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 think we all experience it. For the last spell of it, I found that my music had lost its flow. It took two source changes and a balanced power unit to restore a lively flow of music that has coherence. Now if I can find the right amp, I will be all set. I chose my DAC and transport because they were musical, not analytical. Perhaps, a change like this would get you on your way.
Just a couple of ideas. 1) Move your speakers closer to the wall to reinforce the bass/fundamentals. 2) Try a tube preamp. 3) Audition different speaker cables and interconnects. I would recommend Acoustic Zen and Cardas but there are many others. Call fatwyre.com to setup the audition. 4) Consider different speakers. 5) Maybe something with your front-end, while Audiomeca is very nice a lot of people say that it is rather polite and soft. That may not be the right digital gear for a rocker and bluesman.

More feedback from you on how you pieced together your system would be useful. I am curious to know the order in which you purchased your components.
I agree about changing your speakers. Avanteguarde are emotionally involving but they do have horn colorations and you may not like living with that either.
Vienna Acoustics, Aerial Acoustics, or Vandersteen as others have suggested are good alternatives.
how the hell could anybody suggest sell your piegas..... you guys must be totally crazy.... this is one of the best speakers out there... unless you have heard piega do even try to suggest something like that...

like others said give them real good juice and get a room accoustics guy in there.... that will be your best.... your gut instinct drove you to piega... so that sound you love everything else can go... stay with the piega... if it has not happened yet...