How to tame brightness


System is:

Audio refinement Complete Int
EPOS - M12
Music Hall Cd25
All Signal cables

Issue:
I love the overall sound of this system, but the Epos tend to get sharp/edgy/hazy/shrill. How can I tame this issue, or does it require and upgrade?
gmc56
04-10-10: Elizabeth
I disagree to some extent with all of the responses so far. Shrill or harsh top end is a problem with power supply. Get a conditioner for that Cd player....
Not just the power cord? :-)
Hi all ! My opinion is it could be all of the above . Try this first , put something heavy on top of your preamp or transport . 5lb bag of flour , etc or a weight wrapped in a small towel . Report back . You could also tighten all of the screws on your power cords ....tight = less highs . Try first report back .
Well maybe I'm like the guy whose only tool is a hammer, so to him every problem looks like a nail...

I tend to see loudspeaker radiation pattern issues behind this sort of problem. Briefly, in this case the tweeter has a very wide pattern in the crossover region and the woofer has a fairly narrow pattern. So if the response is "flat" on-axis through the crossover region, off-axis (in the reverberant field) you may have 6 dB more lower treble energy due to the tweeter's wide pattern. This will skew the tonal balance in a semi-reverberant environment, such as most home listening rooms. A thick felt pad around the tweeter would be my suggestion. Here's a link to a company that makes excellent ones; their product will also lower coloration and improve the imaging:

http://www.diffractionbegone.com/

One other thing that might be worth investigating is enclosure tilt. My recollection is that the Epos has a gentle-slope crossover, which says to me that there may be a null in the crossover region either above or below the tweeter axis. Try listening with your ears higher or lower and see if that helps. If you find a height where the brightness is minimized, find a way to tilt the speakers back so that the same relative angle with your ears is duplicated at the listening position. I have no idea whether this will actually work, but as far as tweaks go the price is right.

Duke
dealer/manufacturer
I don't believe the issue is with my digital front end, as I get the same issues with vinyl.
Do you have your components on footers other than the awful sounding rubber or plastic feet that come with most equipment? An inexpensive trial could involve Vibrapods under each component. Be sure you check the weight of each component so you purchase the right Vibrapods.

If you want to take a bigger step to tune your system, consider trying Herbie's Tenderfeet under your components. Still reasonably priced from an audio perspective, they will enhance all aspects of each component's performance.

Good Luck!