Ive got me the Digital Nasties


Not counting buying a turntable or going SACD, what tips , tweaks or products have you had success with , that lessens the harshness of the cd format? Thanks!
darrylhifi
Ditto above. Plus try adding RFI stoppers, AQ or Radioshack. to the CD players output cables.
One way to compare the sound is to run your Cd through a audiocassette deck. If the digital grunge sound dissapears, then attack you front end. if not, it's after the cassette.
Try placing Black Diamond Racing Mk. III cones (warmer than the linear Mk. IV) under your digital gear.
Definitely wires, then PS Audio power plant, then cones/maple shelf/IsoBlocks under the CD player, then CD treatments like Mapleshade Mikro-Smooth and Walker Vivid. Pretty much in that order. Good luck.
I have applied Dynamat on the inside of my transport (sparingly, a little goes a long way) and have used Blu-Tak on the "Bridge" of the drive and on the drawer. This gave noticeable improvement. But what was my best tweak, and seemed like an upgrade in equipment, was using Blu-Tak on the clock and on parts of the PCB in my DAC. Some prefer using a small sandbag, but I chose the Blu-Tak. Go to AA and look up "Sandbag on the clock" or “Damping CD players” or try this link

http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.pl?forum=tweaks&n=30356&highlight=sandbag+on+the+clock+tweak&session=

This is a wealth of info and you can read about the differences between sandbags and Blu-Tak. I never used to be a believer in the isolation idea, but after this tweak, I'm a TRUE believer. It was absolutely night and day. It is now cleaner, detailed, better sense of depth and soundstage and the bass has improve.

Another worthwhile tweak is to find a good way to isolate the transport and DAC from other vibration. For my setup, solid maple shelves (1 ½ inch thick), on Vibrapods and cones between the transport/DAC and the shelf. I know this is a highly debated issue, but only you can decide for yourself, by experimenting.

I also agree with the others on trying different power cords, especially on the DAC. If you can have a dedicated circuit put in, get one for your digital gear alone, (along with the analog side as well as for your amps, but that is a different matter) which will also help. Hope this helps. Just try some of these; you just might like what you hear!
This is your cheapest option. There is no reason why you should have to own a harsh cd player. Simply sell yours here, then buy one that isn't harsh.