You haven't stumped me! I use a 47 Labs shigaraki transport feeding a Haggerman Chime DAC with a volume control and sibilance is not a problem for me. Also, you should at least try the Ultra Bit Platinum CD treatment that the Horn Shop website has for sale,it might help and you'll never know until you try it. I do have one disclaimer, my system does have a little sibilance for about the first 20 min. after turn on and then goes away. I don't know why, but thought I'd mention it. Good luck with this!!
Recommend analog sounding CDP with volume control.
I have been doing alot of research on this. Price range is $2500-$3500 for a used unit. This price range seems to provide alot of options, but based upon comments and reviews my main contenders are the Audio Aero Capitole Mk2 and the EAR Acute. You can view my system in virtual systems, but it is basically a Cary CD 303/200 with volume control fed directly into a Spectron Musician II amplifier and Totem Forest Speakers.
There is only one issue I am trying to fix, as I think the system is pretty amazing as it stands. The only problem is with vocal music (I listen mostly to rock, trip hop and vocal jazz). Many recordings get pretty sizzly with sibilance. I find that I would like to listen louder, but the aggressive sibilance causes me to reach for the "volume down" button. (And BTW, I don't listen very loud, usually sound pressure at the listening position is in the low to mid 80's dB).
I believe the amp and speakers are capable of faithful reproduction of whatever is fed to them, and I am starting to believe the sibilance comes from the CD player. The Cary has an oversampling button, which definitely changes the sound pretty dramatically. With oversampling "on" the sibilance recedes slightly, but overall it sounds like the engineer used excessive compression, i.e, instruments do not decay as naturally, and they do not have nearly the air around them. Bottom line - using the oversampling feature is an unacceptable (and incomplete) solution.
Because this change in CDP processing has such a dramatic impact on the sound, I am starting to believe that the digital source is the key to audio nirvana. I am therefore gravitating toward a higher end, more modern CDP with the latest processing technology. I am specifically inclined to try something with a tube stage.
I would appreciate any comments about the AA and the EAR, but also would love to hear other options that you know and love.
There is only one issue I am trying to fix, as I think the system is pretty amazing as it stands. The only problem is with vocal music (I listen mostly to rock, trip hop and vocal jazz). Many recordings get pretty sizzly with sibilance. I find that I would like to listen louder, but the aggressive sibilance causes me to reach for the "volume down" button. (And BTW, I don't listen very loud, usually sound pressure at the listening position is in the low to mid 80's dB).
I believe the amp and speakers are capable of faithful reproduction of whatever is fed to them, and I am starting to believe the sibilance comes from the CD player. The Cary has an oversampling button, which definitely changes the sound pretty dramatically. With oversampling "on" the sibilance recedes slightly, but overall it sounds like the engineer used excessive compression, i.e, instruments do not decay as naturally, and they do not have nearly the air around them. Bottom line - using the oversampling feature is an unacceptable (and incomplete) solution.
Because this change in CDP processing has such a dramatic impact on the sound, I am starting to believe that the digital source is the key to audio nirvana. I am therefore gravitating toward a higher end, more modern CDP with the latest processing technology. I am specifically inclined to try something with a tube stage.
I would appreciate any comments about the AA and the EAR, but also would love to hear other options that you know and love.