grainy sounding high end system

Lots of good suggestions above. (The point about preamp/amp impedance compatability has to do with a preamp having a high output impedance driving an amp having a low input impedance, causing rolled-off bass response. This could help explain prominent treble response as well as weak bass, but would not by itself have an impact on treble graininess.) I suspect situations like yours are a lot more common than many audiophiles care to admit, so bravo for facing your perdicament honestly, and don't feel alone. As has been posited, there are more possible culprits than you can shake a stick at. This just points up the fact that the most important component to achieving a good-sounding system isn't anything you can buy - it's the audiophile him- or herself. I'm sure that if you keep working at it, learning as you go like we all do, your efforts and expense will be rewarded in the end, simply because you are using your ears.

Put some rugs on the floor.

The comment made by "Zaikeman" that situations like this are more common than many audiophiles care to admit is right on. Surely an uphill battle with so details (many of which "Benthar" addressed) that need our attention/fine tuning. One another comment I'd like to make is that components need to "settle in." I've noticed recently with the new set of speakers that I've bought that everytime I move them about trying to find their best position in my living room the bass/warmth takes time to develop. This is frustrating but one must have patience. The point made about leveling speakers and making sure they don't wobble are excellent points. "Stanley" makes a small all plastic
level(around$4) that works great. I personally never realized quite how much such little things influence system performance until recently. Many lessons to be learned!

1.I've heard your front end (player/DAC) in other systems and it is very bright and sibilant. Since others may think it is ok, I can only say what I heard in a hi-rez system; could these components be variable? I would explore other players perhaps the new Ayre. 2. You have an additive effect of the player/DAC with the ML amp which can sound a bit mechanical if not driven properly. 3. Another issue is that the tubes and caps in the CJ may be on their way out. 4. I just replaced Stock Russian tubes in my amp front end with NOS Amperex and Telefunken and there really is a difference.

With all those purchases, have you made any good friends in your local stores? Is there anyone whose opinion you trust? Maybe someone else with a good ear will come over to give you some opinions and suggestions. I recently had a guy from one of the local shops come to my house. He helped fine tune my speaker placement, made suggestions on what would be the next logical upgrades and tweaks, and even opened up my preamp and helped me compile a list of capacitors to upgrade. I have spent enough time and money in his shop, and enough time cultivating our friendship, that he did this for free and did not try to sell me anything from his store.

I realize that this type of service is rare, and that finding a trustworthy and truly knowledgeable salesperson is even harder, but it's worth the effort to search out these people. It's taken me a couple of years of talking with Mike to learn that he really knows his stuff, and that he's not always in "sales mode".

There are three decent high-end stores in my town, and I try to visit them often and spend enough time with the various employees to determine who is a good resource. I also try to spread my purchases around to avoid getting a reputation as a window shopper. It's been well worth the effort.

JD