[kbuzz3]

I have been using the super three narrow ALnico version for the last year while i wait for my triode kt 66 vintage amps to be restored.  The amps are finally hear and now I notice a very annoying touch of siblence.  I cant seem to shake it via placement or pre amp swapping.

This is odd as the temporary amps i have used over the last year have a repuation for being a bit harsh up top (either the flying mole or sonic impact) and the restored amps are tube all the way.

I live in an apt so space is limited and equipment swapping is problematic.  But i would appreciate any reccomendations from fellow omega owners. Is it possible that the alnicos need to rebreak in after a brief non use period.

here is the system which is not  top end heavy and quite frankly i have never had this problem.

source EVS modded phillips 963 or bolder modded oppo solo or into a modded meitner bitstream with pulsar digital ic> via dimarzo IC (long) to restored vintage fisher 400c preamp (or restored pilot 216 pre) via audiopath silver ics to gallo mps amp/over to signal cable silver resolution ic to amps...

thanks all...the variables are large and suggest any opinions on where to start before i start spending money....initial thoughts are

[Jon L]

IME the belief that digital amps must be harsh and that tube amps must be "softer" is often proven wrong.  T-amps, Equibit/Panasonic, Spectron, NuForce that I've heard are all very smooth without peask.  Bad SS amps of 80's can be harsh, but there are not many of these left these days, either.

Tube amps, especially older designs, CAN be peaky, spitty, ringing, and brittle with sibilance galore.  I would definitely try soft-type footers under tube gear if that's the problem, and Herbie tube dampers can do wonders in strategic tubes.

Having said all that, I would get some good non-silver cables or REALLY great silver cables first

[Bemopti123]

i do not have the said version of your peakers, but i do own a f200a based speaker, which is the larger brother of the drivers used in your br set up.  i drive mt mass loaded transmision lines with ss chip monoblocks...there is no sibilance so to speak.  none.  in fact i call i the alnico magnet sound signature, robust, with plenty of weight as well as being clean top to bottom.  
check the interconnects as someone else have stated...if that is not the case, you might have to wait for your tubed amp to be rebuilt to see if it is the choice of amplification which is giving you the sibilance.  
when the amp comes and you still feel that there is sibilance, then, i say check the speaker itself...sometimes, untamed backwave which is not absorbed in the cabinet can produce a peak in the response of the speaker, which will tilt the presentation upward.  ah, do not forget to break those drivers in....people have recommended a good 100-even 500 hours of proper break in to really get to the heart of the alnico driver.


great drivers btw.

[Bwanagreg]

I too find the T-amps (mine is a Bolder battery-powered model) far smoother than my previous el-34 amps (which were admitedly cheap AMC 2030's) with my TS-1's. I did find that vibration damping helped the tube harshness quite a lot, but nevereliminated it. Get some good tube dampers and vibration feet and I bet you'll notice a difference.

Cable swapping helped a lot also. I ended up with the copper Eichmann ICs and Mapleshade speaker cables.

[Louis O]

Hi kbuzz,

Many thanks for your post and the recommendations are excellent. The one thing that I picked up on right away is the re-break in. It’s very true that when these drivers sit for a while, they have to get broken in again. The Alnico takes the most time especially the F120A. I would go through the break in first before taking the next step. I can also take care of some new mods that I’m now using with the HempTones that would be beneficial.

Thanks again,
Louis

[kbuzz3]

LC

Id like to get some more info on the mods. Is it best to post here or call. Thanks.

thanks all for the suggestions also. Ive ordered some tube dampers and will experiment with ics...

[Louis O]

Hi kbuzz3,

The best is to call and set up a time to upgrade.

It's a damping upgrade and I want to treat the drivers too.

Thanks again,
Louis

[Tralfaz]

Hi kbuzz3!

I just wanted to post some random thoughts on your situation.  Take them for what they're worth...

It appears you have been using your speakers while the amps were being rebuilt.  If that's the case they are probably broken-in, so that is not likely to be the issue.  My apologies if I misunderstood this.

My thinking runs on two lines:
Since we try to build our systems around a certain synergy (amps to speakers, cartridge to preamp, etc.) it's possible the cables that sounded so good before might not be a good match for the equipment you are now using.  As another possibility, your new tube amps might not mate well with your preamp.

My other thought is that your new amps may need some time to "settle in".  New capacitors and new tubes can take a while to show their true colors, and things can sound worse before they get better.  Also, some "tube rolling" may help out as different tube brands (and vintages) can radically affect the sound of the equipment in which they're being used.

When swapping things around, try to limit yourself to one change at a time, so you can identify what changes improve things and what changes don't.  Also, give the changes some time to manifest themselves, if you can.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

[kbuzz3]

Well I want to thank all for the suggestions, I have adopted a number of them and this as helped lower the noise floor and hash to the system. (vh audio hot box with filter, gutwire gutpad on top of the cdp, herbies footers on my dac)

But finally spoke with loius who has resolved 85-90 percent of the problem with a simply diy mod.  As per Mr. Chocos ,  I placed some self stick carpet felt available at any hardware stare in small veticcal strips to the inside of the "driver legs". This has been resulted in a vast improvement in reducing what that extra annoying siblient bite i had been objecting too. YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

LC thinks it will improve even more if i stick some felt on the outside of the driver leg as well.  Havent gotten that far becase  this extra step increases the width of the driver and i would then have to force it back into the cab.  I await further thoughts from lc on this. Maybe narrower type felt

Anyway, I can now, at least on the first modded speaker enjoy all that I know is right about the omegas without waiting for that sibilence to hit and ruin the show.  AHHHHHHHHHHHHH a breath of fresh air.....
Even listed to a dvd of LOTR return of the king and the sountrack was not as fatiguing as before


Next step after new years. Re wiring from audiopath silver with Gregg Straley reality cables both ICs and Speakers.....but thanks to LC for solving my stereo nervosa which was going to bother the heck out of me over the holidasy.

[Louis O]

Hi kbuzz3,

Really happy this worked out and it was the first thing I thought of. If you have the time to stop by the shop we can do a couple of other mods too.

Door is always open.

Thanks again,
Louis