Possible bass problems?

Yimkin

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Ok, thanks for advice on previous threads, but I have a problem!

I’ve upgraded from a mini system to an RP1 turntable, which I already had, plus an Audiolab 6000a and KEF R100.

Some albums sound absolutely incredible! But some sound way worse than they did in my old system, and I do t think I have particularly sensitive ears. And even weirder, some tracks on the same album sound way better, some way worse. For example, the national ‘graceless’, one of my favourite tracks, sounds awful, very ‘muddy’, but the next track, even more bass heavy, sounds incredible.

Any tips?
 
Yess you are now listening to the full capabilities of the recordings be that good or bad. Your old system probably masked a lot of the deficiencies whereas now you have a system that will reveal everything. To be honest I would loo at how you have the turntable setup for a start is it on a proper isolation shelf for example is the cart aligned in the head shell correctly tracking weight set right All of these things can affect the quality of the sound from the device. If all of these are correct then start to get hold of a few known reference recordings I.e. stuff acknowledged as being suitable for testing hifi gear and that should confirm how well configured the whole system is. That all being good then you are back to the quality of the original recordings you are no longer happy with
 
Where are the speakers? In your other thread you were going to build some monster cabinet. They really need to be on their own stands or at least isolated from the surface they are sitting on.

Then it's a case of fine tuning the positioning for the best sound. Plenty of positioning advice around the web so I won't repeat it here. You can either do this by ear or buy a decent mic & use software such as REW to even out bass response.

Edit
Do you have a CD/DVD/BR player with analogue out you could try just to rule out any issues with the TT or phono stage? Or even a 3.5mm to phono from a phone/tablet.
 
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Can I ask, are these LP's which sound muddy new or old? I've found with Gracelands is that the recording can be wildly off with the new ones sounding as you have mentioned whereas the older recording may need a few more notches on the dial to bring it to the same volume level, but sound so much better. I just wonder if you are hearing the differences in the press and now you have grown to a better system you are finally hearing what is really their
 
If, as I understand this, you are hearing a contrast between songs on the same album, then you are hearing the difference in the Mix.

As other have pointed out, while your new system isn't the king of systems, it is WAY BETTER than a mini-system, and as such is likely more revealing. That is, it is playing details that were always there, but you didn't hear them. Now, with a more revealing system, those details, both good and bad, are more apparent.

A good system will make a bad mix more noticeable, just as it will make a good mix far more noticeable. There is not much you can do about the choices that the artist and the recording engineer made during the mixing of the music.

Also, make sure that the Tracking Weight and the Anti-Skater are set correctly and that your turntable is DEAD LEVEL. You can buy a bubble level at the hardware store for under £5. Well worth the investment.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/FOONEE-Spirit-Level-Measuring-Tools/dp/B07JNMLKH1/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/50x9mm-Flanges-Mounting-Level-Bullseye/dp/B07NKXF6GS

Just as examples.

IMG_0020.JPG


I have a turntable that does not have a dial Anti-Skate, it has a small counter weight hanging off a small arm on the Tonearm.

anti-skatesm1-jpg.398543


Notice the short arm has notches on it. I tried the notches on either side of the one I'm using, and though subtle, I could hear a difference, so I picked the one that sounded best. From my experience, with the wrong Anti-Skate setting there was a slight Left/Right imbalance, and the setting I'm using provided the best stereo image.

Just a few thoughts.

Steve/bluewizard
 
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For example, the national ‘graceless’, one of my favourite tracks, sounds awful, very ‘muddy’, but the next track, even more bass heavy, sounds incredible.

This is not going to help you in the slightest, but I think whoever produced/engineered/mastered any album by The National must be deaf as a post, as to me they all sound sh*t
 
Thanks folks for all the advice!

My turntable is a Rega RP1, so doesn’t have an adjustable anti skate etc, but I have levelled it (thanks blue wizard, although I used a slightly more ‘industrial’ level!).

Album wise, it’s generally the new ones that have a problem, I understand a lot of them are derived from digital sources anyway, so that might be it. As for the national album mentioned, yes I guess it may be the mix.

Quite astonished to be honest that my uneducated lugs are picking this sort of stuff up! Bought a Sub Pop compilation today of early grunge, it sound utterly wonderful. What I’m loving about the new setup is it’s making me fall in love all over again with tracks I was very familiar with.
 
Oh sorry, I should add, the speakers are currently in a very heavy sideboard (would take 4 people to lift comfortably, whereas the turntable is in an ikea Kallax, so I will look into a separate turntable shelf. It would have to be a Rega one though, as next upgrade (in 12 months) is a Rega P3.

My speakers are currently in the supplied ‘dots’ - would blu tack or something help as a replacement? I’ve heard peop,e use halved squash balls, but can’t see how that would work, surely it would just make them wobble?

Sorry for idiot questions, I’m relatively new to this...
 

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