2. analog
  3. 190155-38016

sibilance in system

It has been a long while since I have posted here.  I have recently changed my system and am having a not huge issue with sibilance.

System is: Nottingham Spacedeck, SME 309 arm with cable upgrade (not silver), Zyx ultimate 100 cart, vacuum state JLTI phono stage, Cayin A300B SET *WPC integrated with tube upgrades (EML tall mesh 300 B, vintage tubes in other sockets), Omega Super 6 AlNiCo floor speakers.  Interconnects vary, mostly anticables and also Speltz Zeros in line with speakers, pair Omega deep hemp subs.  I only have about 25 hours on the Zyx (had an Airy 3 before, but that went away due to damage, don't ask) and only about 35 hours on the Omegas.  So maybe I should just wait a while?

It is not a huge problem, and varies with the recording.  Tube rolling helped a bit.  I am considering other cartridges or possibly other speakers. 

My listening preferences (what I like in music), wide deep "holographic sound stage.  inner detail and separation, good imaging and proper instrument timbre.  I don't care much about base slam, or what I think folks mean by "musicality".  I listen to a wide range of music, mostly 1960's 1970's rock, and folk; orchestral music; some world music and jazz thrown in.

Any ideas would be welcome, including ways to improve on the preferences listed above without spending more than what my car cost...

Thanks for the bandwidth.

 

oceanica

Showing 1 response by mijostyn

mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 

This is a very common problem. Our hearing is very sensitive at 3 kHz. Most of the time if you turn the volume down the sibilance goes away. Our ear's frequency response changes with frequency. Google Fletcher- Munson to learn more. 

The only piece of equipment that can make this better or worse is the loudspeaker. You can sometimes change the frequency response of the system by changing the toe-in of the speaker. Early reflection to the side and rear of the speaker can make this worse, deadening those areas can help. If you like to listen at louder levels you have to be able to EQ the treble down. I put a filter at 15 kHz with a very small Q. I can move it up and down with volume to compensate. The BBC uses a notch filter at 3 kHz creating what they call the Grundy curve which neutralizes the sibilance associated with female voices, violins and horns. 

You will be wasting money turning over equipment randomly. The best EQ is digital. If your system is all analog Schiit makes a nice little analog EQ unit. 

More to discover