It was the Thiels. That's a fact. I loved them, but they didn't get the treble right, for me.. I don't want this to generate a whole rap about Thiels: pro and con. I do understand what you're saying, however, but the CS 1.5s were a little rough on top. Just a little, but it was too much for me. You guys are right about time and familiarity with my music system. Probably the level I'm at now, I will be able to descern, more easily, how, my future needs can be met with a change. Please don't let this cathartic revelation stop your posts. I love it...
How do you determine your weakest link?
I still, after all these years in the audio game, do not get this: I started, last year, with a speaker upgrade; which I was very happy with. Then, new stands for my monitors. The rest is history. Everything went. I finally ended with upgrading my CDP to integrated, IC. That difference, too, is blowing my mind. The litany of audio lingo seems to be redundant when describing sounds of ICs,amps, preamps, speakers. You know the deal. Everything from soundstage (my personal favorite. just fooling ya) to upper end detail. When I changed my Thiels because I wasn't happy with the upper end harshness, I knew it was the speakers. Would I have known it was from the speakers if I hadn't read posts and reviews galore about Thiel upper end harshness? Maybe (if I hadn't read) I could have decided that I needed a new, softer sounding, laid back, integrated? Since I have changed everything else, since my speaker upgrade, my upper end (as well as a ton of other things) continues to change for the positive. Now, I love my system. Really do. Eventually, however, I know, I will feel I'm missing something. How will I know which component will get me that something? Sorry about the cirmlocution? Thanks in advance my fellow audiophools. warren