Mixed Results from My Hifi

"New Shimmer™ is a floor wax."

"No, it's a desert topping."

"No, it's a floor wax."

"Wait! You're both right! New Shimmer™ is a floor wax and a desert topping!"

I agree with Boa2 that it's likely the problem stems from the equipment and the room acoustics. I think people who say that so many of their recordings sound poor because their system's are sooooo revealing are kidding themselves. The vast majority of recordings can sound pleasing if the system and room acoustics will allow it. I have a very resolving system and only a very small portion of all my recordings sound poor. The bulk of my recordings sound either very good or spectacular. This is what you should be shooting for.

In this poster's case, certain solutions were offered that could work well. Changing equipment, using a tube DAC, using an equalizer, and looking at room treatments, especially to address early reflections, could all work very well.

I would probably look at options for room treatments first, try the tube DAC and/or different amp second (fine-tuning the system cabling [interconnects in particular] might also help considerably). The EQ route would represent a viable option if the other measures failed or were not possible due to the dreaded WAF...

I'd think a Krell amp powering B&Ws in a room with hardwood floors would be as bright as the Coppertone™ girls cute little bum. Nice looking system by the way.

Boa2 has some good thoughts. Also, try moving your speakers forward in the room about 3 feet or so. (I like to try 1/3, or 1/5, or 1/7th the length of the room). Your soundstage should grow quite a bit, with more spacing between instruments and a lot more depth of stage. Try it, you've got nothing to lose. Throw rugs, drapes, "Room Tunes" acoustical treatments and such may also be a good place to start. Happy listening.

I would agree that the recordings are the major culprit, the excessive compression on these type of recordings kills the intimacy and nuance, result, wall of sound. Extra brightness could be alleviated with equipment changes and major acoustic treatments. The acoustic treatments required may be too obtrusive for a living room which needs to serve other purposes as well.