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Help! Treble Trouble!

Ok, cognoscenti, put your coconuts together.

The system I've put together at the house I stay in while working out of state has a problem. I have nonexistent treble at my listening position, particularly cymbals, high hats, etc. Not a toe in/toe out room problem as I can sit right in front of either speaker and stick my ear two feet from tweeters and hardly anything. Can hear it ear stuck right up to them. My high frequency hearing is fine. This happens with any source, digital or analog. Not the speakers as it happens with either the two sets I have here. Happens with to different amps also, Odyssey Stratos with plenty of juice and a Belles Aria integrated. The common denominator in this I think is my dac. Is it possible my trusty old Mytek is somehow conking out and causing this? 

Mids and bass are smooth and clear, just missing a lot of highs and it's mucking up my listening enjoyment. So, what do you guys think?

Gear here:

Odyssey Stratos amp,

Belles Integrated,

Mytek Stereo 192-DSD dac

Living Sounds Audio LSA20 signature speakers

Avance Epsilon980 speakers

Denon dp-57l turntable

LeJonklou Slipsik 7.1 phono pre

Audiolab 6000cdt transport.

Thanks!

 

 

thecarpathian
thecarpathian's avatar
thecarpathian OP
6,201 posts
 

Forgot to mention I use the Mytek as a preamp when Belles is out of loop, or I use the Belles pre out when using Stratos.

viridian's avatar
viridian
5,802 posts
 

Are you still missing highs when you use headphones with the Aria? What interconnects, and speaker cables are you using?

You said the problem persists with both analog, and digital, so that would tend to indicate that the problem is not the dac.

thecarpathian's avatar
thecarpathian OP
6,201 posts
 

@viridian ,

Darnit! I just sold my headphones. I didn't think of that.

Happens with two different speaker cables and 3 different makes interconnects.

Zu Audio libtec and Groneberg Quattro reference speaker cables

Zu, Audioquest and knock off Nordost interconnects.

I thought of that also with analog, but I don't know what's involved in the dac passing along the analog signal.

viridian's avatar
viridian
5,802 posts
 

My process is to do the simplest things first and then progress to the more complex things.

I would remove, and replace, all interconnects and speaker wires, maybe even use a bit of contact cleaner. And, although your hearing is good, we can all clog up from time to time. I take a ring of keys and shake them by my left ear and then my right. Damn not scientific, but shaking keys have a lot of high frequency energy and you can tell if your hearing is temporarily compromised pretty quickly. You can also use your phone, or a DVD player that you might have, as a source to try to isolate the problem. 

And good luck with it, I am sure you will get to the bottom of it.

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