How to remove harshness from my digital gear

You can certianly add bandaids like tibe buffers and cables that compress the sound. However, you will be sacrificing detail, imaging and ultimately liveness.

I have completely eliminated harshness by reducing first the biggest problem tht causes this and that is jitter. Next I have eliminated the active preamp, which reduces ,distortion, ,noise and compression. Finally, eliminating as many ground-loops in the system as possible.

A better strategy is to find the cause of the problem and eliminate it, which in general causes the system to be simple with shorter signal paths.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Geoff - the CD sounds thin due to jitter from the badly formed pits. Rip the CD with dbpoweramp to .wave file and then rewrite onto a CDROM using a good writer and you will experience lower jitter. Reclock the CD transport and you will experience even lower jitter.

IME, its easier and less expensive to go the computer audio route to achieve lower jitter than CD players.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Robsker - there are two things you can do to eliminate hum, short of buying different components:

1) try changing the AC power for each component. IF they are all on the same circuit, this should minimize it, but may not stop it. Different phases from the panel will definitely cause hum. Lots of separate power feeds to a single system is usually disastrous.

2) Get a transformer buffer/isolator like the Final Drive or a TVC like the Music First to replace your preamp. This will break some ground loops.

Other things that can cause hum are: direct connection of a cable TV system to your system ground. Buy a Jensen RF isolator and insert in the CATV cable to stop this. Some components just have screwy earth grounding, so hum can be impossible to eliminate on these....

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

RL - there are all kinds of things that make it harder for a CD transport to read a CD, including:

1) out of round CD
2) warped CD
3) mal-formed pits
4) static charge - creates forces on the head
5) electron energy level in the polymer - can be affected by exposing to certain light frequencies
6) coating on the CD - just like multicoated lenses - changes refraction and makes it easier for the laser to penetrate the polymer
7) edge treatments - reduces the reflected energy inside the polymer

Try any of these on a truly resolving system and you will hear an improvement.

This is one reason why I don't bother with CD's anymore. Just play tracks on my SS drive.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Sloth - I recommend against using any kind of band-aids to solve system issues, however there is a role for DSP and that is:
1) speaker correction
2) room correction

With the advent of ultra-transparent EQ tools like that in Amarra player, this is not only possible, but will elevate the SQ of any system.

Most speakers don't have perfect crossovers or room response, so they need a little EQ.

ALL rooms have resonances on both axis. Reducing the effect of these room resonances improves bass clarity significantly and makes bass much more enjoyable.

I use this EQ in all of my systems and at shows with great effect (many best of shows).

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Lowrider - what can I say? Its the internet and free MP3 music that killed the CD.

Better transfer them to SS memory before the ones you have start degrading. They eventually degrade.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio