Lots of experience with that generation of B&W 801. My friend still runs a set driven by a pair of bridged GFA555s. When I hear them I remember why that was a speaker that always sounded right to me, even today. I did have to rebuild both his crossovers last year because the high-pass caps for the midranges fried, but the midrange drivers remained unscathed. Whew! I hope your crossover mod addressed that issue. B&W did offer around this time an EQ that was placed between the amp and preamp. If I remember correctly, the EQ changed the woofer roll off from a 4th order to a 6th order Butterworth alignment, adding a half octave more of bass extension and a steeper roll off below that point. They are still found on eBay occasionally. Krell made one too but they were very expensive and really didn’t sound any better than the more modest B&W option.
In all, I agree with others that a LARGE subwoofer, or two, might be your best solution especially considering the size of your room. Though I do remember selling a pair of B&W 801s and a brace of Adcom GFA565 monoblocks to a couple who wanted to take advantage of the casters on the speakers so they could roll out their speakers onto their outdoor deck to provide proper music for their lakeside parties.
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!
- ...
- 45 posts total
@robert53 - Yes, the stock power cord on the amp.
@porchlight1 - I have heard about this filter, seems the reviews are mixed... most say it improves bass but muds higher frequencies. Don't want to do anything to foul the existing clarity... plus the "bass alignment filters" are getting hard to come by. Intrigued by this idea of a distributed bass array for music. I am going to see what adding power does to the existing setup, but it may be that this space simply demands moving more air.
|
Think you need to figure the room out before you purchase anything. It's a very big room, looks like your kitchen is behind it? You have everything going against you here. Lots of big windows, high ceilings, hard reflective surfaces. Speakers up on the wall under windows. No kidding it's not sounding "perfect". First thing would be to find out where the null points are in the room, then try to move the speakers around so you are not sitting in a null. That alone can double to triple the bass at your listing position. Also move the speakers out from the wall, at least 20in out. Does the sound change at all when you close all the curtains? Then you got to do something with all the windows. Something like this https://marigoaudio.com/zw-window-resonance-damping-discs/ But might want to try this "cheap" trick to see if you notice anything before you spend thousands of dollars on the good dots. https://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0602/freakazoid.htm#gsc.tab=0 Yes, you need some bass traps, ceiling treatments, and who knows what else. Is there another wall to put all the gear? Looks like you are on the long wall, it might sound better on the short wall. Guess what I'm saying, is your gear is all good, think it's 100% the room letting you down. Really if you do some of the above and only get part of the sound you are looking for, just get a sub, it really makes a big difference. If you get one with speaker level inputs, they are easier to integrate and hook up. Good luck! |
@mswale - thanks for your post. I think the room is driving the issues, but the room is also what I want. I rarely sit down to listen to music, as much as I would like to. I spend my days working in and around this space. My quality of life will improve with what I can do to help the response of the room... whether it through treatment or the burning of more electrons.
|
- 45 posts total