A lot, IMO, depends on the implementation. I have used speakers with ribbon tweeters and currently use speakers with electrostatic tweeters and feel that ribbons and electrostats typically have very clean treble, which makes them less prone to exaggerate sibilance. However, I would imagine a well engineered dome tweeter in a well engineered speaker also could be good.
To my mind, the frequent causes of sibilance are frequency anomalies from 8 kHz to 10 kHz. They may be caused by microphones that have peaky response or speakers that likewise have peaky response. (Many audiophile speakers have peaks around 10 kHz.) Also, any part of the reproduction chain that adds distortion to high frequencies will likewise cause sound that is similar or identical to sibilance. Finally, poor room acoustics if untreated will compound the problem.
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Like with any driver, implementation matters. Modern dome tweeters are far far better than described there, and some ribbons are notoriously splashy. That is, have a lot of distortion which makes them sound extra airy. Also, not sure how many ribbons out there have wave-guides to begin with, most of the ribbons I can think of do not. Among the most expensive, RAAL, for instance, I can't remember seeing one wiht a waveguide.
If that's what you are looking for I encourage you to look at the top-end Mundorf capacitors as IMHO they stand out because of this kind of coloration.
Also, a GOOD AMT beats them both for high frequency extension, low distortion, and power handling. The Beyma horn loaded AMT is particularly interesting for wide dispersion.
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Also, there’s a new era of Textreme dome tweeters that have come out claiming exceptional resistance to the effects described in the OP’s quote. Will we actually hear it? I have no idea, modern domes are really good already.
PS - Like all other drivers, AMTs come in bad/cheap versions as well, so I don't want to imply that AMTs will always beat out a dome, ring, ribbon. Implementation matters, both in terms of the individual driver and it's integration into a speaker system.
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I’d imagine, as with most things in audio, that there are tradeoffs somewhere otherwise one technology would win out and become ubiquitous, which is clearly not the case. Speaking with a well-known, high-end amp designer, when I asked him why he used bipolar versus MOSFET output devices he said he could use either and it usually comes down to which the designer is more comfortable using. It’s probably something similar in deciding which type of tweeter design to use.
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Ribbons make me crazy. way to etched.
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Another problem with exotic tweeters (design or materials used) is that they often dictate the type of crossovers used. Not a fan, so far, of either ribbons or AMT type tweeters. I still prefer silk domes.
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OK. I suspected what I’d read was overly simplistic and comments here appear to be consistent with my suspicion.
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I'd prioritize the causes of sibilance by first, electronics, then room acoustics, cabling and lastly the speaker. Back in the day I found that mid priced phono cartridges had that hifi clarity and crispness but at the expense of increased sibilance. I wanted to blame my speakers. Then I bought a high end phono cartridge and one of the differences I found was that the highs were smoother and sibilance was gone. I still had that crisp, clean clarity but no sibilance.
Fast forward some decades and I have found the same truth with digital. Changing out cables or dampening the room can reduce sibilance but at the sacrifice of clarity. I found a better DAC was the best solution to eliminating sibilance. Still have that clarity and crispness but the fatiguing "SSSS" is gone. Didn't have anything to do with the speakers. Sure, a few recordings are out there with a hot mic but even those are much less irritating than before.
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Interesting subject. I have had aluminum domes that were good (Elac and Celestion) and great fabric domes by Scanspeak in several speakers, and I have to agree with a previous poster that sometimes the sibilance that is blamed on the tweeter is actually the tweeter revealing a peaky microphone used during the recording.
That said, I think that implementation is the key, and there have been advances of course. My current speakers use the Scanspeak beryllium tweeter, and I have to say that it is the best I have owned. No exaggeration of the treble, just pure and clear with great dynamics.
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@tonywinga
Can you say more about the dac factor? For example, which dacs were involved?
I ask because I'm currently using the internal AKM dac in my Hegel H390. AKM dacs are not, so far as I've read, usually regarded as peaky. I did sell my Aqua La Voce because it was fatiguing, but this did not reduce sibilance.
