Hi,
Just wondering if there is a way to improve the midrange of a Rega Maia power amp? As in, there seems to be a void in sound between the bass and the treble. Another amp I have highlights the lack of mid range as it seems to produce a balanced presence from low through mids to highs, showing the Rega's lack of mid range..
I am only just learning electronics and soldering so a very simple answer would be cool ;-)
Many Thanks
dc
Just wondering if there is a way to improve the midrange of a Rega Maia power amp? As in, there seems to be a void in sound between the bass and the treble. Another amp I have highlights the lack of mid range as it seems to produce a balanced presence from low through mids to highs, showing the Rega's lack of mid range..
I am only just learning electronics and soldering so a very simple answer would be cool ;-)
Many Thanks
dc
You need to define the range of frequencies which are low.
I would use a signal generator and a scope to plot it.
Then you can add a filter(s) to fix the problem.
I would use a signal generator and a scope to plot it.
Then you can add a filter(s) to fix the problem.
Oh yes never thought of equalizers/filters, that would be simple.
I was however thinking more along the lines of diy soldering experimentation and maybe renewing a capacitor or two on the amps cct board...?
Or bypassing a cap with a diddy one...???
Reason for that thought was:
Evox-Rifa PHE 426 MKP 250VDC – 5% tolerance
Technical specifications: “Single metallized polypropylene film pulse capacitor. Pulse operation in SMPS, TV, monitor, electrical ballast and other high frequency applications demanding stable operation. Polypropylene film capacitor with vacuum evaporated aluminium electrodes. Radial leads of tinned wire are electrically welded to the contact metal layer on the ends of the capacitor winding. Encapsulation in self-extinguishing material meeting the requirements of UL 94V-0. Two different winding constructions are used, depending on voltage and lead spacing”.
Sound: Similar to the Evox-Rifa PHE 450, the PHE 426 is transparent and clear sounding but less grainy. The treble still has a slight glaze over it, but it can be removed by putting a 0,01uF Vishay MKP1837 parallel to it. Imaging is quite good with a nice sized sound stage but only average separation. Dynamics are nice and snappy and the treble is well detailed. Similar in character to the Obbligato aluminium dry type, only it misses the analogue feeling to it. Compared to a Mundorf RXF it is a little brighter. This capacitor has a high price/quality ratio and matching it with other capacitors to create a custom capacitor gives very good results.
Verdict: 7+
from:
Humble Homemade Hifi
I have two of these caps on my cct board, yes I may well try what homemade hifi suggests, but wondered if there way any thing that may get some mid range?
Ah I have no measuring equipment to measure frequencies, only my ears, so it would be a bit of trial and error trying different stuff.
I have the Sanken transistors on the cct board that are supposed to be good throughout the freq range, so guessed something else on the cct board may be restricting the mid range?
Thanks for your suggestions so far 🙂
I was however thinking more along the lines of diy soldering experimentation and maybe renewing a capacitor or two on the amps cct board...?
Or bypassing a cap with a diddy one...???
Reason for that thought was:
Evox-Rifa PHE 426 MKP 250VDC – 5% tolerance
Technical specifications: “Single metallized polypropylene film pulse capacitor. Pulse operation in SMPS, TV, monitor, electrical ballast and other high frequency applications demanding stable operation. Polypropylene film capacitor with vacuum evaporated aluminium electrodes. Radial leads of tinned wire are electrically welded to the contact metal layer on the ends of the capacitor winding. Encapsulation in self-extinguishing material meeting the requirements of UL 94V-0. Two different winding constructions are used, depending on voltage and lead spacing”.
Sound: Similar to the Evox-Rifa PHE 450, the PHE 426 is transparent and clear sounding but less grainy. The treble still has a slight glaze over it, but it can be removed by putting a 0,01uF Vishay MKP1837 parallel to it. Imaging is quite good with a nice sized sound stage but only average separation. Dynamics are nice and snappy and the treble is well detailed. Similar in character to the Obbligato aluminium dry type, only it misses the analogue feeling to it. Compared to a Mundorf RXF it is a little brighter. This capacitor has a high price/quality ratio and matching it with other capacitors to create a custom capacitor gives very good results.
Verdict: 7+
from:
Humble Homemade Hifi
I have two of these caps on my cct board, yes I may well try what homemade hifi suggests, but wondered if there way any thing that may get some mid range?
