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Distortion on piano recordings? Advice appreciated

I'm not sure exactly where to put this, but I guess amplification is as good a place as any.

For several months now I've been occasionally noticing distortion (fuzz) in my system, only on some piano recordings. It seems to happen when they get loudest, or when the note attacks seem most intense even if not that loud. It's only at mid-high frequencies (not lows or extreme highs). Seems to be the front channels only-- I plugged my surround speakers into the front channels and heard it then too.

In that time I've changed all my components (amp, processor, CD) except the speakers, and I have tested other pairs of speakers and interconnects with the same result, though it's perhaps less obvious with RCA ICs than with XLRs.

I'm pretty sure I've also swapped out speaker cables too, though not lately. I'll try different speaker cables again this weekend, but assuming it isn't them, could it be a room node? I don't know that much about nodes, but I thought they were usually problems at much lower frequencies. Can this be this severe in the higher ranges too?

Is there anything else I'm forgetting?

System:
Halcro MC-70 Amp
Classe SSP-600 Pro
Hyperion HPS938 speakers
Aurum Cantus Leisure for surrounds
NAD M5/ Parasound players
Audioquest ICs and cables
apspr

Showing 1 response by abucktwoeighty

abucktwoeighty's avatar
abucktwoeighty
1,079 posts
 
Ryder, I listened to the Heartfelt Cd today and found no traces of piano distortion. It may be possible you have a faulty one. Though, it may be possible I have faulty ears!
I do have the "Grand Piano Canyon" lp by Bob James that has most of side 2 being defective where only the left channel plays correctly. The right channel plays at a much lower volume, and, if I remember correctly, is very distorted. Haven't played it in a long time.
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