@roxy54
Interesting. There seems to be much divergence of opinion re: beryllium tweeters.
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@stuartk
Yes, there is disagreement. I heard a speaker a few years ago with a beryllium tweeter, and even though the treble was very clean and dynamic, it was a bit to prominent for my taste. Then last summer I bought a used set of speakers with the scanspeak beryllium tweeter and it was balanced correctly with the rest of the spectrum, and it ir very good.
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A driver’s inherent traits are only one aspect of it’s end performance. As mentioned by at least of couple of folks, how something is implemented is critically important. So everything "depends".
There are pros and cons with every single choice. Speaker designers are inevitably faced with "pick your poison" options (sometimes multiple times), then have to figure out the best methods of dealing with that choice.
IMHO, sibilance and over brightness are far too common, and it’s one of the most annoying aspects of many systems. Many things can cause sibilance. From the range that a given tweeter is used, how it’s crossed over, where it’s crossed over, the parts it’s crossover with, it’s output level, frequency response, wires, connectors, baffle reflections, etc. Many times tweeters are simply too bright because of too much output...sometimes by choice so a speaker stands out in the show room, and sometimes because the designer perceives it as more detail. Other times, it’s those subtle nuances that are so difficult to measure or prove in an A/B test, or a more complex combination of things. True vividly clear treble requires a lot things going right upstream from the tweeter...many simply settle for treble emphasis and mistake it for clarity.
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@knotscott
IMHO, sibilance and over brightness are far too common, and it’s one of the most annoying aspects of many systems.
...and far too often I've read or watched a review of gear that sounded promising only to be disappointed at the end by the disclosure that the product is "somewhat forward". This seems to be a very common refrain, these days. Do most people simply prefer overtly bright sound?
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I use modified Great Heils and there is no sibilance in my system.
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@stuartk
...and far too often I’ve read or watched a review of gear that sounded promising only to be disappointed at the end by the disclosure that the product is "somewhat forward". This seems to be a very common refrain, these days. Do most people simply prefer overtly bright sound?
It sucks doesn’t it?! Good info can be tough to come by, so we often end up going our own way, which in the end can be a blessing, but is really tough to those starting out.
I really can’t answer about other’s preferences, but many speakers are intentionally made bright to stand out in a showroom to the unsuspecting. Think profit over sound quality. Many music lovers and audio enthusiasts lean heavily on advertising, sales pitches, and recommendations, and it works. Many people don’t know the difference if their only reference is a bright system from a box store. IMHO, most major corporate owned brands are too bright, have too much sibilance, or both....maybe intentionally, maybe due to cheap parts and cutting costs on the parts you can’t see (caps, resistors,e tc, which many try to argue you can’t hear either 🙄)
I can also say that many/most reviewers get paid in ways rarely discussed in public, which can and does influence the outcome of a review. There’s also the subjective influence that a reviewers opinion may simply differ from someone else’s. Your opinion matters most. Lastly, I’d be remiss not to mention that some reviewers are great writers, but are mediocre listeners....IMHO of course! 😄
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@stuartk Since you are the OP sure, I can wander a little off topic to discuss DACs a bit. Keep in mind I am an engineer, not a professional reviewer. So I will do my best to communicate what I hear and experience. It was 3.5 years ago that I bought the Ayon Stealth Xs DAC and Ayon CD-TII Transport. The sound of this pair blew me away. I heard clarity and detail in my CDs like I had never heard my CDs before. But with that clarity came the occasional sibilance and the highs could be a little hot at times or edgy. That lead me to try different cables and room treatments. It helped. I also bought a very good power conditioner and eventually a better power cord which helped smooth out the highs quite a bit. I would still encounter a few songs with some irritating sibilance. Overall, I was very happy with the sound of the Stealth Xs and with my NUC based music server.
