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what causes the sss in words like 'thisss'?

I run apple lossless codec -> airport express -> recently purchased musical fidelity x-dac & tube buffer -> rotel 1056 receiver -> Quad 22L floorstanding speakers . I have also tried a cheap cd player source but no luck.

So what causes those annoying sss sounds in words? Source? Amp? interconnect? I'm considering returning the musical fidelity stuff and spring for a naim CD5 and nait 5i combo. Thoughts?
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stehno
1,453 posts
 
Sorry, I forgot to mention that proper line conditioning can only rectify the negative sibilance induced from dirty AC.

Obviously it cannot eliminate negative sibilance permanently recorded into the medium.

-IMO
jeff_jones
418 posts
 
CD players.
eddaytona
216 posts
 
This is digital sibilance. You probably hear it most strongly on female voices on CD recordings. I found the best way to get rid of this (I too hate it.) It is sooo anoying is to;
1) Buy a more expensive CD player/digital source with better anti-jitter, clock, and DACs and that is tubed, and;
2) Go to tubes from solid state gear, or;
3) Go back to vinyl (best option IMHO)
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monstachuck OP
5 posts
 
U2's "crumbs from your table" for an example is really killing me. It's one of the better songs off the new album and bono is making my ears bleed (some may not think that's abnormal). Does anyone else mind listening to this song to see if it's the recording?
Thanks.
integrativeservice
18 posts
 
Monstachuck

It's the album. I am a U2 fan, but the last couple albums (not that U2 albums are "Audiophile") have been poorly recorded. Great music though!

Brian
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