The main room is 28x32, with the speakers on the 32' wall. However, there is another 14x28 (open) space/room at the rear of this room, so it is a lazy "L" with one wall being 56'. There is no other wall where the speakers could be located.
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!
- ...
- 50 posts total
I owned the exact same speakers as you, the Sound anchors stand's requires you to remove the plate on the bottom to mount the speakers on the stands. This raises the speakers up aprox 4- possibly 6 inches and also gives them a slight tilt back, I also had the original B&W bass extender that goes into the tape loop on your preamp, This unit is cheaply made, so I had the Krell extender that B&W asked Krell to design for this speaker and contrary to what people are saying it does make a big difference to the Bass along with useing the sound anchor stands. Originally the Krell unit sold for aprox $1000.00 but if i see them now the cost runs between $2000.00- $3000.00 depending on how gready the sellor is or what they Paid for them. I would recommend Getting the sound anchor stands designed for these speakers as it lifts them up aprox 4" so the Twitter is at aprox ear level when sitting in a chair. But I would wait untill you tried the higer powerd amp to see, as I was driving them with a older Krell 600 wpc amp that weighed 200lbs to see if you notice any changes in the Bass extension, before starting down the road to be making changes to your system, also the speakers were aprox 2 feet from the wall. They were also in my great room, where the ceiling started out at 8' and ran up to 22' high on a 32 foot wall as I have a fireplace in that room. This fixed all my problems with the bass. Ihave since moved on with a newer system but this is what I remember when I owned the B&W 801 series 2 speakers. Hope this gives you some more clarity on your system. Good Luck !
|
@chessie I own a pair of 801 series 2 which look just like yours. But in your room, they look small; in my room they hulk up like your JBLs (see more below). While they may be a bit insensitive, I was told on this forum that due to their relatively benign phase angle, that they were relatively easy to drive to the point that my Rogue Audio all-tube Stereo100’s (100 wpc) could ‘make them sing.’ I’ve never tried that combination, but have bi-amped them in several ways, although currently drive them with two McIntosh solid-state MC252’s bridged to mono for 500 wpc. I don’t find that giving them access to more power gives them any more volume; although it seems to help the dynamics a bit. I added a bit of low-volume subwoofer which helped their extension a little. Big room needs big driver(s) to move the air. Then look at your amp if they have trouble providing the power required by the driver(s) you have chosen. Not to say the 801’s can’t get the job done, but worth asking the question, in my opinion. |
@chessie You have not said how your floor is constructed but the law of action and reaction may have a bearing. When your big driver moves forward, an equal force tries to move the cabinet back, especially if the speakers are on rollers. You need to mechanically fix the cabinet to the floor, with spikes or an equivalent, to give the big driver a steady platform to perform from. |
- 50 posts total