PS:
Aside from trying it without the 85 (if you have not already) are you using the 4 ohm taps?
Per measurement of the IV's, posted online, they average approx. 5 ohms (didn't see any phase angle data).
What are your office speakers?
DeKay
Willsenton R8 gets muddy When Too Much Sub Bass is Present
I just got a pair of Klipsch Heresy 4s after hearing them a few times and really liking the way they sound. Got them home, paired them with a Monoprice X2 power amplifier and enjoyed them tremendously. Even my wife enjoyed them enough to not be super pissed about the space they take up in our living room. Took the Willsenton R8 out of my office and connected it to the Heresys. When playing music that has a lot of sub bass my speakers take me back to being in my friend’s 95 Cavalier in high school. The bass drops in a song and the audio simulates an aneurysm. I have a Willsenton R8 set to amp mode connected to a Pioneer Elite SC-85 receiver as a preamp. Regardless of whether it is set to ultralinear or triode it sounds terrible in this scenario. The receiver’s settings regarding crossover have little to no effect also. This is all paired with a passive sub. With the sub off and the speakers paired with the R8 they sound like muddy crap. Paired with the Monoprice X2 they sound amazing. This is definitely the amp and nothing else. I have tried using different sources of the same song, from record albums to FLAC, the X2 sounds great and the R8 massively underperforms. What could be the cause of this?
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@dekay : Thanks for the reply! According to the manual that comes with the Heresys they are 8 ohm, so I am running them in that. I tried using the R8 as an integrated and was disappointed in the sound compared to running it with the preamp in my receiver. I have a few other receivers, Marantz 6006, and a 5012, and I actually prefer the old Pioneer elite, not only in function but form and ease of use. I ended up buying a few as spares. If you have any advice on a good preamp for a 2.1 setup I would like to hear it. Searching on my own has been daunting. In my office I have a pair of DIY speakers that are 4 ohm, and a pair of HTD Level Three towers that are 8. (I know they’re not well received, but they are magical in a mid-field setup with the right amount of toe-in.) |
@jasonbourne71: Hello! Been lurking on here a long time and your name comes up frequently. This post is kind of a "Long time listener, first time caller!" situation. I appreciate your insight regarding the R8. How crazy of an idea would it be to bi amp the Heresys with the X2 running the woofers and the R8 running the mids and tweeters? Not sure how they would behave, I mean, they have to crossover somewhere. |
Try the 4 ohm taps as the manufacturer's spec is off. I don't judge by price (just sound - which is hugely dependent upon compatibility/synergy and proper setup). My computer system is a Sharp SD-EX111/Polk RT-15i combo that cost less than $100 (used/closeout) and it sounds quite nice in the near-field. Jason would not approve of the power cord which is a BMI Shark leftover from an old system, but it definitely improves the SQ over the OEM supplied cord. Speaker cables are $30 Micca. If the 85 sounds good then it is. Wonder what's up with the 8 though? Google the "8" measurements and try the 4 ohm taps.
DeKay
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There is a Willsenton R8 used with a Cabinet Horn Speaker Design by a member of my local HiFi Group. The Amp' has been questioned by the owner for an excess of low end Bloom. As a result the Amp' was made available to be used as a Demo', through being auditioned by the HiFi Group in another Valve Amp based system known for having a transparency in relation to a Valve Amp Set Up. The R8 during the Demo', was detected for its capability to Bloom, Bloat the Lower Frequencies produced by ESL Speakers, there was certainly no defined cut off for a Bass Note. The usual ancillaries were on standby and a method proposed to tidy things up was for mounting the R8 on a Stacked Panzerholz Sub-Plinth with AT 616 Footers as separators between Sub-Plinths. With this mounting method in use with the Amp, there was a notable change, such as, Tidying Up the bottom end frequencies, a Bass Note Cut Off, had a edge, even though smeared. The change was also noticeable to the point, the Mid's and Upper Frequencies were projected and approaching being a more coherent presentation across the frequency range. One of the Groups Valve Guru's was confident a Valve Roll at this stage would transform the Amp to be much more coherent and attractive. In my evaluation, for my particular taste, I am Bass Sensitive and can find it it to become fatiguing when Bass has a noticeable presence. The presentation improved in attraction, when different mounting for the Amp' was used, but for me, much more was needed to improve the overall coherence of the frequency range. The R8 owner has made it known, they have now adopted 'methods discovered' to work with the Amp's circuit (Tube Choices) and has been using a Sub-Plinth with Gaia Footers. Their assessment is that this has substantially improved the presentation over the one listened to at the Group evaluation. I know this persons experience and feel confident they have found a level of improvement that will further impress, when next demo'd. |
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