Problem with bass (lack of) NAD C370 KEF Q1

[LadFromWales]

Hey all

Got my new large computer desk, and set up my C370 and Q1's around it. The Q1's are currently sitting at either end of the desk, about 10cm from the wall, slightly toed inwards.

The NAD is set to Tone Defeat, and is hooked up to my PC soundcard, a HDA X-Plosion. Playing music, it does sound good, but the bass just isn't there, when sitting in my normal listening position. If I move to the back of the room, there is some really nice sounding bass. Can also be heard if I lean forward so that my ears are sitting right between the two speakers, rather than in front of them, like normal.

I can get a better bass response if I disable tone defeat and turn up the bass control, but it still doesn't sound as authoritative as when I move into one of the two above locations. I'd guess it also puts more load on the amplifier than necessary.

Is there anything I can do to improve the bass response with my current speakers, changing their location and what not. I did plan to mount them on the wall, will this improve their bass response?

As these Q1's are going back to where they came from (long story), I am free to change to a different set of speakers which may be better suited in the environment they are in. As this room is small (8ft6" square roughly), and I sit relatively close to the speakers, perhaps speakers designed for near field use would be better? Or do I need a sub? Though if the problem can be sorted without changing speakers that'd be nice

Thanks for any help you can give!

 

[DRZ]

You will *always* get "more bass" at the intersection between walls/floor etc. Moreso in corners as this is a three-way intersection.

You have a small room and this is really going to hamper bass frequencies in as far as destructive interference / standing waves are going to happen at your listening position more readily.

The bass you can hear in corners and such might well sound "good" but it is not good bass! At best, its boomy, wobbly uncontrolled bass and definitely not the sort you want. Moving the speakers closer to the wall will reinforce LF response but will make it wooly.

There is the other matter of you having only just moved from a pap stereo to a hifi setup - the low frequency presentation is totally different and although the Q1s are not the bassiest speakers ever, to someone who has ears "tuned" to hifi, I am sure the falloff at LF isnt horrendous to the point of the bass being absent!

 

[LadFromWales]

DRZ, I know you always get more bass at the walls etc, and I know that it isn't 'good' bass, but it is better than the total lack of bass I have while sitting at my listening position.

Bass is pretty much non existent, very flat...even dance music lacks any form of beat.

Perhaps its because my source is just a sound card, rather than an audiophile quality cd player?

DRZ, do you have any ideas for creating a LF response at my listening position? Right now it isn't there, it just sounds very flat and boring. I'm sure if I had a bigger room, and sat more than arms reach from my speakers, I would have a better bass response, but as I don't, I am looking for ways to achieve it with the room I have.

Any help would really be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Clarkey]

Your problem here is likely to be that

a) your nice kef speakers are sitting on a desk
b) they are 10cm from a wall

Get them on some nice mass loaded stands and away from the walls and i'm sure that would help. Saying that, it won't cure it, I have the same issue with my B&W DM600.3's, some music sounds better with the port bungs in, other music sounds awful that way. I have yet to find the compromise.

 

[daz]

You might also want to check that you have the speakers wired up in phase.

 

[pugster]

im another one that wasnt happy with the NAD sound, i bought a used c350 last year,imo it sounded rubbish with the rest of my system (i guess other components need to be balanced with the NAD,mine was used with a marantz cd player and b+w speakers), it was swapped within the week for an audiolab amp.

 

[Clarkey]

Well I made an improvement today, blutack between the speakers and top plates, and paving slabs under the stands. I still have the empty stand columns to fill which I will do tomorrow. But I just played the chemical brothers surrender cd and there was much improved bass response, even got some really deep stuff coming through at the end of 'Dream On', that you wouldn't expect out of such small units.

Unfortunatly, there is still a lot of boom in the downstairs rooms when im playing it, which means I have to keep it toned down and can't really enjoy it as much as I would like. I wonder what else I can do to prevent this.

 

[LadFromWales]

Clarkey, I do intend on putting them on stands, I've not done much looking yet, but what I've found too far, are either too short, take up too much footprint.

As I am limited with depth, I do not want to have to move my desk back much further from the wall, in order to accommodate the stands. Does anyone know of any stands that can be placed close to the wall, but extend outwards towards the top, to accommodate the speaker. Probably looking at 80-110cm tall. Failing stands, I guess I'm going to have to wall mount them

The Q1's are on their way back to where they came from now, as they arrived in subpar condition, so I am in the market for a pair of speakers again

Ideas?

 

[Clarkey]

I wouldn't go for rubbish stands like that, the idea is to give them a solid sturdy base, which what you are describing will not achieve. Wall mounts would be better.

As for the speakers, in the Q1 price range check out the Wharfedale Diamond 9.1, B&W DM600, Monitor Audio Bronze B2. For something smaller and/or cheaper, check out the Q acoustics 1010's which seem to be getting rave reviews lately.

Insist on a home demo too, listening to them in a shops demo room isnt going to be helpful in choosing a speaker which sounds good in your room.