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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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timf
237 posts
 
Get your favorite crushed velvet portrait of elvis regardless. It cant hurt...that much
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
I think it's many reasons combined.
1) clipping at high freequencies
2) poor recording that again might result poor equipment to clip at high freequencies not neccessarily at amplifier/speaker domain but adequately at source or preamp.
pragmatist
336 posts
 
There's something else to consider. Either the recordings microphones were improperly placed or the wrong style microphones were either properly or improperly placed,or both.

Does the severity of the problem vary from recording to recording? Does the severity of the problem vary with the locations of the instruments within the soundstage-indicating distance and direction from a microphone?
jeffreyds
115 posts
 

The right interconnects can help. Switching from some old Synergistic Research stranded silver interconnects to DiMarzio M-Path eliminated negative sibilance in my system.

I am curious though, what power conditioner do those of you who suggested that recommend? The next upgrade in my system will likely be a reasonably priced power conditioner.

Jeff
bob_bundus
1,834 posts
 
AC line conditioning helped cure sibilance issues I had in one of my systems
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