How to fix my detailed, accurate but BRIGHT system

Amps which double their rated outputs or don't aren't always the place to start looking for brightness issues. Doubtless few if any of us will actually push an amp far enough along that it needs to output it’s highest level of voltage or current production. Usually we aren’t even close to requiring such amplitudes.

I've owned Krell, BK, & BAT, SS amps along with reasonably sensitive, and insensitive speakers ranging from 84db to 93db. 2 ohm to 8 ohm.

Brightness usually results from areas other than limited power output.

The glaring item indicated here predominately is the room’s outfitting… and why so many point to making changes there and I do agree.

However

… that’s not the only place I’d look. One spot to check out is your cable/satellite ground connection. It may not be as pronounced a thing as to produce the usually noticeable ground loop noise, yet might be still introducing sufficient artifacts to the system which will affect the upper midrange and treble areas by it’s very nature. I -say this as it was my issue… twice. Once in my old home, and then again in this new one.

Simply remove the main incoming cable connection, and/or go outside to the power pole and lift the cable ground. Wait a half an hour or so, and try the rig again. It should be plainly evident if that’s contributing.

Having recently heard the butler topology in my own system, I’m hard pressed to believe it’s the amp. Especially if you are using the 250 wpc version. I used one with 100 wpc less. There’s nothing bright about that amp at all. I found it extended and warmish across the freq range. The amp ain’t it. It drove my 86db dropping to 2 ohm towers, handily.

It seems though, cables aren’t a concern for you as none are listed nor has a response been issued that I noticed as to what is where on your rig in that regard. Wires matter.

Cabling is a part of, not a part from, the total system synergy, contrary to what other’s might feel. Such is my own exp. My failure to properly address the wiring cost me sufficiently. I thought the system entirely mismatched and lost a lot selling it all off in near new condition… then setting about to replace it all over again with different items, naturally. Sony CDP, B&K, Krell pre & amp, Monitor Audio Gold 60, BW 9NT, 805, 600’S, Velodyne sub.

It wasn’t the gear.

Lastly, as power filtration or conditioning was also left out of your list of system componentry I would look there too. Power line artifacts can indeed cause some attenuation of the freq band and by so doing, seemingly enhance other portions of it and contribute mightily to the fatigue factor. With a good one you’ll hear less of what you aren’t hearing, and more of what you should.

Isolation or racking & shelving of the gear is as well, another area you might look into. You don’t mention the stand you use either so I gotta in all good conscience jot that down as it can also be quite contributory to affecting both sound staging and tone.

I went from an MDF – wood rack, to a metal rack with acrylic shelves… and could not figure out why my formerly rich and warm sounding rig became so fatiguing. At that time I BAT pre and amp, with either Phase Tech or VR4 JR speakers… upscale cabling, and PS Audio & Shunyata passive power line filters at various times… again, it wasn’t the gear.

It was how the gear was set up.

Adding pods, nodes, shelves/platforms helped a lot, but getting a dedicated well damped rack was the true ‘big deal’ changer. Plywood helped on the metal & plexiglass monstrosity I had, so did simple wood block footers, especially the Ebony & Mahogany ones. Cocobolo was by far the smoothest sounding though of the lot.

These few areas are quick and easy enough to investigate and their associated fixes are quite inexpensive, save for the power line option, and cabling updates or upgrades.

Wood block footers are near free, compliant footers aren’t much more… see herbies Audio labs, a filter unit for the inline coax is about $10. A 2x2 hunk of Plywood is about $5. The Cable Co rents conditioners and cables too.

At some point (s) I’ve had similar issues to yourself, and all of the above were areas I had to ultimately address to resolve it/them.

Unless your gear needs servicing, that ain’t it.

Believe it or not…. Good… a Ripleys plug.

tvad...i was not suggesting that addressing the room was the cure all, more that it is the place i would begin. i have never owned the aerial 7b's and am not familiar with their sound but i have experienced vast improvement from the changes i mentioned in general.

I used aerial 7bs for a few years in
a 16 x 14.5 x 9 ft room with all bat electronics and cardas cables. My room is furnished with a large sectional, ceiling to floor velvet drapes Nd wall-to-wall carpeting. I used a bat or ayre cd player or sme 10 turntable. My system was the complete opposite of bright. The aerials are on the darker and warmer side of neutral. I am not familiar with your associated equipment. I believe the problem lies elsewhere than the speakers

Sometimes a leaner bass may also manifest itself as a more forward overall sound, bringing into sharper focus other tonal characteristics.

Experiment with a little larger Toe-out on the speakers
This will also create a wider sound stage.

Also try moving the speakers back a little towards the wall / corner.

Careful speaker positioning can do wonders, and IMHO is one of the most neglected solutions...

accepting the fact that room treatments are out of order (which i totally respect), i do think cables could help a bit.

if you could ever audition a set of van den hul carbon cables (rca versions are: "the first", "the first ultimate", or my favorite "the first metal screen" {they are the most hum resistant of the rca options, which doesn't usually matter except in phono connections in my system}; and balanced is "the second"), you may be pleasantly surprised at how they tame a bright system. in some cases too much, but in your room maybe they would be just right. in my experience they don't so much roll off the high end as recess it, which is what you're looking to do it sounds.

a nice all-copper speaker cable would be a good idea as well. as WAF is an issue here, anti-cables could be a good fit visually, they're tiny.

and if you're still using stock power cords on your components, a $50 power cord from, say MAC, might make a noticeable difference in adding bottom end to fill out the sound.

so in a perfect world, you could find some used vdh firsts for around $150, try some anti cable speaker cables for around $75, and try a MAC power cable for $50-$75 and then you'd know if cables can help you out...

good luck, though, i'm with you, i HATE brightness. my favorite tv program is rugby matches from new zealand and the sound quality is so bad - worse even than the sound from any other country's feeds - that i have to turn off my system and listen to the tv speakers. annoying.