I'll start with a bit of history and then try and respond to some of the specifics --
Starting with a very limited budget, I purchased the Paradigm Studio speakers with the aforementioned Yamaha receiver. I learned pretty quickly that trying to run these speakers using just a receiver was futile, if not downright foolhardy. System was very bright (due to poor low end extension)
The next piece to enter into the chain was the Parasound A51 amp. Things improved immediately. Bass response was much improved and overall tonal balance improved.
Also added 3 dedicated 20 amp circuits to the room.
The next addition was the Onkyo SP1000. Partly driven by the video side of things....was experiencing serious macroblocking with a Denon 3910 and had read good things about the Onkyo (an Integra DPS 10.5 clone) on both the audio and video side. Video did improve significantly.....audio was, frankly, no worse...no better.
Still dealing with long duration listener fatigue, I decided that tubes somewhere along the chain would help to improve things. The Modwright pre had received great reviews and Dan Wright was very accomodating, price wise, on a demo piece. As such, I snagged one. I was actually shocked by how much tigher the pre-amp made the low end. Prior to its addition, I always thought the 100s should be capable of more bass for their size. Well....the Modwright certainly brought that out in spades. Again, the improvement in low end helped to balance things out better and by default, tame some of the harshness.
Finally, the dedicated 2- channel amp (A21) was added. Can't say it was noticeable difference from the A51, but I was looking to 7 channels of amplification for HT purposes in the long run, and having a dedicated 2 channel amp (on its dedicated 20 amp circuit) seemed to be the right move.
So....this is where I am. Things have improved, but not to the point where I'm satisfied. I should also be upfront and say that I was initially on a budget with plans for a bookshelf setup driven by a receiver. Well....look where I've ended up. Never really intending to spend the coin that I have (which btw is a lot for me….opinions may differ wildly based on your own particular situation), I never did spend the time to audition equipment (especially speakers) the way I would if I could do it all again today. From what I've read, I'd probably be looking at brands such as Dynaudio and staying away from B&W.
Have you tried a source other than the Onkyo?
Yes, the Denon 3910 prior. Have not tried a dedicated redbook player though.
What cabling are you using?
Nothing fancy. Basic shielded 12 AWG stuff from impact acoustics. Runs are pretty long, ~50 feet. All speakers have the exact same run lengths.
This is a totally WAG, you wouldn't by any chance be using Kinber PBJ for interconnects or Kimber 4/8 TVS/TC loudspeaker cables?
No..see above.
What tubes are in the Modwright?
Tung Sols. Dan Wright felt they would be slightly warmer than the stock Jans.
Has this brightness always been there? Did it just start yesterday? What changed yesterday?
See history above.
Have you played with speaker position? Some speakers lobe certain freqs and toeing in or out can help move the lobe away from the listening position.
I have. Presently have them toed in slightly with the imaginative cross about a foot behind my listening position. Also have the front raised slightly, resulting in the tweeter being pointed slightly upward. Have played around a good bit with positioning, but it didn’t seem to help much on the high-end of things. The low end was greatly impacted by movement i.e. proximity to side/rear walls etc. Currently the speakers are about 3.5 from the rear wall and about 2.5 from the side walls (best I can do given the room size constraints).
Do you have a digital sat receiver near your audio gear?
Is there a power supply near your Modwright?
Is there a dac near your Modwright?
No to all.
Do you use a power conditioner?
Amps and sub are directly into the 20 amp receptacles. Other gear is plugged into a fairly vanilla Monster surge protector (also on a dedicated circuit). I have tried different configurations (direct to outlet etc.), but to my ears there was no perceived difference.
Room treatments work wonders and you should consider some no matter what but you might be surprised what can cause system brightness.
I’ve been thinking about contacting Rives audio for a level 1 consult, but I’m honestly just concerned about blowing a wad of cash on a “solution” that doesn’t work.
“Having heard this speaker many times though”
GHM, can you elaborate please?
“While room treatments should be in EVERY room, they will only do so much in this case”
My gut tells me the same.
“Well, I do have my opinion about the source, amp and speakers but I'll keep it to myself out of politeness, because it is just my own preferance, after all and not his.”
Look, I’m looking for a solution and am not going to be offended by anyones views….even if I disagree with them. You’ve seen the path I’ve taken to get where I am and I’ll be the first to acknowledge that it wasn't the best way. That being said, I am where I am today (after spending what is a good sum of money to me), so the focus is more on a solution. Please fire away…..
“IMHO Speakers first, room 2nd, then source. Everthing else is just tweaking and new toys.”
As afraid to hear it as I am, I think you may be correct.
“Couldn't the Paradigm's metal tweeter have a lot to do with this? I have a metal Focal tweeter in my speakers and that thing is hard to tame.”
I don’t think it’s the tweeter that’s troubling me. I do like crisp highs, it the upper midrange (vocals) that appear to be my issue.
What are peoples thoughts on the Halo amps? I honestly thought they made the biggest positive improvement, followed closely by the Modwright.
Sigh….I think the speaker choice may have not been ideal, however, I’m not ready to hang my hat up yet. Please continue to fire away with thoughts, suggestions, ideas and criticisms.
Thanks
