[djEmpire]

Hello everyone, huge audiophile with a passion for great sounding gear!

Like almost everyone, my quest is to achieve the purest, neutral sounding without that jagged “in your face” stage. I find that the pursuit is a thoroughly enjoyable process, mainly because the more exploring the more you discover some hidden gems.

For the past 11 years I’ve been the happy owner of a pair of B&W CM6. However, I recently added a Bryston 4B amp in concert with a Sunfire Theatre Grand III. They now sound a bit thin - Sony like. Not that there’s anything wrong with Sony but these are B&W powered by a very clean amp.

I’m very close to pulling the trigger on a pair of Nautilus B&W 804 in an effort to fatten th rang a bit. Will the 804's  sound better than the CM6 or be a “slight” improvement? The Sunfire will be replaced with an OPPO 105D.

[JerryM]

Welcome to AudioCircle, djEmpire. 

[djEmpire]

Thanks Jerry. I'm looking forward to making new audioholic acquaintances and learn from this wonderful community.

[ArthurDent]

Greetings & Welcome to AC djEmpire   

[Phil A]

Welcome to AC!

[Guy 13]

A warm welcome to AudioCircle Mr. djEmpire

Guy 13

[TrungT]

Welcome to AC 

[brooklyn]

[Letitroll98]

Hey dj, welcome.  Umm, if you just changed the amp and it sounds thin, why are you blaming the speakers?  Did the speakers sound thin before?  Maybe the speakers are accurately reproducing what's being fed to them.  Just sayin.  Hope my thoughts don't put you off, we are a friendly bunch.

[mresseguie]

Hi, djEmpire. Welcome to AC.

In my opinion, yes, the 804s ought to sound a lot better than the CM6s. However, my wonder is pretty much what Letitroll's is. Are you sure the speakers are the problem?

You added a Bryston 4B amp and that Sunfire HT pre/pro. Both units are dated and the Sunfire is long in the tooth IMO. It seems reasonable to me that one or both may be responsible for producing the thin sound.

Enjoy yourself here. There are lots of rooms to play in. 

Michael

[FullRangeMan]

If the 4B is brand new it is breakin yet imo.

[djEmpire]

Thanks for everyone's warm reception. Feeling welcomed is paramount for any excellent forum and I can tell this is one of the best!

I wasn't clear in my description in the way the CM6's sound. The top end renders itself quite bright and needs a bit of tweaking to correct it - depending on the source format and music. The bottom end and mids are thin. Albeit, bass assisted with a B&W ASW650. Crossed over @ 70, essentially taking the mains LFE load. Hence my question before throwing good money on a pair of N804 mains.

The alternative is to replace the Sunfire with the OPPO 105. The idea there is to replace the Sunfire with a bona fide DAC/pre amp. Analog, organic sound stage is the goal.

[djEmpire]

Hi, djEmpire. Welcome to AC.

In my opinion, yes, the 804s ought to sound a lot better than the CM6s. However, my wonder is pretty much what Letitroll's is. Are you sure the speakers are the problem?

You added a Bryston 4B amp and that Sunfire HT pre/pro. Both units are dated and the Sunfire is long in the tooth IMO. It seems reasonable to me that one or both may be responsible for producing the thin sound.

Enjoy yourself here. There are lots of rooms to play in. 

Michael

Hi Michael. The speakers were never given the roaming range they have now with the Bryston. I generally enjoy the clean headroom the Bryston provides.

[djEmpire]

Hey dj, welcome.  Umm, if you just changed the amp and it sounds thin, why are you blaming the speakers?  Did the speakers sound thin before?  Maybe the speakers are accurately reproducing what's being fed to them.  Just sayin.  Hope my thoughts don't put you off, we are a friendly bunch.

You're correct in stating that the speaker are revealing themselves more so now with the power thrown at them. I'm down to either the Sunfire or speakers or both being the culprits.

[Big Red Machine]

Sounds like you should get some Songtowers instead of the B&W's.

[mresseguie]

DJ,
Three questions for you:

What price are you looking at for those N804 speakers?

What is your total budget for improving your system, and how much are you willing to allocate for new speakers?

I ask because many of us here on AC have discovered the <smallish> world of manufacturer direct and/or kit speakers that deliver powerful bang for the buck value that dealerships simply cannot compete with. BigRedMachine just recommended you take a look at the Song Tower speakers made by Salk Sound. Jim Salk sells a variety of beautiful speakers that sound wonderful. He's got a multi-year track record of quality service and products. If you're interested in getting your hands dirty  , there are dozens of wonderful kit speakers out there. I own a pair of Adelphos two-way speakers designed by Jeff Bagby that simply blow away most other two-ways IMHO.

I seldom seriously consider buying dealership sold speakers since I discovered AC's manufacturers - not just speakers, but practically every component is available here.

Michael