Calling all audiophiles......

[Cobra]

Hi,

Just bought myself a set of new speakers (Acoustic Solutions M100) and a new amp today (Cambridge Audio A300).

I was wondering about my new amp. It has very poor bass depth/response. I compared it with my older Sherwood AX4050R amp (old faithful.....) and the Sherwood was so much deeper and engaging. The A300 sounds weak in comparison. However, the A300 has excellent detail and clarity, so there's no doubt it is a very nice amp.

I have been running it for about 6 hours now, and the manual (and a big sticker on the amp!) said it needs 36 hours of running in time. To quote the manual, "Your patience will be rewarded". Will the bass response improve given this time?

If it doesn't then it's no big deal - I bought it from Richer Sounds and I am sure they'll help me out.

Thanks very much!

CobraDMX

[acd-75]

Wise choice of shop, i can't fault Richer Sounds!

Anyway, what about getting a sub to boost the bass?

If ya amp has an output for a sub then get an active (one that you plug in the wall) amp and that should sound better.

Andy

[Cobra]

I actually have a KEF PSW1000 sat in between those speakers! It's off just now, as there's something clearly wrong with the amp. Listening to Money by Pink Floyd, you should be able to feel the heartbeat at the start. You can't, and it sounds weak compared to my Sherwood AX4050R amp.

Good suggestion, but I need the amp to perform on its own before I add to it. With those speakers, it doesn't have an excuse for poor bass performance:



Any thoughts?

Thanks,

CobraDMX

[Craig Tucker]

When I bought my system set up from Richer Sounds in Swindon, they let me hear what I was buying in a listening booth. If they have that facility in your local shop, ask them to set up the same amp and speakers for you there and see if it sounds any different. If it does you know your amp is dodgy and can return it. If it sounds the same tell them your not happy with it and ask to exchange it for something else.

[Cobra]

I called them and they told me to give it a good run in, but if I still don't think it's right then at 2pm on Wednesday I can come out and they'll reserve the test room for me. We'll set it up and see what it's like. They did tell me that if I wasn't happy with it, they'd take it back. This is why I don't buy from anyone else - I know I can buy from Richer Sounds in complete safety.

If anyone knows what's up with it then give me a shout, but I don't think it's a big issue since Richer Sounds are offering to deal with it. I'm just curious about this running in period more than anything!

Take it easy,

CobraDMX

[energy80s]

Cambridge Audio is owned by Richer Sounds so they have a habit of pushing their own products over everyone else's. Although all gear (not just audio) needs a run in time, I doubt if it will improve bass response by more than 1 or 2dB. By the sound of things you will need at least a 6dB increase. I would take it back and try something else. Oh and beware the "gray import" as usually you never know until it breaks down! Although I have bought some gear from RS in the past I find that specialist audio shops do have a better selection (even if it does cost a few quid more). What good is a massive saving if they don't have the product.

[Cobra]

I went to Richer Sounds and tried the amp out. It worked just fine - it appears the M100s are hard speakers to drive. However, they offered to change it for an amp they thought I would get along better with. They didn't have to do that, but they did.

I now have a Sherwood AX-4103. It is giving a beautiful performance.

I don't mind if I have to wait a few days for Richer Sounds to get kit in. I have never found that they push any kit over anything else - they let me listen to my choices and decide by myself. And anyway, if it breaks or I'm just not happy with it, they'll always help out. After buying from a "proper" shop, having problems with the MD player I bought and struggling for months to get it repaired under warranty (Empire Direct, possibly the most unhelpful company in the UK) I swore I'd never go anywhere but Richer Sounds. It's paying off!

Thanks for the advice, guys. It seems it's just my ears that need fixing, not the kit!

CobraDMX

[energy80s]

Glad to hear you got sorted. Obviously your experiences of Richer Sounds are better than mine (or those of my friends). I don't think I'll ever go back to one of their stores - the sales staff just tell too many lies for my liking. You expect that of Dixons, but not of a so-called expert hi-fi retailer.