What is the best way to tame a slightly bright speaker?


I know the answer is get a speaker that isn't bright,  but I've got a pair of TAD Evolution Ones that I like quite a bit except that the magnesium midrange and beryllium tweeter are just a little bright for me.  I'm driving them with a D'Agostino Classic Stereo, which I needed to drive my old speakers but I don't need all that muscle for the TADs (89db sensitivity, 4 ohm impedance {doesn't drop below 4 ohms}) recommended power 50 to 250 watts. 

I'd like to get  an amp that does voices especially well.  I know somebody posted recently that a subwoofer solved his brightness problem and I may look into that at some point.  Any and all suggestions are welcome.
128x128tomcy6

Showing 2 responses by motokokusanagi

Room treatment for reflections is high up the list.

Electronically, it would be to increase the resistor value in the tweeter’s high-pass filter on the crossover (e.g. go from a 2ohm resistor to 2.7ohm resistor). This would reduce the level of the tweeter by a db or so and leave everything else the same. But you’d need to be OK removing the drivers, crossover, and soldering. Tweeter crossover capacitors could also be swapped out for more boutique brands with a warmer sound signature. A couple of resistors would just be a few bucks. Boutique caps could get much more expensive depending on brand and values needed.

Otherwise, cable switching (or biwiring) could give you the normal audiophile "solution" to tone controls!

One might also consider a dsp solution for room eq.

A sub does not "solve" bright treble; it would rather change presentation if low end is lacking. Not the same thing.

TBH, everything except room treatment and the resistor change would be of dubious value for money in my eyes.
Toeing out sounds fine. Not to harp on this, but simple attenuation is the right solution. Looking at the crossover, a resistor change looks extremely easy to do cause it appears accessible from the base and detachable with screws.

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55f2f41ee4b0ef7e0849e07a/t/56217563e4b0fd57269f160f/154372792...

The tweeter section is at the top and you’d want to try higher values for the series resistor (before the coil!) to the tweeter’s positive input. Mills MRA is very cheap. You could also even just use alligator clips to parallel on incremental values to the existing resistor to determine the best overall padding. http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-Lpad.htm