If anything, I always thought that Rega's design philosophy, ultra light weight minimalist construction with emphasis on rigidity and structural strength, might possibly result in a slightly reticent bass response. No matter what is the cause, even if it is nothing but audiophilia, it would be difficult to ferret out. I do not agree that the difference is purely the difference between analog and digital. The best analog bass response can be superior to digital in terms of tonal richness, differentiation of instruments, and sense of depth.
Vinyl playback - lack of bass?
Alright, hopefully this isn't a dumb question.
I split my audio listening between analog and digital. Both setups use the same preamp/amp/speakers etc. I noticed that when listening to records, there isn't as much pronounced bass vs lets say when listening to tidal/qobuz. I'm wondering if its my phono that might have a lack of bass? or is it because my cartridge hasn't fully broken in yet? For fun , I connected my sub when I switched to side 2 yesterday, it helped pronounce the bass a bit more as I elevated the volume on the sub. But nothing crazy. but was decent enough.
Besides that, everything sounds fantastic and great on LP vs digital. Also, to mention, lately have been playing some older original rock records. I should try popping in a newer record for fun to see if it makes a difference (most likely not analog sourced of course). or I can try the new Black Sabbath Rhino release.
Setup - analog - rega p6 w/ ania cartridge (only 30 hours on the cartridge so far). Phono - Moon 310lp.
Digital - moon 280d mind2 w/ dac
Rest - Preamp Moon 740p, amp pass labs x250.8 , speakers Sonus Faber Olympica III
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- 78 posts total
Components make the difference... when the same source material is used (same mastered recordings). It is your turntable/ cartridge / phonostage. I used to own Olympica 3 speakers and a Pass 350 amp with Simm DAC and CD player. My turntable sounded better than streaming or CDs. With more bass. Simm is detailed oriented and lean sounding. I highly recommend a high quality tube phono stage and turntable. My current system the analog and digital legs sound the same... by design. I highly recommend being very careful when using subs, They are really easy to turn up too loud or cross over to high and end up negatively impacting the overall sound. It can confuse the central image, disrupt the sound stage. I have frequently walked into a system with a subwoofer(s)... and instantly go over and turn them down... to the delight of the owner. |
My vinyl set up has as much bass if not more as my digital setup. I don't find analog reproduction lacking any punch. My Thoren 320 MK III TT with Benz Micro cartridge and Audio Research PH5 phono amp provide plenty of boom. Recently played Beethoven's 5th and 6th symphonies and there was plenty of slam. My preamp, amp and speakers are Cary Audio SLP 03, Mark Levinson 23.5, and Thiel 3.6. I think your cartridge, phono preamp may have to do something about it. |
Hey @skads_187, you mentioned they were older albums. Were those albums on the thin side compared to your newer thick 180g vinyl? Perhaps your VTA needs to be checked. If the pivot end of your tonearm is raised too high, it can lean out the sound, and if the pivot side is too low, it can overemphasize the bass. Check that out before you make too many changes. Also what resistance settings are you running on your phono stage? Too high of resistor value could also lean out the sound. If you’re running it about 1K, maybe try 470K, or even lower until it sounds correct. |
- 78 posts total