Amp to drive B&W 703s

Printable View

  • 07-30-2004, 06:48 AM
    rshad
    Amp to drive B&W 703s
    I have a pair of B&W 703s along with a B&W center, surrounds and rears in a home theater setup. Currently the system is powered by a B&K Ref 50 preamp, Rotel 1080 and 1075.

    I love my set up and what drew me toward the B&W was the sweet clear highs and pronounced mids. However what I have found somewhat lacking is the mid-bass slam that I would like. I would love to have the silky highs with a detailed, quick thump.

    I listen to a lot of rock, techno, rap, and a little country along with watching a lot of movies.

    My question is...Would I be able to improve the mid bass slam by going with say a Krell or a Bryston amp or is this more a function of the speakers?

    Thanks in advance...

    Ryan
  • 07-30-2004, 11:38 PM
    topspeed
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rshad
    Would I be able to improve the mid bass slam by going with say a Krell or a Bryston amp or is this more a function of the speakers?
    Maybe and definitely, how's that?

    The first thing I'd address is your speaker placement and room acoustics. This is not only the cheapest but also most effective way to alter your rig's sound. I you are looking for a little more slam, try moving the speakers closer to the corners but be careful that the distance from the back wall isn't equidistant from the side. There was cool post here just a few days ago from the Aurelex website regarding Room Acoustics 101 that I'd read. Also do a search for Richard Greene's post about room nodes in the archives.

    If that doesn't help, I'd remember that 703's aren't Cerwin Vega's. Their design is simply not bass heavy. That said, I was able to dramatically increase the slam and depth of my CDM 7NT's (the predecessor to the 704's) by switching to a PS Audio HCA2. This is a different animal altogether from the Rotel's, Krells, and Brystons of the world. It's not traditional ss design, it's a hybrid digital amp with a pure Class A input stage. You can read about the tech if you'd like at www.psaudio.com. The first time I had it hooked up, I literally thought my sub was still on (it wasn't)! The difference was that dramatic. This little sweetheart is exceedingly fast and offers substantial control and accuracy while also posessing a sweet, extended high freq. response that reminds of tubes, but not rolled-off. I definitely recommend an audition. To be honest, your Rotel is a pretty fine amp in its own right and the differences between it and a Krell or Bryston will be subtle at best. This is not to say they will sound the same, but it will not be night and day.

    http://www.stereophile.com/amplifica...729/index.html

    Hope this helps.
  • 08-01-2004, 07:27 PM
    rshad
    Thanks
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by topspeed
    Maybe and definitely, how's that?

    The first thing I'd address is your speaker placement and room acoustics. This is not only the cheapest but also most effective way to alter your rig's sound. I you are looking for a little more slam, try moving the speakers closer to the corners but be careful that the distance from the back wall isn't equidistant from the side. There was cool post here just a few days ago from the Aurelex website regarding Room Acoustics 101 that I'd read. Also do a search for Richard Greene's post about room nodes in the archives.

    If that doesn't help, I'd remember that 703's aren't Cerwin Vega's. Their design is simply not bass heavy. That said, I was able to dramatically increase the slam and depth of my CDM 7NT's (the predecessor to the 704's) by switching to a PS Audio HCA2. This is a different animal altogether from the Rotel's, Krells, and Brystons of the world. It's not traditional ss design, it's a hybrid digital amp with a pure Class A input stage. You can read about the tech if you'd like at www.psaudio.com. The first time I had it hooked up, I literally thought my sub was still on (it wasn't)! The difference was that dramatic. This little sweetheart is exceedingly fast and offers substantial control and accuracy while also posessing a sweet, extended high freq. response that reminds of tubes, but not rolled-off. I definitely recommend an audition. To be honest, your Rotel is a pretty fine amp in its own right and the differences between it and a Krell or Bryston will be subtle at best. This is not to say they will sound the same, but it will not be night and day.

    http://www.stereophile.com/amplifica...729/index.html

    Hope this helps.

    Thanks for the advice!

    I have read your posts before and had considered giving the HCA2 a try. Luckily the dealer I bought all of my equipment from also carries this line.