I'm confused - Different music...different speakers?


Thanks for allowing me this exploration. I've been on Audiogon before and find myself here for a very different reason this time.
I do believe my system is well resolving and will define gear at the end
Yet I keep getting steered to music genre based on sound.
What I mean by this is simple.
I can't seem to listen to old rock n roll favorites anymore.
There are albums I know from the past inside out and upside down - one example: The Allman Brother's at Fillmore East. I can mostly play every bit of this on guitar. I own three good copies on vinyl and can stream it at hi-res on Qobuz.
There are two drummers and Berry Oakley on bass- no slouch. Duane on slide...etc. An Epic and dynamic album
I can't listen to it - the metal tweeters are just aggravating. And what I remember from the bass and percussion is slam from the very opening to the end - it's not here.
What is going on here?
Gear is as follows:
Analogue side is a Nottingham Space 294, 12" Ace arm, Lyra Delos Cart and an EAR 834 MM/MC phono stage
Digital is an Antelope Zodiac plus with Voltikus power supply
All good and better cables
Totem Hawk floor standers
Amp is a Rogue Cronus w/ KT120 output tubes
Play Bill Evans or Bach ....and I can watch the paint melt off the walls and love every second of it......
I'm at a loss and thanks

smaarch1

Showing 2 responses by ghdprentice

How upgrades / your components effects different genre of music has interested me for a few decades. I used to have three or four disks I would take to auditioning sessions, influencing my purchasing. I noticed over time that while that music was sounding better, other genera at home would not sound as good. At the time I was really into electronic. The lightbulb went on… this is not a good ruler, electronic is fabricated and I am making it sound good to,me, not necessarily what the author intended. I listen to all music types, not just electronic..

 

Over time I realized the only music I could really use as a standard was acoustical. That I would have to hear it live and take recordings in to audition equipment that were the same. Quite abruptly the direction of my system changed… away from planar speakers and massive amps to tubes and dynamic speakers. All genre of music improved with each purchase. Season tickets to the symphony really sealed the deal and over a few years I had the best sounding system.

 

Now, that is not the only way to go. If you primarily like rock, then there is a know collection of stuff to optimize it. McIntosh electronics and B&W speakers sound exceptional with rock. But not as much with some other genre. JBL another speaker well suited for rock.

So the choice is yours. It is a lot of work to correctly improve the sound of all genre. But if that is your goal then tune your ears to acoustic music and evaluate systems based on it. Then you will most likely to be heading in the right direction.

I own a set of totem’s with a matching subwoofer for my office I love them. 
 

If you want a great subwoofer you cannot go wrong with REL. They are outstanding and bring amazingly capable integration with them.