What Tweaks Work For You?

[rikhav]

Couldn't have explained it as well as @jls001 did.
I also tried with my speaker and I got fairly good results. But the ring size was slightly different for me as my tweeter faceplate has no waveguide

More focus and better detail retrieval. I could surely hear more information

It won't work for all as we don't know how the tweeter's we have in our speakers behave, but absolutely no harm to try

Thanks again @jls001 @keith_correa

 

[Kannan]

It's a cheap and fun tweak that can raise the performance of a speaker substantially.

It is a good tweak but has to be applied diligently. It can mitigate the purpose in wave guides, but works nicely with metal dome tweeters by controlling the shimmer, if you can identify the peaks in a particular frequency (say for example there is an inherent peak at 7khz...then it is possible to work the distance on the baffle for the 1st reflection and put a foam there to suppress at least the baffle reflection.

 

[Ashenden]

This tweak (if you may call it so) applies to only Marantz PM series Integrated amplifiers.

Following comprises of my Ultra high-end audio set up

1. Source: Marantz CD6004
2. Amplification: Marantz PM6004
3. Speakers: KEFQ300 (ex), Wharfedale diamond 225(now showing)
4. Chord cables, DAC interconnects and Isoacoustics stands
5. My audiophile ears, brain, interconnects inside and beloved couch

When it comes to audio, I have this OCD, so I rarely tweak. I belong to the camp, set it up and forget it (a.k.a lazy/couch potato ). My amp, Marantz PM6004, has a tone defeat switch called “source direct” which is supposed to bypass the tone controls and give a shorter and cleaner signal from the CD player. There is also a “loudness” button which is supposed to give a flat response at lower volume and it’s impact tapers with increasing volume (higher volumes less impact). This is the theory or what the manufacturer claims. IMO, the loudness is overdone and instruments don’t sound real with it ON, so I normally keep it OFF. Being an aspiring purist I had been using the “source direct” engaged and this also removes the headache of fiddling with the tone controls. All was going well, WD225 has good synergy with IA, but there was some sparkle with the high end, not as pronounced as the KEF, but definitely there.

Now I have this uber expensive in-earphones, the RHA 390 , which sound warm and smooth when driven from my phone. This was an irritant as I was now listening more to the RHA than the stereo. Yesterday, I switched OFF “source direct” and with the rest of the tonal controls at 0 (center position), I had a pleasant surprise; the sparkle was gone, it sounded very organic and smooth. This means that whatever “color” the marantz tone control circuits was adding was something I liked, when bypassed it had this annoying brightness introduced into the audio. The sad fact is that it took me 7-8 years to realize this……. hmmm

So there went my purist aspirations, now my anthem is give me Color! Something like this

Apologies for the rambling post, no pictures for you all, just turn that switch OFF and give yours a spin, you might end up enjoying it!

 

[raghupb]

Long live tone control!! I use them all the time.
Previously with PM7001 I experienced the same.
Source direct was way to raw and not to my liking.
Keeping the tone circuits in play sounded better.

My current preamp (Parasound) has bass, treble and sub controls on remote.
Works well with my tastes.
Cheers,
Raghu

 

[liverpool_for_life]

This means that whatever “color” the marantz tone control circuits was adding was something I liked, when bypassed it had this annoying brightness introduced into the audio.

Hmm. Tone controls are set to zero, but the brightness is gone simply by virtue of the fact that they now go through the tone control circuit of Marantz? Seems unlikely to me.

I'm not questioning what you heard, but I do wonder about the decidedly odd explanation for the same.

 

[Nitin K]

Long live tone control!! I use them all the time.
Previously with PM7001 I experienced the same.
Source direct was way to raw and not to my liking.
Keeping the tone circuits in play sounded better.

My current preamp (Parasound) has bass, treble and sub controls on remote.
Works well with my tastes.
Cheers,
Raghu

I am also a fan of tone control. I feel tone control does give you added flexibility for individual tastes. If one does not like it then it can always be set to zero. I too find source direct too raw for my taste. Personally I prefer warm sound with an open sound stage but certainly not muffled sound.
With Audyssey XT 32, I always felt if the tone controls were also enabled along with it, then I could have further tweaked the sound to my liking.

 

[Ashenden]

Hmm. Tone controls are set to zero, but the brightness is gone simply by virtue of the fact that they now go through the tone control circuit of Marantz? Seems unlikely to me.

I'm not questioning what you heard, but I do wonder about the decidedly odd explanation for the same.