Then as we all seem to do- we start snooping around at gear and working ourselves into buying something, Back in December I bought the Aeries Cerat Hele'ne DAC with a 30 day trial. I followed that up with the purchase of the Antipodes K50 music server in January. Big mistake financially speaking (I also had to buy my wife something) but wow! This DAC is like the difference between a mid priced phono cartridge and a high end phono cartridge like I was talking about. The highs are creamy smooth with no fatigue or indication of sibilance on almost all recordings. I have come across a couple of female vocalist recordings with some sibilance but even those are still very pleasant and easy to listen to. I'll also mention that the rhythm and pace of this DAC (along with my Antipodes K50 music server) is outstanding and the best I have heard in digital matching my vinyl. And I worked a long time to get the right rhythm and pace with my vinyl gear.
I bought my new speakers 1.5 years after buying the Ayon gear. The highs might have changed some but not a lot as I recall. My new speakers brought more powerful and clear bass, more clarity overall and a much improved soundstage.
My turntable sits somewhat neglected as I explore a world of music on Qobuz. I played some vinyl a few weeks ago and was surprised at how close the digital and analog sides sound now. Digital used to be a very different sound.
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...and far too often I’ve read or watched a review of gear that sounded promising only to be disappointed at the end by the disclosure that the product is "somewhat forward". This seems to be a very common refrain, these days. Do most people simply prefer overtly bright sound?
I think many audiophiles do, especially the ones who aren’t into truly acoustic (unamplified) music. Often sound-reinforcement systems are ear-splittingly bright, and that can seem normal to some.
Another issue is that many hi-fi speakers have a rise in response in the sibilance range. (Just look at the measurements in Stereophile or Soundstage.) That treble excess can be perceived as more detail (well, in a sense it IS more detail), but the joy of that detail can be killed when the excess begins to irritate.
Finally, I suspect that sort of exaggerated detail is useful in selling speakers, because it makes them more impressive. (Many reviews say something like, "I heard things I never heard before in this recording"?) It’s long after the credit card has been charged that the peaky treble starts to rub the buyer the wrong way.
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@knotscott
Good info can be tough to come by, so we often end up going our own way, which in the end can be a blessing, but is really tough to those starting out.
Yes, in the end we each have to figure out what we like. I envy those who can base buying decisions solely on specs. I try not to buy anything I cannot hear at home and return if necessary but I've found I can still make mistakes, even with home demos. A certain amount of trial and error appears to be unavoidable.
@tonywinga
The sound of this pair blew me away. I heard clarity and detail in my CDs like I had never heard my CDs before.
I had this experience with more modest gear. The jump in resolution was very significant and it took me a good 6 months before I noticed I didn't really feel much like listening to my system.
@mike_in_nc
Another issue is that many hi-fi speakers have a rise in response in the sibilance range.
I'll definitely pay more attention to such specs in future.
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I listen to many quality speakers through many audio get togethers I think
the latest Borresen X or Z series speakers have a Exceptional ribbon extremely light and fast ,and being in a wave guide it is far faster,better sound staging
and exceptional detail. And it sounds more smooth then razor sharp like many Beryllium or diamond types .I think their X series is a excellent value
and their Danish Audio group is on to something in electronics with reducing noise
ine being their multiples of Tesla coils . My brother has some of their products .
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While each driver has characteristics, so to does the equipment. Poor power supply transformers can cause a variety of issues.
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I think a lot of it also has to do with the room tuning and associated equipment. I have both Magnepan speakers and JM Lab/Focal which use a dome tweeter and don’t find either of them sibilant in my room.
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I hear sibilance in pretty much any ribbon design I’ve heard, PS Audio, Quad, etc being the more recent offenders. You will get fooled at shows because it is a careful choice of safe cherry picked recordings.
You can play with positioning and reduce some perception of sibilance, but, will start negating other benefits of the tweeter. You can tactfully tame it if you have front end electronics that give you some PEQ, however (i.e., when you're a straight wire w/gain purist kinda guy, sibilance can stroke you ssssweetly, lol)
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@roxy54 what speakers (tweeters) have you owned and what current Be speakers are you referring to? Might DIY something soon and will be making that choice.
