To all nine responders in under 24 hours ... thanks for your inputs!
I have noticed an improvement from moving the speakers further away from the sidewall, and moving the sofa that was between the speakers to a side wall. Lyrics on vocals are now clearer, the imaging on jazz pieces stable and not at all confused like they were before, and the low level details on classical pieces like the cushion of air from a soft tympani stroke or violin pizzicatos more noticeable. Next step based on your inputs is to move the speakers further from the back wall and play with toe-in and listening chair position.
I have a little more treble energy in the system than I would like, perhaps from the live room. Only absorbing surfaces are a sofa, a chair and the area rug. Any recommendations on managing the treble energy in the room? Rcrerar mentions Jim Smith's books and DVD which I need to check out (so far am reading Robert Hartley's guide which does not have much info on this specific topic.)
Once the acoustics are handled it will be on to the cables and AC power conditioning ... what is your experience with the AC filters that clean out the RF and other noise vs the much more expensive units that create a pure 60 Hz? Do these units really work well with high powered amps that draw 1 to 1.8 kilowatts from the AC mains? Should I consider this just for the CDP and pre?
I have noticed an improvement from moving the speakers further away from the sidewall, and moving the sofa that was between the speakers to a side wall. Lyrics on vocals are now clearer, the imaging on jazz pieces stable and not at all confused like they were before, and the low level details on classical pieces like the cushion of air from a soft tympani stroke or violin pizzicatos more noticeable. Next step based on your inputs is to move the speakers further from the back wall and play with toe-in and listening chair position.
I have a little more treble energy in the system than I would like, perhaps from the live room. Only absorbing surfaces are a sofa, a chair and the area rug. Any recommendations on managing the treble energy in the room? Rcrerar mentions Jim Smith's books and DVD which I need to check out (so far am reading Robert Hartley's guide which does not have much info on this specific topic.)
Once the acoustics are handled it will be on to the cables and AC power conditioning ... what is your experience with the AC filters that clean out the RF and other noise vs the much more expensive units that create a pure 60 Hz? Do these units really work well with high powered amps that draw 1 to 1.8 kilowatts from the AC mains? Should I consider this just for the CDP and pre?