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Quest for Audiophile Zen

I would like to apologize at the outset for what will seem yet another thread involving personal 'drama' without the benefit seemingly of any possibility of becoming provocative or interesting. However, I must head off the threat of emminent psychological demise attendant with having a stereo system that is not getting me where I need to be. I am currently using an Adcom gcd750 cd player in a system with stealth m-7 silver wires, an evs passive through a llano s200 into thiel 3.6 speakers. My system is bright and harsh and needs somewhat better control in the low frequencies. My first impulse is to upgrade the adcom and my budget will be $2000 max. Despite faithfully reading all the posts in audiogon and audio asylum, I have never been able to answer the above to my satisfaction. I would be extremely appreciative of any input from one of my more experienced audiophile collegues so that I can optimize my investment to get the best possible sound\$ Ratio.
Thanks
jph1
mcne
113 posts
 
Since I do not know your room I will take blind stab here.
Well, maybe a PS Audio Power Plant will do. No, no first, more than likely your speaker positioning and your room acoustics will need to be dealt with. The wall behind your speakers probably needs some treatment. And are your speakers pulled way out from the side wall and especially the rear wall, like 3 feet? And avoid the toe in temptation.
I have a bright room. Live walls everywhere. I took 3 inch Sonex and cut 12 inch squares and did a checkerboard on my back wall. I also used the same for my mirror points on the side walls and the roof and I threw down a thick rug on the wood on cement floor. ( My wife is very cool! ). These tweaks did many good things and became essential instead of options.
Your system is very good. The Adcom CD does not carry the shrill moniker like the amps do. So I will advise to deal with your room and look into a power treatment like the PS Audio or Equi-Tech. Dale
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
1st check out if your power amplifier can be used with passive preamp.
Power amp shoud have high gain and high sencitivity.
CD player have to swing with ~3V output voltage for ideal case and input sencitivity of your amp shoud be ~0.6V
Also check input impedance of your power amp. It has to be at least 47kOhm.
garys
65 posts
 
I've found that in making choices for my system, the sound tended toward being too bright unless I deliberatly chose components or cabling for their warmth. For example, I'm using Stealth CWS interconnects (similar to yours and pretty much neutral, which means they do nothing to attenuate bright, harsh sound), but I'm also using Stealth PC speaker cables, which are warmer-sounding than many silver speaker cables. I'd guess too that for those of us who like the dynamics of active preamps, your evs passive (splendid and accurate as it is) might sound bright. Before I spent big $, I'd probably try an inexpensive preamp--maybe just use the preamp section of an old receiver. I'd also try using some cheap cables, which probably would have a weak high-frequency response, just to get an idea how much the cabling contributes to the problem. Best wishes.
the_kid's avatar
the_kid
465 posts
 
I will take a stab as well. First and foremost, I would suggest you audition some other Interconnects and Speaker Wire. Silver is great when used in the right system. In most cases it will add brightness and a general hardness to most pure solid state systems. I also agree with MCNE and suggest you try some room treatments.

I use a large decorative rug which I have mounted on my main wall in my listening room behind my speakers. This not only improved imaging but also removed any glare from in the treble I had ever witnessed. My 2 cents for what it is worth. Good Luck and Good Listening!

Chris
wellfed's avatar
wellfed
690 posts
 
I would check with Ric Schultz at EVS for any recommendations he may have. I have experienced much of what you are experiencing but am not sure the fixes I have found would prove effective in your system. I am using speakers with metal cone drivers and suspect that they contribute to the brightness I have mostly tamed. Ric endorses cables manufactured by Zcable. I am using Zcable "Thunder" power cords and could not be more pleased. I also am using the Zcable "Live" interconnect. I can now listen for hours on end without fatigue. Another product that has helped are Acme Audio Power outlets. Feel free to contact me if you think I can be of any assistance.
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