Ah I have no measuring equipment to measure frequencies, only my ears, so it would be a bit of trial and error trying different stuff.
I have the Sanken transistors on the cct board that are supposed to be good throughout the freq range, so guessed something else on the cct board may be restricting the mid range?
Thanks for your suggestions so far 🙂
The Rega is a good power amp that will have a dead flat response unless it's got a fault and presumably on both channels which seems unlikely. Isn't it just as likely that your other amp has a prominent midrange and that just suits your speakers better? Any chance of trying a 3rd amp to confirm?
I did take my Maia to a mates place a while ago just to see how a little extra power on his av amp would help things, and his first comment was "that there was a big distance between bass and top end treble" that comment seemed to ring true to what I was hearing at home, no mid range.
Hence the trial of the other power amp at home and the gap between bass and treble was filled - just that the other amp lacks the foot tapping phenomenon in its specification..
I do like my Rega but would like it better with a bit more mid range, hence the post to see if I could try any simple cct alterations just to experiment see/hear..
I would enjoy experimenting more than, starting over, and looking for another amp.
Cheers for the suggestion 🙂
Hence the trial of the other power amp at home and the gap between bass and treble was filled - just that the other amp lacks the foot tapping phenomenon in its specification..
I do like my Rega but would like it better with a bit more mid range, hence the post to see if I could try any simple cct alterations just to experiment see/hear..
I would enjoy experimenting more than, starting over, and looking for another amp.
Cheers for the suggestion 🙂
Use TrueRTA software to analyze how deep your midrange gone. use a pink noise or white noise input signal to identify what frequency you'r going to raise. you can use mic or voltage divider resistors. if you have schematic of he amp then it would be better.
It is extremely unlikely that anything could be affecting 'mid-range' frequencies in an audio amplifier. Frequency response errors almost always affect LF or HF, and show either a fault or poor design - not lack of expensive components.
Most transistors are good from DC to at least low RF (MHz).
Most transistors are good from DC to at least low RF (MHz).
It may be something to do with the input or output interfacing, speakers interaction, things like this - I'm sure if you measure the frequency responce, it will be flat throughout the whole audio range...
Agreed. I have lots of amps and flavor of the month seems to be the dominant theme as regards fr. Over time, I've come to recognize which ones are truly flat. They also happen to be the best sounding, as in accurate. Very important if you like to crank it up. Fr humps in that case only result in fatigue very quickly. Like bullets through your head or pounding. Lots of designers like to try to offset the limitations of the weakest link as they perceive them to be, however in futility in the long run imo.
schematic - unlikely as Rega do not let them out, have tried asking already
TrueRTA - will have a look into that, thanks
Never know the lack of mids my be somewhere else in the system, or maybe my ears...
Thanks everyone for the comments, much appreciated.
cheers
dc
TrueRTA - will have a look into that, thanks
Never know the lack of mids my be somewhere else in the system, or maybe my ears...
Thanks everyone for the comments, much appreciated.
cheers
dc
Hi,
The simple answer is you need to know a lot to even
describe your problem accurately, which you don't.
Whatever, the problem is highly unlikely the amplifier.
rgds, sreten.
The simple answer is you need to know a lot to even
describe your problem accurately, which you don't.
Whatever, the problem is highly unlikely the amplifier.
rgds, sreten.
There has been no mention of the reference "another amp" which was used to identify a lack of what I'd call "presence" in the first post but neither do I see reference to a preamp, volume control unit etc. which would normally be a part of audio system using a separate power amplifier unit like the Maia, Evox etc. There can even be issues with input impedance when specified pairs of units aren't used together. This may not be relevant here but the details should be clarified in any event.
Let's not ignore the other factors in hearing perception. How about sharing at least the full system details rather than just point the finger at the accused box?
Let's not ignore the other factors in hearing perception. How about sharing at least the full system details rather than just point the finger at the accused box?
2 possible causes why your midrange gone,either the preamp or your speaker system.
If the speaker system is suspected, try to used your other system. some speaker system have built.in passive crossover.
if the preamp is suspected,try bypassing it. Find the input terminal of the main amp,cut the preamp line and connect your input signal. make sure your input set to minimum since no pots(volume) is present.
