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Getting rid of harsh, shrill treble

I cannot play my classical cd's at a volume where the midrange and bass come through without harsh, shrill treble, especially the violins. I have bookshelf speakers on stands and subwoofer in a small 120 sq. ft. room. I have no treble control on my pre-amp. I tried a Taddeo passive Digital Antidote II between my CD player and pre-amp with minimal result. I have a solid state integrated amp, will switching to a tube integrated amp cure this problem or is it my speakers?
classical_fred
sogood51
2,157 posts
 
Unless you have a harsh component (s)...it's probably room acoustics as others have mentioned. That said, I find good violin recordings (at least on cd) far and few between.

Dave

eldartford
4,262 posts
 
I considered suggesting the equalizer but am afraid everyone will think I am a Behringer salesman! But, since Jameswei raised the subject, I think that you should spring for a Behringer DEQ2496...about $350 with mic and cable. The analyser function will tell you what your system is doing, and help fix it as much as possible with room treatments and such. Then, when all else fails, use the equalizer function. Finally, don't assume there will be any audible signal quality degradation. Only your own ears can inform you about this.
classical_fred OP
18 posts
 
Eldartford,
I was thinking of purchasing a new Jolida JD1000RC 100 wpc all tube integrated amp, to replace the solid state MD-308, and hopefully alleviate this problem with violins. Your suggestion is probably what I need since I do not have perfect pitch, and I might avoid the sales process. My Jamo D-830 speakers have excellent depth to the soundstage, and midrange/bass notes come through like in the concert hall. It is the violins that are just too loud, overpowering the rest of the instruments. A treble control of some kind is probably what I need. If the Jolida has a treble control on the pre-amp section I will give it a try. I suspect it does not, based on the photos I have seen of it. Thanks for your help, I will have too begin experimenting.
Classical_fred
tvad
9,467 posts
 
Sounds to me like you have an amp/speaker mismatch...your amp is recessing the mids and emphasizing the highs due to your speakers' impedance curve. The Jolida might work, but it'd be wise to know where your loudspeakers have impedance dips to prevent the same problem with your new amp.
fatparrot
1,314 posts
 
Bingo...you just nailed the primary weakness of the redbook CD format! Bowed violins and violas are the ultimate test for a quality CD player. Even the best CD players will give some minor digital "glare, brightness, or harshness" on these instruments. This is inherent in the digitizing an analog conversion process of redbook CD's.
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