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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 2 responses by daverz

daverz
487 posts
 
I was going to suggest the long wall placement, but it sounds like you've discovered this already. A room with lots of reflective surfaces can cause the sound to harden as the volume is increased, so you want to get the speakers away from walls as is practically possible.

For the bass issue, try moving the speakers closer or further away from the wall a couple inches at a time.

I have that "20-bit" KOB issue, and it does have a lot of distortion. Maybe someone can comment on the gazillion other KOB reissues.

As for hiss, it sounds like your system is just letting you hear what's on the recording. You might experiment with your tone controls on these recordings.
daverz
487 posts
 
There are some computer programs like that, but I'm not sure how sophisticated they are. I think real rooms -- sheetrock vs. plaster vs. concrete, suspended floors, alcoves, heating ducts, furniture, doors, hallways, etc -- would pretty much confound the results.
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