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@audioman58
Thanks for pointing out a speaker utilizing a ribbon with waveguide.
@bigkidz
You mean in my amp? So far, I haven’t heard that Hegel H390 is deficient in this regard.
@deep_333
Playing with positioning hasn’t helped in my case, although I’m constrained due to system being located in living room. For example, I can pull speakers no further out than 3.5 feet (from front baffle). I’ve played with toe-in extensively and noticed changes in soundstage but not sibi
@arnold_h
Unfortunately, I cannot treat room. Sibilance has only recently become an issue for me, however. With previous systems, I never heard it.
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Imagine a pistonic dome tweeter w no breakup mode until 35 k…. no edge clamping distortion, Scanspeak drive, bespoke carbon fiber ( Satt grade ) balsa diaphragm…. Granted availability is limited to floorstanders in the line at $10 k and North. But of course i also own or have owned various ribbons, AMT, electrostatics… nothing is perfect… yet.
There is a decent review of the speaker i refer to in this months AS rag. You can stop by my place in Seattle to hear that…. or the less expensive model in Sunny California…..
Best to those chasing musical Nirvana….
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By the way, whether or not a dome tweeter is pistonic in audible frequencies is not a very esoteric question requiring laser diffraction measurements or anything like that. Just look at the distortion plots to compare tweeter A to B and that will tell you most of what you want to know.
I also just want to point out that modern "normal" domes (post 2000) are just sooooooo soo much better than the domes available in the 1980’s. Flat to past 20 kHz, go down to 2kHz? ,no problem!! And ring radiators? Amazing. This argument feels a little as if it were stuck back in the 80’s.
Worth keeping it all in perspective, that some users tweeter’s die and they barely notice it. 😁Why? Most of the music is in the midrange. It’s always fun to talk tech and possibilities of advanced motors, but audiophiles do sometimes get obsessive over the part of the speaker that produces the least sound. Want a really excellent speakers? You want a fantastic midrange.
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@stuartk have you reached out to Silverline designer to get his take on your situation? Just a thought.
these speakers are 90.5db and 8ohms. It’s very possible that the design is intended for a low power SET amps. The specs are very similar to DeVore and those allegedly sing with SET amps. Your hegel could be too much of a good thing.
It’ll most likely come down to either changing the amp or the speakers.
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@audphile1
Sent you PM in reply to your first question.
I intend to demo other speakers when my budget allows, starting with Fritz Carbon7SE’s.
RE: amplification:
The SR17 is fairly efficient (nominally 90.5 dB/watt @ 8 ohms), but more importantly it’s easy to drive - my Ayre AX7e, known for being rather limited in the power delivery department, sounded open and effortless. Alan Yun said the Dynaudio drivers love current and will benefit from powerful amplifiers, yet will sing with low-powered tube amps. I can confirm it loved the grunt of the 300wpc Bryston 4B Cubed, yet I never felt lower-power amps like the Ayre or Bryston B60 integrateds were lacking for dynamics. And my favorite pairing by far was with the 55-watt Valvet A4 Mk.II class A monoblocks sporting a single pair of bipolar output devices. (Incidentally, Alan’s favorite amp paring with the SR17 is the 30-watt Pass Labs XA30.5, which @mgd-taww can attest to being a magical combo.
When I first heard the Silverlines with the Hegel, I was astonished. My first thought was "This is the first time I’ve heard what these speakers are capable of".
@erik_squires
It’s always fun to talk tech and possibilities of advanced motors, but audiophiles do sometimes get obsessive over the part of the speaker that produces the least sound.
My intention in starting this thread was purely practical: to gain some helpful information to use when shopping for my next speakers.
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OP: Nothing at all wrong with that. :)
I just wanted to point out that marketting hype and audiophiles tend to bias us towards worrying more about the tiniest motor in the speaker.
