2. amps-preamps
  3. 1368453565

Rogue Audio Sphynx and Martin Logan Odysseys

I was awe struck by this amp when I auditioned it 2 weeks ago and bought it while at was at the dealer's shop. I hooked it up at home to Martin Logan Odysseys and was completely satisfied except for a somewhat muddy sounding bass when listening to low passages of Michael Hedges' guitar music and other similar music. I was told by someone quite knowledgeable that the best way to tighten up the bass is to bi-amp using at least 200watt amplifiers. The preamp of this integrated unit is one of the best I've owned and I don't want to change the amp but it does not have pre out capability. It may be time to change speakers, and I would like to trade them anyway, unless there is another approach that will get me where i want to be without losing this wonerful amp. Any suggestions will be appreciated.
jimbreit

Showing 5 responses by roscoeiii

roscoeiii's avatar
roscoeiii
1,155 posts
 
I am a speakers-first kind of fella. Settle on speakers, and then look for the best amp pairing for those specific speakers.

It also occurs to me that you may want to let the Sphinx settle in a bit, and see if the bass tightens up.

I am also a bit surprised you are hearing muddy bass. Those Class D amp modules have pretty high damping factors which tend to do a pretty good job controlling the bass.

What were your dealer's thoughts on the match of the Sphinx and the Martin Logans?
roscoeiii's avatar
roscoeiii
1,155 posts
 
I would not assume that the bass issues you are experiencing are necessarily due to not having enough power. There is much more to amplification and speaker-amp interactions than power.

You bought your amp at a dealer. So have you inquired with this dealer about this issue? Dealer support is one of the main advantages of buying from a dealer as opposed to used from a private seller here or elsewhere.
roscoeiii's avatar
roscoeiii
1,155 posts
 
Yes, damping factor is one potential consideration among many others. Though I have had instances where damping factor was clearly the problem in the bass of the speakers I was running (over-damping the bass in my case, though under-damping may be a more common problem in more conventional set-ups).

My main point is that it is important not to leap to the conclusion that more power will solve this problem. There are a number of potential contributors to this problem you describe.
roscoeiii's avatar
roscoeiii
1,155 posts
 
What are your dealer's thoughts on this? And have your contacted Rogue to get their impressions? As much as I like A'gon, I'd start with those first.

Rogue has always been particularly helpful when I have had questions or problems.
roscoeiii's avatar
roscoeiii
1,155 posts
 
You have spikes and choose not to try them? As for an uneven floor, spikes can be adjusted (how far in you screw them) so the unevenness can be corrected for.

Spikes are the recommendation of your speaker manufacturer. Take em out of the drawer and try 'em. Doesn't cost you a thing.
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