Help, my system sounds lifeless!


Hi, this is my first post.  I rushed putting my system together when i emigrated from the UK to New Jersey.  In fact this site was partly to blame as i was attracted to the amazing  "used" deals!  I bought a pair of Dali Helicon 400 (mark I)  as they passed the WAF.  The rest of the system contains a Belles Soloist Integrated and Simaudio Equinox SE CD player, wireworld platinum eclispe 6 interconnect & Audio Art Cable Classic SC-5 Speaker Cable.  My room maybe partly to blame but generally the system sounds lifeless, with little soundstage (better when i play vinyl).  I am not feeling/falling in love with the speakers and do not like the bass response (which is often reported).  I would like to change the speakers and was wondering if you could help.  I have an extremely large cd collection (and have recently bought a used Lumin D1, but unfortunately not set up yet) covering all kinds of music.  I am thinking 8ohm with better sensitivity would be a better option.  Looking to spend around $3000-4000 used.  Some contenders include Revel F206 or F208, Tannoy DC8 or DC8T, ATC SCM40, JA Pulsars (maybe too much $), PBN Liberty, Aerial 10T (never see them used) but they must have grills as sometimes kids go in the basement.  Maybe Monitors with stands would be better option?  I am hoping the flickr link works so you can see my room (excuse the feet!).  I want to fall in love with my large music collection again!  Looking for good bass & soundstage and speakers that can play all kinds of music (sometimes I'm partial to deep electronic music).  In some ways because my taste is so vast i am not particularly looking for ultra revealing speakers (Nora Jones speakers i think you call them!).  Looking forward to the NY audio show so i can hear some systems.  Thanks for all the help, cheers Paul  https://www.flickr.com/gp/97665913@N06/a5G6d9
spoutmouzert

Showing 6 responses by randy-11

These are new & different items/brands items, purchased when you moved away from the UK?

What did you have in the UK and was it at all lifeless?

Besides component choice (and the possibility that your listening enjoyment was shattered by falling onto a hard brexit), "My room maybe partly to blame" is a very likely issue.  Shape is one issue, but size may be forcing you to listen in near-field conditions.

The cheapest thing is to try some room treatments, and it is possible to use wall hangings, tapestries etc that will be allowed in by your wife.  Those can address treble - traps will likely be needed for mids/lows.  A spectrum analyzer is your friend.  And time - lots and lots of time.

Small speakers, as noted above, could be the salvation here.  Or try a half bottle of whiskey before listening ...
re:  Why would anyone suggest curtains and wall hangings to help deal with "lifeless" sound? Those deaden the room, don't they?

Hark back to you sophomore year physics course - the part about wave superposition and cancellation and you'll see the answer
"Wave superposition and cancellation" applies to ALL frequencies - not sure why you read suppression into that

It may be that is not his problem BUT it is very easy and inexpensive to check - he can simply hang some rugs in various places in the room and test

The kef LS50s have a good reputation, but aren’t easy to test.

Take a look at his pic and if anything it seems he has too much reflective surface... yet another reason to get some analytical equipment in there and find out what is really going on

Still need to hear answers to the questions about what he had in the UK...

One more idea: just maybe it is not a room-speaker interaction (less likely, but...) - he can take the speakers outside and test, OR turn them off and borrow some headphones to test
your wife would LOVE some tapestries and wall hangings int heroom 

see my post above (way above) - if done well, they may be able to make the speakers act like they are in a larger room

AND, when she sees the blankets behind the speakers, just say "oh those are just to test for where to put those nice tapestries you were talking about earlier")
if kids could do damage to the system, then electrify it with a high voltage