Who's to blame for the Grain??


I have a very very entry level system that I upgrading piece by piece. What I've noticed is that when I listen to music with vocals, there's a grainy texture to everyones voice. I don't hear that smoothness that I've heard from systems out the hi-end shops. I was curious whether there was a specific part of the chain that can cure the GRAIN. Is it interconnects, pre-amp, power amp, speaker cables or source. I am not using a power cord or a power conditioner,,,,,,,,,,,could this be the cause?
meech33
I am not using a power cord or a power conditioner,,,,,,,,,,,could this be the cause?
Yes. I was also experiencing similar issues regarding 'grungies'. A high current line conditioner (capable of enough power for even the amp) helped tremendously. Later I began experimenting with upgrade AC cords & the noise floor was reduced even further.
You don't mention your particular equipment, but if it includes a CDplayer then cleaning up your AC power is typically critical. Solid State / Tubes / or whatever / is hardly the issue here. In fact --- tubes made matters even worse when I tried them, so never again.
Meech33-

Even after looking at your other threads, I cannot ascertain what equipment you're currently using. If we knew the makeup of your system, including cabling, it would go a ways to help us understand some of the possible problems and suggest some remedies.

Also, a description of your listening room including approximate dimensions (including ceiling height), floor coverings (if any) and wall hangings/construction (brick fireplace, drapes?) can help those versed in room acoustics (like Rives) to provide some meaningful input.

Let us know!
Meech, more info. Whatcha got there? Electronics? Speakers? Front end? Cables/cords? We need the WHOLE nine yards, and then we can help ya. peace, warren
Ok guys,,,,,,,,,,,,,,you asked,,,,,,,,,so here it goes. Please don't laugh. I'm using a Sony ES Receiver as a pre-amp and a Parasound HCA-1500(205wpc) as a power amp. My cd player is a Sony 400 disc changer. My speakers (which I'll be changing in 2 weeks to the Polk LSI9's) are Klipsch Reference towers. I have Audioquest Anaacondas as interconnects and Monster M2.4 bi-wire as speaker cables.

Again,,,,,,,,,I know this system needs a lot of work. I hope to have an entirely respectable system within a year but my budget only allows me to accomplish this one piece at a time. I wan't to buy pieces that will make the most significant improvement in the sound.