You seem to have almost concluded, through component changes, that the problem is not the components. it would be a PITA, but cost very little money, to determine once and for all whether the problem lies in your component chain or power delivery. If you were to set up your entire system the same way, somewhere else - preferably not a neighbor on the same grid - it would show whether the problem lies somewhere in your component chain (or your hearing), or in the electrical delivery system everything is connected to. As an experiment, have you tried hooking things up on different circuits in your house with some long, heavy extension cords? That could show whether the problem is confined to particular circuits. It also appears that the audio part of your system lacks power conditioning of any kind, which can be a red flag.
back to ask again long sorry
If you recognize the user-ID, then you know the problem I'm about to describe because I've been yapping about it in these forums, on and off, for *years*. I'm only in here to try again because everything I've done so far to try to fix it has resulted in just more credit-card bills.
The sound is perfect for the first twenty or thirty minutes -- always has been, and I always think I've fixed whatever's wrong -- and then, gradually, the sound becomes reedy and increasingly sibilant in the upper midrange and apparently "over-modulated" right around the midrange-tweeter crossover.
If I shut everything off and reconnect everything, the problem often goes away for another twenty or thirty minutes, but not always.
It can't be a problem with components or speakers because everything in the chain has been repeatedly replaced, and many configurations have been sent off for service and returned with clean bills of health.
I don't think it's RF pollution because I've encountered the problem at a friend's house, and fixed it doing the same thing, over there: reconnected everything and had great sound for... twenty minutes.
I don't think it's a cracked RCA input socket because the problem has spanned several configurations of equipment.
I don't think it's a bad interconnect because the problem has spanned several configurations of cabling.
I don't think I'm delusional because non-audiophile listeners have commented on both the unpleasantness of the sound before reconnection, and the improvement afterward.
At all events, something seems to be "building up" in the signal path, somewhere, and the act of severing all the connections seems to cause whatever that build-up is, to be dissipated.
Lately I've been trying to fix this by... well... *reading* -- about everything from PS-Audio Humbusters to Audience Adept Response power conditioners and back to the XDC power filters by Channel Islands Audio. Trouble is, I'm cleaned-out financially and I just really don't feel like spending any more money before knowing with a bit more certainty that more dollars spent will point me more definitively toward getting to the bottom of this. Are there professionals who can help to diagnose the problem, and who are then also knowledgeable enough about the industry to recommend the proper fix?
Current system configuration: (many, many others have been tried!)
McCormack MAP-1 and DNA-HT5, connected directly to dedicated AC circuit via Signal Cable power cords
Arcam FMJ-CD23 connected directly to nearby, undedicated AC circuit, via signal cable digital power cord
Sony BDP-S550 blu-ray player and Panasonic TX50 plasma TV, connected to APC H-15 power supply, which is in turn connected to the undedicated AC circuit via Harmony power cord
Salk Songtower QWT speakers, front L and R, Linn Trikan center channel, Totem Mite-T rear L and R.
signal cable interconnects, element cable cross-connected speaker cables.
Thanks again, everybody.
Dave O'Gorman
Gainesville, Florida
The sound is perfect for the first twenty or thirty minutes -- always has been, and I always think I've fixed whatever's wrong -- and then, gradually, the sound becomes reedy and increasingly sibilant in the upper midrange and apparently "over-modulated" right around the midrange-tweeter crossover.
If I shut everything off and reconnect everything, the problem often goes away for another twenty or thirty minutes, but not always.
It can't be a problem with components or speakers because everything in the chain has been repeatedly replaced, and many configurations have been sent off for service and returned with clean bills of health.
I don't think it's RF pollution because I've encountered the problem at a friend's house, and fixed it doing the same thing, over there: reconnected everything and had great sound for... twenty minutes.
I don't think it's a cracked RCA input socket because the problem has spanned several configurations of equipment.
I don't think it's a bad interconnect because the problem has spanned several configurations of cabling.
I don't think I'm delusional because non-audiophile listeners have commented on both the unpleasantness of the sound before reconnection, and the improvement afterward.
At all events, something seems to be "building up" in the signal path, somewhere, and the act of severing all the connections seems to cause whatever that build-up is, to be dissipated.
Lately I've been trying to fix this by... well... *reading* -- about everything from PS-Audio Humbusters to Audience Adept Response power conditioners and back to the XDC power filters by Channel Islands Audio. Trouble is, I'm cleaned-out financially and I just really don't feel like spending any more money before knowing with a bit more certainty that more dollars spent will point me more definitively toward getting to the bottom of this. Are there professionals who can help to diagnose the problem, and who are then also knowledgeable enough about the industry to recommend the proper fix?
Current system configuration: (many, many others have been tried!)
McCormack MAP-1 and DNA-HT5, connected directly to dedicated AC circuit via Signal Cable power cords
Arcam FMJ-CD23 connected directly to nearby, undedicated AC circuit, via signal cable digital power cord
Sony BDP-S550 blu-ray player and Panasonic TX50 plasma TV, connected to APC H-15 power supply, which is in turn connected to the undedicated AC circuit via Harmony power cord
Salk Songtower QWT speakers, front L and R, Linn Trikan center channel, Totem Mite-T rear L and R.
signal cable interconnects, element cable cross-connected speaker cables.
Thanks again, everybody.
Dave O'Gorman
Gainesville, Florida