GR Research Speaker Upgrades

[MTbassbone]

Has anyone done a speaker crossover upgrade using the GR Research crossover upgrade kits?

[MahlerMusic]

Take everything I say with a gain of salt as I have not done the upgrade kit but am a life long speaker lover.

I'm very much about getting a bargain and do not like spending too much money. The largest gains I have seen in my system is following L.O.T.S and adding treatment to my room. I have built a music/trombone practice room in my house that is about 16' x 14'. Being able to pull my speakers off the wall is a game changer when it comes to seating in my chair and listening to music.

I would 100% do a GR Research upgrade kit if I was done with finding "my speaker". Right now I'm still looking for a nice used speaker that I want. I'm very picky and do not like spending money.

I would not do the upgrade if I was just a casual listener and just have music on in the background. I'm sure you have heard but Danny has done sound clips of the upgrade and you can hear the increase in clarity but you really need to be listening.

What are the speakers you are thinking about upgrading and what is your room setup?

[MTbassbone]

What are the speakers you are thinking about upgrading and what is your room setup?

Sonus Faber Lumina II. I chose these over the KEF LS50 and SVS Ultra bookshelf. The top end is really apparent. I mistakenly interpreted this as detail, but it's really just a lot of top end. After listening for 9 months I find myself experiencing listening fatigue. It does not have enough low end either and I bought a SVS SB-1000 sub. I don't really dig the bookshelf/sub combo. I have had other bookshelf speakers with a lot more low end. So now I am considering changing the crossover. I am also interested in two DIY speaker kits: GR Research XLS Encore and CSS Audio 1TDX.

Being able to pull my speakers off the wall is a game changer when it comes to seating in my chair and listening to music.

I have also moved my speakers away from the wall and that does help.

[MahlerMusic]

For that speaker I would 100% do the GR research Upgrade as it brings the treble down. That speaker uses great drivers and is a speaker worth keeping.
For now I would not even look into the kits. Have fun working on your current speaker and plan for a DIY kit later.



Bookshelves/Sub combo is the holy grail for me as you get the better imaging for bookshelves and proper bass placement. It should not sound like a speaker and sub playing, if it does the sub is most likely set too high. It should just sound like your bookshelves are playing lower.

I have a ported SVS sub and it blends better than my older Paradigm Sealed Servo Sub. The way I describe a sub in a music setting is like this: If a friend comes over and your system is playing they should not say " Man, your system sounds great ,where is that sub I hear it's great" they should say "Man, your system sounds great. Your speaker are playing crazy low, WOW."

[MTbassbone]

For that speaker I would 100% do the GR research Upgrade as it brings the treble down. That speaker uses great drivers and is a speaker worth keeping.
For now I would not even look into the kits. Have fun working on your current speaker and plan for a DIY kit later.

My amp (SVS Soundbase Pro) does not have an EQ. I wonder if getting streaming amp like the Wii amp, that has an EQ, would eliminate the highs being too hot issue. This way I would have to due surgery on the Sonus Faber. Thoughts? I really like having the amp, DAC, and streamer all in one.

[MahlerMusic]

I'm not a fan of EQ when it comes to Music, for HT I'm all in. Erin does talk about it in the link below. Imaging and sound stage gets messed up the more you EQ the higher frequency. Not a problem when you have 5 plus speakers but noticeable with just 2 speakers but I'm picky.

For the price of the kit you get so much with multiple problems fixed and an overall better speaker pushed up into a better class of speaker. With an app EQ you might be able to tame one problem.

If the App EQ is free 100% check it out and see if it works for you.

Also listen at 13 minutes.

[baileyman]

Long time electrostat guy here, so you can guess my recommendation. I built a terrific set in maybe 95, and eventually time took care of them, but the woofers keep going in my barn. The reason I mention electrostats is that the best systems I know of use the panels to play roughly 400 Htz and above, so there is very little crossover effect to be had within critical listening frequencies. A big amp pushing ten foot transmission lines will provide as much clear bass as a guy could want.

Here's my barn system with some ADS bookshelfs doing the mid high and 12' transmission lines playing to 20 Htz or so:

IMG_2266.JPG

Here's a recent build at our winter place with electrostat panel and folded transmission line to maybe the low 20s. The panels are spectacularly clear, parts sourced mostly from Home Depot.

IMG_1791 2.JPG

Today's electronic crossovers make it possible to nearly isolate the upper and lower.

Incidentally there are interesting questions raised by the folded transmission line, such as, can you build a trombone with right angle bends? Dunno.

[MTbassbone]

I had a few minutes to mess around with an EQ tonight and I think getting the GR Research parts kit might be the way to go. When I dropped the top end it helped quite a bit. I also had time to mess around with the SVS subwoofer app. What a joy that is.