Bargain interconnects to tame treble & boost bass?

Tvad's suggestion for the Audio Control C-101 Equalizer is good if you can get it for anything like $30. Don't forget that you will need to add a calibration microphone to fully utilize the C-101. I'm not sure what kind of mic is needed, but I have used an Audio Control "Richter Scale" (a low frequency range 1/3 octave equalizer), and its mic was unique.

Audio control equipment is well designed, and constructed. My Richter Scale served well for more than a decade, and, for that matter, still works. With an old unit like this with sliders (linear pots) you may expect that some of the sliders are noisy. This is usually correctable by a dose of contact cleaner from Radio Shack.

Using an equalizer is not as easy as you might suspect. You can go crazy pushing the sliders up and down! The Behringer DEQ2496 which I suggested will cost about $350 including microphone, but it is a far more capable instrument than the C-100, and one feature is an automatic equalization process that will keep you out of deep trouble. The DEQ2496 has balanced inputs and outputs, and therefore to use it with unbalanced interconnects which you may have (which is perfectly OK) you would need four XLR to RCA adapter plugs, or better yet, buy new interconnects with XLR on one end and RCA on the other, and wired unbalanced.

Others have pointed to deficiencies of your equipment and if they are right the equalizer will be counteracting these deficiencies. However, even if you replaced all the equipment your room's acoustic deficiencies would remain, and an equalizer will remain useful to correct these.

Wow - I'm a little embarassed about the Sony now. But like I've said before, I plan to replace it. When I do, I will need to replace the Alpha Snake IC's, and I will still want something good but not expensive (under $200/m, new or used). Any recommendations, or will it all depend on what CD player I choose?

"Cables at this point are like putting perfume on a pig."

I like that one.. very funny!!! I agree the Sony is an ear bleeder. I just wanted others to say it before I. A nice Dac would certainly be a step in the right direction. Before you get to far gone into covering up the sound. Fix the problem first..trust me.. in the end it will save you from a lot of disappointment and possibly a little money too. You can get a DAC for as little as $150 that will smoke the Sony all day long. No interconnect will make as much difference as a better analog output stage and Dac will.

Listen to Jond and Mapleleafs. Save up and get a used dac on the 'gon for around 300. Cables at this point are like putting perfume on a pig.

Thanks for all the advice. Here are some responses:

--I definitely agree that I should relegate the Sony to DVD duty and buy myself an audiophile CD player, although I was hoping to avoid that. But, hey, when I have a little more time it should be fun to do the research and the listening tests.

--I like the suggestions to experiment, both with amps and with spectrum analyzers. Currently, I don't know anyone whose equipment I might borrow, so it may take me a while to get around to it.

--In the meantime, I see two votes for Acoustic Zen IC's, and one each for Signal Cable, Cardas 300B, Aural Thrills Active Gold, VH Audio Pulsar, and Mat Ref Mk I. Before I posted I also found recommendations for Kimber Hero. Any other cable suggestions or seconds of these recommendations?

When I buy a new CD player, I'll probably want to get a different, probably more neutral IC. If so, I might try replacing the jumpers on my B60R with this treble-taming, bass-boosting cable.

I too have read that Triangle speakers can be bright and anything Sony digital has been bright in my experience (including their SCD1) not to mention the Kimber 8TC wire which is pretty good but light in the bass all these things offset the balance. Acoustic Zen wire in general (ICs or speaker wire) is warm and full sounding and a good place to start IMO. Maybe an older set of Mat Ref MKI for under $200 would help....

good luck

I highly recommend VH Audio "Pulsar" Interconnect. These are fantastic. Copper conductor. Very Balanced and Musical. Trial period if not satisfied can return. (I highly doubt anyone trying these would return.) I had the B60R and if the spk. is on the lean side, it is a mismatch. Consider buying a Bryston 4B ST and use the B-60R as a pre and you would be pleased w/the results. Or try to find a Brston 2B and bi-amp. Your Kimber TC wire falls on the slightly lean side as well. Try the the "Pulsars" first then decide what steps are needed next.

The Sony is killing you. I had one, It was nothing shy of brutal, my kids asked if my stereo was broken after hearing it. Get a DAC.

With an interconnect you dont solve the problem. I think, you really should try a tube amplifier.

A new source will help and it may be a bad speaker amp combo. I've heard that the Triangle speakers can tend toward brightness in certain setups,as far as SS goes the B-60, I used to own one, isn't particularly bright, but maybe with Triangle it is? The idea of borrowing an amp is a good one, though inconvenient, getting a different pair of speakers for a demo might be instructive as well. Good luck!

Bryston and Triangle may not be the best match out there, where both have reputation for being bright. That said, I think you really need to replace the source. Notice how the problem gets worse when you switch to the television sound via digital cable?
I have Triangle Antals 202, and my system used to be too bright with a transport-dac setup, which went away when I upgraded to a one box player.
But this might also be a a speaker placement and burn-in issue... how long have you had these Triangles? New Triangles sound "tilted way toward top-end," and the bass fills in only after 100-200 hours.
Now, getting to your question, yes, interconnects can make things better. I noticed substantial improvement in my previous setup when I inserted Acoustic Zen Matrix I, which was even bettered by Aural Thrills Active Gold. But don't forget powercontitioning/powercords, which can clean up a lot of glare.
Good luck and keep us posted.

DA DA!! Behringer DEQ2496 to the rescue again.

Seriously, its spectrum analyser will show you what your problem is, and can help evaluate any fixes you try. And, in the meanwhile you can shape the frequency response to something you like, which may not be flat at all.

You need a new source in the worst way. Dont spend hundreds on cable while you use such a weak source.

A few suggestions
1) Your amplifier maybe over damping the drivers.This could give you an imbalanced sound. If available maybe from a friend, try a different amplifier in place of the Bryston.

2) Change the source, it will make more of a difference than you think.

3) Change speakers, it will make the single biggest difference in component swaps. The Eq will help but it's only a bandaid. Especially if every recording you play sounds the same.

3) Play with the tow in and placement of current speakers. This is if you haven't tried it yet.

Good luck ..hope it works out for you

I have Triangle Comete ES (same tweet as yours) and I love the treble with a CJ tube amp. You need very good quality amps for those Triangles - they are ruthlessly accurate.

If that doesn't fix it, an EQ will help much more than cables. trust me, I've tried both ways.

Arthur

I replaced my expensive Cardas speaker cables with inexpensive Signal Cables and my system has never sound better. Before it was tiny and shrike in the highs and no bass to speak of, Strange for a speaker that has 2 10" bass cones. Once I put in the Signal Cables it opened up, sounded more natural, more bass and no more tiny high's.

Mark