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Mixed Results from My Hifi

Hi all, I'm looking to get a more consistent sound from my system. Some CD's sound great. No complaints, others pretty mediocre. Most Jazz and smaller production CD’s sound wonderful, detailed, airy, all that audiophile stuff. But mass produced pop and rock are almost unlistenable. I call it the “wall of sound” syndrome, compressed, digital, bleah. The latest releases from Sheryl Crow, U2 and Coldplay sound awful (not withstanding anyone’s taste in music).

What can I do to improve the overall sound in my system so I can listen to all of my music? Add tubes, a new DAC?

I’m listening.
hammergjh
clbeanz
192 posts
 
I have these on CD;
"Rush of Blood to the Head"
"X&Y"
"Parachutes"
"C'mon,C'mon"
"Wildflower"[best sound quality of the bunch]
"All That You Can't Leave Behind"
"How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb"
The layered images,texture fine,but they congest up loud.
Equalizer and dead car interior helps them a lot unfortunately.
I'm dissapointed with the Lanois/Eno egineered U2 disc.
ncarv
974 posts
 
Try vinyl.
arkprof
182 posts
 
Go buy a cheesy Pioneer or Radio Shack "audio system," pop in your favorite disappointing CDs, and then sit back and let the "magic" happen. By the way, I'd recommend having a wine or two while you're at it.

No other way to fix this problem.
boa2's avatar
boa2
1,550 posts
 
Some recordings are better than others, that's for certain. But the recording does not by itself go from sounding balanced in the mastering studio to unlistenable in your home without the compromising effect of your audio system, which most importantly includes the space in which you are listening. Do you honestly think that all of these above-mentioned artists make a $500K recording only to then find it to be unlistenable on their own stereo? Methinks not.
bday0000
266 posts
 
Hmmmmm... It sounds like to me that you are getting mixed results.

Have you ever tried getting static results?

Please pay the receptionist on your way out.
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