got the system hooked up, pics and questions!

[coolcobramatt]

Hey prob a dumb question but I gotta ask. I have everything hooked up (using old monster speaker cables and veryyyyy old esoteric audio rca's) and its really dry and lacking sparkle. My sequel II's sounded warm and alive and were only powered by a denon 4802 receiver. My dvd-audios dont sound right even in two channel stereo mode. I have some cherished Donald Fagen DVD-A's that had tremendous highs, and now they are just lifeless. I also cannot for the life of me figure out how to hook up my sub to the system (the A300 has only a preamp out and my dvd player has a 5.1 hookup only for a sub). Surely I am doing something wrong. Any advice would be appreciated and put to use lol. This darn amp doesnt have a bass and treble control so I am stuck with whatever comes out, but it sure sounds lacking. The NAC tweeters are turned on as well.

(ya'll are gonna have to excuse the custom plasma mounting, I am renting this duplex till I get my new house built and the owner doesn't want me to drill any holes :bowdown: )

 

[Beat_Dominator]

Well you're off to a good start. You posted pictures

The highest frequencies are dull? The first thing I think of when I hear that is of course, whether the speakers are plugged in or not.... but I am betting you did that.

 

[coolcobramatt]

yeppers they are plugged in I have some solar wind speaker cables on the way, maybe that will liven things up a tad?

 

[Joey_V]

Did you audition the Aeon I beforehand and note this "disparity"?

 

[coolcobramatt]

Man I am in a small town that has no high end dealers within a state's drive. I figured the Aeon i would have no less a magnificient sound than the old Sequel II's, especially with the much better power and signal sources.

Not being rude, just I have no way to audition electronics like some lucky siters can. I honestly think I have something hooked up incorrectly.

 

[Jeff Zaret]

coolcobramatt,

I would start slow. I would unplug everything and just plug one thing in at a time. Maybe just your receiver and see how that sounds then the DVD and so on. Some experimenting may be in order. It could be that your receiver just doesn't have enough power/current.

There are many options here so do not get discouraged. It will work just give it time. We have all been there.

Jeff

 

[coolcobramatt]

coolcobramatt,

I would start slow. I would unplug everything and just plug one thing in at a time. Maybe just your receiver and see how that sounds then the DVD and so on. Some experimenting may be in order. It could be that your receiver just doesn't have enough power/current.

There are many options here so do not get discouraged. It will work just give it time. We have all been there.

Jeff

Jeff...I had a denon receiver powering my first MLs. This time I stepped up to a Musical Fidelity A300. I appreciate the input, the step-by-step method will be a good start!

The big question is how and/or where do I hook up my sub?

 

[Pcar928fan]

The big question is how and/or where do I hook up my sub?

Does the MF not have a Preamp out for the Sub? That would be how you hook up your sub... If it does not have a pre out then depending on the sub you might be out of luck. The REL subs actually use a powered output that does not effect the load on that out because of the high ohm rating of the sub itself. It just uses that amp signal to power the on board REL amp...

 

[coolcobramatt]

Does the MF not have a Preamp out for the Sub? That would be how you hook up your sub... If it does not have a pre out then depending on the sub you might be out of luck. The REL subs actually use a powered output that does not effect the load on that out because of the high ohm rating of the sub itself. It just uses that amp signal to power the on board REL amp...

There is a preout (red and white). I am kinda unmechanically inclined when it comes to high end audio, I didnt realize that was where it went lol.

 

[Pcar928fan]

There is a preout (red and white). I am kinda unmechanically inclined when it comes to high end audio, I didnt realize that was where it went lol.

Pre out Red is going to be right front, Pre out white is going to be left front, unless you have some Pre-out that is labeled front and this is a "spare" pair of Pre-outs... If it is a "spare" pair of Preouts then probably pick one...I don't know if the ML subs have a left and right pre input on the back...

 

[amey01]

Experiment with positioning of your speakers and yourself! It could just be a darker sounding room that you're in. Give the panels a good clean with a vacuum and ensure you're not sitting too low or high. Also follow everyone elses' advice. You'll solve the problem, i'm sure.

As for your sub, try the different connection options and see what you like best. Generally, I think the best option is to connect it to the speaker outputs of your A300 - that way the sub will take on the character of your overall system and integrate better. But you may prefer the pre-out option that some people have suggested.

 

[aerius007]

Just my opinion but I think the speakers are angled in way too far. I noticed the same problem with my speakers when I had them like that. Shoot them straight forward and see how different they sound. Then, in baby steps, start toeing them and see how the sound changes. I remember my seperation of instuments was horrible, the highs were way off and they just sounded like cheap chinese made speakers until they were setup right.

 

[coolcobramatt]

I should have mentioned it is a powered sub. Should it still be hooked up through the speaker output of the amp?

 

[IWalker]

It's an integrated, right? Your aeons will attach to the speaker outputs, and send either the Left or right preout to the sub. I'm not sure if the amp has any internal crossover settings...so you may just need to adjust the sub to work around the aeons (ie cross it low) but using it that way should get it hooked up at least.

 

[coolcobramatt]

Yes it is an integrated. Thanks that's exactly what I shall do!

 

[Rich]

I agree that your speakers appear to be toed in too much. I think they are a little too close to the side walls too (at least the one on the right. Try positioning them about seven or eight feet apart and at least two to three feet from the sidewalls, and use the Jim Power flashlight technique for toe in (as described in the tweaks section). These speakers seem to work best when the inner 1/3 of the panel is pointing toward the listening position. Also, you may want to adjust seating height and/or panel tilt angle too. That will affect how the highs sound.

Finally, you may want to experiment with cables and/or equipment changes just to see if that makes a difference. Needless to say, make sure everything is wired properly and phase is correct. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[akm3]

If you are running your speakers through your sub, and the sound has no high end, perhaps your sub is high pass filtering the signal to your speakers? (I know it shouldn't do this, but , it would explain what you are experiencing.)

I would start by just hooking the speakers up by themselves, and I personally prefer letting the pre-amp do the bass management and running the sub out to the sub via RCA connectors. That is my personal preference.

-=Allen

 

[Jeff Zaret]

coolcobramatt,

You have got a lot of advise so far. Again, I would start with one thing and then work on the next and slowly it will come together.

The toe-in may or may not be right and without sitting in the "sweet-spot" no one can tell but you. There is a tip somewhere here about Jim P's flashlight method which is a great place to start.

There are basically two ways to setup your sub. You can either let the sub control the low end crossover or let the system basically do it. I prefer to hook it up directly from the preamp and/or a receiver depending on the equipment. Letting the sub control the low end crossover is fine if it is the correct crossover point and your speakers are correctly matched. In your situation I would run them directly through the preamp/receiver.

If there is only one set of preamp out jacks you can use a "T" or "Y" connectors. You would run one to an amp and one to the sub. There is no shame in doing this and very little loss. I have done this in the past and it works fine. Typically and again this is more preference than anything else but usually, 'red" is designated as the right side and "white" is designated as the left. If you just remember "red is right" you should be fine.

Vacuuming the speakers is always a good idea on a routine basis and this is dependent on your environment.

Just remember we are all just trying to help you optimize your setup to the best possible experience you can have. Only you are the final judge and the only one who will know when it is to your liking. As my good friend Roberto has always said "trust your ears", they will tell you when you have arrived in sonic nirvana.


Jeff

 

[coolcobramatt]

all the advice so far is much appreciated!