What is wrong with my system?


Hi everyone -

I’m posting here because individually I think my components are all good, but together my system is not making music, rather is is making bright bass less noise. Honestly, I’m thinking it’s no one component, but the matching of components that is causing this issue. I would like to get everyone’s opinion as to what I’m hearing. My components are as follows:

B&W 802D (first generation diamond)
Audioquest bi-wired Indigo speaker cables

Classe CAM-200 monoblock amplifiers
Audioquest Water XLR interconnect

Bryston BP26 preamp
Audioquest Water XLR interconnect

Mark Levinson 5100 cd player (PCM slow minimum phase)

thanks in advance.

Mark Levinson 5100 CD player


onehorsepony
Do you have some headphones to try?
Headphone outputs are usually coming from the preamp...so you can rule it out if the headphones sound great.... leaving the amp & speakers as suspects.
Great system!  

B&W 802D are great speakers when pulled forward out into the room away from the back wall, and they would benefit greatly from a musical pair of subwoofers.  If you want to keep those speakers for the long run then I would take seriously audioman58's offer to help you upgrade the caps before doing anything else.

I can't wait to hear what you come up with.
It's probably the amplifier that doesn't pair well with your speakers. But I don't know.

When you say there is very little or no bass, what are you playing on the system?

There are many styles of bass with unique attack, decay, and textural resolve. Play a song that you are familiar with. It could be that your system is just resolving and therefore excellent at highlighting details in a recording.
op

perhaps post some pics of your room showing speaker placement, furniture/flooring, and provide dimensions?