Does it happen on every recording, or just a few?? Are they the exact same resordings that you're comparing the CD/SACD playback to?? It could easily be the recordings themselves and have nothing to do with your system. Everyone talks about tweaking things or changing components, but that can't make up for microphone placement, the original hall or studio, the choice of microphone, equalization in the recording process, the volume of the individual players, etc. If they are the exact same recordings, you may want to wait until you have a few hundred hours on the TT and preamp before worrying.
Musical Complexity Issues???
I am having some issues with playback on my new analog system. Solo and small group accoustic music sounds great, as well as well recorded rock (no oxymoron comments, please) but complex orchestral pieces, Mahler et al, sound somewhat congested, and it is difficult to differentiate the different parts of the orchestra. The system seems to have broken in a bit, as I have about 20 hours on the cartridge and preamp.
The system is a Clearaudio Champion with the RB300 tonearm with Clearaudio's "quint" wiring, and an Aurum Beta cartridge. Added a "heavy weight" to some positive effect. The phono preamp is a Gram Amp SE. The system amplification is a Sony TAP-9000 analog pre with a Adcom 7400 MC power amp (system is multiuse) going to Dynaudio 1.8 Mk II speakers. Cabling from phono pre out is Nordost Solar Wind. The turntable was set up using a Wallytracker mirrored plate, a Shure tracking force gauge and a gauge block I milled out of a chunk of Derlin to simulate the Wallytracker VTA setup. VTA is set up flat.
I don't have these problems with large scale pieces using my CD SACD system, a Sony SCD555ES, but on some CD's I get a good seperation of the orchestral parts, but the music as a whole dosen't come together to the slight detriment of the piece as a whole. The SACD orchestral works sound stupendous.
Any suggestions? Long term plan is to go with an EAR 834P or Audio Research PH3, but ran out of slush fund cash and wife wants new hardwood floors upstairs. Any cheap improvements would be appreciated. VTA adjustments? Tweaky oddities?? Chicken entrails??? I'm flexible, just cash strapped.
Thanks
The system is a Clearaudio Champion with the RB300 tonearm with Clearaudio's "quint" wiring, and an Aurum Beta cartridge. Added a "heavy weight" to some positive effect. The phono preamp is a Gram Amp SE. The system amplification is a Sony TAP-9000 analog pre with a Adcom 7400 MC power amp (system is multiuse) going to Dynaudio 1.8 Mk II speakers. Cabling from phono pre out is Nordost Solar Wind. The turntable was set up using a Wallytracker mirrored plate, a Shure tracking force gauge and a gauge block I milled out of a chunk of Derlin to simulate the Wallytracker VTA setup. VTA is set up flat.
I don't have these problems with large scale pieces using my CD SACD system, a Sony SCD555ES, but on some CD's I get a good seperation of the orchestral parts, but the music as a whole dosen't come together to the slight detriment of the piece as a whole. The SACD orchestral works sound stupendous.
Any suggestions? Long term plan is to go with an EAR 834P or Audio Research PH3, but ran out of slush fund cash and wife wants new hardwood floors upstairs. Any cheap improvements would be appreciated. VTA adjustments? Tweaky oddities?? Chicken entrails??? I'm flexible, just cash strapped.
Thanks
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