nortynorty

It seems of late, I have been pulling out many of my old albums. While they are enjoyable, they lack the punch/presence of my cd's. (Well duh-h many of you are saying). I am not expecting that the same music played on vinyl as compared to cd will sound exactly the same, but the difference is greater than I think it should be. My records are well cared for and in good condition. They are cleaned with Discwasher D4 before each use and the stylus is periodically cleaned with an Audio Technica liquid from about 20 years ago that still has about 3/4 of the fluid left. The records are kept in plastic coated sleeves. I have an old Dual 1219 turntable with a Stanton cartridge (don't recall the model, but it cost around $50). My question is, how much of what I'm experiencing would you attribute to the cartridge? I put the Stanton in about 3 or so years ago when I rarely put a record on the turntable...maybe once or twice a year. Now however, that I am listening more, I'm wondering if the cartridge is my weakest link and a change would increase my listening pleasure.

In the home audio FAQ on the Klipsch website, it is suggested that the settings for small bookshelf speakers be set to "small" on the amp and the crossover set to 100-120 Hz. For "large" speakers the sub setting should be in the 50-60 Hz range. I am using a two channel system with an old stereo amp (there are no small or large settings) and RB-5's as my main speakers. The specs for the RB-5's list a frequency response at the low end of 48 Hz. I would guess that at 48 Hz the speaker is not performing optimally and that I would want the crossover set at a point around where the performance flattens out, but that should be before 110-120 Hz, shouldn't it? I don't have any meters and certainly can play with the settings, but I was interested in the groups ideas as to where the setting should be.

The following information is from the Home Audio FAQ on this website: Where is the best place to put my main speakers in my room? Correct speaker placement leads to the best sounding bass and the best imaging. It is generally a good idea to keep speakers 4-6' away from side walls to minimize early reflections. Those reflections upset the tonal balance of the speaker and also interfere with proper imaging. In general, placing a speaker closer to a corner or back wall will produce more bass. Raising a speaker off of the floor (such as putting it on a stand) will reduce bass. The two (or three) speakers you have on your front channels should also have their midrange/tweeters all at the same height in order to create an even image. It is particularly disconcerting when a pan jumps up and down as it moves across the front stage. Finally, we recommend, with Klipsch speakers, that the midrange/tweeter horn be "toed-in" toward the listener to create the best imaging. Experiment with distance from the back wall till bass balance is smooth and extended. To achieve good imaging without a "hole in the middle" do not place speakers father apart than the distance between you and the speakers. That is, not more than an equilateral triangle. If your speakers are too close together, you will reduce the width of the image almost to mono. Try to keep the distance between your Left and Right speakers a little more than half of the distance from you to the nearest speaker. I had SB-3's in an enclosure and had to do much tweaking before getting the sound to the point where I was happy with it. Of course, the enclosure is far from ideal.

The "main" part of my system is a McIntosh MA6100 integrated amp, driving Klipsch Synergy Series SB-3's. The amp is from the 70's and has provided me many years of listening pleasure. Without going into the full evolution of my system, the speakers were purchased last summer for audio listening. Several months ago, I replaced my Adcom CD player (circa 1985) with a Marantz DV4200, connected to a 32" basic Sony TV. This became my HT and was quite enjoyable. However, there were scenes in movies where the bass was lacking. While shopping for a sub woofer, I was told twice by different salespeople at Sound Advice (where I looked at a Klipsch sub) that I should replace my amp (keep in mind that I was looking at subs!). I ended up buying a Definitive Technology ProSub 80. The sound I get from both music and movies with this system is clearly better than anything that I had before, but I am using 2 channels. While I know that I am not getting all the benefit of a 5 or 6 channel system. I think that a 2 channel HT system still works. Anyone else out there with a 2 channel HT that they enjoy? Some of the other posts talk about the THX opening screens and how great they sound...well it sounds pretty good even when it just goes from one side to the next.

I have had my DVD player for less than 6 months, so I have not seen a lot of movies. However, I have rented at least 3 from Blockbuster that were in what I would consider poor condition. Five day rentals in particular which have been around for awhile are the most effected. The movies will often stall in a particular part. Last night I tried cleaning the disk myself and the movie played through with one minor stall from that point. I was considering getting a CD cleaner and cleaning anything I rent before viewing. While that is not a satisfactory solution from a customer service point of view, if it prevents or minizimizes the stalls then it will probably be worth it. What have others done? If you use a CD cleaner is there anyone in particular which you would recommend...or more importantly...stay away from?

I recently replaced the belt which controls the drawer on my Adcom GCD-200. I bought the part from Adcom directly. While they no longer manufacture that exact part, they said the belt for their GCD-600 would work. It is a bit thicker and I suspect a bit more taut (the drawer operates slower now). The cost of the belt was $3.50 and the total price with shipping was $12.00. They were very prompt in processing the order.

I am surprised to hear that a DVD player would not sound as good as a dedicated CD player for music. I had not owned a DVD player until about one month ago, when my Adcom GCD-200 popped a belt and the door would not open. Since my local Blockbuster has converted about half the store to DVD's, I replaced my Adcom with a Marantz DV4200. I found no discernable difference between the sound of the Adcom and the Marantz when playing an audio CD...not that I was surprised. Although since the Adcom was made in 1985, I thought perhaps the advances in technology may have made some difference. But it is a digital source - how much difference would there likely to have been?

