Reference 3A Decapo "i" sounds shrilly

Harkey,

Did you previously have the same electronics, but a different pair of speakers, or is all of the equipment new to you?

I own the Reference 3A MM DeCapo (non-i version) and it is definately not shrill. I've owned speakers that were very hot on the top end in my same room, so I know my speakers are relatively soft on the top end. Unfortunately, I've never heard the "i" version which has a different tweeter, so I can't say for sure if this trait is typical with your speakers.

One thing to try is room positioning. The DeCapos are mirrored pairs. You might want to try them in the opposite position, i.e. swap the left and right speaker so the tweeters are on the outside or inside.

Good luck. Hopefully the DeCapos will work out for you. They can be a very good speaker in the right setup.

Oh, and are they new or used? They may need some break-in to smooth out.

TIC

I`d change the spkrs. YMMV.

Harkey - this is an easy problem to fix as your components are all well known and very good quality. I'm not sure which Siltech i/c you have, but unless it is a model with significant gold content, go with a copper interconnect with the Cary 306 and you will get rid of the HF shrillness - something like XLO Signature 2's should do the job quite nicely, but you could even go cheap with something like Kimber Heros and do well. You might want to look into something like a Furutech E-TP80 for your power as well, which will also give you some relief from HF listener fatigue. It's NOT your equipment... John

The problem is the speaker/room interaction, as is 95% of all problems that people experience with audio.

Do you have acoustic treatment on your front and rear walls?

Have you treated the reflection points on the side walls?

Have you experimented with speaker positioning, making sure to have ample space from all walls?

If the answer to all of these questions is *yes,* than you have purchased a pair of shrill-sounding speakers. (I have nothing to contribute here, as I haven't heard them)

I agree with Goatwuss, it is almost certainly a speaker/room problem. A friend has the same speakers and amp as you and it is a superb combination - absolutely no brightness. What is your room like, how far are the speakers from the various room boundaries (walls) and where do you sit realitive to the speakers and back wall?