Help-sibilance!

Following is an excerpt from the site: http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_1_1/v1n1amps.html I suggest reading the whole section on negative feedback. Perhaps you are getting excesive sibilance because of the amp, not the speakers... """" Negative feedback is the process of taking a portion of the output, electrically inverting it, and then feeding it back to the input. The purpose of negative feedback is to flatten the frequency response, reduce harmonic distortion, lower the output impedance, and also to reduce the effects of "parasitic oscillation" that can occur when parts of the circuitry cause an induced current to flow in other circuits where it is not wanted. However, too much negative feedback can sometimes be used to produce an artificially low harmonic distortion specification. Second order harmonics will be reduced, but fifth order harmonics will increase, and this odd ordered distortion is much more noticeable than the original second order distortion. A tell tale sign of too much negative feedback is an excess of sibilance in the human voice (the "s" is exaggerated)."

Lyle Lovett's "Step Inside This House" CD does indeed have a sibilance problem. In other regards it is a very good-sounding recording but I've noticed really objectionable sibilance with that particular recording, especially on disc 2. The problem isn't there on his other CD's, at least with my equipment.

A certain amount of sibilance is to be expected in better and revealing systems because it is something that naturally occurs with many artists, sometimes the engineers cover it and sometimes they don't. I have heard it many times at live performances both in small clubs and large venues and it is not always at the fault of the PA system or sound engineers. Some artists just never master the use of their tongue and teeth. Many people develop sibilance with the adoption of dental plates or false teeth, some people come by it naturally and some people actually go out of their way to acquire this swishy lispy sound in their regular speaking voice. Although I enjoy listening to Diana Krall, she still has along way to go in regard to her S's. A system without any sibilance is also a system without spittle and lip licks, as part of the information on the recording is not reaching your ears. If too much "is" too much then you may try removing the DAC and running the Rotel straight as I have found the Link DAC to be rather crisp or trying a soft but still detailed analog IC like HT Truthlink's or perhaps a different digital IC.