Cary 303 CD - Very Detailed - Fixes?

Try some cheap/free temporary fixes if it is realy driving you crazy right now. You could attempt to tune (or detune) the CD player by experimenting with different isolators. If you are using cones, don't. Try resting the player on different materials laying around the house. It could be a tea towel, mouse pads a mailing envelope etc. You get the idea. Isolation teqniques work both ways. You may also grow to like the additional detail in time. "It is new and therefore we must fear it" is my usual first reaction to a drastic change in sound. I am not audiophile and tend to look for quick easy and sometimes temporary solutions to audio problems. So, please take my advice with a grain of salt. If it seems reasonable though, what's it going to cost to try?

I promise you, the Shearwaters sound "blacker" than most speakers, that is, the treble is very organic sounding- not necessarily rolled off, but definately relaxed. I auditioned a pair a while back. If it were me, I would play around with cheap tweeks until I got my new speakers broken in (that will be quite a while with the Meadowlarks) then, try different speaker cables if it still sounds bright. If you cant find speaker cables that float your boat, DONT BUY ANY. until you throw the interconnects into the mix. It sounds to me like a detailed CD player into a tubed intergated into the Meadowlarks is a match made in heaven. My suggestion (or prophecy) is that you end up with some neutral interconnects and speaker cables. Audioquest and Cardas are considered pretty neutral. You will be able to find an Interconnect/speakercable scheme that mates well with the Meadowlarks and your Cary and your Mesa. It's all about the journey, good luck

Hi, I have H.R. Shearwaters and a Cary integrated sli80. The combination is wonderful. I would advise that you wait til you get the Shearwaters, then you've gotta let them break in for a LONG time, like 300-500 hours. But it's worth it. The highs IMO, will be Very smooth and natural. Also, I've noticed quite a difference with other tubes. When I replaced my Sovtek6922's with some Tungsrams, and got some Raytheon 6SN7's, the highs "went farther up", but were smoother. You're making a great choice with the Meadowlarks. You will have an incredible system, probably similar to mine, although I need a good CDP or DAC as the final upgrade- presently I'm using a Marantz cd63, my plan is to get a Bel Canto DAC 1. (The Cary is too$$ for me at this point). Enjoy

I agree with Gthirteen.