[opnly bafld]

Someone who has new Monitor Audio RS8 speakers told me they are bright sounding to him.
Anyone who has experience with these speakers, do they warm up a little as they break in?

1st question.......
Answer: Yamaha 7.1 receiver used for 2ch
I have already noted this is probably not helping any.

Thanks for any comments,
Lin

[Bigfish]

Hi,

I have a set of Monitor Audio 9is which are basically the same speaker as the 8s, just a hair larger.  I am currently driving them with a Denon 3806 and I do not think the tweeters sound overly bright.  These speakers are the L & R in my HT set-up and I am very happy with them for HT.  Hopefully, I will enjoy music (2 channel) more when I receive my new amps and preamp to integrate into the system.  Oh, Yes the speakers sound quality did improve after several hours of break-in and with experimentation on placement away from the wall.

Good Luck,

Ken

[dennis.a]

Hi Lin , thanks for posting this to help me out , that was very kind of you !
I currently have a Monitor Audio RS6 , Yamaha RXV-659 setup ,
used in a 20 x 13 x 10 room ,with wood floors , mostly bare
walls , but the wall behind the speakers has a large floor -to -almost-ceiling bookcase [ with books ] I believe the room would
be considered bright , the receiver [ i've been told ] is thought
to be bright , and the speakers [ the so called "British Sound" ] .
are supposed to be bright.

I prefer a " warm " sound.

I'm really new at this , just doing my first upgrade in 20 years.

My system will be used primarily for music [ classical ,jazz , Folk ,
rock , vocals ].

I have a bunch of questions :

1. Should I change speakers ?
  I can still return these speakers to Magnolia for another 2 weeks
  I listened to Paradigm 11 v 4 [ 5 ? ] speakers yesterday and
  liked them a lot. Same price as M.A . 8s . Also Martin logan's
  were suggested to me .
  Does anyone have any thoughts /personal experiences regarding
  these 2 speakers compared to the M.A. 8s ?

2. Should I keep the M.A. s , and add a warmer integrated amp ?
    I 've looked at the  NAD325bee , and been told it might add
    add warmth [ of course I could just set fire to the living room
    which would definitely add some warmth ]

3. Should I keep the speakers and add a hybrid  tubed integrated
    amp [ like the Jolida 1501 ]

4. Should I rip my ears off and join a monastery ?

All suggestions gratefully accepted and I promise never to be
bad again [ put down that credit card and step away from the
listening room , slowly ]

Thank You !
Dennis
   

[dennis.a]

Sorry , In my above post I mistakenly wrote I have Monitor Audio
RS6 , I meant to say I have the RS8.
Thanks
Dennis

[Rob Babcock]

I had some Monitor Audio 8i's and never found them to be bright at all; I actually thought they were mellow.  Obviously the room and associated gear will impact that a lot.  I once set them up alongside my Onix Ref 1's and found the Onixs to be bright to the point of shrillness in comparison.  When I had them hooked up to my Onix SP3 they were maybe even mellower.

Personal taste comes into play, too.  For reference I find Klipsch to be unbearably "hot" overall while I find PSB to be a little to dark.  My current speakers are MA Gold Ref 20's which might be voiced a tiny smidge cooler than the Silvers.

Dennis:  I think anything in your current room will sound bright.  Most reviews of MA I've read emphasises that they're not the typically tipped up British sound and I'd agree.  You're probably going to need some absorption and diffusion, and if you can't add that you might have to use (gulp! ) tone controls.  I've driven my old 8i's with an NAD C320BEE and the sound was good, but I think you may prefer to add some tubes.

I think you'll probably find the Paradigms more tipped up yet than the Silvers you already have.  It's gonna be a tough nut to crack if you can't do something to tweak your room.

[Rob Babcock]

BTW, welcome to AC, Dennis!

[dennis.a]

Hi , thanks for the welcome !
I'm really new at all this , and right now ,just a wee bit lost.

I have been reading about room treatments , so I also think that
is something i'll have to do.

I am using tone controls , but there seem to be things I've
never heard of before [ like reverberation , and delay , and
liveness , thats my personal favorite , ][ smacks himself in the face,
c'mon . get serious darn it !]

Rob , what did you mean by "tipped up " ?

Anyone have any thoughts on Tubes ? Especially the Jolida 1501 ?

Thanks again
Dennis

[opnly bafld]

Rob , what did you mean by "tipped up " ?

Welcome Dennis,
Some very funny posts.
Rob meant that instead of being more flat the sound rises in the treble, making them sound even brighter.

Lin

[dennis.a]

Ahhhh...thanks Lin !
Dennis

[Rob Babcock]

Well, I suppose you have to take it with a grain of salt:  Those of us who own MA obviously don't think they sound bright or we'd own something else.   MA does have a reputation for taking forever to "run in" as the Brits say (or burn in as we say in America).  I hate to say one way or the other as I'm not a big believer in the whole break-in thing.  I had some 7i's years ago and honestly don't remember if they needed a lot of breaking in but I remember liking them a lot right out of the box.

One must be careful of stereotyping, too, but Yamaha electronics have a reputation for tending towards brightness.  YMMV.  I haven't heard that Jolida peice but I know it's a hybrid, not all-tubed.  Right now I'm driving my MA Gold Ref 20's with a Butler tube/ss hybrid and am very pleased.  The only tubed amp I ever drove my Silvers with was my old Onix Melody SP3 and that was a wonderful combo.  I think the old legend about using tubes as a tone control may not really apply to modern tubed gear, though.  My SP3 wasn't particularly "tubey" and really had a lot of bass impact, and it definately wasn't rolled off much in the treble.

BTW, by tipped up I mean bright.  A good audiophool has to have ten or twenty different ways to say the same damn thing.

[dennis.a]

Thanks Rob for your info !

I think the MA 8s are great speakers also. I did a lot of
research before I bought them , and the reviews were
outstanding. I've also  heard really wonderful things
about the GR series ,and even played with the idea of trading up
to them in the hope  they would work better in my living
room.

I'm actually trying to figure out a way to make the RS8s work.
I really like them a lot. I'm hoping with the right amp
[ instead of / or in addition to the Yami ] the sound will be more
of what i like.

Another possibility is  that I'm the problem ! That I don't know
what good sound is ,  and so therefore can't adequately
appreciate the MA8s. I'm concerned that I may be looking
for cotton candy and not appreciating caviar. My musical
pallete may just be too immature [ in step with the rest
of me . Well , it beats getting old. Except I'm old and
immature. Blech , phooey ! .

So , all suggestions and advice will be gratefully accepted
and appreciated.   aa


Dennis

[lonewolfny42]

Another possibility is  that I'm the problem ! That I don't know
what good sound is ,  and so therefore can't adequately
appreciate the MA8s.

That can be cured....by listening to other systems.The more you hear, the better off you are.
Don't know where your located, but there are Regional Groups on AC from around the US...Canada...and Australia....close to any ?
You'll hear more equipment....

                                     Chris

[opnly bafld]

Another possibility is  that I'm the problem ! That I don't know
what good sound is ,  and so therefore can't adequately
appreciate the MA8s.

That can be cured....by listening to other systems.The more you hear, the better off you are.

Or the worse off you are, I am not sure which sometimes.

Lin

[lonewolfny42]

Another possibility is  that I'm the problem ! That I don't know
what good sound is ,  and so therefore can't adequately
appreciate the MA8s.

That can be cured....by listening to other systems.The more you hear, the better off you are.

Or the worse off you are, I am not sure which sometimes.

Lin

Ah...come on Lin....its all good....