I thought that Tweeter and Sound Advice are the same company now...the following is from the Sound Advice website: One-Year Speaker Trade-Up Upgrade a pair of speakers within one year and get full value for them. In time, everyone needs different speakers. Maybe it's because you've moved your system into a room with soft, cushy furniture that absorbs more sound. Or maybe you want speakers designed specifically for Home Theater. Or ones that take up less space. Well, don't worry. We won't leave you hanging. If you want better speakers for your home or car, we make it painless. Bring in any pair of speakers within one year of buying them at Sound Advice, Showcase Home Entertainment, Electronic Interiors, or Bang & Olufsen, and you'll get full value of the purchase price. As long as you buy an upgraded pair of speakers that aren't on sale, you won't lose a penny. Trade them in as often as you like. The policy applies to any pair of standard bookshelf or floorstanding speakers. However, because of installation, wear-and-tear and possible corrosion, amplified speakers, speakers used outdoors or in-wall speakers aren't eligible for trade-up. There isn't anything here which says that the upgrade has to be 50% more than what you paid. Perhaps their policies are different, but this one sounds more flexible.

In a previous post, I mentioned the problem I was having with the bass on my Synergy Series SB-3's. The problem is primarily related to the enclosure that they are in. I received some excellent suggestions and have made several adjustments which have resulted in a marked improvement. One of which was to stuff the bass port. I am using a balled up tube sock and push it in to the point where it will stay. While I know the speaker was not designed to have the bass port plugged, I want to be sure that I am not doing any damage to the speaker and wonder whether I need to be concerned with how far the sock is inserted or whether there is another product method I could/should use. I have seen suggestions for using a bunch of 5" straws, socks or faom rubber. Some speakers may even have specific inserts for their bass port. I don't suspect that Klipsch makes them for these. Any suggestions are appreciated.

I received the new CR yesterday which rated bookshelf loudspeakers. Of the 28(?) they rated, 23 were rated Very Good - Excellent. The Synergy Seriers SB-3's were close to the bottom with an overall Good rating. They based their ratings on the speakers ability to produce pure tones of different frequencies. They commented that the speakers produced good mid-bass and did better with a boost in the treble. Some of the speakers which performed much better and received higher ratings were surprising to me.

Here's the update. In order to test the spike idea, I purchased rubber screw bumpers (without using the screws) at Home Depot to put under the speakers. I used 3 on each, they are about 7/8" high. I also put a rolled up sock (glad I found a use for those tube socks) in the back bass port. I put rubber spacers on the shelf support and an old mouse pad under my amplifier (it seems others put decoupling or damping material under their components). The brick idea described above was more trouble than it was worth and putting the shelf under the speaker did not do anything to improve the sound. The shelf remains above the speaker. I also removed the grille cover and was able to move the speakers .5-.75" forward. No changes to the interconnects at this time. Overall, the improvement was noticeable. It is significantly cleaner now and much improved. I will get real spikes and may at some point play around with some foam material for the enclosure to see what that does, but basically I am very much happier. Thanks to you all for your thoughtful suggestions.

Based on the comments, it sounds as if you know my wife. Actually, the back portion of the enclosure is the same construction as the rest of the unit (laminate over wood/fiberboard). The sock idea makes sense and is worth a try. I was also thinking of moving the shelf which is currently over the speaker to below the speaker. I would support the shelf with bricks on either side for stability. The speaker will be placed on top of the adjustable shelf and will be in a slightly better listening position. I would use the spikes as recommended by jimbobo and the socks as recommended by Ray and see what happens. I thought perhaps of also adding either some foam or rigid insulation in the enclosure to absorb the sound, but as BobG mentioned, it may only absorb high frequencies. If I can somehow isolate the speaker from the enclosure, I would get a purer sound. I also think I will remove the Klipsch grille and therefore be able to move the speaker forward another .5" - .75".

The enclosure is a laminated wood/fiberboard. The front door has a large opening covered with grille cover burlap fabric. There is approximately 2" on either side of the speaker, 4-5" behind and <1" on top. The top is an adjustable shelf which can be raised .5" or so. Removing the shelf will add another 3" to the top of the enclosure. I have the speakers on the little rubber stick on feet which came with them and they are sitting facing straight with the Klipsch grilles on. The speakers are placed as forward in the enclosure as possible. The "floor" on which the speakers sit is fixed. The KEF's were much taller and didn't fit. There was a tweeter, woofer and a passive radiator.

Forgive me if this has been answered many times before, I am new to Klipsch and therefore new to this forum On Saturday, I purchased my first pair of speakers in over 15 years. My main speakers used to be KEF 104's, but when I moved, they did not fit in the enclosure I had built. I had to use my second speakers, Boston Acoustics A60 Series II, until the woofer material disintergrated. I was happy for the opportunity to upgrade. The SB-3's were very impressive, using Holly Cole's, "I Can See Clearly Now" to really show them off. In any event, what was a clear and punchy bass in the store was boomy at home. The problem is that the only place I can put the speakers is in an enclosure. I am sure that I need to put some sound absorbing material in the enclosure so the bass does not resonate. I was wondering what you might suggest in terms of material to use and how this should be done, ie tightly packed all around, leave room around the passive hole in the back, stuff the hole with material,should the speaker sit on the material as well etc. I would think that if I can insulate the speaker from the enclosure, I will just get the pure sound from the speaker. This or other suggestions are appreciated.