ARC VS55, CJ PV10/ARC Sp-14, Naim 3.5, Vandy 1C


Looking for advice on what piece needs replacing. I am satisfied with everything but the highs. ARC has a house sound and I have read in other threads about the highs being, grainy and too bright.

The CJ PV-10 is less detailed and the highs are more grainy especially with female vocals.

All the tubes are near new. I feel the CD player contributes to the lack of smoothness in the highs. Could someone suggest a CD/Blu-Ray DVD player?

Speaker cables are Linn and have tried several different interconnects.

Rather not buy any more cables.

Thanks to all.
mendota9811
It's difficult to tell from the OP why he attributes to the PV10 that "the highs are more grainy especially with female vocals". My point was that the PV10 doesn't normally sound this way. You may be correct in that the problem lies there but I was assuming he was referring to a properly functioning unit. And a properly functioning PV10 is the antithesis of grainy.
"I agree with Pops. The highs on the PV10 are anything but grainy and the culprit lies elsewhere."

Unless there is something wrong with it.
I agree with Pops. The highs on the PV10 are anything but grainy and the culprit lies elsewhere.
Well you are right the cj pv10 is not that resolving but grainy highs it is not, in my time with it the highs were extremely smooth and on the lush side. This is a musical pre just not very detailed, don't know the rest of your system but I would say grainy highs are somewhere else.
Leave the SP-14 on and give it three days before evaluating. I would leave the Naim on 24/7 too.
I can give you some ideas, but I need some info first. Have you set the back tilt on your speakers using the formula in the manual? After doing that, look on the back of your speakers and make sure the high's and mid's adjustments are set to flat is they aren't already. If they're flat already, back off the highs 1db, but no more. Then just listen to the system for a little while and post back with some comments.