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New system has fatiguing, harsh high frequency sounds. How to fix?

I just purchased my first audio and home theater system (other than a bluetooth speaker or computer speaker system). I use it for listening to music as well as watching movies. It is a tremendous upgrade and I’m enjoying it. It has clarity and detail that I have never heard before. However, I notice a harshness in the high frequency sounds when listening to music.

I would like my treble to be smooth, sweet, soft, silky and gentle. Right now it is the opposite of that. It is annoying, screechy, metallic and harsh.

I am seeking a solution to that issue. From the little I have been able to find on this subject, it seems that room acoustics might be a big part of my solution. Is that true? If not, what is my next step? An equalizer? I can’t see many options for big changes in speaker placement. At most I can move them a few inches or change the angles.

My listening room is about 11.5 feet by 11.5 feet and square except for the doorway in the back corner which protrudes into the room 18 inches x 44 inches. In the room are a bookcase, couch, end table, media center stand (holding TV, center speaker, receiver, disc player and Roku), computer & computer monitor, my speakers (and rear speaker stands), a ceiling fan and that’s about it... I’m describing the room on the assumption that the room (or its contents) are relevant to the treble problem I’m describing. (However, throwing some thick blankets over my TV and computer monitor, as a test, did not change the issue.)

Here are my home theater components:

  • Computer monitor: WASABI MANGO UHD400 40" 3840X2160
  • TV: LG OLED65C7P 65"
  • Receiver: Sony STRDN1080
  • Disc Player: LG UP875 4K BLU-RAY PLAYER BestBuy SKU 5979504
  • Streaming Box: Roku Ultra streaming player (model 4660)
I mention the monitors (and their size) in case they play a role in reflecting sounds.

Speakers:
  • Front 1: Polk Audio RTi A7 floorstanding speakers
  • Front 2: Polk Audio RTi A5 floorstanding speakers
  • Center Speaker: Klipsch RP-250C Center Channel Speaker
  • Subwoofer 1: Polk Audio PSW125 Subwoofer
  • Subwoofer 2: Klipsch R-112SW Subwoofer 
  • Rear/Surround: Polk Audio RTI A3
Speaker Layout: 5.1 layout with two pair of front speakers and two subwoofers.

The front speakers are on either side of the LG TV on the front wall (and near the room corners. The front speakers are angled in. Minimum distance to wall is 10", but measuring straight/parallel from back of speaker to wall is at least 18". From side of speaker to wall is at least a foot (one side of room has 30 inches). There is only 3" between each RTi A5 and RTi A7 speaker.

The rear speakers are behind the couch at each corner and against the back wall.

One subwoofer is in the back corner. The other is midway on the other wall and angled toward listening area.

For music, I usually prefer listening in 2-channel stereo. The dual pairs of front speakers are awesome. (I initially started out with a 7.1 layout but I prefer this layout now.) The high frequency problem exists even in 2-channel stereo. It also exists if I use only 1 pair of front speakers.

Wiring
All speakers are bi-wired, except the center (and subwoofers), which don’t support it. (Not bi-amp’d, just bi-wired*.)

Speaker wire: Mediabridge 12AWG 4-Conductor Speaker Wire (100 Feet, White) - 99.9% Oxygen Free Copper - ETL Listed & CL2 Rated for In-Wall Use

* https://www.qacoustics.co.uk/blog/2016/06/08/bi-wiring-speakers-exploration-benefits/

Banana Plugs:
  • Mediabridge Banana Plugs - Corrosion-Resistant 24K Gold-Plated Connectors - 12 Pair/24 Banana Plugs (Part# SPC-BP2-12 )
  • Sewell Silverback , 24k Gold Dual Screw Lock Speaker Connector
  • Ocelot Banana Plugs, 24k Gold Plated Connectors, Open Screw Type
BTW, my prior speakers were the Edifier e25 Luna Eclipse. I thought they sounded good and I did not remember them having these harsh high frequency sounds. After listening to my new system for a week, I went back to those for a test and they sounded horrible in comparison. The harsh high frequency sounds are much worse, and every other aspect is worse as well. (That shouldn’t be a surprise given the price ranges being compared, but my incorrect memory had been that they didn’t have this issue.)
lowoverdrive
willemj
1,036 posts
 
