Problem Solvers Needed-Got my New XOs installed and am worried....


I think I made a big mistake. I loved the sound of my 1988 Tannoy FSM Dual concentric 15'
speakers. So I thought an expert could analyze the existing XOs and make improvements.
I installed the new XOs expecting a 300-400 hour burn in period. Herein lies the problem.

After 30 hours or so the initial sound has no high end to it. I expected to initially hear sound as good as I had
which would continue to improve as the burn in continued. But no. 

I am tempted to reinstall the old XO and kiss off the $2k invested. 

I am very open to some suggestions from anyone who has been down this road.

Thanks,
chorus

Showing 2 responses by larryi

Do your speakers have controls on them?  Is so, mark where they are set and then experiment.  You might also experiment with speaker placement.  Any change to the system that changes the sound (the reason for the change in the first place) requires other changes to optimize the sound.  You need to work with what you now have to get the best out of it.

You should also give yourself some time to get used to the new sound.  In time you might like the change.

Have you talked to the builder about the problems you hear?  The builder might be willing to make alterations based on you feedback.

A good crossover design would involve more than looking at the speaker specifications and box dimensions, etc. and would involve more than actual measurement of the speaker--you would expect there to be some iterative process involving listening to the result and making changes.

Also, it makes no sense to remove driver controls.  In properly setting up a speaker system, it is extremely helpful to  utilize BOTH speaker placement and control setting to find the best sound for your particular room, your particular speaker location, your sitting position and your taste.  You are severely handicapped by a lack of such controls and you may have to resort to more compromises in the ideal speaker location to compensate for a problem that could be ameliorated by controls.  I know that there are some "purists" who hate L-pads and such controls, but, if you must insist on removing such items, first set up the speaker for ideal performance, then measure the resistance value of the L-pad at its preferred position before removing and replacing such control with a resistor.