Arcam A85 / EPOS ESL3's sounding too Bright


Hello fellow audioenthusiasts,

My system is sounding so bright that it hurts my ears to listen to it for any amount of time. Having said that, here is an outline of my system; I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction to make my system more mellow:

Arcam A85 integrated
Arcam CD73 Cd player
Monster speaker cables
AudioQuest CinemeQ RCA interconnects
Epos ESL-3 monitor speakers
Yamaha SW315 10" powered subwoofer

Thanks in advance!!!
musicwave

Showing 4 responses by musicwave

I also have access to a pair of B&W CDM-NT1s, should I swap the speakers out? If not, what would be the ideal speakers for the A85?

Thanks!
John
First of all, thanks for the replies, I should have clarified the fact that the problem seems to go away when I put the grills back on. I re-read the stereophile review on them a couple of days ago, and they said that they perform better with the grills off. There was a noticable improvement as far as detail and highs are concerned, but it came at a price... I put the grills back on last night, and I can listen to my system again... however, you should be able to get the detail and no listening fatigue at the same time.
Thanks,
John
I also have access to a pair of B&W CDM-NT1s, should I swap the speakers out?

Thanks!
John
I swapped out my Audioquest Copperhead RCA interconnects with a pair that my dealer made, and the edge was gone, but since the dealermade cable was belkin 75-ohm video cable, I lost some detail, clarity and the midrange was muffled. I think the interconnects are the culprit. The Copperheads have very nice detail, but they are way too bright for my ears. What do you guys recommend? I don't want to lose the detail and resolution.

Thanks!