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Q acoustics harsh high end

Please help.
Just bought a Pioneer network reciever and a pair of 3050s. I realise this isn't top end equipment but at any sort of volume the upper frequencies are harsh,  very noticeable on female voices. The last system I had was started back in the late 70s with a pair of MA4s, then a denon amp, 50W I think, then I added a mid range Marantz cd player.
I remember having absolutely no issues with the sound quality. I have tried placing the system in a different room. I have tried a different amp (Marantz 63KI). I have tried a different Cd player but all sound the same, bright, harsh top end. Im begining to think it's the speakers but the reviews are almost unanimously brilliant. I'm wondering if I should get some second hand MA 352s
Any advice would be welcome

John 
jlj
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,313 posts
 
@jlj  
No, it's not you, it's them.  p3ga uis right.  The fundamental truth is that the majority of loudspeaker manufacturers today have shifted to a sonic signature with, basically, a brighter top end or some version of that.  These demo well for a short period in stores (like turning the TV sharpness control to max in Best Buy), but many find them fatiguing over the long term.  Evidently Q is one of these.  Fortunately, there are still a number of brands that don't pursue this goal.  It's not necessarily that you need more expensive, just different.  Vienna Acoustics and pretty much all of the *classic* BBC designs come to mind (this excludes the Spendor D series), and there are others.
mofojo
2,171 posts
 
I say return them if able to. Sounds like they are just not your cuppa tea. 
jlj OP
25 posts
 
Unfortunately, with all the replies saying they would need to be run in, I thought they might improve. It's far to late to ask for a refund. I'll just sell them when I can afford to upgrade.


sjeesjie
51 posts
 
Don’t believe all that break in nonsense. It’s just a way to have you get accustomed to the sound of the speakers. If you don’t like the sound from day one, you aren’t going to like it a year later after 300,000 hours of break in time.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
The fact that some manufacturers use burn-in to delay returns long enough for people to get used to it and decide to live with bad sound is no reason to conclude its not a real thing. Burn-in is definitely a real thing. But what also is a real thing is nothing that starts out sounding crap magically sounds wonderful 500 hours later. Does. Not. Happen. It - whatever it is, cable, speaker, amp makes no difference - should sound good right out of the box, or it goes back.
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