Yes, liverpool, that's the odd part. I have no explanation to offer, the only rational solution I could think of is that even with a zero setting on tone-controls, the audio signal now passes through it (as against using the "source-direct" bypass), which has added the "color"
Another possibility (far-fetched) could be that the bypass is somehow adding the "color"

 

[raghupb]

Hmm. Tone controls are set to zero, but the brightness is gone simply by virtue of the fact that they now go through the tone control circuit of Marantz? Seems unlikely to me.

I'm not questioning what you heard, but I do wonder about the decidedly odd explanation for the same.

I guess the tone circuits at "tone flat" is not the same as source direct.
There is something in that circuit, for some people.
Cheers,
Raghu

 

[keith_correa]

Some tone controls are implemented via a sound processor chip, then there's the myriad button/switch/potentiometers that the signal passes through so there's no doubt that there will be a change with more electronics/passives in the chain. Technically, the "direct" sound should sound more uncolored and transparent (which can be interpreted as bright too) but then some people find color to be pleasing. Whatever floats ones boat!

 

[Hiten]

Yesterday, I switched OFF “source direct” and with the rest of the tonal controls at 0 (center position), I had a pleasant surprise; the sparkle was gone, it sounded very organic and smooth. This means that whatever “color” the marantz tone control circuits was adding was something I liked, when bypassed it had this annoying brightness introduced into the audio. The sad fact is that it took me 7-8 years to realize this……. hmmm

Marantz are nice amplifiers.in mid budget comparatively they are very well made and measures extremely accurate. I browse a lot about technical details. Marantz CD Players and amplifiers are most (if not best) accurate with ample power for home listening. The source direct thing is measured here. In source direct mode they behave differently.
(Different model though)

Marantz PM5003 integrated amplifier Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements I examined the Marantz PM5003's measured behavior using Stereophile's loan sample of the Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It" and www.ap.com); for some tests, I also used my vintage Audio Precision System One Dual Domain.

www.stereophile.com

But I guess all are within limits and can be called high fidelity approach.

Dont know why modern amplifiers are not making products 'old school' way. I like tactile feel of controls. and probably they dont add distortion unnecessarily (However small) like modern amplifiers. here are some interesting views
https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/solid-state/342253-input-selector-modern-amplifiers.html
having said that modern amplifiers do compensate for it by employing decades of research in schematics/layouts parts etc. .
Regards

 

[Mi_10]

Recently did a very simple change that made quite a good difference.

I used to sit about 2.5 mts from the Electronics and about ~2.7 mts from the Speakers (like an isosceles triangle) , but my rear wall had just 0.5 mts distance from where i was seated.

Recently wanted to try the near field listening aka studio type listening, so just moved my seats to middle of the room. Now the distances read;
From Electronics 1.6 mts
From Speakers 1.75 mts
Back wall 1.5 mts

Was surprised to find a leap in the quality ! Now the the bass sounds a lot more precise and defined. Overall imaging too has moved upwards by few feet !

Reflections from rear wall couldn't reach my ears as pronounced as in the earlier setup ! Cheap $0 hack for me

I was tempted to move it further ahead, but i was losing scale of imaging so decided to keep it this way...for some time

 

[marsilians]

Room treatments including a acoustic panels, thick carpet, bookcase or thick drapes have done more than new equipment for me. If you can diffuse (not absorb) at the reflection points as well as behind the listening positions, music becomes such a rich experience.

 

[Hari Iyer]

I am currently working on a line frequency harmonics filter and they are still in test mode past one week. I shall post details if there is a positive outcome.

 

[Hari Iyer]

I am currently working on a line frequency harmonics filter and they are still in test mode past one week. I shall post details if there is a positive outcome.

 

[liverpool_for_life]

Another possibility (far-fetched) could be that the bypass is somehow adding the "color"

It isn't. Bypass effectively means that the room is now coloring your sound. However, for that brightness to disappear when you bypass "bypass" (you know what I mean), you'd really need your room correction engaged.

 

[liverpool_for_life]

I guess the tone circuits at "tone flat" is not the same as source direct.

I'm not questioning that at all. I'm just questioning whether that explains the magnitude of the difference being heard.

 

[raghupb]

I'm not questioning that at all. I'm just questioning whether that explains the magnitude of the difference being heard.

It does sound very different on the PM series.
Tone circuits have some "tadka" or "color"
Cheers,
Raghu

 

[Ashenden]

Thanks @liverpool_for_life, @raghupb @keith_correa & @Hiten for chipping in. This hobby is indeed fraught with lots of mysteries and interesting solutions and I'm slowly learning. The more I understand, all of this keeps reminding me of the Socratic paradox, "I know that I know nothing"

 

[liverpool_for_life]

It does sound very different on the PM series.

Ah, okay. Thanks for that!

 

[liverpool_for_life]

The more I understand, all of this keeps reminding me of the Socratic paradox, "I know that I know nothing"

This. A million times this.