How to tame a bright system?


Hi all,

I have been facing a problem, the brightness of my system:

Bluesound n130  --- Chord dave ---- audioquest fire (xlr) ---- Etude  ---- copper wire ---- B&W 606s2.

 

The brightness shows up, particularly after I upgrade the cable from the chord company clearway (RCA) to the AQ fire (XLR).  AQ fire really improved everything. However, the high frequency is too cristal to my ears (especially the "ding, ding" sound from the piano, I believe most of the people would love it but not me .... ).  I like the cheap clearway, but it does not have the excellent bass and the dynamic offered by fire. I also tried with AQ Mackenzie (copper) which gives a proper sound but lacks space. I also found the vocal of fire is a bit forward (I am not really big fun of forwarding vocal).

Can someone help to recommend a cable that has everything of clearway but more dynamic and extension at the low end? I think this would be an ideal cable for my current system.

 

If possible, please help to focus on the cable rather than the other components. I know there is a lot to improve, but not at the moment.  Thanks a lot guys!  ;-) 

 

 

 

tension255

@ditusa  +1

@unreceivedogma +1

If you know that all music that we are listening to is mastered in a control rooms that has invested lots of money (sometimes in a ratio of 20% gear an 80% room treatment) in threating their rooms than it is IMO a no brainer were you have to look for in your own listening environment first. But for practical reasons for lot’s of us it is not really possible to rebuild our room but guess what we have DSP which requires no room treatment at all an can produce a Hugh improvement IF measurements are done correctly which is for the average Joe a pain to accomplish i guess (thats why i use Mathaudio Room EQ a simple free solution that even i can manage).😅

Chord Etude amp?  Dump that.  George Meyer AV located in Los Angeles area, who is an authorized repair center for Levinson and Krell, and other top notch brands is selling a killer Mark Levinson ML-27.5 amp that's been fully gone through - meaning recapped.  That ML-27.5 is super smooth, dynamic, open, clean and clear up top.  It's a touch dark up top but that's just a Madrigal characteristic before they were sold to Harmon.  That Levinson will solve your problem with a bright top end.  You'll kick yourself and wonder why you didn't do it sooner.  

Snarfie23: my architect has designed recording studios.

It was his idea to save spending the many $$$$s that recording studios spend on room treatments by simply not covering the walls and ceiling with sheetrock.

@snarfie23,

If you know that all music that we are listening to is mastered in a control rooms that has invested lots of money (sometimes in a ratio of 20% gear an 80% room treatment) in threating their rooms than it is IMO a no brainer were you have to look for in your own listening environment first. But for practical reasons for lot’s of us it is not really possible to rebuild our room but guess what we have DSP which requires no room treatment at all an can produce a Hugh improvement IF measurements are done correctly which is for the average Joe a pain to accomplish i guess (thats why i use Mathaudio Room EQ a simple free solution that even i can manage).😅

Agreed!

@snarfie23 Snarfie23 :

I am analog through and through. Dunno about a DSP being of any help