Bump at bottom range in 803 Diamond?

[Brahms77]

I just recently had an opportunity to audition the 803 Diamond, one the few speakers on my shortlist for possible purchase. I liked very much what I heard, and loved the fact that it displayed none of the miserable rising treble of some other highly touted speakers. However, I encountered an issue I hope someone may be able shed some light on. While listening to some of the lps I brought along for the purpose of evaluating the Diamonds, I focused on a display of the range of the double bass, and heard what sounded like a bump or somewhat excessive emphasis in that instrument's two or so lower registers. As the player ascended the scale, all the other notes seemed accurate to my ears. In a few other portions of several other records I played, and at similar lower levels, I heard a slight tendency for sounds to repeat the effect I heard with the double bass. I don't necessarily believe the equipment used with the Diamonds was contributing to the problem. I'm familiar with the VPI table/tonearm and Grado Sonata cartridge which comprised the front end. Elsewhere in the mix were Ayre electronics, whose sound I know nothing about, and I believe MIT cables, but I'm not certain. The Diamond's tweeters were pointed to the outside of my ears, and the speakers themselves were far from the side walls but only about a foot and one half or so from the back walls. I am aware of the lower crossover point of the Diamond, which would be pretty close to the Hz range of the double bass instrument. Can anyone provide any helpful insight here? Other than the issue at hand, I loved the overall sound, and would hate to think the speaker per se was the "fly in the ointment".

[Cruxis]

My guess would be that the spot you were listening from, you may have been subjected to a peak in that frequency range. I had to move my couch around till I found a smooth bass response for my 803's.

[Brahms77]

Thanks, Cruxis. I will undoubtedly re-audition these speakers, possibly in a different setting. Regardless of where I'm listening, I will either move my sitting position and/or move the speakers. Frankly, I'm hoping the issue can be solved to my satisfaction, since to my ears these are otherwise wonderful sounding, fatigue free speakers I would love to own.

[beden1]

Did you audition the 803D or 803 Diamond (new series) speakers?

I have a pair of 803D and have never heard what you stated from my speakers. It would seem logical that the room acoustics had something to do with what your ears perceived?

[Brahms77]

I listened to the most recent 803, the Diamond.

[madmac]

I think what you are experiencing has nothing to do with the speakers or the gear hooked up to them. It has to do with room acoustics and the standing wave issues in regards to the bass response. In any room, if you take a bass heavy recording or a bass test CD and start at 100hz and go down in increments to 20hz, you are going to experience 'peaks' at certain frequencies do to the room acoustics standing waves. Normally, these peaks occur in most rooms between 40-60 hz or so.

As stated above, re-positioning the speakers can help with this problem but the issue will always be there to some degree without some sort of bass equalization.

[Antus]

the 803Diamond and 802Diamond have slightly upper bass enphisis. Maybe that's what you are hearing. I think B&W design the speaker that way to appear to more audiance.

When we grow older, we will lose some hearing at both end. Since b&w 800 speakers are for people at mid ages, I think b&w compensate that a little. (purely guess) On the other hand, on 800Diamond, it roll off smoother without the slightly bump in bass.

[Mark_NZ]

I am responding to your concern re bass bump and your question on my other post re tube amps.

I found the 803 Diamond (and 803D) to have a relatively well-controlled, but full bass. I cannot stand bass boom, so I have experimented a lot with positioning. Mine have ended up 90cm (measuring from edge of cabinet) from rear wall and 80cm from side walls. In particular pulling them out into the room from rear walls reduced tendency for bass boom. Also I experimented with the supplied foam bungs, preferring those with the hole through the middle; it provided the best compromise between bass extension and fluidity.
My recommendation is that you re-audition, but ask the dealer to pull the loudspeakers into the room and try the bungs.

Regarding your question on tube amps – sorry I have no experience – my experience has all been with solid-state, the 803D/803Diamond showing a preference for transparent Class A designs rather than needing high power. But there is no reason a tube amplifier cannot be successfully coupled to the 800 series – do read the 801D review in Hifi World Sep 2006, the reviewer loved and preferred the combination with a low power tube amplifier. But I do also recommend you take you amps for demo – otherwise you gambling on whether it will work for you.

[Brahms77]

Thank you, Mark. I appreciate your listening impressions and helpful information, and I will also take a look at the Hifi World review. As to bringing in my amps for a demo, I believe you are correct---it is absolutely essential.

[emig5m]

Also I experimented with the supplied foam bungs, preferring those with the hole through the middle; it provided the best compromise between bass extension and fluidity.

I also liked the half plugs with my 683's and share your same thoughts as to why. But for the life of me I can't understand why my 804S came with solid bungs only? You'd figure a vastly more expensive speaker would come with even more tuning options (perhaps triple hole size port bungs). My assumption is that the 683 is a slightly newer speaker than the 804S and the 804S didn't get the newer port bungs where you could pop the center out and use it as a half plug? Even my 685's have the option of using half plugs (sorry, I just don't like the sound of "bung", lol.)