Get 2' away from your speakers. If the problem goes away, the problem is your room.
Q acoustics harsh high end
Please help.
Just bought a Pioneer network reciever and a pair of 3050s. I realise this isn't top end equipment but at any sort of volume the upper frequencies are harsh, very noticeable on female voices. The last system I had was started back in the late 70s with a pair of MA4s, then a denon amp, 50W I think, then I added a mid range Marantz cd player.
I remember having absolutely no issues with the sound quality. I have tried placing the system in a different room. I have tried a different amp (Marantz 63KI). I have tried a different Cd player but all sound the same, bright, harsh top end. Im begining to think it's the speakers but the reviews are almost unanimously brilliant. I'm wondering if I should get some second hand MA 352s
Any advice would be welcome
John
Just bought a Pioneer network reciever and a pair of 3050s. I realise this isn't top end equipment but at any sort of volume the upper frequencies are harsh, very noticeable on female voices. The last system I had was started back in the late 70s with a pair of MA4s, then a denon amp, 50W I think, then I added a mid range Marantz cd player.
I remember having absolutely no issues with the sound quality. I have tried placing the system in a different room. I have tried a different amp (Marantz 63KI). I have tried a different Cd player but all sound the same, bright, harsh top end. Im begining to think it's the speakers but the reviews are almost unanimously brilliant. I'm wondering if I should get some second hand MA 352s
Any advice would be welcome
John
17 responses Add your response
Thanks Erik for the tip. I have just listened to Hounds of Love by Kate Bush and listening close to the speaker highlights the problem even more. Kates voice is very hissy, each word seems to have ssssss on the end, very unnatural. Im wondering if this is typical of modern speakers and I should source something second hand. |
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Sorry, the speakers I grew up with were Monitor Audio MA4s, from 1976. I guess you would call them a classic design with a 8" KEF bass driver, 25mm tweeter and a port. They were a couple of hundred quid at the time, so quite pricey. The 3050's are Q Acoustics and there the ones that sound bright and hard to listen to. |
Don’t make any system changes until the speakers are properly broken in. Otherwise, you will be like a dog, chasing its tail. Once the speakers are run in, then and only then would I consider other options. Patience is a virtue. If you want to burn in the speakers quickly, connect 1 speaker out of phase and have them face each other. Then use the XLO or Esoteric or Isotek burn in CD and blast it for a week. With the speakers out of phase to each other, it won’t be too loud. Run it like this daily when you are at work. After a week, reconnect the speakers the right way and listen to music. If it is only a little better, run them in for another week. Then try again. |
One more thing. Make sure you have reasonably well followed the manufacturer’s placement recommendations. If you are not getting the right amount of bass, this could accentuate the treble. Also, make sure all 4 woofers are working. :) Lightly put your fingers on the outer cone while playing music. Best, E |
Check out the 3050 review just out in Secrets. https://hometheaterhifi.com/reviews/speaker/floor-standing/q-acoustics-3050i-floorstanding-speaker-r... They never mention harshness in describing the 3050s. No doubt that breaking them in with some run time will help... meanwhile are you using the dac on the pioneer... if so then switch to the marantz ...and vice versa as some mid level dac’s can be harsh. |
On-axis measurements of Q Acoustics 3020 (purple trace) While not your exact model, it is from the same range and should be similar. So, wether it be the 1kHz peak or emphasized treble >5kHz, it can sound bright. Have you tried with and without toe-in? Maybe with grills on? No speaker cable can attenuate treble by 3dB+, so if you can’t get used to the sound, return them. This is why I never go off of only reviews, if measurements don’t exist (of at least any modern speaker the company has made) and/or I can’t return them without B.S. re-stocking fees (I’m fine with paying return shipping), I usually never buy such products. |
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