Warm vs Revealing—the struggle for balance

Audio Equipment is designed to transfer embedded recorded data to the point it becomes sound, a sonic entity within a space.

The equipment is specifically designed to enable a perfectly functioning Human Audible Range of 20H to 20Khz to receive Soundwaves at these frequencies.

Sound produced within a Audio System is a Transferal of Electrical Energy into a Soundwave. Not all electrical energy is transferred through a circuit designed for Audio equally, this will result in a variety of description about a audio device in relation to how it interfaces with different partnering devices within a system.

The Soundwave is produced as a result of a Mechanical Operation produced by the function of the Drivers belonging to the Speaker.

The Soundwave is functioning within a Specific Environment that is very different from the environment selected for the designing and testing of the Speaker Drivers.

There is without doubt Electrical Energy that when processed to the point it passes through the Xover can have a trait that when becoming Sound, is a Trait that has a limited amount of attraction.

There are Speakers that when converting the Electrical Signal to sound can quite easily produce sound that has a limited amount of attraction, the enclosures used for the Speakers can also add to other Traits that offer up something in relation to a audible sound that has a limited amount of attraction.

The Room in use to have sound produced in will also receive energy that will be transferred into something that is different from the Sound produced by the Speakers Driver. These additional sounds created by the Room are in many cases very audible and will have a limited amount of attraction.

The pursuit of the ideal sonic is unique to each individual, as equipment choices and listening environments are all usually bespoke.

The next bespoke choice for each individual and one that will be unique to each, is for how Transparent through to Rich they like the sonic to have a detectable presence. For this one there is a vast amount of preferences, and for many they may never discover their ideal soulmate, during their expression of interest in audio.  

@w123ale as I read your original post I was nodding my head yes.As you already see you definitely aren't alone. I'm at the point myself where I know my room needs a little more help but my overall satisfaction is 90+% with how the music sounds.I don't want to replace anything and throw off the balance. I just replaced my CDT reluctantly expecting the worst, days or weeks of tweaking.Big sigh of relief when it fit right in and was an improvement.

There is no question that this struggle is frustrating but a couple of things you might want to consider:

1. At least you understand the struggle and the sought after solution -if there is one.

2.Given that the recording engineers that are involved in the recording process for the material you are listening to are also afflicted with which is best and that confusion likely manifests itself in the recordings you listen to--i.e. one is too subdued without enough detail and definition and the next is waaaaay too sharp/harsh but with a lot of detail.  

 I am going to suggest that no one system is enough to deal with these two issues since there is no consistency from one recording to another. What you are doing is very good for the economy if not good for your personal economy but I wonder if there is any one system/combination of components that is going to be pleasing from one  recording to another.

3. I just bought a Van Morrison recoding and hands down it is the worst recording I have ever heard-there is no system that could fix this recoding. I have reached a point where I wonder if some recordings are presented with the thought in mind that a re-mastered and better version can be sold next year. Top flight performers and their recoding companies can afford the best engineers and likely already have the best equipment but yet some of the recordings offered are unlistenable.

We talked about this earlier in the forums. Get yourself an equalizer from Schitt. It inserts between the preamp and amp and adds a nice way to adjust tone without a negative impact on the sound quality. Then you might be able to dispense with other expensive tweaks. It has been positively reviewed.

Once you settle on which kind of sound, warmer or cooler, pleases you the most, you just have to keep experimenting with different gear before you can finally achieve true audio satisfaction.  Just that simple.