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How do I smooth out violins?

I have a decent system (bit of a mixed bag) but know that I can achieve a smoother, more integrated, and more relaxed massed violin sound. I listen to a ton of orchestral music and notice that massed violins in their upper registers (1500-3500 Hz) often jump out from the mix and sound a bit harsh, unlike what one hears live. Right now, I have the following:

Spendor SP1/2E
McCormick DNA-125 (original)
NAD 1600 (pre/tuner)
Marantz CD3000
Audioquest Sidewinder ICs
Audioquest Type 4

Would a tube pre help (maybe a AA M3A)? I'm thinking that the NAD may be the culprit. Any advice from those of you who have quested for "real" violin sound is very much appreciated.
bojack

Showing 4 responses by lowrider57

lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,392 posts
 
I once emailed Cardas regarding my harsh and forward sounding system and they recommended one of their cables that would make my system more laid-back. The reply was signed by George. (I assume G. Cardas).
I'll bet he is very familiar with these situations.
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,392 posts
 
I find your question interesting in that I listen to classical music exclusively on a modest system. I too found the sound of violins too harsh.
I made two changes; I switched to a tube preamp using some great NOS tubes that rolled off the highs a bit, but still sound very open (RCA Blackplates). Strings were finally sounding very natural, and it was now easier to tell which cds were poor recordings.
I next got rid of the Audioquest Type 4 and switched to some Cardas spkr cables which sound more forgiving. The type 4 are very detailed and you might look for a more laid-back cable. It worked for my situation.
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,392 posts
 
Some very good suggestions and I agree that you should have a reference CD. That said, when I mentioned earlier that I changed my cables, it was the final step to my system.
I agree with those who say start at the source which is your CDP and next the preamp. I also agree that all systems need power conditioning or filtering (I use a Furman), but I think you can find the cause of the harsh highs before heading down that path.
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,392 posts
 
"The CD player is fairly new (well-reviewed recently), and it is actually a CD5004 (not the CD3000,my goof), so I think it will stay at least for a while until I can eliminate other components."

That's good to hear. Anyway, this thread was a wild ride.
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