Hi, thought Id post a technical question Ive been mulling over for a while and see what reponse I get.
Im currently driving an old (15 - 20 years) pair of 3way Onkyo floor standing speakers with Marantz SE CD player and integrated amp. Im using no-name interconnects and speaker cable.
My problem is that my system is slightly 'bright' with some music. The tweets on these Onkyos are really strong and can overpower the mid range, making some highs sound a little harsh. Marantz are usually known for nice, full bass so I dont think its the electronics.
Could anyone out there suggest an affordable fix for this? Im thinking about replacing the interconnects or cables, but would like to hear from someone with experience before I fork out the cash. Would changing the cabling have a noticeable effect on my mid-range system, or would I be wasting my money?
Since the speakers are the cheapest part of my stereo, I wouldnt be adverse to modifying them either, if someone can recommend a good practical mod (new mid drivers? re-wiring the cross overs etc).
Thanks in advance Rob
Derek
Posted on
Moding the speaker takes measuring equipment. Without that, you are just shooting in the dark and is time-concuming. Have you tried just turning the treble down a little or pointing them staight-ahead and tilting them back a little.
You may also be able to place a thin piece of cloth inside the grill cover in front of the tweater.
Hope this helps.
Rob
Posted on
Thanks Derek, My amp doesn't have any tone controls. The speakers do, but the mid is already on full, and if I turn the tweeter down too far I get a slightly flat, blunt sound. I was hoping that there was an easy way to improve the balance of the speakers.
The cloth thing sounds interesting. I might have read something similar a while ago, rings a bell anyway. Im building some speaker stands at the moment, so I will play with the orientation like you suggest.
Derek is right about moding, I wouln't do it. Interconnects are VERY important, and their importance varies by how critical a listener you are. The brightness you are hearing in the highs could be high frequency distortion picked up in the interconnects and the lack of bass response could certainly be the result of flimsy speaker wire the new THX Ultra interconnects and speakerwire from Monster is very good, almost as good as the Z Series Cable but at about half the price. If you don't want to spend that much look for the IL400 series interconnects and MC-500 which keeps the time correct windings and can be cut to length.