B&W speakers seem to be getting "brighter" with every new generation....
More to discover