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Would like to get more bass out of my B&W 801 series 2 speakers

Hello,

I've been forum diving about ways people improve their music listening experience.   So many directions to choose from, I'm looking advice which will give the most bang for the buck given my situation.

Years ago I was visiting a friend who had these same exact speakers, and I went on a quest for my own pair.   His setup had a *more rich sound*, but he is no longer with us for me to pick his brain.   Don't know anything about how he was driving the speakers.

In general I think the current setup gives me good detailed sound, but probably a little thin in the bass.   Might be because of my listening levels (low to moderate).    I wouldn't call the mid/high frequencies warm, but they aren't harsh either...   which was a concern with the class D amp.   I'd characterize them as clean and detailed.  

What I'd really like to do is bring out the low frequencies to join the party.

 

 

Environment:
massive, 32x40 with vaulted ceilings.    Lots of windows.

Hardware:
B&W 801 S2
- on the original casters
- crossovers modified via the common Van Alstine mod 
NAD C298 amplifier
- some decent biwire speaker cables
NAD C658 streaming DAC 
-  balanced xlr interconnects
Rotel CD player

 

What I listen to:
I listen to a wide assortment of music, this morning I went from classical to jazz...   but usually I listen to rock/blues/reggae.   You name it I listen to it.

 


 

Things I have considered:

- buy/build stands for the speakers.
- try out different amp(s)
        there are a pair of GFA555 series 1 available locally (bi-amp?) 
        lots of folks recommend the Classe delta line

 

 

 

Any advice is welcome, thanks in advance!

chessie

Showing 1 response by steakster

steakster
1,985 posts
 

Is your listening chair in a null? Have you walked around the entire room to determine the room nodes: the peaks & nulls of the bass?

A drawback of a full-range floorstander is that the LF woofers are in a fixed position. That’s why some people choose monitors and freestanding subs - so they can position the subs anywhere in the room in order to have the bass waves arrive correctly by their listening chair.*

A possible solution could be the Distributed Bass Array, ’DBA’. Examples are: 'The Swarm’ and the 'DEBRA'.

- - -

*A 30hz bass wave is 37 feet long. It’s bouncing off the walls, ceiling and floor. The goal is to have it arrive at your listening chair at the same time as the HF & Midrange.

If you’re sitting in a null, no amount of room treatment will add bass. It could help tame the HF, if needed.

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