The OP has already sorted the harshness of his HT system.
As for the idea to go for tube amplification, I think that is unwise. Many tube amplifiers do indeed have a warm top end, but that is quite simply because their frequency response is not flat. In short, they function as a very expensive and non-adjustable equalizer. As fh says, one can achieve the same with tone controls or an equalizer.
artemus_5's avatar
artemus_5
412 posts
 
@willemj 

Its obvious that you dislike tubes. That's fine.  Just as obvious is your lack of experience and knowledge of them. The blanket statements below are wrong. Lets put them to rest

The disadvantages of tubes are clear:
Not to tube users. Many have traded multi thousand dollar amps, preamps, etc for cheaper tube amps which sounded better
1 high energy consumption (think of the environment)
Really. Many if not most SS amps are left on continuously. Not the case with tubes. If you are that concerned with the environment you shouldn't have music and video systems which use energy anyway. read a book by candlelight. That's easier on the environment.
2 often very speaker load dependent frequency response (i.e. tube sound where an amplifier should not have a sound of its own.
. What are you talking about....speaker efficiency? Everything has effect on the sound. I can change the sound of the music just by changing the roller ball material in my roller block footers. Wood is warmer than steel. My wife could hear the difference. bet you could too.
3 often pretty bad measured test results
.The worst piece of equipment I ever had, also had the best specs. Your ears are the best measurement
4 Often quite low output
Whats wrong with low output? My Silverline speakers were exhibited with a 7 watt SET amp by the mfg. My amp is 35wpc. I would be glad to have you hear it. AAMOF the best sounding systems I've had were  a 45wpc Harmon Kardon  and this 35wpc Dynaco. The worst was 200wpc and 250wpc. You need to check into lower  watt amps with 90-93db  efficienct speakers. 
5 expensive
My Latino  ST-70 was $1100. it replaced a $4k SS amp. There are many good tube amps for $1500 or under. I bought mine just to check into tubes. It was a keeper and the $4k SS amp was sold. BTW That amp has many great reviews. Its all about synergy.
6 hassle
OK, you got me there. I do have to get up and turn the amp on whereas the SS amp was already on. I've had to replace a rectifier tube and a fuse in the 8 yrs I've had it
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
14,147 posts
 
Well, for one thing an equalizer that’s not adjustable is not an equalizer, is it? All things being equal. Whew! That was a close one! 😛
russmaleartist's avatar
russmaleartist
34 posts
 
Sir,

When stressed and in a panic mode, the first thing to do is take a deep breath and relax. Start with the simplest fixes and the least expensive. If these don't work then escalate your efforts. There are so many well-meaning people -- all with their own ideas, but taking it all in can only cause confusion unless you take charge. Look through the lists of possibilities and then do your homework on each of these changes. Again, you will get many opinions, but you know what you are after . . . and you can decide what is best for you. Remember, experts have their own biases and their own set of ears. Only you can tell if a fix is doing what you expect it to, so don't be mislead into great expense and frustration . . . and thereby give-up or put yourself into higher debt by those who have no stake in your music appreciation, your goals, or your financial situation. As you build upon one change and see what that does, you can decide if you wish to pursue further changes. Best to you.
kosst_amojan
2,095 posts
 
@artemus_5 
Since you seem to like taking to people who know better than you to task, I'll correct you. 

Watt for watt, thermionic valves are most definitely the most expensive power you can buy. Valves are also the most inefficient, even moreso than pure class A solid state. 

Glad you figured out measurements aren't the end-all, but tubes don't do much of anything that a transistor can't do with a tenth of the distortion. 

I don't know what kind of solid state amp you left on all the time, but those of us operating class A amps do NOT leave those beasts on all the time. Clearly you had a class AB or D amp. Welcome to class A. 

Willemj is 100% correct about the impedance issues he described. I have no idea how you got anything about efficiency out of that. Tubes are typically transformer coupled to the output and transformers drive reactive loads in a nonlinear manner. I'm not sure I believe an amp should be completely transparent, but transformers of any kind in a signal part exhibit significant coloration. Whether you like it or want it is a different question, but be aware your "tube sound" is in no small part "transformer sound". 

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