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I noticed brightness/harshness more than usual from my system a couple months back.

My system is not high end by any stretch see my virtual system. A couple months back I noticed brightness/harshness when playing my lp Steely Dan Aja the song Deacon Blues. I had never noticed this before. This is one of my best sounding LPs. I hear it on others too. Sometimes it's subtle, other times it stands out, sometimes I think all is OK. Weird!  I never noticed this before. I always liked the sound of my system. Something changed, but what? I am approaching 70 years old and I am wondering if my ears are more sensitive to high frequencies. But anyway I started by checking my cartridge. Visual inspection. Adding and reducing tracking force. Anti skate too. Moved speakers away from and closer to the walls. Cleaned all connections with deoxit. Even sent the cartridge to The Sound Organization to be checked. They did not find anything. I am not able to rearrange my listening area or add room correction. Just nowhere to go.

I would assume if the speakers or integrated were defective I would know it. Something like that would stand out. Yes? I am thinking it is probably a combination of bright speakers, bright amp, bright cartridge and old ears.

So if nothing is broke.... I am considering replacing the speakers would work. Maybe Wharfedale Lintons. I can afford them or something in this price range. Maybe the cartridge? Hana SL or ML.  Maybe the integrated? But with what I have no idea. Naim SuperNait 3 caught my eye though I would need to save a long time to afford it. I am retired and on a fixed income. Really fixed! There is nowhere close I can audition any of these. 

I realize I am asking alot but any suggestions would be great!

 

 

oharek
campoly's avatar
campoly
53 posts
 

Baring some sort of equipment failure, have you tried repositioning your speakers. Try pulling them further from the wall. Maybe play with toe in a bit. Just a thought after seeing your system photos.

erik_squires
15,659 posts
 

OH, so two things about these speakers:  B&W often sound better BELOW the tweeter.  Also, with metal dome tweeters reduced toe-in is often required.  They resonate hard on axis but a few degrees off they get very smooth.

Of course, ,the room matters,  A very reflective room will turn to harsh mush when you turn up the volume.

boxcarman
312 posts
 

I have an occasional day where the planets do not line up as they usually do.  I turn it off and come back in a day or three and everything's all better.  Some will blame it on the electricity, one day or time of day.

firstonetallguy
72 posts
 

oharek 
I am also over 70 years with normal hearing for this age, nothing above 12 K,  and a mild case of tinnitus.  I have a Marantz AV7703 Pre/Pro Tuner in my music/TV room hooked up to various amplifiers, Martin Logan Expression ESL 13A Electrostatic Speakers, and other TV surround speakers.  These Electrostats are very detailed and over time I noticed that on long periods of stereo listening, not TV, I would get fatigued and more sensitive to the upper audio ranges. 
I changed my stereo equipment so that now I am listening to music starting from my computer or DVD player through Denefrips Terminator Dac (R2R) to PS Audio BHK PreAmplifier (Tube and Digital Combination) to Pass Labs 260.8 Mono Amplifiers - A/AB (Analog Sound).   
I now get great detail from the speakers tamed to a wonderfully musical “vinyl” sound.  The brightness/harshness that you noticed, as did I, is completely gone. I still get all the upper-range detail and clarity that I wanted without the irritation. 
Changing your DAC, pre-amp, and amplifiers to the direction of analog sound will help eliminate your hearing problems.  Your system will end up being more enjoyable and satisfying.

noromance's avatar
noromance
9,404 posts
 

Have you changed, or tried changing the DIP switch adjustments on the Rega Phono Pro?

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