After leaving my system on for 3 days...

Thanks for that...I thought that theory might hold.

So I removed the extra Vibrapods...sounds a little more "realistic".

Lenny, the Vibrapods work by having a specific amount of "give" factored into them. By "over-podding" and not following the recommended weight ranges, you can get into a situation where the pods are not compressing and the component is simply resting on top of them. At that point, you start to get more direct energy transfer from the supporting shelf up through the pods and into the component. Whether or not the increased coupling or lack of damping is beneficial would be up to the ears of the "beerholder" and the individual component being supported : ) Sean
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Thanks for all of the comments and suggestions guys.

What I'm planning to do now is to stick with the current setup I have and change variables one by one. You guys are certainly right, there is definitely a lot of power interference in the dorm. But I don't think I'm able to purchase a PSAudio unit...that is almost as expensive as all of my components put together!!! I'll wait till I move into my apartment and see how the quality of the mains is there, since I'll be graduating in just 2 months.

So, in my current setup, I have each component on a different level, isolation under CD by Vibrapods (btw, if you use more vibrapods than you're supposed to, e.g. 20 pound support for 10 pounds, is that bad?).

I agree on the bad interconnects...I'm planning to go with van den Hul D102 III Hybrid interconnects for the CD, use my IXOS on my tuner, and also upgrade to QED Silver Anniversary Biwire for my speakers. Any comments on this?

Thanks, all.

interconnects and moving things around isn't the answer...you said you came back 3 days later with the system the same as before except you left equipment on, right?

So the answer doesn't lie in changing things around. You are trying to discover what is the difference now. If you start changing things you will be introducing new variables and you will be hard pressed to understand what has changed.

Isolate the problem. Make sure you have more than one CD to test with, test at different times and be patient. Even if nothing changed, your mood alone could impact things so you want to make sure the change is consistent at a number of times and moods and with a number of CDs you know well. Then if you are still sure there is an issue or the issues is intermittent, I would follow the lead of several other posters and look into electricity control. If you can afford it, get a PS power plant (probably the p-300, $1245 http://psaudio.com/products/p300_overview.asp). If you can get one from a friend or local dealer or I think PS has a 30 day trial period, either way, TRY before you BUY. A lot of money, probably your most expensive piece, but since it will help all 3 NAD units then it is only like $400 a piece. Who knows you might be able to find one used and save a few bucks, just make sure you are getting the most recent model. (But this way you can’t audition it first.)

cd
interconnects and moving things around isn't the answer...you said you came back 3 days later with the system the same as before except you left equipment on, right?

So the answer doesn't lie in changing things around. You are trying to discover what is the difference now. If you start changing things you will be introducing new variables and you will be hard pressed to understand what has changed.

Isolate the problem. Make sure you have more than one CD to test with, test at different times and be patient. Even if nothing changed, your mood alone could impact things so you want to make sure the change is consistent at a number of times and moods and with a number of CDs you know well. Then if you are still sure there is an issue or the issues is intermittent, I would follow the lead of several other posters and look into electricity control. If you can afford it, get a PS power plant (probably the p-300, $1245 http://psaudio.com/products/p300_overview.asp). If you can get one from a friend or local dealer or I think PS has a 30 day trial period, either way, TRY before you BUY. A lot of money, probably your most expensive piece, but since it will help all 3 NAD units then it is only like $400 a piece. Who knows you might be able to find one used and save a few bucks, just make sure you are getting the most recent model. (But this way you can’t audition it first.)

cd

Short of buying a PS Powerplant, i don't think that you'll ever be able to get optimum results out of any system in a dorm room. Between all of the computers and other gadgets tied into the electrical system of the building, you'd almost have to make sure that everyone was sleeping and all of the electronic gadgets turned off in every room to be able to hear what your system is capable of. As mentioned, late night listening is where it is at ( if at all possible ) without going to some type of dedicated lines / isolated ground / power regeneration set-up. Sean
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I moved the tuner off the CD player and it seems to have reduced the harshness. Now I'm experimenting with speaker and room placement, but it's very difficult in my small dorm room. It'll all be better once I graduate and move into my apartment. :)

I'll report more of my experimentation as it comes in. Thanks for your help.

I think I see your problem !!!! Try using better interconnects !!!!!! Monster Cable is CRAP ! Try some Kimber KCAG for your cd player and then maybe some Kimber 8TC for speaker cable!!!!

There are a lot of variables that can affect the sound quality of your system. Stacking of equipments on top of other component do affect sound quality(mechanical or electrical interference). The most noticable is that the quality of the electricity. My sound system performance best when after 2am and before 7am week day. Saturday and Sunday not so good since more people turn-on their computers, home theatres and playing video games. These will create a lot of electrical interference.
The problem that you are having is probably due to the above mentioned problem. Try to compare the sound quality of your SS amp after midnight or even 2am in the morning. You might get a more accurate conclusion.

Leaving SS electronics on usually increases detail (things sound slightly veiled before complete warmup has taken place). This could have shown up a weak spot in the chain (like the CD player, a cable, etc.), but first try removing the tuner as you suggested. If things are still too bright the easy solution is to start powering everything down again (on a day to day basis) if this sounds better. You might also try placing the Pods under the CD player (if some are not already in this postion). Detail isn't always all that it's cracked up to be if it degrades the overall sound of a system.