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My system is bright? I need help. thanks

Hi. it is my first time here in this forum. i would appreciate input and help from all of you. No sacrasm or bad langauge please. I had bad experience with other forums in that aspect. music loving people and audiophiles should be an elite, high caliber and classy community. This is rare to find today. Ok Down to the point.

My system
Musical fidelity kw 500 sacd player. I use the tube output.
Musical fidelity kw 500 integrated amp.
speakers:eggleston andra (not andra 2)
speaker cable: satori acoustic zen
interconnects: Nordost baldur and nordost quatrofil RCA
USe a dedicated 20 amp line with regular power cords(came with the gear) and a panamax 20 amp surge protector and filter.

This is in my family room so there is little room for treatment and moving things around.

problem: bright. the highs are killing my ears, after 1-2 hours of listening my ears start to hurt,sometimes 3 minutes. I have to turn the volume down. I tried postioning, it got a little better. I will try acoustic zen silver ref II may be it will help. The sound is otherwise phenomenal, i could be happy with more bass, but overall it is very good. Depth, tranparency, acuity and soundstaging are great. As for mids, i can see the person infront of me,I can hear the articulation of the tongue in the mouth before the words and tunes comes out. no kidding, but not for long because of fatigue.

I would really appreciate your input.
Scientist73
scientist73

Showing 5 responses by boa2

boa2's avatar
boa2
1,551 posts
 
1) Room, if possible. Anything reflective right behind your seating position?
2) ICs...Cardas is an excellent suggestion. Most likely the answer in this case.
3) PCs...even the $8 Volex was a big improvement over stock. No more high-end glare.
4) Plug one component at a time directly into the wall.
5) A fuller-bodied amp...BAT, McIntosh, etc...they mate well with the Andras

Best of luck!
boa2's avatar
boa2
1,551 posts
 
From my perspective, the troubleshooting list is the same, though I would also try and play with speaker toe-in/out. Also, is the plasma sitting between the speakers? I couldn't tell from your description. They can really brighten things up. I don't know if you can possibly drape something over it during listening sessions.
Otherwise:
1) ICs
2) PCs
3) Plug amp directly into the wall
4) McIntosh MC402 & possibly tube preamp (unless running direct satisfies you)

Thank you for a thorough explanation. It's much easier for the crowd to make suggestions when we can fully understand the factors at hand. Best of luck, and please post how things resolve for you.
boa2's avatar
boa2
1,551 posts
 
That's great news!!!
boa2's avatar
boa2
1,551 posts
 
I too think a different amplifier will be your ultimate solution. However, you're not changing amps now, and in the meantime, your system sounds too bright. In my experience, the line between musicality and piercing headache is often crossed by simply changing ICs and/or PCs. Absolutely try different cables, especially some warmer ICs. If you are pleased with the result, and you can enjoy the music, your problem is solved.
boa2's avatar
boa2
1,551 posts
 
Scientist73,
Why wouldn't you consider replacing the KW 500 amplifier with one that mates better with your speakers? You mentioned the MC402, which happens to be in the same price range as you could expect to get for your KW 500. You could then either stick with the same CDP and use a pair of attentuators, or get a CDP that has an internal volume control (RA Opus 21, Wadia, Audio Aero Capitole, etc...) at least until you possibly decided to try out some preamps. The brightness would be gone, and you wouldn't be out any additional money.

FWIW, I've heard the a pair of Von Schweikert VR4Sr's with three different amp/CDP combinations. Only with the MF combo that you have did it sound exactly as you have described.

Just something to think about as you tango with your Andras. :-)
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