Some of the most sparkly speakers I’ve heard of late, BTW, were Magicos. B&W’s as well, and I attribute most of that to the choice of Mundorf caps. Go take a listen if you can.
Historically, to get some perspective, the Focal Be and Titanium tweeters had a lot of "sparkle" in them as well. I always attributed this to a mechanical resonance inherent in them.
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@erik_squires
I made the mistake early on of pairing B&W's with Rotel and Creek on the basis of a showroom demo.
Once I set up this system at home, my ears found it quite painful. Important lesson!
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@stuartk
I love your arts and crafts home, and even though I only heard them once, I think that those Silverlines (I only heard the 17) are classics. I recall when they came out and had good reviews, and next thing there were always a few pairs for sale, but then that ended and they are now rarely available, and I think that it’s because owners are keeping them. I would love to own a pair.
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I have heard silk domes, aluminum domes, beryllium domes tgat had sibilance and also others that had no sibilance. It is based on how good the speaker designer is.
That said for me Magico, YG Acoustics, B&W D4 range all have sibilance that annoys my ears and gives me headaches. It is the way they are designed as they all seem to accentuate treble more than others.
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Playing with positioning hasn’t helped in my case, although I’m constrained due to system being located in living room. For example, I can pull speakers no further out than 3.5 feet (from front baffle). I’ve played with toe-in extensively and noticed changes in soundstage but not sibi
@arnold_h
Unfortunately, I cannot treat room. Sibilance has only recently become an issue for me, however. With previous systems, I never heard it.
Stored away somewhere in your house, might you have a dac that came with a PEQ feature, like an RME dac or other? Or can the audio nerd who lives down the street loan you his RME? If so, put a wide Q dip (a small amount) between ~4kish and ~8kish hz and see if that helps.
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@botrytis
I have heard silk domes, aluminum domes, beryllium domes that had sibilance and also others that had no sibilance. It is based on how good the speaker designer is.
For this reason,when I can afford to upgrade speakers, I will only buy what can be demo’d in my room and returned, if necessary. I posed my initial question out of curiosity, to see whether there was any consensus about tweeter design/materials to use as a guide when compiling a list of speakers to consider.
@deep_333
Thanks for your suggestion. Regrettably, I don’t know anyone who used gear with such a feature.
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I don't think you should rule any particular type of tweeter in or out, but your room has a lot to do with the tonal balance. An overly reflective room will sound brighter and accentuate sibilance issues. A well behaved room will make any number of speakers sound good.
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It all depends on the implementation. There are excellent and garbage examples of both. Generally, the pricier tweeters perform better IME.
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I had to Google what sibilance is as it sounds like a sexually transmitted disease that may kill you. A bad itch at best. That said, I own Martin Logan's with their fabulous ribbon tweeter and can attest to a lack of sibilance in how they reproduce highs!
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This is a particularly interesting subject for me, since I have been experiencing sibilance in one form or another with my last two sets of speakers. My previous speakers I first heard sibilance on just a few songs and I believe they were close miked female vocals thinking it was in the recording. Then with my newer more efficient single-driver speakers with expensive drivers, the sibilance is there in spades. I have heard sibilance to some extent with conventional cone-type tweeters however in my limited experiences, I have not heard that sibilance with ribbon-type drivers and the music seemed very realistic and natural on the few ribbon tweeters I've heard, especially on the Magnepan 3.7i's and other similar electrostatics. I really like the micro and macro dynamics and detail with my present speakers however the sibilance on many of my favorite male and female vocals songs comes through with this sibilance, and that is annoying. And I've tried other preamps, digital sources and amplifiers both tube and solid state, even interconnects and speaker cables. It isn't any of that. So I'm in a quandary... I really don't want to proverbially "throw the baby out with the bathwater". I have two really great class-A flea-watt amps. Do I try to install a ribbon tweeter with crossovers to pass 5Khz and up to the ribbon, or do I sell the speakers and go for a pair of Magnepans or something like that... For the Maggies, I'd need a more powerful amplifier ! Ugh ! Perhaps a crossover and ribbon tweeter first...
