Weekly Q&A: Answers | Week of February 12, 2024

How to Add "Warmth" to Sound?

Q: I am wanting some advise on warming up my system. I am using a Devialet 440 connected to Q Acoustics Concept 500 speakers all plugged into a PS Audio Powerplant 12. My source is a Melco N1. I am using Swiss speaker cables, Shunyata power alpha nr to the powerplant, Audience f3 to the rest of the components. I have some Vicoustic panel to the sides. Speakers are 4 feet out from walls. Sound is very resolved, dynamic big soundstage but I want a little warmth added.

-Peter

A: This is a tricky one, but not uncommon. We will assume, since you are getting pretty good results, that you would like to accomplish the “warming up” without changing equipment. That means thinking about room setup.

We don’t know your room, so some of this may not be workable. But in the interests of a general presentation for the larger TAS community, here are a few ideas to consider (all of which assume a rectangular room):

• Move the speaker-boundary interference (SBIR) notch down. The formula for the rough (acous…