[CookieFactory]

I'm not too handy with a soldering iron or I'd do it myself, but I hear replacing the capacitors and resistors in the T-AMP helps the bass roll-off a bit. I posted a request for modding my T-Amp in the Accessories, Tweaks, etc For Sale forum but so far no takers. Has anyone done this mod, and if so, how were the results?

 

[terrymx]

its more obvious that your athena speaker need more running hours, than to say the amp and cable need more burn in. so run the speakers more on louder volume. it takes my bookshelves a month of normal using everyday to for it to come to optimum sound quality and sound very smooth through out. what cables are you using? the emu0404 is a bit agressive also, its a bit more bass than i actaully want, for my taste it would compromise with the roll off bass of the tamp.

lack of power can effect sound and especially makes the high freq sharp, but it seem you should have more than enough. but maybe an adaptor straight from the wall to the amp would be more efficience. i read another headfi user using a 13.5v adaptor on the tamp and burned his amp so becareful.

 

[Wodgy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamWill wodgy: that site's full of lots of shiny numbers which don't explain why so many people are happy listening to t-amps. *shrug*

People like all sorts of sounds. That said, when someone complains a system is bass shy and the measurements confirm it, there's no need for people to start suggesting all the usual "goose chase" remedies (2000 hours more burn-in, new power supply, better power cord, room treatments, new source, new interconnects, on and on).

By the way, the original poster was also commenting on the presence of bright high-frequency energy:
Quote:

I just set up a small speaker rig for my computer EMU 0404 -> T-Amp -> Athena AS-B1 and I'm finding them very fatiguing. I can't put my finger on it, but it's almost as if there's some extremely high frequency energy that's causing this.

Again, the measurements explain it. If you go here:
http://www.soundstagemagazine.com/me...s/athena_asb1/
you'll see that the AS-B1 have a +8dB peak around 18kHz on-axis (as well as a general rise after 10kHz). People over age 30 may not be able to hear this, and otherwise the measurements of this speaker are very good (especially for their cost) but if the original poster is in his early twenties, this high frequency energy peak is probably what he's hearing. That problem won't be fixed by getting rid of the amp. High frequency breakup modes like this are what drove me away from metal dome tweeters.

 

[CookieFactory]

@Wodgy:
Thanks for that graph. I messed with foobar's EQ and bumped the 110 and 156 Hz sliders +2 dB, and then 55, 75 Hz sliders +3 dB (yes I know the Athena's only go down to 60 Hz) and the bass is a lot better. I'm quite pleased with the sound now; the bass is nicely present, the mids very clear, and the highs crisp (though if I had to nitpick they are slightly thin sounding).

@Terrymx:
I'm actually using the cable you made me for the EMU, thanks again

 

[CookieFactory]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wodgy By the way, the original poster was also commenting on the presence of bright high-frequency energy: Again, the measurements explain it. If you go here: http://www.soundstagemagazine.com/me...s/athena_asb1/ you'll see that the AS-B1 have a +8dB peak around 18kHz on-axis (as well as a general rise after 10kHz). People over age 30 may not be able to hear this, and otherwise the measurements of this speaker are very good (especially for their cost) but if the original poster is in his early twenties, this high frequency energy peak is probably what he's hearing. That problem won't be fixed by getting rid of the amp. High frequency breakup modes like this are what drove me away from metal dome tweeters.

Yes! That perfectly explains the high-frequency fatigue I was having. It was like the high pitch whine a CRT TV gives off but quite a bit higher in frequency that was driving me nuts. I've adjusted foobar's EQ accordingly now. Thanks!

 

[cosmopragma]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CookieFactory I'm not too handy with a soldering iron or I'd do it myself, but I hear replacing the capacitors and resistors in the T-AMP helps the bass roll-off a bit. I posted a request for modding my T-Amp in the Accessories, Tweaks, etc For Sale forum but so far no takers. Has anyone done this mod, and if so, how were the results?

I've modded one of my T-amps, and the result is, ehm, more bass.

Edit: Crap, I can't get used to the new head-fi, and I don't like it.I don't know how to post pics or hotlinks.
http://photo.head-fi.org/showphoto.php?photo=7226&cat=2

 

[Wodgy]

You may be able to avoid EQing the high end by just angling the speakers away from you. These speakers are nearly perfect 30 degrees off-axis. There are two ways to listen off-axis, one with the speakers crossing in front of you and one where the speakers point forwards and cross behind you. I would experiment with both setups. If 30 degrees off-axis is a little too dark for you, try 25 or 20 degrees. Another bonus with this is that it cleans up some of the diffraction peaks in the upper midrange (though the molded tweeter baffle in the AS-B1s is surprisingly good at suppressing diffraction irregularities on its own).

As for the bass, yes, EQ is a good solution. There's no need to mod the amp if you have EQ. Just be aware that you're increasing the power demands on the amp.

 

[Wodgy]

Also, if you're using EQ, experiment with shelving the 1kHz area down by 3dB. You might find it changes the character of the speaker in a positive way.

 

[vulc4n]

Theres some good information here. I'll definatly have to try messing with the EQ a bit with my Athenas. I've always been pretty impressed with them, but theres always room for improvement.