What have you done to improve the Sense of Weight in your system? What technology or upgrade is most impactful?

[analogsa]

As for active systems apparently lacking weight, I wonder if that's something to do with the mind set and preferences of those who design active systems, or maybe a lack of distortion from the bass?

Why would passive crossovers add more distortion? The only potential source of distortion in a crossover is choke saturation but with air-cored chokes that is also eliminated. What chokes unavoidably cause is a drop in effective damping which, all things kept equal, could mean a slight bump in the bass frequency response.

 

[Tim Link]

Why would passive crossovers add more distortion? The only potential source of distortion in a crossover is choke saturation but with air-cored chokes that is also eliminated. What chokes unavoidably cause is a drop in effective damping which, all things kept equal, could mean a slight bump in the bass frequency response.

I can't say I know the answer. We need someone with extensive experience in both active and passive network design to chime in.

 

[Robh3606]

It is extremely unlikely for cables to have any measurable effects on frequency response within the audible range. The only possible exception is a badly mismatched passive pre and high capacitance interconnect.
Ditto for all components with the exception of a phono pre or a nos dac. And of course a high output impedance tube amp. 0.4db variation for "normal", well functioning components is just out of the question.

For some not very clear reason active systems tend to lack weight ime.

Active speakers systems with built in amps or active systems with dedicated separate amps?? Weight as in low bass or impact or both??


Rob

 

[Tim Link]

Active speakers systems with built in amps or active systems with dedicated separate amps?? Weight as in low bass or impact or both??


Rob

I don't see why it couldn't all be had at once.

 

[Robh3606]

I don't see why it couldn't all be had at once.

OK I can see your point, The reason I asked is I have an all active system and it's got more than enough weight and impact. It's a traditional separates set-up so dedicated amps for each driver pair. I can see a modern active system getting into issues at high listening levels simply because it's all in one cabinet and that is going to put limitations on power output capacity and cooling just to name two potential issues.

Rob

 

[Tim Link]

OK I can see your point, The reason I asked is I have an all active system and it's got more than enough weight and impact. It's a traditional separates set-up so dedicated amps for each driver pair. I can see a modern active system getting into issues at high listening levels simply because it's all in one cabinet and that is going to put limitations on power output capacity and cooling just to name two potential issues.

Rob

You mean all the amps in one cabinet? That's what I've got, and it limits me to 50 watts per channel. I'm using a Cambridge Audio receiver that claims it can run a full 300 watts with all 6 channels delivering 50 watts each simultaneously. My input levels from the DACs on the digital crossover are lower than typical line level and EQ'd down across much of the spectrum so in reality probably 15 watts is all I could deliver per any one channel with the volume turned up full blast and a minus zero dB signal. My speakers are all horn loaded and I don't tend to listen too loudly. I'd be curious to try separates like you have, which I could try by using the pre-amp outputs on the receiver, starting out by just putting the bass cabinets on an outboard amp and see if that does anything I like. I'd say the weight in my setup is just about right to my ears, but the impact is not the best I've heard, and I assume that's because the bass has some muddiness in the room which I have measured. I don't completely rule out the possibility that a better amp could improve it.