Thenis...I asked what the rest of your system is because I used to own the MF A5 integrated amp and CD player with my Thiel 2.4 speakers. I found the combination to be a little bright myself and I auditioned a lot of different amplification and sources and ended up with an all Audio Research Reference line of products (switched 3 years ago). With the change in the source and amplification, I got a very neutral and cohesive sound without a grating or harsh treble, which was an issue before. But as Aball said there are many different reasons why your treble performance may be "tipped up." It's all about system syenergy. Can you audition other CD players? The fact that the Marantz player you tried still delivered a full range sound with a bit "warmer" presentation suggests it may have been the A5 that was the source of the culprit. You just have to try out different options and see what is optimal. Remember "warm" sounding units are not necessarily what you want to be striving for as that is a coloration as well, and "warm" sounding units are often perceived as so because they are in part rolling off the highs and in some cases obscuring detail that is on the recording. You want the most transparent, cohesive and tonally neutral presentation that you can find within your budget. My 2c worth. Good luck with your search.
