2. analog
  3. 1253479126

Trying to sharpen the vocals...EQ related question

Hi,

Looking for some clarity on the following:

-Current Setup-
Technics 1200mk2
Sonus Blue Gold Cartridge/Needle
Yaqin MS-12B MM Tube Amp (Stock tubes)
Marantz SR-8000 Receiver
Bose Acoustimass 6 Series III SS Speakers

Really enjoying listening to vinyl, this setup produces great sound for the money. Highs and lows are crisp and clear, but the vocals often seem somewhat muted or flat. They lack the same crispness and clarity.

If I wanted to try to pull the vocals out a bit more, would running a 10-band graphic equalizer between the pre-amp and the receiver enable me to do this? Or does the pre-amps' hard-coded equalization curve already adjust the signal such that the additional eq would be redundant and ineffective?

Thanks for your help.
greenr

Showing 3 responses by greenr

greenr OP
3 posts
 
Shadorne, I cycled through the settings, seems like 5ch Stereo produced the nicest sound - still presents the same issue though, but perhaps just a little less obvious.

Chayro, will take a look at the Denon cart. Sounds like I will have to dig around for some NOS. Thanks for the suggestion.

Mapman, you are correct, separate bass module. Will try re-locating and see what that does.

In general, just for my own knowledge, in terms of the original question around adding an in-line EQ, does that seem like a solution that would make a material impact on sound quality, specifically mid-range?
greenr OP
3 posts
 
You are correct. The Technics arm is of moderate mass. The Sonus is a very high-compliance cart, probably not the best match. I ran a quick calculation (via http://www.cartridgedb.com/tools.asp) and it looks like the resonant frequency is roughly 5.23Hz - which could produce some low-level distortion. Looks like I should stick to a moderate to low compliance cart.
greenr OP
3 posts
 
I saw some good reviews on the Denon DL-301 MKII. Any experience with that cart on the Technics arm?

Hifitime, I guess the decision to go with the cubes was based in-part on a spatial constraint. I live in a small apartment and the cubes produce a decent surround sound (they double as tv/dvd/xbox/blu-ray audio) and are practically invisible. Any speakers/sub combo that you have used that have a similar size profile but produce a more balanced sound?

Thanks again all for the comments, most helpful.
More to discover