Help! My system is very bright it hurts my ear


Anyone..help...Here is my system listed...I'm new to audio...cd is raysonic 128 with 2 amperex gold pin 2 EH (6922)...golden audio se40 with 6 of JJ 6l6gc..Macintosh c40 pre.amp..new Aragon 8008...n pair with quad 22l2..here is the hook up, I hook up golden audio to high n mid and hook up Aragon for base...I have tried different speaker like Gallo 3.1 n monitor s8i but still too bright..is just too bright...any help please?????  Oh..forgot the system is in living room with 20' ceiling, could it be acoustic issue or pair issue, tube, amp, speaker....help please?????
fatgosil

Showing 6 responses by adg101

If you're never taken the time to voice speaker and sitting placement in your room you should. 

Recordings have a lot to do with it as well. As your system improves and becomes more revealing you'll find most pop recordings are horrible and no matter what you do you cant fix what was done in the studio. 

If you get a nasty ping when you clap your hands then you need to work on your room first.
When you clap your hands do you get a lot of Slap Echo. Looking at your components real quick nothing jumps out to me. Could be a lot of things but I'd start with your room. Get rid of the echo and see what happens.

Question with your speakers why you're bothering using two amps. Try using only one amp at a time and then try the other. If your room is hot it's really easy to overload the space if you're playing too loud. Cables and other tweaks will help but you have to fix the room first or you'll go crazy and spend unnecessary money.

Speaker placement has a lot to do as well so walk and stand around where you want or prefer your speakers to be and start talking loud and listen to your own voice. You'll be surprised how your voice changes; pick the spot that sounds more natural to you and start there. It takes a lot of work to get it right but you'll get there and learn a lot in the process. Stand with your back against the wall you have your speakers on and listen how your voice sounds chesty; as you walk off the wall your voice will become or sound more natural... get too far out in the room and your voice will get thin. Mark the spot that sounds best with a piece of tape. Now do the same thing on the side wall. You'll end up with an "X" on the floor. That will be a good spot to place your speakers and start making small adjustments.

Start with speakers shooting straight ahead with no toe in. Once you think you have it then mess with toeing the speakers in if needed. Now the fun part... you have to dial the location of your listening seat as well. It's kind of the same process but just work off the back wall centered between the speakers. If you can, never have your listening seat up against the back wall.

Once you get all this dial in; sit in your chair and have someone else walk down the sidewalls with a mirror and mark on the wall with a piece of tape where you see your tweeters. These are the areas you need to address with something to break up or absorb the reflection before it gets back to your ears. This is a lot of work but it works. It helps to have another person to assist to see where they think their voice works best too. Good Luck
Definitely could be. Throw a blanket over it and see / hear what happens. If it's that close it's likely part of your problem.
If you're plugging your amps into any cheap power / computer strips pull those out. Plug your amps directly into the wall. If you are by chance using computer type power strips don't plug any of your gear into them; get rid of them. Also if you have all this gear on a shared circuit with lights or what ever else that doesn't help. If amps aren't  being feed well they can sound a little lean and if you're really pushing them it becomes worse. Dedicated circuits  make a huge difference and a hospital grade Hubbell receptacle makes a nice difference and they're affordable.

These types of tweaks help a lot but I still bet your room needs the attention first. 
What is the floor material in your room? If your’e playing your music to decent or moderate levels and your room is very reflective or lively no cables, or putting a tissue over the tweeter is going to fix things. I’d try only one of your amps and plug it directly into the wall not using the Monster. As someone earlier I think mentioned, you need to simplify things. It will be easier to solve your problem with less going on.

If you have purchased any of your equipment from a local store ask if someone there would visit your home to hear it first hand. Most experienced audio salespeople know how to set a system up properly.

If you want to rule out its not your gear but your room, set it up in another part of the home in a smaller room with lower ceilings if possible. A large room with 20ft tall parrallel walls is going to be a bear to control. I don’t have even be there to have an idea how it must sound. You need to deaden the room, reduce the slap echo and have furniture such as bookcases up against the walls to break up the reflections; read up on standing waves. If you have a hard surfaced floor throw down a nice heavy rug between your speakers and you. If you have a big glass coffee table in between you and the speakers you need to cover that while listening.

If you have this big room with tall ceilings and you’re a minimalists / contemporary dweller with a sparse finished room that’s not helping you. Just guessing on your room here. The point is, that room needs objects and absorbent materials to control room modes. Get your hand clap to have less echo and ping in your room and you’ll be happier. Think how it sounds when you clap outdoors. That’s your reference. Good luck.