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How to tame the midrange???

I am almost there with my system, except that the midrange sounds harsh, grainy, and exceptionally digital. Female vocals in particular. It actually sounds like clipping, but I can hear it at any volume level. However, the problem is more noticable as volume is increased. I listen to a lot of acoustic music with prominent vocals, so this is a real problem.
The room is 26 x 28 x 9. Furnishings are 6 piece HT type seating and carpet....nothing else. No treatments at all. I/C cables are Radio Shack's best. I plan to do room treatments and better cables last.
I am thinking a good DAC might smooth things out a bit. Or maybe seperate 2 channel from HT by adding a good 2 channel preamp with HT pass through. (the front speakers are already on seperate amps) Maybe a preamp with tubes. I suppose having the Denon CDP modified is an option as well. My focus is 2 channel. HT sounds good enough as is, and is a low priority. Budget is around 5000.00, but flexible.
The gear is:
Sunfire Theatre Grand II processor
Denon 3910 ....no mods
Classe Seven Hundred Mono blocks for fronts
Adcom 300x7 for center and surrounds (all bi-amped)
B&W 800N fronts
B&W HTM-1 center
B&W CDM9-NT surrounds
Another consideration is that I listen to Comcast Music Choice digital music channels quite a bit through their Motorola box. I think that makes a stronger case for adding a good DAC. I am new at this and rely exclusively on Goner's advise. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.
baffled

Showing 3 responses by shadorne

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shadorne
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Bafffled,

Ok I guess I may have been attributing a past problem that I had with your issues. Sorry if this was not really much help. Certainly if your car stereo has the same issue then it may be more to do with the way you perceive the music...again I reiterate that your speakers and gear are excellent...so my next suggestion would be an equalizer ....6db down at 4K is well known to reduce what is pecieved as harshness in the mid range.
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shadorne
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I am almost there with my system, except that the midrange sounds harsh, grainy, and exceptionally digital. Female vocals in particular. It actually sounds like clipping, but I can hear it at any volume level. However, the problem is more noticable as volume is increased. I listen to a lot of acoustic music with prominent vocals, so this is a real problem.

I simply find it hard to believe that such good equipment gives you a "grainy sound" like "clipping". What you describe is so very much like distortion...and for significant distortion in such good equipment, well, my only guess would be that something may be damaged.

Some people describe over-driven tweeters as sounding as if there was "sand in the tweeters", provided of course, they have not completely blown. Of course, damaged equipment can output all kinds of distortion, depending on the exact nature of the problem; and if the tweerers were damaged then it might not affect your highs but produce a lower frequency distorted ouput which mildy affects what you hear in the critical mid range (where hearing is most perceptive).

Why do I suspect tweeters most?.....because you report something that is annoying and distorting but clearly not significant enough for you to immediately identify the problem. In my experience the tweeter generally does the least work and it can therefore be the hardest to detect when it has a slight problem....certain harmonics may excite the failure mode/distortion more than others...for your situation, it sounds like female vocals brings out your problem.
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shadorne
7,467 posts
 
Jafox,

All depends on your perspective.

Jafox states
An equalizer? That's a drastic solution. I would only consider this if you're willing to kiss off resolution and collapse the soundstage.

Actually an EQ might be the cheapest and most flexible solution. Used very moderately, I have not found that an EQ destroys sound stage or resolution...although, from a purist perspective, it is preferable if you can do with out it altogether...as I do currently.

The albums/CD/SACD's we purchase are all manufactured sounds anyway; transduced by a microphone, played back on a another type transducer, and adjusted to the sound engineer's tastes on that playback system. The sound has therefore been modified through all kinds of filtering, starting with the venue to the microphone to evenutally the mastering studio... so an EQ or filter, from a non purist perspective, can be simply one more personal tweak or a necessary room adjustment rather than a total corruption to the sound.
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