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Digital Music sounds too bright?

If you feel your digital sound is too bright - I suggest you place a lightweight blanket over your tv screen or computer screen, if you have it placed between your main speakers. I did this and immediately heard a less edgy sound and improved separation between left and right channels.  I have a 55 inch screen between my mains (Tyler Acoustics). This easy and free tweak made a noticeable improvement for me. Hope it will for you too. 

(It makes complete sense that this will reduce some reflected sound. No one would ever recommend placing a mirror or window between main speakers, but a screen has the same effect. If you have a coffee table in front of you when listening, it also could reflect sound that undermines your speakers. Try covering it or moving it away). 
philtangerine
audioengr
3,282 posts
 

The biggest problems with MOST digital are:

1) jitter from the source

2) poor digital filter in the D/A

3) format


These can all be overcome with the right choices, equipment and treatments.  Once you lick these and have a good DAC, it will beat 99% of the best vinyl out there.  Vinyl is just not capable of the dynamics of digital, or the extension high and low.


If you MUST play CD's (I don't anymore), then at least treat the read surface with something like Ultrabit Platinum plus, unless of course you have a transport that uses a memory buffer for playback.  Also, it is even more important if you stop the vibration during playback by gluing a damper to the top of the CD or spraying a rubberized coating.  These coatings have a significant effect on jitter. IF you have a platter-type CD transport, its not needed obviously.


Steve N.

Empirical Audio

randy-11
1,913 posts
 
How much jitter reduction did you measure?
hifiman5's avatar
hifiman5
1,823 posts
 
An alternative for damping spinning CD, SACD etc. vibrations is  Herbie's Audio Lab's "Super Black Hole CD Mat".  It is $ 32.49.  The top of the mat is composed of carbon fiber for structural rigidity while the underside that attaches to your disc is made of a soft silicone that adheres the damper to your discs without an adhesive.  You can use this forever as you can remove it from one disc and stick it onto the next thus realizing its benefits of steadying the spinning disc as it's digital information is read by the laser. 
woobie
79 posts
 
Gutwire NotePad 2
Placed on top of transports and power supplies.
http://gutwire.com/index.php?page_id=271

shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,467 posts
 
@audioengr 

+1

"BTW, brightness is not usually due to acoustics. Its usually something else. Most people go down the garden path using cables that act as filter, ferrite beads or blankets to snuff-out the HF sounds. This is the wrong path to take.

Figure out what components are really at fault. Usually excessive jitter from the source, whether computer or CD player, or poor preamp that adds too much distortion and has poor power delivery or even sometimes a bad DAC. This is typical."

Yup. I would always address what components are really at fault FIRST before using cables to filter the poor sound.

In fact, if special cables are necessary it may indicate a component is at fault or two components are incompatible with each other.
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