Help me find it again


I need your collective advice.

I have reached a critical point. If I don't start enjoying my system again, I will give up and sell!

I listen to mostly rock and pop with some blues and jazz. A little large orchestra stuff. I grew up listening to the best jazz and rock and roll live at my father's bootleg clubs. I've sat at the piano and poured drinks for the count, twisted with Chubby and lived in "Salt Pork West Virginia". I played piano and hammond organ professionally for several years working everything from rock to jazz to blues to gospel. I know how music sounds. I know how it can move you.

I have been living with my current system for about 6 months. "Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but it just don't thrill me the way that it should."

The sound is very clean but lacks emotion. It has a thin low end. Sometimes sounds harsh in the high end. The mids are good. It sounds like crap on lots of recordings that were OK on less revealing systems.

Components: Audiomeca transport and DAC, Aloia pre-amp, Goldmund 28M amps, Piega C-40 speakers, Goldmund line treatment, Piega speaker cables, Audio Techne interconnects.

I already have dedicated lines.

I'm done with vinyl. Just too much work... My turntable and record cleaner will be on the gon soon.

Room is large (32 X 20 with vaulted ceilings that rise from 10 to 18 feet). The system is on the longer wall with the shorter height. I have thick rug and window treatments. The speakers are spaced 3.5 feet from the wall and 11 feet apart. Seating is 10 feet back from the speakers and 6 feet from the back wall.

I'm thinking I need to change the preamp (perhaps tubes), but I'm willing to consider almost any changes. My current economic situation might limit my options. Also, since I live in central NC, it is almost impossible to audition anything...
spudco
I'm not being flippant. Get back to your art. Turn off your system and practice for six months. Then,go back to your system with a fresh perspective.
Don't be so hard on yourself or more important your system I think we all hit a stonewall at some point in our quest for the Holy Grail , give your system a rest I went so far as boxing it up and listening to a Tivoli radio for a while we becoming hyper-critical in our listening and as our systems improve we reach a point where it just sounds like a radio no wow factor , at that point we start chasing our tail trying to bring back the excitement " no I don't watch Dr. Phil " that is human nature . When you set your system back up clean all the connections , relevel everything, tighten your rack and all the mundane things we take for granted you have a very fine system that many people could only admire from a distance when you set it back up with all the anticipation that develops give it a fair shot and most important remember it is the music that matters everything else is nuts and bolts and finally if that does not work for you asses your weakest link and try an upgrade before you give up that may give you the spark you are missing or as some of us find out the grass in our own backyard is not too bad Thanks John
Your components should sound good together on paper, but obviously this is not the case. Often the emotion in music starts at it foundation. I've never heard your speakers and electronics, but I was about ready to give up on my Revel Salons when I took another chance and biamped them. That's what they needed plenty of juice. So perhaps reevaluating speakers, then amps might be the ticket. If you like your speakers sound, a great pair of subwoofers might be the trick and I would look at either the REL subs or the Revel B-15 or their new high end sub.
Steven
I suggest first, experiment with speaker placement, and them some judicous wall treatments, I may also suggest investigation of www.foambymail.com for wall treatments, you can get a box of 2" wedge type tiles for the wall,(less than $100) and use them one at a time.

It sounds to me like you have two problems: digititus, and room problems. Don't forget to treat early reflections from the ceiling and floor, which is why I suggest a box of tiles, and try pushing the speakers back towards the wall for bass room gain.

Good luck.

loon