Bass response- Monitor 7
odcics2
Posts: 331
I have a pair of 7b speakers on Polkstands.
About 6’ apart, tweeter to tweeter.
29”, tweeters to outside walls.
About 39” tweeters to the wall behind the speakers.
I’m looking for more bass. Is it safe to assume pushing them backward to the wall would be helpful?
Currently, they are sitting in front of Vandersteens. Before I wrestle with them, I’d like some expert thoughts.
These Polks sound soooo good. If I can get some more bass, the Vandersteens will be leaving. Here’s a pic of my setup right now. Thanks.
About 6’ apart, tweeter to tweeter.
29”, tweeters to outside walls.
About 39” tweeters to the wall behind the speakers.
I’m looking for more bass. Is it safe to assume pushing them backward to the wall would be helpful?
Currently, they are sitting in front of Vandersteens. Before I wrestle with them, I’d like some expert thoughts.
These Polks sound soooo good. If I can get some more bass, the Vandersteens will be leaving. Here’s a pic of my setup right now. Thanks.
Comments
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Is your polyfill rolled up and tucked up behind most of the upper portion of MW and all the way to the top of the cabinet. If it falls down that will mess with your bass because the Passive Radiator won't receive enough energy. That's just one thought. There is so much that influences bass such as baffle flex, speaker and stand coupling to the floor, what type of floor you have may require isolation vs coupling, room acoustics especially in a small room have a huge effect and you may need bass traps in the corners especially at ceiling.George / NJ
Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
Onkyo A-8017 integrated
Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
iFi nano iDSD DAC
iPurifier3
iDefender w/ iPower PS
Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform -
Polyfill is in the correct place.
The Vandersteens, located behind, actually have too much bass for the room.
Incidentally, both Polks are 100% airtight. If you push the PR in, the MW stays pushed out until you let go! Impressive sealing for an old speaker with original gaskets.
These Monitors have no right sounding as good as they do!!
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The problem is obvious, they are too far out from the wall and in front of other speakers, which is always a no-no.
Start at 5 inches from the wall moving out in 1/4" increments.
That file cabinet is going to mess with the presentation regardless.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Polyfill is in the correct place.
The Vandersteens, located behind, actually have too much bass for the room.
Incidentally, both Polks are 100% airtight. If you push the PR in, the MW stays pushed out until you let go! Impressive sealing for an old speaker with original gaskets.
These Monitors have no right sounding as good as they do!!
When the positions are reversed you mean, ie. Polks at the wall behind the pulled out Vandersteens?
My 7Bs are pulled out over 4 ft into my room and my bass slams me in the chest, even when the subwoofer is turned off although once you have done 2.1 with these 7Bs you will never go back! Putting them back against the wall WILL give you more bass energy but will it be clean? The bass wavelengths are omnidirectional so you get the additive effect of the reflections off of the wall, with a small time delay that may effect punchiness, ie. make them sound more muddy. The concept of the bass traps is to reduce the reflections by absorbing where bass concentrates in the room.
George / NJ
Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
Onkyo A-8017 integrated
Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
iFi nano iDSD DAC
iPurifier3
iDefender w/ iPower PS
Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform -
The Vandersteens don't move... I leave them alone.
They have always been "close" to the wall. (rear of top being 16" from the wall.)
I experimented with them being into the room more, and angled, but they didn't sound as good.
Those rear facing 10" woofers on the Vandersteens loads up the room too much.
Thinking too much speaker for the room.....
The room has an 8' ceiling, almost 16' long by almost 12' wide.
Not very big, unlike some of the monstrous setups I have seen online.
Hey, ya have to make do with what ya got.
I'm glad I have a dedicated room to enjoy music without disruptions. -
From one Mopar/Petty nut to another ... I'm not sure how you can say both, "If I can get some more bass, the Vandersteens will be leaving." and also, "The Vandersteens don't move... I leave them alone." If you really want to see what the 7s can do, better get the other speakers out of the way, if only temporarily, while you assess the situation.
You can bass trap that room to the tune of $1K and it will still sound horrible unless you correct some basics. F1nut is right about the file cabinet, not to mention the closet on the other side, but at a minimum until you get those other speakers out of the way, you're not going to be able to accurately determine what the 7s are capable of.
Brian
One-owner Polk Audio RTA 15TL speakers refreshed w/ Sonicap, Vishay/Mills and Cardas components by "pitdogg2," "xschop" billet tweeter plates and BH5 | Stereo REL Acoustics T/5x subwoofers w/ Bassline Blue cables | Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III integrated tube amp | Technics SL-1210G turntable w/ Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250 MM cart | Sony CDP-508ESD CD player (as a transport) | LampizatOr Baltic 4 tube DAC | Nordost & DH Labs cables/interconnects | APC H15 Power Conditioner | GIK Acoustics room treatments | Degritter RCM -
“Vandersteens don’t move” was meant as I don’t pull them out more to listen. They are spiked.
I’m working through some lower back issues and was hoping for some insight before the Vandersteens would have to get packed up and stored.
That file cabinet had been there since 1993. I had Paradigm Studio 100s Version 2 where the Vandersteens now sit. No bass issues and I regretted selling them later.
Anyway, past is past and lighter, more manageable speakers are in my future. ( Monitor 7s, for example) -
Basics.....most definitely. Nobody is saying only consider bass traps.
I know how you probably feel about keeping those Polk stands totally original but I would fill them with sand/shot and spike them through the carpet to the floor beneath. That would be a start in the right direction. See what that does. Putting those large bases on a carpet is not going to give good bass.George / NJ
Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
Onkyo A-8017 integrated
Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
iFi nano iDSD DAC
iPurifier3
iDefender w/ iPower PS
Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform -
My comment about the file cabinet was not in reference to the bass response. It was about the overall presentation. Open space to the outside of the cabinets helps with the width of the soundstage.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
My comment about the file cabinet was not in reference to the bass response. It was about the overall presentation. Open space to the outside of the cabinets helps with the width of the soundstage.
Gotcha... Thanks for the clarity. I've had smaller speakers, with the front just ahead of the cabinet.
I have a situational compromise on my hands.
Where the Monitors are now, I am getting a 3D soundstage. Pushing them back about 15", when the vandys are taking a hiatus, should help bass without getting file cabinet reflections.
Anyone notice the felt on the shelve to the right, in front of the cabinet?
That cleaned up the sound from bouncing off the shelve, hitting the file cabinet and then back out into room as a time delayed distortion. -
What power are you running to them? What source? I’ve never thought the 7’s were light in the bass by any means.
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Carver TFM-35x.
250 wpc, 8 ohms
350 wpc, 4 ohms.
Carver CT23 tuner/pre-amp.
Rega Planet 2000
I bough the Carver gear new in the mid 90s. -
Hey Greg, did you double-check the wiring to your Midwoofers? One could be reversed. JAT
Nice 7'sDon't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists. -
They sound great. Nice 3D sound field, no crossed wires!
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Besides moving them more towards back walls, your best option for improved mid-bass is to stiffen the baffle between MWs and PRs. I would even cut off the spare tabs from the MW frame windows.
Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists. -
So, as I play them more, the bass is getting better.
They were in storage for many years. I surmise that the surrounds needed to relax a bit, "breaking back in", so to speak. Anyone else notice this with their speakers, after being out of use for years?
