What steps forward were actually steps backward?

New Thiel 2.4's. After months of breaking them in with all the 'right' components backing them, I bailed. On less than perfect material they were just too harsh & revealing. The treble energy always had me reaching for the volume knob or listening from another room in the house. I will admit they were incredible on the right material, just not my cup of tea overall.

Although I am coming around to the sound of my new Synergistic research cables I miss my MIT reference.
I dont think the Synergistic cables are any better or worse but the MIT's just worked better with my equipment choices.
I am VERY happy with them, but would switch back in a heartbeat!
Good news is everything else has been a success!!!

I also miss my ARC Ref II preamp!
But not over the Spectral, would like to have both.

Vader007, I would think the Synergistic Designer Reference cables would be way too bright with your set-up (unless that's what you like!). In my limited experience, if that's what you're hearing, you might want to at least try the Synergistic Resolution References.... half as expensive, but warmer. When I was listening to cables from the Cable Company I was told that when their customers tried Res Ref and Designer Ref side-by-side they never choose Designer...

All of my upgrades I think have been OK. The one issue in all of them however was that they made my system more revealing to the recording quality of the music being played. So now some of my favorite music in fact doesn't sound as good even though it is being played through "better" equipment.

Maybe upgrading isn't so great...

Regards,

Steps backward in disguise, based on marketing and lies:

Solid state amplification
Acoustic suspension speakers
Digital

In 1970 I went from a kit-built Dyna SCA-35 to a transistor integrated whose name I've repressed. Now I'm back with tube amps, I realize I lost the music for thirty years.

I never did find the amp that could make bass sound tuneful rather than thumpy on my AR2ax's.

For over ten years my music-loving friends drove me crazy with CD hype secondhand. Why couldn't they hear the weird dynamics, the acid highs, the decay falling into the bitbucket ? The technology is only just coming right. It's a shame to think of the recordings of the early digital period. Even today, younger music lovers think badly-made CDs and yucky MP3s are normal.