I recently demoed some ProAc D18s and some used ProAc Studio 125s. Both are lovely speakers but I heard a similar problem to the huffing / bottom end getting loose with both choices mentioned above. I decided to go out on a limb and have my ProAc dealer order me some Studio 148s. Very efficient speaker that fills the room and goes very deep with great control. No huffing or bottom end getting loose. Plus is a down firing port and did not take up any more room than my Tekton 6.5t monitors on rigid stands. I am driving them with Audio Refinement separates (a step up from the well praised Audio Refinement integrated amp). The rest of the details are on my system page. So glad I took a chance with the ProAc Studio 148s. I use them with some Soundocity SEV9 outriggers with some spike floor protectors on hockey pucks, all sitting on my carpeted floor.
ProAc sound with SS vs tubes
Folks
I am close to buying a Proac D20R. I listened to them at the dealership yesterday, driven by a low power PrimaLuna tube amp, and was totally gobsmacked by the glorious midrange. When I get them, I will be driving them with something very similar - an EL34 powered 40w/ch tube amp. So I have a feeling they will perform close to how they sounded at the dealership!
The one caveat was that at the demo, when I played a bass-heavy electronic track and pulled the volume up, the bass started to get flabby and the port started "huffing". I don’t know if that is the technical term, but it felt like the speaker was losing grip on the bass and starting to lose control of the lowest frequencies with the synthesized bass jabs losing their timing. The track was Algae & Fungi, Part I - by Biosphere from the album Cirque, in case anyone is interested.
Based on that, my question is: is this something that is inherent to the speaker? I plan to switch my tube amp to a SS of significantly higher wattage soon. I am thinking either Ayre-V5xe, or the Hegel H-20 or one maybe even a Plinius-SA102 or SA-103 if I can find one at a reasonable price.
Can any Proac owners tell me if the bass response will tighten up with more power and a SS amp behind the speakers? Or is this a limitation of the D20R’s design that it’s bass response will not be well controlled with tracks that are bass heavy and highly rhythmic?
Thank you so much!
I am close to buying a Proac D20R. I listened to them at the dealership yesterday, driven by a low power PrimaLuna tube amp, and was totally gobsmacked by the glorious midrange. When I get them, I will be driving them with something very similar - an EL34 powered 40w/ch tube amp. So I have a feeling they will perform close to how they sounded at the dealership!
The one caveat was that at the demo, when I played a bass-heavy electronic track and pulled the volume up, the bass started to get flabby and the port started "huffing". I don’t know if that is the technical term, but it felt like the speaker was losing grip on the bass and starting to lose control of the lowest frequencies with the synthesized bass jabs losing their timing. The track was Algae & Fungi, Part I - by Biosphere from the album Cirque, in case anyone is interested.
Based on that, my question is: is this something that is inherent to the speaker? I plan to switch my tube amp to a SS of significantly higher wattage soon. I am thinking either Ayre-V5xe, or the Hegel H-20 or one maybe even a Plinius-SA102 or SA-103 if I can find one at a reasonable price.
Can any Proac owners tell me if the bass response will tighten up with more power and a SS amp behind the speakers? Or is this a limitation of the D20R’s design that it’s bass response will not be well controlled with tracks that are bass heavy and highly rhythmic?
Thank you so much!
Showing 5 responses by sbrownnw
@badri, I think you will really like the Studio 148s. Strings, violin through double bass have great tonality and presence. Plus I was listening to a CBS Talking Heads demo LP and The Crystal Method’s latest LP last night and both just rocked going quite low with great control and lot of air being moved. |
I
also home demoed a pair of Ascend Sierra Towers with the RAAL ribbons. Didn't like them even though a lot of people seem to rave about them. Did not have the punch, liveliness and lower end that the ProAc Studio 148s have. I think there is something said about lively equipment stands, speakers like ProAcs and turntables like Regas. Overly reinforced speaker cabinets plus the enclosed midrange driver like the Sierra Towers in bamboo sounded like they had no energy, PRAT / punch or bass. |
@badri, I would recommend the following setup, which I am using with my Studio 148s,
to possibly help tighten up the bass you are concerned about: Soundocity SEV9 outriggers: http://www.soundocity.com/economical_products.html I like them as they are easy to level the speakers as the spikes adjust from the top. Use them under the supplied ProAc plinth and do not use the supplied ProAc spikes. Some speaker spike floor protectors like the discs shown here (unfortunate they do not sell just the protectors separately: http://www.amazon.com/Sewell-Speaker-Spikes-4-Pack/dp/B0080JCMS6 8 hockey pucks from a sporting goods store (I got mine from Sports Authority). The hockey pucks rest on my carpet with the metal speaker spike protectors on top of the hockey pucks and then the Soundocity SEV9 rest on the floor protectors. Easy to level and I really think this setup lets the downward firing port breathe and have the right distance between the floor and the port flare. |