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Pick any two:
1) Clarity
2) No sibilance
3) Low cost
Sibilance is not about the tweeters. Maybe 30-40 years ago some speakers had hot tweeters. Probably to make up for cheap lamp cord for wiring. The hifi sound is about clarity. Clarity in the highs and clarity in the bass. With that comes the sss‘s and that drives me up the wall too. With vinyl we have a couple of knobs to turn. We can adjust the VTA to tone down the sibilance on vinyl, for example or play with phono preamp impedance when using MC cartridges. Digital is harder. Room treatments and speaker placement can help quite a bit. Beyond that, it is the cable carousel or finding a better DAC or Amp. Sibilance can be tamed but it comes with a cost.
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@liquidsound
This is a particularly interesting subject for me, since I have been experiencing sibilance in one form or another with my last two sets of speakers.
I empathize with your scenario. Sibilance sucks. I'm also in search of a solution for this problem.
@tonywinga
Beyond that, it is the cable carousel or finding a better DAC or Amp.
Please define "better".
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@tonywinga
Yes -- I understood that much. ;o)
What I was hoping, given you knowledge, was that you might be able to make some suggestions re: brands/models/designs/topology or specs. Or is this too system/room dependent???
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Some designers can tailor the crossovers to lessen/eliminate sibilance along with careful driver selection. Others, like Daniel Emonts of Revival Audio uses his own proprietary formula to coat his dome tweeters to help deal with it as well. Lots of ways to skin this cat's hiss but in the end, there's really no reason nowadays to have to deal with it.
If one is experiencing a surfeit of sibilance beyond what's normal on a certain recording, then it may lie in the recording/mastering and you're stuck with it. If that's not it, then cabling and noise pollution can be the culprit.
I can only remember one speaker I had that exhibited more sibilance than what normally occurs and for the life of me, I can't remember the brand and only that it didn't last long before I moved on.
All the best,
Nonoise
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Ok. Several years back in my last home I had my stereo set up in a large great room with a carpeted floor. I changed the floor to Hickory hardwood and was surprised how much better my stereo sounded. I remember having some sibilance on the digital side back then and adding a big rug.
So just over 3 years ago I retired and began updating my stereo. My gear ranged from 16-30 years old- and all was new or nearly new when I bought it. I slowly, over a 2 year period changed everything- cables twice or more. My current listening room here had carpeting but I put in hardwood flooring in late 2021. Yeah, during Covid so I ended up putting the floor down myself. My newly revamped system 3 years ago had clarity in spades. The vinyl side was good but on the digital side highs could get fatiguing and even harsh on some recordings. Sibilance was an occasional occurrence but enough to irritate me.
One of the things I noticed is that as I improved my system I found I could listen to digital louder and louder. Today, the digital side is just as smooth and good as the vinyl side. The sounds of each source are converging. Never expected that.
First, I replaced MIT Cables with Purist middle line of cables. Improved clarity and more detail. Good change. Bought new DAC and CD Transport in late 2020. Great step up in sound. More detail and clarity in CDs that I had ever heard. Downside was a little bit fatiguing at higher volume. Overall, very happy at this point.
Finally got the hardwood floor installed. Not as big an improvement as in my last house but it was still better than carpeting. Bass got clearer and more solid. Highs became a little more fatiguing. Started experimenting with rugs and added GIK room treatments.
Worked on isolation of all components including speakers. Detail increased but so did sibilance. Added more acoustic absorbers on the walls. Helped a little. Bought the AQ Niagara 5000. Big improvement in the highs.
