grainy sounding high end system

Whenever I hear of a tube preamp driving a solid-state power amp AND the user voices concern, I ask if the impedances of the two are suitable. What's in OP impedance of the CJ and the input impedance of the ML? Just a thought.

I know of some others that have commented on the upper mids / lower treble sounding "ragged" on the original SC-IV's. Other than that, it sounds like speaker placement is not up to par and you might want to look into the cables that you are using. Kr4's comments about input / ouptut impedance might also be worth checking into. Sean
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My experience with hi fi in general is that setup is 50% of the battle. There are a gazillion things that influence sound. In no particular order, here are some possibilities:

Poor match of Amp to Speaker - change one or the other

Poor match of speaker cable with associated gear - try new cable

Room acoustics - I have found it better to diffuse the "sides" of the listening chamber and leave the walls in front and back of the listening area flat & reflective.

Components/ Speakers not perfectly level

Components/ Speakers not held rigidly in place(wobble when touched)

Components/ Speakers on wrong support systems - try different stands, footers, cones etc etc...your dealer should know which isolation methods are good for your gear, different gear will react differently in each environment.

Electrical contacs not clean

Electronics too close to one another

Interconnect is harsh sounding

Power outlet - try plugging all your gear into one power strip from one outlet. Leave the "other" outlet unused

Too many wires (power, speaker, interconnect) crossing each other - arrange them so they have thier own path and don't "double over" on themselves. also they should be raised from the floor slightly if possible

Listener too critical (ha ha, that would be me)

Good luck and hope this helps. I was confronted with the same demon in my current listening room and I defeated it, so be optimistic... :^)

Lots of good suggestions above. (The point about preamp/amp impedance compatability has to do with a preamp having a high output impedance driving an amp having a low input impedance, causing rolled-off bass response. This could help explain prominent treble response as well as weak bass, but would not by itself have an impact on treble graininess.) I suspect situations like yours are a lot more common than many audiophiles care to admit, so bravo for facing your perdicament honestly, and don't feel alone. As has been posited, there are more possible culprits than you can shake a stick at. This just points up the fact that the most important component to achieving a good-sounding system isn't anything you can buy - it's the audiophile him- or herself. I'm sure that if you keep working at it, learning as you go like we all do, your efforts and expense will be rewarded in the end, simply because you are using your ears.

Put some rugs on the floor.