2. cables
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Need cable to soften brightness just a little?

Would appreciate some hand holding on solving a small problem. I think a different cable interconnect might be what I need. Right now I am using Blue Jeans interconnects.

Have three new variables in our TV Stereo system.
New Oppo UDP-205
Musical Fidelity A3cr Preamp
Pioneer SX-1050 Stereo Receiver (bypassing it’s preamp)

Still in use is the Arcam SR250 AV Receiver.
Speakers are floor standing Spendor FL-6.

I am an opera lover and classical music devotee and like really good audio. The Arcam SR250 is just perfect for ordinary tv watching, but I soon found out it can’t equal the musicality of a good stereo receiver, so I rigged up a way of using my Audiomat Arpege tube amp for musical program listening.   But  I just found a better use for the Arpege and decided to replace it with the Musical Fidelity Preamp and the Pioneer Receiver.   The Oppo is just a few days old as well, replacing an Oppo BDP-83SE.

There is a big improvement in clarity of spoken dialogue.
Everything sounds brighter and clearer and there is an unmistakable sense of power from the much more powerful Pioneer.
Musically it is harder to evaluate. At first there was a feeling of “wow, major improvement”, but on further listening it feels a little bright. Might be the sort of brightness that causes music fatigue.

How do I take just a little of the edge off the brightness without losing the wonderful clarity I’m getting?

And how to go about figuring out which of the three is causing that little bit of edginess.


128x128echolane
auxinput
1,538 posts
 

@echolane - I have been out of town all week on business and haven't caught up.

For digital COAX cable, the Blue Jean Beldon 1694A is actually a very excellent cable for the money:

https://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/digital-audio/index.htm

6 foot cable (minimum I recommend) is $20.75 plus shipping, so you can afford to experiment if you want.

I use a slightly modified Krell S1200U 3D for my HT Processor (which can double as a COAX DAC).  I use a highly modified/rebuilt Emotiva DAC with discrete Class A op amp stages for computer (no comparison - probably similar to a $1500-2000 DAC).

echolane's avatar
echolane OP
52 posts
 
I am so behind on this thread! I have to apologize for not being responsive for the last week. Just five days ago I finally took delivery of the Naim Uniti Core, which is a long awaited and much anticipated addition to my audio gear. My nephew got me started by ripping about 150 of my CDs for me, but I have been obsessively glued to the ripper for days now trying to get the remaining 300-400 CDs ripped. My experience is certainly reinforcing the rumors that classical music, and particularly opera, takes much more work because of the multiple artists usually involved, as I have to edit virtually every CD ripped. Today I ripped 60 CDs and it was exhausting. I didn’t do much else all day and don’t expect to for several more days at least.

 @hegelsjh - I still haven’t quite got used to having to switch two systems and keep them in synch. So I had a little “cheat sheet” laminated so I have a cross reference which is important since the key words are not logically related. It’s really quite frustrating and I have repeatedly questioned my sanity for thinking this up. (hahahaha).
ARCAM (VIDEO SWITCHING)
SAT = TV
BD = OPPO
GAME = ROKU
AV = LASER DISC
PVR = IPAD

 MUSICAL FIDELITY (AUDIO SWITCHING)
(More of the same, only worse)

@jdave - i appreciate the suggestion to use a tube amp, which i am quite partial to, but I swapped out my Audiomat Arpege in exchange for the Musical Fidelity/Pioneer combo. It was great musically but not good at all for regular dialogue dominated tv programming and didn’t have a remote for adjusting audio. And anyway, tubes are a bit extravagant when you watch a lot of tv.

@rwwear - my speakers are angled in.

@jwcondo - I’m sentimentally attached to the Pioneer and I am actually thinking of having it completely refurbished. Nevertheless, I agree, it’d be good to check out something else. I wish Audio dealers were closer though as it’s a very long drive to the nearest few and I have no developed relationship with any. I greatly miss the past when there were multiple nearby neighborhood audio dealers!

@buellrider97 - when you suggest I replace the consumer receiver with an audiophile grade player, what did you have in mind?

@auxinput - I’m glad you suggested Blue Jeans as I quite like their products, though please educate me, why it should be a minimum of 6’? I always thought the shorter the better. BTW - Compliments on your Krell. I bet it sounds way way better than my Arcam!

auxinput
1,538 posts
 

A digital cable that is too short is actually bad.  What happens is that the digital pulses received by the target will be reflected back to the source.  These reflections can cancel out additional pulses from the source and you have errors.  The minimum recommended is generally 1.5 meters / 4.5 feet, but I always go 6 feet just to be sure.

This problem really doesn't occur with analog cables, so they can be very short.

rwwear
2,692 posts
 
But are they angled in enough echolane?
echolane's avatar
echolane OP
52 posts
 
Just want to add a follow up thank you to all who contributed to this thread and from which I have learned so much!  

As I start to write I am on a much needed break from the boring task of ripping CDs.   I am on my second listening of a SACD recording on the Oppo 205, partnered by the  Pioneer SX-1050 and the Musical Fidelity A3cr.   I am honestly thrilled.  And quite content!  Not only is the new Oppo a serious upgrade from my old Oppo 83SE, but there is no longer any sense of  listener fatigue.  It must be well on its way to being broken in.    I am pretty sure  there are many ways in which I could make my system sound even better, but honestly, I’ve lost all sense of urgency, I’m almost content to leave it all “as is”.  

Almost. I am much inspired by this thread to play around with some variables when time and money permit.  

- I’ve got  PS Audio receptacles in my online cart, which I’m actually surprised no one has mentioned.

-  I want to test out a power conditioning system for my primary audio system in the living room which is centered around my Quad ESL-63 speakers.  An audio friend of mine insists it  made a much more noticeable  improvement in his system than any other thing he did, and he  keeps pressing me to try it out.  If it really makes that much of a difference then I’m sure I won’t be able to resist adding it to my TV system too.    

-   I won’t be able to resist trying out various interconnects.

 - I’m pretty sure my speakers are toed in at just the right angle.

-  All my digital cables will definitely be 6’ long!
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