2. pc-audio
  3. 1334334842

Help with fatiguing sound in my PC system

I replaced my Halo Pre and Denon changer with a PS Audio DL III. I run lossless music into it from iTunes on a PC (Windows 7 64bit, core i7, 16MB RAM), I use a Pangea USB cable into a MF V-link, then go into the DAC with a Wireworld ultraviolet coax. The increased detail, clarity, resolution and extension are remarkable, but so is the amount of listening fatigue. The highs are too much, but the music sounds muffled if I add the pre-amp back. My system is profiled in the link below. I have some ideas, let the voting begin:
1 - buy an offramp or a pacecar (can't afford it!)
2 - use better USB/coax/interconnects/speaker cable
3 - apply acoustic treatments to the room
4 - use a software player (Jplay) that sits on top of iTunes
5 - buy speakers with different tweeters (Quad 22L2/Focal 826v, this is happening, but not any time soon)
6 - get a better amp (McCormack/Odyssey, distant future)
7 - tweak Windows 7/iTunes settings (WASAPI exclusive mode?!?)
8 - adjust speaker position/toe in (already did this and it helped a little)
I am thinking about trying #3/#7 next. Ideas? Thnx in advance.
realremo

Showing 2 responses by mb9061

mb9061
137 posts
 
Is your system too bright? Or is it etchy, grainy? Or both?

You're referencing speakers with metallic tweeters, a solid state DAC that is known to be bright (similiar to the Benchmark DAC1), and you're driving your amp directly with one of those types of DACs? If so, that is a scenario for a heachace, jitter nor not. And fixing the jitter WILL NOT cure brightness or a forward system/setup.
mb9061
137 posts
 
I went from Monitor Audio (Silver 8's if I remember correctly) to Quad 22l2's. The quad soft dome tweeters helped some, but the the speakesr still had a mid band dip that excentuated the highs so I sold them too. Speakers matter as much as anything but there's a number of ways to tackle a resolving/fatiguing setup (ways that usually cost $).

I just swapped out a new battery for my old macbook, even that switch has caused a high frequency push that is unbearable for now (hopefully the battery breaks in....things sound better with the crapped out battery in the macbook, whether it's plugged in or not).
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