I received my new WOW1's last week and I thought I'd post some initial impressions. I ordered them in Pau Ferro Rosewood and the finish and construction is the best I've seen in any compact speaker (I'll post pics soon). They are stunning to look at and touch and I want to sleep with them, but since they are speakers let me post about how they sound. So far I've only listened to them for no more than 6-8 hours, and since they are in my family room/kitchen (and I have a 6 year old and 3 year old) I've had little time to do any dedicated listening. I can say that the clarity and detail coming out of them is often stunning. However, so far I'm dissapointed in the lack of bass and punch coming from them. Now, I know I wasn't going to get a speaker that blows me down with bass, and I'm ok with that, but there really is no punch coming from them, and very little bass. I'm not sure if the speakers need to be "broken in" or its my system or room, or just the speakers. I plan on listening to them more the next few days to see if they open up. I've never really believed in speaker break in before, but on one of my new cars I remember thinking the "premium" audio system was awful but after a few weeks it did open up and was definitely playing with more bass and depth. I'm also wondering if it could be another variable. So, here's my set-up. Do you think it could be something other than the speakers?
I'm running them from a Peachtree Nova (85 wpc). I can get them plenty loud, so even though these aren't efficient speakers it seems to be plenty of power. I've thought of buying a used Rotel or Emotiva amp which are both rated at about 120 wpc. Would that make a difference? I'd rather not add any more items as I'm already over budget and am trying to maintain a minimal appearance (which is why I was attracted to the Peachtree).
I mainly stream audio via MOG (320kbps) to an Apple TV which is hooked up to the Peachtree with an optical cable. Could the lack of bass be from the source? Should I consider a dedicated cd player or hook my iphone direct to the Peachtree? What about using a digital coax cable instead of optical?
My stands are pretty basic -- Sanus NF30 (wood, or wood fiber) stands. I have moved one speaker off the stand and put it on top of the component rack (salamander archetype) to see if it made a difference in bass response and it did not. I've never really believed that stands will heavily impact the sound of the speaker, as long as the stands are level and not rocking. My stands do not rock or move when the music is playing. Could using a "beefier" stand improve bass?
My room is horrible for acoustics. Its kitchen/family room. I'm usually listening to music while cooking and cleaning in the kitchen. I can also move a chair and sit in a good listening position in front of the speakers when I just want to listen to music. However the room is about 15 feet wide and 20 feet deep and has glass along 1 wall, granite counters, cabinets on the wall opposite the speakers, and all kinds of hard surfaces and objects. Its not ideal. The speakers seem to have no problem with SPL's and when I turn them up I can hear them throughout my 1900 sq ft house. However, there's no bass. Could the room be sucking up all the bass?
Should I try making any modifications to my listening conditions such as adding an amp, getting new stands, changing my source, try moving the setup to another room, etc? Or should I just let them play and see what happens? Or, is this just what they are and do I need a more substantial speaker? I want to love these speakers because I think they're gorgeous and I'm a big fan of Jim's business model and I want to give them a proper chance. Thoughts?