Quote:
Originally Posted by Bradan /img/forum/go_quote.gif
...I just took these things apart, removed the "SURROUND SOUND REFLECTOR" foam pieces of crap.
The sound stage widened, bass extended, yet is lighter and tighter. They sound allot more airy and transparent.
They don't have that farty, muddy bass and midrange anymore. The highs aren't sibilent like they used to be either.
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O.K., this sounded like a Wayyy simple mod...so I had to try it...
...x2 on everything you noticed!
I listened to a couple of recordings immediately before and after the mod---my impressions:
On my Prokofieff Sym. No.1, "Classical" (Chicago Symphony, James Levine, Deutsche Grammophon), what I noticed initially is more "immediacy." As if I moved from the front row to standing right by the conductor. I could swear the bassoon moved a foot or two stage left, perspective-wise. In this recording it seems I could hear the hall more than I remember hearing before. The sibilance is noticibly reduced, which is a blessing on all those high string/woodwind fortzando hits in the first and last movements.
On Beethoven's 9th (Chicago Symphony, Solti, London), I just listened to the first movement. This an older, darker recording, and it was still dark--but really much more enjoyable. Again, everything seems more "forward." Hearing a lot more of the hair against the bow from the double basses. While I noticed some improvement in bass definition on the Prokofieff, I noticed a much greater difference here. Actually noticing some key noise from the woodwinds--which I hadn't really noticed before.
Switching to something completely different, I cued up Dave and Don Grusin's "Sticks and Stones." This is a funky electronic jazz keyboard romp with a lot of digital drums and synth work. On the first track, "Pico Pico," there's a surprise--there's a reverb effect on the drums that again, I hadn't noticed before the mod. Seems to me this speaks to the negative effect the "surround sound" inserts have on transparency. Listening to the next couple tracks, bass is indeed leaner, and more detailed. On track 2, "Pico Pica," there's some inside percussion parts, timbale and closed high-hat syncopations, that are a lot clearer than they were before. The bluesy bass octaves in on track 9, "God Heaven," now have a slighty edgier quality to them--I think I'm hearing more overtones from the bass strings. It gives a much more funkier "growl" to the bass line as he walks it up the keyboard.
Oh, since gear comes and goes and signatures change, here's my setup:
FLAC-->ASIO-->E-Mu 1212m-->NAD 1020B Preamp-->HD 555 (now modded).
...I'm starting to wonder how long I can hold out before I do the "soundstage" mod.
Too much fun--ugh! It's 2:00 a.m. I better stop listening and get some sleep!
