Quote Originally Posted by SlumpBuster
Alright, I'm not going to bag on your gear, but lets put in in car terms.

What you've got is the equivalent of an old muscle car. It goes very fast, but only in a straight line. However, it is not very refined, in the corners it falls apart and gets very sloppy, and has been specifically marketed to the youth demographic. Now your walking into an mechanic's shop and asking for him to make your GTO to handle and perform like an Audi A8. Yes, they both have 450 horsepower, but a GTO and an A8 will never be confused.

Your stereo does one thing very good: it is loud. However, even without hearing the system I will assure you of one thing - you are hearing distorted sound. I don't mean distortion in the common sense, but rather in the audiophile sense. For example, in a 10 x 10 room with 2 15" drivers and a sub, there are certainly massive peaks and nulls of bass energy. I would bet by +/- 30db in some cases. Let me translate - sound frequency is measured in "hertz." The human ear can theoretically hear from 20hz to 20,000hz. Bass lives in the 20 hz to 120hz range. Your system may be producing a bass spike of +30db at 50hz, but creating a null (or lack of bass) at 80hz by as big of a factor. But the system will still appear to be "jammin" because of that 50hz spike and the corresponding hit of the kick drum. But because of that 80hz null, you've never heard the drummer playing the floor tom like George of the Jungle. That is the type of distortion I'm talking about. Your system is virtually guaranteed to be significantly changing the music from its original or intended form. I know, because I have similar spikes and nulls in my system that I'm just having to live with for the time being.

So, what to do. I would first attack frequency response and volume. Chances are you are playing your system entirely too loud and risking potential hearing damage. Here's what you do:
1. Visit rivesaudio.com
2. Order their TestCD and Radioshack db meter package ($60).
3. While waiting for the CD and meter to be delivered, click the "Resources" link at the Rives wesite and start reading.

Once fq response and dbs have been tamed, then we can start on soundstaging, depth, and learning how to listen to music.

Good luck.
Great advice and metaphor!