I need help to make speakers bright.

N

Nana A.

Junior Audioholic
I have the Martin Logan motion 40”s for the front and the Slim Xl for the rear hooked up to Sony Receiver Str Dh 750.
I dont like how it sound.It is too warm for my liking.I even went ahead to add Aperion super tweeter to it but still didnt make any difference.The inbuilt equalizer for treble has been adjusted to the max but it is still too warm.Please any help or suggestion will be appreciated.
 
afterlife2

afterlife2

Audioholic Warlord
I have the Martin Logan motion 40”s for the front and the Slim Xl for the rear hooked up to Sony Receiver Str Dh 750.
I dont like how it sound.It is too warm for my liking.I even went ahead to add Aperion super tweeter to it but still didnt make any difference.The inbuilt equalizer for treble has been adjusted to the max but it is still too warm.Please any help or suggestion will be appreciated.
Sell them and get a pair of JBL or Canton sales. I’ll be back with links. Also what amp or AVR are you using? Pics would be great to see how you have them setup.
Canton comparisons:
JBL

JBL Studio 530 2-Way 5.25-Inch Bookshelf https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00622STI0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MxO8EbYPQT5P8
 
Last edited:
KEW

KEW

Audioholic Overlord
Aside from maybe your room or the actual recording process, speakers are the most problematic component in the "chain of sound" from the musician(s) to your ears!
That also males them the most complex product of many trade-offs made between the designer and his ideal of perfect reproduction.
Attempting to "fix" a speaker requires a good depth of experience.
Sorry, but I think you need to trade them for something that better fits your tastes!
I am surprised that you could not get enough adjustment out of you EQ!
Make sure you are not in pure direct mode (or whatever Sony might call it) as that would by-pass the EQ!
 
N

Nana A.

Junior Audioholic
Aside from maybe your room or the actual recording process, speakers are the most problematic component in the "chain of sound" from the musician(s) to your ears!
That also males them the most complex product of many trade-offs made between the designer and his ideal of perfect reproduction.
Attempting to "fix" a speaker requires a good depth of experience.
Sorry, but I think you need to trade them for something that better fits your tastes!
I am surprised that you could not get enough adjustment out of you EQ!
Make sure you are not in pure direct mode (or whatever Sony might call it) as that would by-pass the EQ!
Thanks a lot.I went for the looks than the sound.
 
N

Nana A.

Junior Audioholic
Sell them and get a pair of JBL or Canton sales. I’ll be back with links. Also what amp or AVR are you using? Pics would be great to see how you have them setup.
Canton comparisons:
JBL
JBL Studio 530 2-Way 5.25-Inch Bookshelf https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00622STI0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MxO8EbYPQT5P8
Sell them and get a pair of JBL or Canton sales. I’ll be back with links. Also what amp or AVR are you using? Pics would be great to see how you have them setup.
Canton comparisons:
JBL
JBL Studio 530 2-Way 5.25-Inch Bookshelf https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00622STI0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MxO8EbYPQT5P8
They are hooked to Sony Srt Dh750.I know it is old and not the best.Can that also be a factor?
 
afterlife2

afterlife2

Audioholic Warlord
They are hooked to Sony Srt Dh750.I know it is old and not the best.Can that also be a factor?
I don’t think so. Do you have another receiver or can you borrow one to compare. Try to put some pics up to see how it’s setup.
 
KEW

KEW

Audioholic Overlord
Thanks a lot.I went for the looks than the sound.
I have not heard the 40's but I have heard (and like) the 60's! I would suspect they use the same tweeter and they should have very similar sound characteristics.
Most AVR's will allow +/- 10dB adjustment with their treble control, I can't imagine that would not give you enough adjustment! I think if you adjust the treble at the Sony as Afterlife2 linked above, you will be able to get as much increase as you would like (and then some)!

A couple more questions/observations just to make sure we have covered all of the bases:
1) What is your source?
2) Do you have a set of headphones you can listen to (this would rule out there being a problem with the source or the front end of your Sony)..
 
N

Nana A.

Junior Audioholic
Are you in the US?
If I were you I’d check the treble on your Sony and if it’s all the way on then I’d suggest the JBL on amazon and if you feel no change in sound then it’s free to return and get your money back.
Yes i am in the states.I have been adjusting but still thats why i went ahead to add the Aperion super tweeter. The level for the front speakers is + 3 now.The front treble treble is +10 and bass is +8.
 
