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My Setup - arasound - Adcom - McIntoshNo Low-end?

I cabled up my system today after several years of sitting in the box. The only thing that has changed is my amplifier, I now own an Adcom GFA 5500, previously a Carver A500X.

Components: Parasound P/LD 1100 Preamp, Denon DCD-1290, Adcom GFA 5500, Audioquest Viper interconnects, McIntosh XR14 loudspeakers.

My issue: no low-end at all. Everything is very tight, but no bass to speak of. I seem to remember more low-end puch while running with the Carver (like the floor thumping?), but it has been quite some time and I am not sure.

I appreciate any input to steer me in the right direction.

-Mike
scsibus
4 responses Add your response
sogood51
2,157 posts
 
Get a SPL meter and measure...you can download a free test cd from "Realtraps". You may have your speakers placed at a null point?...try moving them around as you measure.

Another thought...don't those (McIntosh) require the MQ101 or MQ102 equalizer to get flat bass? Do you have the EQ in the system?...if not...BINGO!

Floor thumping is not a measure of good bass response, so don't shoot for that as a goal. (thumps are mid-upper bass anyway)

Dave
montytx
138 posts
 
Several things could be at work here. You could have an impedence mismatch between the new amplifier and either the speakers or the preamp...or both. Also, cables that have not been used in a long time will often take a couple hundred hours to regain their grip on the low frequencies.
scsibus OP
1 posts
 
Elizabeth,

Thanks for your response. I swapped the XR14's with a pair of Bose 10.2's I was using in my home theater setup and there is a marked improvement. The Bose speaks don't have the clarity of the XR14's, but the low-end is definately noticable. This sets my mind in motion now wondering what to do for speaks.
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