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Is my new amp TOO GOOD?

I recently took advantage of the McIntosh Upgrade program.  I traded my MA352 integrated hybrid for the C2800 tube preamp + MC462 ss power amp.  I have a large room with Revel Studio 2 speakers (with beryllium tweeters), and two SVS subs.  I also have some room treatments on the walls.   

I traded up because I wanted to see if I could more detail with the extra watts while keeping the tube sound I like.  

So now I have much more detail, but its sometimes too much.  Higher frequencies - like high pitched loud vocals, and some of the detail now sounds almost like static.  If I turn the volume way up I can hear that its another guitar or a background vocal.

I have turned the treble down from -1 to -4, and I can't listen at 90 db all the time.

Does anyone have any suggestions about adjusting the eq/

 

mojo771
mofojo
2,408 posts
 

What speaker cables are you using? 
 

If you are using cables that are lower tier from a higher end brand I have found a lot of them to be tipped up. Analysis Plus and especially Nordost were pretty bad. 
 

My new Snake River Audio Signatures seem incapable of sounding shrill. They are real good in my system. Not the case with the Straightwire cables I took out. Like night and day difference. Mid bass texture and tone went up several notches and any glassiness on the top end is now non existent. 

hjdca's avatar
hjdca
247 posts
 

@gjfalls 

Nice system, mine is almost exactly the same, except I am running an older C2300 preamp into a pair of mc275s monoblocked.  I am using very detailed speakers and I feel the combo works extremely well.  

@mojo771 

You have already received great advice...  Toe out, and Break-in.  As you already found, I can validate that in my system, Toe out, and height of the speaker, made differences in high frequency perception and sound stage.  
Another tip I found in the McIntosh forums was vintage Telefunken smooth plates in the preamp line stage and phono stage.  I tried them, liked them, and kept them installed.  They can help smooth and sweeten the top end, but, it will not be as noticable as "Toe out" differences.  

mojo771 OP
112 posts
 

Thanks to everyone who offered advice.  Here's the update...

I moved the speakers a tiny bit closer and then pointed them farther away from my ears.  At first they pointed to about 1 foot behind my head and they sounded better.  Now I have them pointed even farther, so now they meet at about 2 or 3 feet behind my head.

Also, since its been about 6 weeks, I think that either the tubes have broken in, or maybe my ears have.  

I sometimes still need to drop the treble, but by only a decibel or so.  Mostly on cd quality streaming from Qobuz.  Vinyl sounds amazing.

Everything sounds so good now that a couple of times an album sounded so different from what I'm used to, that I had to check to see if it was a remaster (it wasn't).  Thats how good they sound now.

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