If the speaker system is suspected, try to used your other system. some speaker system have built.in passive crossover.
if the preamp is suspected,try bypassing it. Find the input terminal of the main amp,cut the preamp line and connect your input signal. make sure your input set to minimum since no pots(volume) is present.
Oh I was not thinking of the lack of mid range as such a deep research project.. only that my Maia is in a state that needs reassembly soon and I thought if it were simple to try changing a component or two I may a well give it a go while it is easy to get to both sides of the cct board.
However, I do like to work things out in detail in my day job and yes the stereo does seem to be trial and error testing as I do not know enough about the electronics science involved to work things out in detail.
So from the beginning of the audio chain to the end:
PC-Ethernet-Squeezebox-digicoax-Tag AV32R-Stereo Interconnects-Marchand 2off XM44EMB( >2300Hz Maia <2300Hz Exons )-Ditton AV3's
The spare amp (Tag 60P) fills in a void that the Maia seems to have in its mids that must be above 2.3kHz (due to the XO)
The 60P also seems to have an excess of top end compared to the Maia, that is why it is in the spare system. In the spare system the Maia just sounds weak compared to the 60P...
Maia- needs more mid to balance to the top freqs
60P- needs less tops to balance to the mids
Too many variables for my little brain to manage :-o
Hence the thought of tinkering with the Maia to fill in some mids while it is in bits...
Hope the above does not confuse too much.
However, I do like to work things out in detail in my day job and yes the stereo does seem to be trial and error testing as I do not know enough about the electronics science involved to work things out in detail.
So from the beginning of the audio chain to the end:
PC-Ethernet-Squeezebox-digicoax-Tag AV32R-Stereo Interconnects-Marchand 2off XM44EMB( >2300Hz Maia <2300Hz Exons )-Ditton AV3's
The spare amp (Tag 60P) fills in a void that the Maia seems to have in its mids that must be above 2.3kHz (due to the XO)
The 60P also seems to have an excess of top end compared to the Maia, that is why it is in the spare system. In the spare system the Maia just sounds weak compared to the 60P...
Maia- needs more mid to balance to the top freqs
60P- needs less tops to balance to the mids
Too many variables for my little brain to manage :-o
Hence the thought of tinkering with the Maia to fill in some mids while it is in bits...
Hope the above does not confuse too much.
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I'm afraid it does 😀
However, like everyone else I concur that it's almost impossible that the amp if doing what you are assuming, any amp is going to be flat across the mid-range (and a great deal higher and lower).
However, your incredibly complicated setup is full of devices that AREN'T flat, particularly an electronic crossover.
yes I know KISS went out the window along time ago, real shame its lead to such a complicated set up to get towards the sound I am after :-(
My current speakers have two woofers in parallel and I was even considering replacing one of those with a mid range unit and purchasing another XM44EMB board to tweek the mids to where I wanted them... Far too complicated for me with speaker design thrown in too.
My next set of speakers are a single woofer and single tweeter (once repaired) XO at 2.6 I think, so wanted any suggestions of component change while the Maia was in bits..
I guess I am I daft to think of checking out the manufacturer of the input caps on the 60P and hope that humblehomemade had made a comparison to the Rifa's in the Maia..
Any small change may help???
I think of the amp as part of my stereo set up, with the rest of my set up if borrowing, changing and testing mains leads, Interconnects, wall sockets, etc, and the chosen one alters the sound in a favourable way, what is wrong with changing components on a cct board?
Just that, I have no clue as to where to start, hence the first post
My current speakers have two woofers in parallel and I was even considering replacing one of those with a mid range unit and purchasing another XM44EMB board to tweek the mids to where I wanted them... Far too complicated for me with speaker design thrown in too.
My next set of speakers are a single woofer and single tweeter (once repaired) XO at 2.6 I think, so wanted any suggestions of component change while the Maia was in bits..
I guess I am I daft to think of checking out the manufacturer of the input caps on the 60P and hope that humblehomemade had made a comparison to the Rifa's in the Maia..
Any small change may help???
I think of the amp as part of my stereo set up, with the rest of my set up if borrowing, changing and testing mains leads, Interconnects, wall sockets, etc, and the chosen one alters the sound in a favourable way, what is wrong with changing components on a cct board?
Just that, I have no clue as to where to start, hence the first post
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