I shopped for speakers starting in mid 2020. I had my Thiel CS6 speakers from 2005 to 2022. I wanted a change. I wanted Wilsons. Finally got the Wilsons in summer of 2022. Now I can hear everything that is wrong with my system. The speakers sounded great. Imaging, bass, rhythm and pace were excellent. Vinyl still beat out digital streaming and CDs- especially for rhythm and pace. But the Wilsons made the shortcomings in the upstream source and cables more evident.
Added the LHY SW-8 network switch. Big improvement in the sound of streaming. Ag plated copper wire ethernet cables helped the highs with streaming.
Started upgrading cables to the higher end line of Purist. Started with the speaker cables and amp power cords. Upgraded the DAC power cord- big improvement to the highs. Finally upgraded all the IC's and power cords on the preamps. Digital never sounded so good but I would still give vinyl the edge.
Then in December I purchased the Aeries Cerat Helene DAC. Agonized a long time over that and considered other high end DACs as well. In the end, I decided on the AC Helene with a trial period. I went from the Ayon Kronos to the Helene. The highs are so smooth. No trace of sibilance. Even more clarity and detail but I can crank it up as much as I want. At this point I could hear a difference between my CD Transport and my NUC based streamer- especially rhythm and pace. So I bought the Antipodes K50. The rhythm and pace of streaming is just like vinyl now. The music just flows.
Short summary: The room interactions play a large part (35%) in contributing to sibilance. Picture a rock band in your school gym during prom. Wool rugs, soft furniture and if you can- absorbers and diffusers help quite a bit too. They also impact imaging.
Electronics contribute 45% as well to controlling sibilance. That clarity and detail we seek comes at a cost. The better gear can get that detail and that clarity without emphasis on sibilance. I have always had tube preamps (since 1988 actually) and that is no guarantee against sibilance. I think my Pass amps are on the warmer side but they will not filter fatiguing highs. The source is where sibilance starts. Tone down the detail and clarity a bit and the source can sound good. It's once you have heard a high level of detail and clarity that it is hard to go back.
Cables contribute roughly 20% as well. Cables won't eliminate sibilance but they are the final touch to a rich, clear detailed sound with no noise. Cables have a big impact on noise. That noise contributes to harsh highs- it's not all about a black background but you get that too. You get what you pay for with cables. Sorry to say. Buying cables is no fun but once I got some of Purist's higher end cables I couldn't stop.
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To clarify- if you try to tone down sibilance with cables, I think your system will sound dull and you will be dissatisfied. And yes, some speakers do have smoother highs than others, I believe. Something about a speaker that draws us to it. Wilson does that for me. So did the Thiels.
The other thing, perhaps the moral of my story is that buying expensive speakers leads to expensive everything else. Well, I get more use out of my stereo now than ever.
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One more comment and then I‘ll stop. Promise.
This is about my room. I just thought of this. True story: The Heating and Air guy was here the other day to service my heat pump. He saw my listening room and took an interest in the room treatments. We were standing in the “Zone“, ie right in front of my listening position. I said to him, “Listen to my voice. Note how clear and crisp my voice sounds. This is not like a typical room that has some echo that would smear the sound of my voice.“. Then I clapped my hands a couple of times and I told him to remember how that sounds. So when we were outside, I clapped my hands again so he could hear how similar it sounded to the clap in my listening room.
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@tonywinga
Thanks for going into detail. You provide percentages for contribution of room, electronics and cables. What percentage would you guess is associated with power conditioning?
@nonoise
Good to know.
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Well, the Niagara had a pretty good effect on the highs. I remember that. I lump it into electronics because I‘m struggling to remember that level of detail. One thing that was disappointing really- I believed that I didn‘t need better power cords for the DAC, Streamer, and preamps since I had the Niagara. That turned out not to be the case. Better power cords still lowered the noise floor on these front end components.
Some people report little to no change with power conditioners. I had a good experience. I brought the Niagara home from Hifi Buys in Atlanta. I could have returned it easily enough if I hadn‘t heard a significant improvement. I also have two dedicated circuits. The amps are on one circuit with no power conditioning but with really good power cords.
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