Does Steely Dan sound bright to you?


This is going to sound like a somewhat random question but I’m wondering how many of you find Steely Dan’s recordings to sound a bit bright. I’m particularly thinking of Gaucho, and Aja but some other recent recordings, too, such as Fagen’s Nightfly.

My typical media include streaming (CD and HD quality) and CD’s. I have not played my old vinyl because I’m presently without a turntable.

At first I thought it was my system and it was driving me a little bit mental; eventually, I decided it wasn't my stuff, it was their stuff. Because most other recordings on the same system with no other changes don’t typically have the brightness of Steely Dan.

Whether or not you’re a fan (I am) Steely Dan has often been a go-to for testing out equipment, so I imagine there will be experiences people have had about this.

P.S. Any other recordings which, for you are unnaturally bright?


128x128hilde45

Showing 2 responses by mijostyn

Hilde45, not at all. If they are bright on your system then you have a peak in the 3 kHz to 10 kHz region. If there is no sibilance it is in the 5kHz to 10 kHz region. It is probably the room doing this as most speaker manufacturers know not to do this or they lose sales. Some like Wilson intentionally put a dip between 3 and 5kHz to avoid sibilance. This is where a measurement system becomes extremely useful. Dayton's Omnimic system is fabulous in this regard and costs only $300, worth every penny. Add a Minidsp SHD preamp and you have total control of both channels independently. You can tweak them within a dB of each other from 100Hz to 10 kHz, get rid of the brightness and improve your system's imaging capability.   
hilde45, if your system measures flat at the listening position then it has to be you who are bright because Aja and Goucho certainly are not. Maybe you need to tune your hearing aids? Maybe you did to many gummies? Or perhaps the system yo are using to measure your system is defective? Something is amiss and it is not Steely Dan's recordings. The early recordings if anything are a bit dull.