Sorry about that but Luxman are rather special.
If you have heard your Zu speakers sounding good in your system, then it is probably an amp problem, if all else in the system is the same.
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Sorry about that but Luxman are rather special.
If you have heard your Zu speakers sounding good in your system, then it is probably an amp problem, if all else in the system is the same.
I'm betting there's a wealth of experience here with valves-can anybody recommend ones to try? Could I calm it down by changing the valves, I know Shaun wasn't too impressed with PS Vanes.
A change of valves won't alter the general balance of the amp. Tonal changes between valves are relatively minor in comparison.
Steve,
I'm still not sure if the problems occurred when you put the amp in the system. Have you had the speakers sounding good in your room, previously and it went downhill when the amp was inserted ?
I used my Audion 300B SEL with Audio Note AZ2's and the combination was excellent. In theory, your speakers should be fine regarding sensitivity. I used my amp with CD and vinyl and never had a problem until I realised that it was all very 'one trick pony' and only really suited acoustic music. I'm sorry I can't be more helpful really. As Dave says though, a change of valves is unlikely to bring about the kind of solution you are looking for.
What you are describing does sound very much like the amp is being driven into clipping, or perhaps the input stage is a bit too sensitive and that is being overdriven. However, all the Zu speakers I have heard have had a rather coarse upper mid and a zing to the lower treble.
1st thing I would look at is your mains cabling arrangements.
I would make sure that the amp wasn't connected to any mains extension block. I've had amps in the past that were very fussy about where and what they were plugged into.
Then I would try to see what replacing the interconnects may bring, I have used cables in the past that have accentuated sharpness.
Finally, I would consider the amp. Did you have an amp in the system previous to this one? Was that also sharp sounding?
You may need to home dem something to get a sense of where the current issue lies...
Swapping in a different amp would be the first move as the likelihood is that is the problem. if not, you can at least eliminate the amp from your inquiries.
I've had a similar issue with mids becoming shouty as volume is increased. I cured it by putting a soft covering on the 1st reflection points, a foot or two in front of the speakers at the sides of the room. Also something on the front and rear walls will improve things further, particularly imaging and soundstage depth. Try using towels or blankets, throws etc.
The mids seem to reflect more than the bass and so things can sound harsh and toppy due to the slight time delay of the reflected sound and altered tonal balance.
Well worth a try with some temporary materials.
I'm going to invest in some proper room treatment.
My omens sounded bloody marvelous with 4 watts of PX25 in a well treated room