N

Nana A.

Junior Audioholic
I have not heard the 40's but I have heard (and like) the 60's! I would suspect they use the same tweeter and they should have very similar sound characteristics.
Most AVR's will allow +/- 10dB adjustment with their treble control, I can't imagine that would not give you enough adjustment! I think if you adjust the treble at the Sony as Afterlife2 linked above, you will be able to get as much increase as you would like (and then some)!

A couple more questions/observations just to make sure we have covered all of the bases:
1) What is your source?
2) Do you have a set of headphones you can listen to (this would rule out there being a problem with the source or the front end of your Sony)..
I am not really good in the audio system. I am just beginner.What do you mean by source?I will try to go get a set of headphone to try what you suggeted.
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
I have the Martin Logan motion 40”s for the front and the Slim Xl for the rear hooked up to Sony Receiver Str Dh 750.
I dont like how it sound.It is too warm for my liking.I even went ahead to add Aperion super tweeter to it but still didnt make any difference.The inbuilt equalizer for treble has been adjusted to the max but it is still too warm.Please any help or suggestion will be appreciated.
Make sure you have not burned out the tweeters. Turning up the treble like that is a really good way to destroy tweeters.

If your receiver is OK and the tweeters working then your perception of good sound is way off. As far as I can tell those speakers are well balanced, but I can't find an FR.
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
Yes i am in the states.I have been adjusting but still thats why i went ahead to add the Aperion super tweeter. The level for the front speakers is + 3 now.The front treble treble is +10 and bass is +8.
Those settings are crazy and a good way to ruin your speakers. Every 3 db increase doubles the power in that pass band. With any reasonable speaker there should be no need to turn up the bass and treble. You used to see people do that back in the 60s and 70s. It always sounds awful. Set it level, no need to boost like that and its very harmful.
 
Mikado463

Mikado463

Audioholic Spartan
I'm in agreement with TLS, perhaps it's you........ when was the last time you had your hearing checked ?
 
ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
I agree with @TLS Guy here. I auditioned the Motion 40s and found them to be well balanced overall. If anything, bass presence was slightly lacking in that audition. I also auditioned the 60XTs that night and almost bought them, I was so impressed.

There should be no need to ever turn both bass and treble control up almost all the way, especially with a quality speaker. If you have not harmed the speaker and it is fully operational still, I would urge you to reset to 0 on both of those controls.
I can’t speak for your ears or what the sound you expect to hear is, but the best thing I think you could do for yourself is to hear some other speakers. Though I don’t really like the place myself, Best Buy Magnolia can have several decent speakers in one room and the guy can easily switch quickly between them. Though their room is seldom set up well, you can at least experience some different gear without spending anything. At least this will give you an expanded reference point.
 
D

Danzilla31

Audioholic Spartan
It sounds like maybe you prefer the sound of horns? A brighter more forward aggressive type of speaker with usually an aggressive high end would be right up your alley

Something like Klipsch or JBL would be right up your alley I'd imagine you could try listening to them
 
KEW

KEW

Audioholic Overlord
I am not really good in the audio system. I am just beginner.What do you mean by source?I will try to go get a set of headphone to try what you suggeted.
Examples of source would be CD player, FM, etc. Where ever the audio signal comes from! If you listen on headphones, that by-passes the amplifier in your receiver and the speakers.
If the headphones sound good, you would know the problem is with either the amp or the speakers.
If the headphones sound similar to the speakers, then you would know the problem is either with the source or with the receiver before the amplifier.
If your source is a CD player, many have headphone outputs so you can plug into the CD player and that will determine if the problem is at the CD player or with the receiver.
Basically, we are using the headphones to test at different points along the signal chain to see where things go bad.
 
KEW

KEW

Audioholic Overlord
Another simple check (which might not be so simple with teh virus) is to have a friend or family listen to your system. If you have the treble at +10dB it is a safe thing that most anyone will say it is too strong!
Again, make sure the receiver is not in pure direct mode as if it is then your treble adjustments are not active.
 
KEW

KEW

Audioholic Overlord
Is this a hearing loss issue or something?
I'm not sure it works that way!
Maybe @TLSGuy can comment.
I know I don't hear much above 14kHz anymore, but I don't feel any need to turn up those frequencies when listening to a speaker with a good solid tweeter like the Ultras or RAAL, etc!
 

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