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Can't get Acoustic Zen Adagios to sound smooth

I have owned a pair of Acoustic Zen Adagios speakers for over 4 years. They can sound very good, BUT also have a HARD AND UNSMOOTH sound when playing certain CD's. I have changed electronics from separates to an integrated amp, and recently purchased a Ayre CX-7e to replace a Rega Apollo. The Ayre easily highlights the limitations of the Rega player and outperforms it.

Nevertheless, the hard and unsmooth sound seems to prevail. It can also sound like an acoustic overtone, and (I think )the music looses its bloom or musicality. The current living space is well damped with maps,and rug hangings on the walls. I also have two 6 ft tall bookcases that contain only 70% less books than my previous apartment These shelves are in the corner, perpendicular to the speaker on each side of the room.

I encountered this problem before in a different and smaller living space.

I also recently changed speakers cables from a 4 year old pair of Audio Art SC-5 to a brand new pair of Grover Huffman which seemed to be slowly breaking in and are more detailed than the AA cable. I also replaced the standard wimpy power cord of the Ayre player with Panagea's new 14SE MKII power cord designed for just components, not amps. The Panagea PC is excellent, and has dropped the noise floor allowing for more detail to emerge. I drive the Adagios with the Rogue Sphinx hybrid integrated amp (100RMS)whose PC was replaced by an Acoustic Zen Tsumani Plus power cord.

I am beginning to wonder if there is another speaker that might provide a smoother top end performance and still have the taut bass, and detailed mids of the Adagios. Will appreciate all and any advice, even new speaker recommendations. Thank you
sunnyjim
zd542
5,339 posts
 
"The Adagio's measure extremely well with low distortion so it is very hard to imagine it is the speakers introducing something undesirable."

It's not so much that the speakers are introducing something undesirable, its what they're not doing. For example, lets say that you have an issue with sibilant high frequencies. There could be several causes for this. One of them might be that the speaker doesn't have enough refinement to properly reproduce the correct timber of what's on the recording. I don't think a problem like that would show up in the specs.
audioconnection
1,271 posts
 
(((I am beginning to wonder if there is another speaker that might provide a smoother top end performance and still have the taut bass,)))
Jim if you can get your hands on the newest Sig 2 Vandersteen
they are now packed with the Five As patented midrange drivers and networked accordingly.
Combining this with amps like Rogue Atlas and Ayre would put you into a whole new world even with stock power cords.
JohnnyR
rlwainwright
1,904 posts
 
I agree with Jdoris, the problem could quite likely be in the CDs/recordings themselves and NOT your equipment...

-RW-
steuspeed's avatar
steuspeed
501 posts
 
Try a tube DAC or CD player. In my experience this can smooth out that CD sound.
audioconnection
1,271 posts
 
Can't get Acoustic Zen Adagios to sound smooth
((Try a tube DAC or CD player.))
Jim spent thousands looking for magic and your solution is to to blur it up it with band aids for him.
Many folks have silver Plated cables from boutique types that impress for less but don't play with neutrality.
Borrow a pr of Cardas interconnects for your CD player
and see where that gets you.
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