Potential sign of tubes needing replacement?
Also not fun to think about, but as we (and our ears) age, harshness can start to become increasingly worse, especially with speakers that tip towards being more on the detailed side.
Midrange Increasingly Harsh
Lately I've noticed some harshness in the mid-range, especially with violins, clarinets and female voice. I recently bought a CD of female plainchant, and she hits the un-sweet spot so frequently I can't listen to it. I don't listen at high volumes, rarely over nine o'clock on the volume knob. The sound is not anything unnatural, just a less musical presentation and an unpleasant harshness.
I have twenty year old Forest Totems with their original cones, a Prima Luna Dialogue One amp which got new tubes about five years ago and an Arcam CD-73 which got a factory rebuild about three years ago. I have neither the money nor inclination to just start arbitrarily replacing parts, but would appreciate some insight and guidance on likely culprits.
Thanks,
John Cotner
New Ulm, MN