End of a long quest to vanquish sibilance.
As some of you are aware, I’ve spent nearly two years attempting to root out this annoyance, along with fatigue, from my modest system. No one knows just how frustrating this has been more than the handful of forum members who’ve provided numerous suggestions and insights along the way. You gentlemen know who you are and I’d like to thank you again for your ongoing generosity and camaraderie. Eliminating the source of fatigue (DAC) proved easier than the sibilance.
Having swapped out everything except speakers, with no impact on sibilance, I identified a pair of monitors that 1) I could afford, 2) are universally praised and 3) come with a refund policy. I figured this was the only thing left to try, aside from power conditioning.
When the new speakers arrived, I noticed they were a bit taller than my Silverlines so in an effort to compensate for the difference in tweeter height relative to my ears when seated, I removed the concrete pavers under my speaker stands. These are clearly visible on my virtual systems page.
When the new speakers were hooked up, I pressed "play" on my Jay’s transport remote and was immediately shocked. The sibilance was gone! I put the Silverlines back onto the stands and the sibilance was still absent. That was about two months ago and the sibilance demon has yet to reappear. Although I preferred the sound of the Silverlines and returned the other speakers, if it hadn’t been for them, I wouldn’t likely have solved this problem.
Perhaps my experience will help someone else. I was familiar with the maxim "everything matters" but I still failed to consider one "thing" that was sitting in plain sight the whole time I was tearing my hair out.
So, I will reiterate : "Everything matters" actually does mean every thing!
All I can say is that I haven't experienced any noticeable link between volume and sibilance at the levels I typically employ. Doesn't mean it's not happening-- I simply don't hear it. Sibilance might get worse at levels higher than 75dB but I never push the volume that far. Below say 65dB, my system doesn't come alive. This could be due to the size of the space relative to the small drivers and/or noise floor of the components.
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@stuartk Many people habitually do not play their systems loud because they do not like it or they live in a situation where it would be unacceptable like an apartment complex. I promise you if it sounds balanced at low levels at some point when you turn it up it will make you squint. This assumes that you are not a Martian or deaf. @ghdprentice Neither do I because my system is tuned for high levels. Unless you can accommodate, your system sounds dull and bassless at very low levels. This assumes you are not a Martian or deaf. If you are telling me your system sounds great at 95 dB and at 70 dB without a frequency response adjustment you are a Martian and deaf to boot. What human ears do a various volumes is a scientific fact. |
