TSi 500 - too much bass

zioniac
zioniac Posts: 8
So I recently bought these and have them hooked up to my 2 channel Onkyo TX-8050 receiver and I've noticed that there is too bass. And not good bass, sort of rumbling bass. I left the jumpers on the bi-wire speakers terminals and connected some monster cable to the lower terminal. Has anyone else run into this sound problem? I've played many different styles of music, and even the most quiet film score seems too bassy. I of course have adjusted the levels on the receiver and it doesn't sound as good as it should.
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,558
    What is your source?
  • zioniac
    zioniac Posts: 8
    Playing Blu-rays and CD's through a Oppo BDP-203 and vinyl with a Audio Technica LP-60. All components and even the speaker cable is the same as before, the only thing that has changed is the speakers. My old Philips speakers worked fine.
  • zioniac
    zioniac Posts: 8
    I have no optimizers or equalization on. The bass is at 3/4 and the treble is all the way.
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,558
    What does this mean? Can you post a photo of the knob positions?
    zioniac wrote: »
    The bass is at 3/4 and the treble is all the way.

  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    zioniac wrote: »
    I have no optimizers or equalization on. The bass is at 3/4 and the treble is all the way.

    Dontcha think that's a bit too high then ?
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  • Jimbo18
    Jimbo18 Posts: 2,310
    Clipdat wrote: »
    What does this mean? Can you post a photo of the knob positions?
    zioniac wrote: »
    The bass is at 3/4 and the treble is all the way.

    His receiver has knobs on the front for Bass and Treble. I assume that means he has the knob at 3/4's of the way around. That might have been okay with his old Phillips speakers, but it's probably causing his boom-i-ness now.
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,558
    LOL. Holy cow, if that's it.. I mean...

    Put the bass knob at the "12:00" position and carry on.
    Jimbo18 wrote: »
    His receiver has knobs on the front for Bass and Treble. I assume that means he has the knob at 3/4's of the way around. That might have been okay with his old Phillips speakers, but it's probably causing his boom-i-ness now.

  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,558
    Yeah, leave the bass and treble knobs at the center "12:00" detent. Problem solved.
  • zioniac
    zioniac Posts: 8
    Not problem solved, but guys anyways.
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,474
    zioniac wrote: »
    Not problem solved, but guys anyways.

    please explain
  • zioniac
    zioniac Posts: 8
    If you turn the levels down, it sounds pretty flat. Once the bass reaches a certain point it becomes rumbling. I have tried every setting. Would you suggest hooking the cable to the upper connectors on the speakers?
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,708
    Listen to what people are telling you. Turn the damn tone controls to flat. I suspect you've been listening to pumped up frequencies for so long that you don't know what the music is actually supposed to sound like. Try this, set them to flat and listen to your rig that way for a week. By that time you should have adjusted to the sound and I'll bet you like it.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,708
    edited June 2018
    An additional comment. After the week is over buy some better speaker/interconnect cables. What you are using now is not doing you any favors.
    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

  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,558
    It looks like he's got them "integrated" into the wall though, for a no cables look!
    F1nut wrote: »
    An additional comment. After the week is over buy some better speaker/interconnect cables. What you are using now is not doing you any favors.

  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,474
    I run absolutely no tone controls. I have them turned off on my pre so my dipstick friends can turn them all they want and it does nothing.
  • mrloren
    mrloren Posts: 2,454
    I agree, turn them knobs down to flat or close to it. Also please check your connections making sure + to + and - to -, Sometimes having one crossed will cause funky sounding equipment.

    Not a big fan of monster cable either. Monoprice is better and cheaper. Do yourself a favor, call Doug and get some Furez https://douglasconnection.com/Furez-12-AWG-2-Conductor-Speaker-Cable-Raw-FZ122.htm Far much better cable than Monster. Before buying that Monster 16awg stuff you would be better served going to Best Buy and getting Audioquest X2.

    When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.
    Family Room:LG QNED80 75", Onkyo RZ50 Emotiva XPA3 GEN3 Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM. Main: Polk LsiM 705Center: Polk LSiM 704CFront High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT Surrounds: Polk S15 Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,558
    Could it also be that his receiver is malfunctioning somehow?

    What did the old "Philips" speakers sound/look like?
  • motorhead43026
    motorhead43026 Posts: 3,892
    edited June 2018
    The same Philips that makes light bulbs and electric toothbrushes?
    2 channel: Anthem 225 Integrated amp; Parasound Ztuner; TechnicsTT SL1350; Vincent PHO-8 phono pre; Marantz CD6005 spinner; Polk SDA2BTL's; LAT International speaker cables, ZU Mission IC's and power cables all into a PS Audio Dectet Power center.

