Solved! Low bass has disappeared!

[SallyWally]

Hello, I hope someone can advise me. My setup is Ampli Marantz PM 66SE, Platine Rega, Enceintes TDL studio 1 and CD player Technics SL-PG570A. This morning the low bass seems to have just disappeared. It's VERY noticeable with SOME CDs (unlistenable to), I can't tell whether with LPs it's much better as my LPs are almost all very old and I have no duplicate CD/LPs. The CD player was something I picked up cheap second hand a couple of years ago and I don't think it was a great model from the start. My question is : could the disappearance of the low bass on some CDs (4 out of 5 about) be due to the CD player itself? Obviously I've checked all the wiring and the settings. I actually hope it is the CD player as I have known for a while that it's not great, but up to now it has "done the job". Thank you to anybody who knows if it's possile that it's the pickup head (or whatever it's called - I'm no expert) on the CD player.
Just one last thing, there is sound coming out of the bass drivers on the speakers but it can't hold its own against the mids and the trebles. The whole was nicely balanced before and now it just sounds brassy.

 

[Sonic Illusions]

I hate to reply with a question, but how do you have it connected? Type of cable (s)?

 

[americanaudiophile]

My first guess would be the speakers.
If they have biwire terminals make sure that the bridging connectors are tight.
Next would be a problem with the woofers themselves.

 

[Sonic Illusions]

I'm ASSuming everything was fine before the addition of the CD player and the CD player is the only source with the issue, since it happened with the connection of the player - unless I'm mistaken. Can you try the player with a different amp? Does it have full frequency range, with no lack of bass with headphones? I would try headphones at the amp. If it sounds thin, I'd suspect a faulty DAC in the player.

 

[americanaudiophile]

Using headphones with the amp is a good idea.
I would also try using your phone as a source, playing some bass heavy music, if you can't find another CD player to try. Rip a CD (lossless if you can) so you can play the same track.

 

[SallyWally]

I hate to reply with a question, but how do you have it connected? Type of cable (s)?

Thank-you for your reply. Do you mean the speaker cables or the cables going from the amp to the CD player ? The speaker cables are copper 2.5mm, quite new. The interconnect cables are thick (I don't know the exact thickness but well over 5mm from the outside. In good condition. I've checked the good connection of all the cables and can't find anything amiss.

 

[SallyWally]

My first guess would be the speakers.
If they have biwire terminals make sure that the bridging connectors are tight.
Next would be a problem with the woofers themselves.

Thanks for your reply. It doesn't seem to be the speakers. There is sound coming out of the woofers. With some CDs it works as it should. The cables are tight.

 

[americanaudiophile]

If it works with some CDs and not with others you may be expecting more bass than that recording has on it. Some artists expect you to increase the bass with tone controls to suite your speakers and taste.

 

[SallyWally]

If it works with some CDs and not with others you may be expecting more bass than that recording has on it. Some artists expect you to increase the bass with tone controls to suite your speakers and taste.

Thanks for that. It's not the recordings because it's CDs that I have listened to for a long time on this system (and with this CD player) with lots of bass, and this lack of low bass is something new.