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Likely culprit for harshness at higher volumes?

Hi,

I'm a newbie to higher end audio. I have a very modest system:
1) Pre-amp: Anthem AVM2
2) Amp: Adcom GFA-5400
3) Source: Sony CDP-X111ES CD player
4) Speakers: KEF C75
5) Toslink between source and pre-amp; cheap RCA cables from pre-amp to amp; 16 or 18 gauge speaker wire (Radio Shack?)

Room setup (10-ish feet x 20-ish feet rectangle):
1) 2 foot deep cabinets along one wall (20-ish foot)
2) Components stacked on top of small end table against rear wall (10 foot); centered between cabinets and opposite wall.
3) Speakers slightly in front of end table and about 2 feet from side walls and 4 feet from rear wall

Sounds good at about -45 to -25db; but higher frequencies get harsh at higher than -25db.

Appreciate your thoughts.
saru

Showing 3 responses by blkadr

blkadr
739 posts
 
I would try decent (not necessarily expensive) analog cables instead of the Toslink first.
blkadr
739 posts
 
You say "hardness", can you be more specific? It's hard to determine if you have electronic or an acoustics problem. Throw some blankets up and listen. If that helps you can experiment with different approaches. Sometimes you can put big plants, bookshelves, or other objects to disperse instead of absorb the sound. This can be an alternative if damping makes the room too dull.
blkadr
739 posts
 
Almarg's suggestion about headphones may apply here. Anthem says the phone output is "in parallel with main path". I take this to mean it is the preamp circuit. Many components that offer phone output use a separate cheap circuit which would not reflect the sound you get from your speakers.
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