smoothing those sibilants...

Aldenruss, the 12AX7 tubes will be a big change in sound in your system, depending on which ones you are running. The JJ Yugo's are better than some, but certainly not up to the NOS classic tubes like Telefunken, Mullard and Amperex. The Telefunken is what I would try with the Svetlana KT88 output tubes. I would love to hear your response after plugging in a set and listening to your favorite music again.

Again ladies and gentlemen, the cheapest and best sibilance busters I ever heard were Mobile Spec Performance cheap as hell RCA cables. At fifteen bucks a pair you should really give them a try. Talk to Sean on this sight to get set up with a pair or two. Made my Perreaux sound much more euphonic. Remarkable but true one of the best kept secrets I've run into yet.

The downside of a nice system is when your stuck with adding a cheaper digital component and it totally shreads your ears. I looked at the other post and when I saw the mid-fi DVD... The solution is to use earplugs; or get a better digital source. The only way to get rid of the glare of a poor digital source is to smother it with a million layers of blankets. Try running the signal through your cassette player... recording the signal and listening to the tape monitor output!!!! The bad digital front end is THE WORST THING around. If I were you I'd get a better one or give up.

My prior response is a bit extreme! I just also bought a Sony ???555ES 300CD changer at a closout price and now want to return it. The thing just has that "bad" sound. Even through my D/A converter. In the past I made a terrible mistake.. I had a Hafler DH110 and traded it in for a Sony 1000ES digital preamp. What a FOOL!!!!! I actually stopped listening to music completely. I really didn't realize the stinking preamp was the reason 'till much later. Then I dumped that junk!!! So I am a bit sensitive to the dangers of "digititus". And angry at myself for buying another pile of scrap. (I am taking it back after a week of use. The sales contract says I can return it and I hope all goes well.. then I can buy a GOOD used CD player!!!)

Interesting commentary Elizabeth: not extreme IMO. Couldn't agree more regarding how a nice system can sound so god-awfully horrible with an economy digital front end. Loved your cracks about earplugs & the cassette-deck filter. How about some pillows over your tweeters? Isn't running the signal thru some budget IC's just another form of filtering? I subscribe to the G.I.G.O. theory myself. Want a nice hi-res. CD player that's also really smooth? An EAD Ultradisk 2000 made it happen at my house. A 20 bit HDCD GEM; & avail. used (you can't buy a new one anymore) around $1K+. Meridian 508.24, Electrocompaniet EMC-1, YBA Integre are other contenders.