    Other; M10 series II, M7C's, Hafler XL600 amp, RB-980BX, Parasound HCA-1500 amp , P5 preamp, all in storage. All vintage Polk have had crossover rebuilds and tweeter upgrades.

    The best way to predict the future is to invent it.

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  • codycatalist
    codycatalist Posts: 2,662
    I'll add myself to the list of people who used to use tone controls but now does not. Simply not needed, granted my speakers are a bit of a step above TSI500s but even with my TSI200s I didn't touch the tone controls.
    Just a dude doing dude-ly things

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  • verb
    verb Posts: 10,176
    @zioniac btw welcome to the forum! I too traveled a path similar to yours. I was equalizing the audio output in a similar manner. The old rock and roll "smile" on my equalizer, if you will.

    Start out flat. Enjoy some familiar tunes, study the nuances. Yes you can tweak the bass/treble, but ever so slightly to taste. As mentioned before, you may have been (like me) so used to artificially tweaking the output I never really had a chance to experience the music as intended.

    Certainly as you continue to upgrade, you will notice the improvements in the music!
    The same tunes will sound like new! That, fellow Polkie, is our journey.

    We're here with you! :smile:
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,708
    The same Philips that makes light bulbs and electric toothbrushes?

    You betcha. Philips has made some of the best CD transports around, but they never made a decent speaker.
    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

  • Viking64
    Viking64 Posts: 6,646
    Philips even had their own record label. I think they even founded Wisseloord Studios.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9muMHqDiDfg
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    I'd also pull them out a bit more from the wall. Maybe a throw rug too as that wood floor isn't helping matters either.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
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    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

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  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
    zioniac wrote: »
    Not problem solved...

    Well, you can't really complain about too much bass, when you're the one who boosted it, right? :p

    Seriously, I also used to tweak the knobs, until I started to learn more about equipment and how to get better sound. It took some getting used to, but I always run flat now.

    Welcome to CP! Stick around, keep an open mind, and you might be surprised what you learn.
  • mlistens03
    mlistens03 Posts: 2,767
    mdaudioguy wrote: »
    Welcome to CP! Stick around, keep an open mind, and you might be surprised what you learn.

    I know I was!! :)
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    I'm also wondering if you have the metal straps connecting the top and bottom posts on the back of the speaker connected.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • motorhead43026
    motorhead43026 Posts: 3,892
    edited June 2018
    Just found this on craigslist. Vintage 1977 had some good reviews and cost $325.00 new! I gather it was an attempt by Philips to break into the high end stereo segment, although it was short lived.

    Not meaning to hijack the post, just fascinated by the Philips stuff.

    9ge0fq0gqf93.jpg
    2 channel: Anthem 225 Integrated amp; Parasound Ztuner; TechnicsTT SL1350; Vincent PHO-8 phono pre; Marantz CD6005 spinner; Polk SDA2BTL's; LAT International speaker cables, ZU Mission IC's and power cables all into a PS Audio Dectet Power center.

    Other; M10 series II, M7C's, Hafler XL600 amp, RB-980BX, Parasound HCA-1500 amp , P5 preamp, all in storage. All vintage Polk have had crossover rebuilds and tweeter upgrades.

    The best way to predict the future is to invent it.

    It is imperative that we recognize that an opinion is not a fact.

    Imagine making politics your entire personality.
  • rooftop59
    rooftop59 Posts: 7,952
    zioniac wrote: »
    Not problem solved, but guys anyways.

    Thanks a nice looking rig! Welcome to the forum. Some of these guys are a little rough around the edges, but there is lots of good advice to be had here.

    Music is like other refined sensory experiences. If you are used to drinking Franzia "chillable red" and then someone hands you a glass of really good, dry chewy cab chilled at 62 degrees, you might just spit it out. But if you drink that cab for a week or two, you will never go back to that box crap. Your senses adjust to what you are used to and your mental expectations adjust along with them.

    So yea, turn the tone to flat, pull the speakers out (that is contributing to the boomy bass), and give it at least 3-4 days, preferably a week. Then go back and forth between tone and no tone and see what you like. If you still like the tone controls, rock on, its your money and your system. But I imagine you will like the neutral sound of no artificial tone...
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