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Speakers for aging audiophiles - What's with today bass emphasis ?

I'd love to pick your brains on a issue and possibly a suggestion
My system has 2 sources, a Logitech transporter and Thorens 126 MKIII / SME / Supex.  Ampli recently changed to a Musical Fidelity M6si. My listening is 80% streaming and 20% vinyl. It's mostly classic and prog rock but also acoustic jazz and classic chamber music.
I have an issue with my current speakers setup: Dynaudio BM6 passive.
I have been using those for some months now and find that while they are satisfying in terms of scene, detail, resolution they are exceedingly strong in the bass (say 50 to 200 Hz) and not adequately balanced in the middle / treble, say from 1k Hz up. It seems as though the bass player stand in front with a big amplifier and everyone else is back in the stage.
I have changed the amplifier to the Musical Fidelity but while I am happy with that I did not see much change in respect to the issue I am describing.

I relate this issue to 2 causes:

1. Today's recordings emphasizes the bass unrealistically. Let me just give you an example. I recently bought Steve Wilson remix of Marillion "Misplaced Childhood". Great work. The mix is shining but compared to the old vinyl I have got you get this feeling of too much bass. Bass quality is great, well defined, solid, no complain but just too much of a good thing.

2. I am ageing, over 60 now. It is well know that as you age your sensitivity to the high frequencies falls down

Given those factors I'd like to change speakers to get something that:
- Is very open on the highs
- It's very analytical
- Does not over emphasize basses
- Bookshelf
- Ballpark cost 2 - 2.5 K

Can anyone make suggestions ? I was inclined to the Harbeths M30 but read several blogs where they say they do emphasize the bass. Maybe Dynaudio Special or Focus  ? How about Totem Sky ?

I don't mind spending a few more bucks to get what I want / need.

Thanks a lot everyone.

Mark.
marklings
yyzsantabarbara
4,464 posts
 
If you can move the speakers away from the bookshelf, preferably on stands, the Audience 1+1 for $2600 is what I use in my office (on a desk).

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/audience-clairaudient-11-v2-loudspeaker/

It lacks the bass but has top notch sound above bass region. You do need to toe these in. They are crossover less and have drivers on all 4 sides. Each speaker weighs about 8 pounds. I agree with the review I posted and the description of the sound.

The imaging could be a bit better though I may have a problem in positioning these at the moment with the left side wall closer than the right.

Once I move to a bigger office I will add a new set of speakers with a bit more bass but I will still keep these around since they are rather exceptional.
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,837 posts
 
Lowering bass levels need not be rocket science. Distance from wall and corner reinforcement will do it. If your floors are suspended plywood (they have some give and vibrate if you jump up and down). isolating stands like Isoacoustics will clean up the bass making it more articulate and also avoiding muddy bass which obscures midrange. Its possible you need cleaner more articulate bass not necessarily less.
akg_ca's avatar
akg_ca
2,151 posts
 
To the OP: Its not an audio trend assault with an over emphasis on bass.

Without prejudice to the facts that
(a) room treatments and speaker placement matter, and
(b) personal biased tastes are big influences and
(c) synergy (or lack of it) by speakers with the rest of your system
are all big influences in bass bloat complaint.

there’s a vast plethora of available bookshelf choices in your price point strata.... some that work for you and others that don’t.

You need to audition personally, full stop. Any and all of the buzzilion personal choice faves randomly pushed herein are functionally meaningless because they are heavily biased and purely anecdotal personal fave choices with no assurance that they will work and/or improve audio performance in YOUR bespoke system.

I will borrow a topical speaker review extract (redacted to remove another brand name in favour of posting neutrality ) that summarizes the linchpin best-of-breed audio performance factor that separates the contenders from the pretenders in your journey to OZ....the driver midrange performance, with an emphasis on the last two sentences:

”......Immediate impressions are a clear and transparent portrayal with very high detail retrieval, fast and controlled transient response, and superb musical timing, both in articulating rhythms and tempi, and in placing instruments within the temporal flow and context of the performance. The XXXXX is an outstanding mid/bass driver, sonically and musically right in line with the midrange performance of XXXX’s amplifiers and phono cartridges. Get the midrange right and everything else will fall into place. Get it wrong, and all the king’s horses…”



david_ten
5,480 posts
 
@stfoth Agree to disagree, then. : )  In my experience, the Impact series varies per recording and is heavily influenced by what's ahead of it, including cabling. I've been able to go from very tubby and rolled off to extremely tight bass (this applies to the midrange as well). The speaker itself (to a large degree) doesn't lean one way or another. 

I know your experience has been different and I respect your findings. The 60 day trial period, if the OP chooses to explore it, will allow for him to find out for himself. 

I don't know how his preferences and ancillaries will line up, but I do believe that when set up to do so the Impacts will offer the OP what he has posted: "very open on the highs...very analytical..does not over emphasize basses."

The Impacts, as well as the Studio Electric M4, are just two of MANY options, that will likely fit what the OP is looking for.
stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,250 posts
 
The Stereophile review stated that the bass of the Impact Monitors was very overwhelming in the reviewers room.  Even after stuffing the ports with socks didn’t alleviate the problem as he kept removing and inserting them in the ports.   I would look at one of the original Magico speakers, detail in spades.  
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