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CD players/DAC spitting SSS reproduction

Having many CD’s of female singers I hate that type of digital sound that gives that edgy sound with a lot of spitting s on highs. Is this still intrinsic in recordings and therefore a top notch CD/DAC will anyway reproduce it or it just depends from the converter quality ?
I read once that studios mikes is contributing a lot to this phenomena. When this is still true I don’t see a reason why a good DAC should not reproduce them (basically it should not filter the sound, right ?)
Thanks for your experience
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Showing 1 response by gammajo

gammajo's avatar
gammajo
843 posts
 
I had that experience too. Then several changes made it go way. I changed transport and DAC to NorthStar 192 upsampling and 50% of it went way, then I changed tweeters. It is gone or nearly gone.
Yet I think both changes gave me more detail and neutrality in that everything sounds more natural, dynamic when dynamic, and relaxed and smooth when called for, with much more clarity of timbre. I can more clearly hear the female singers in-breath for example, but no more spitting.
Also there is now much more difference between bad recordings and good ones, yet more recordings sound better.
Rest of the quipment is ss with Aragon 28K pre and 8008BB amp, and Polk SRS-SDA 2.3 speakers. So the harshness is IMO not inherent in the media.
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