You mention trying other amp / preamp combo's, different digital front ends, tons of different cables, etc... so that kind of rules those out as the source of "bleeding ear syndrome". As such, you are left with your speakers as the logical source of your problems. Regardless of all of the other combo's that you tried, it was the one mainstay in the system ( other than the brightness ).
While you might be able to find a combo of gear that will tame the characteristics about them that you don't like, my guess is that you would end up in the same situation that you are already in. That is, IF you build a new system around them. This is not to say that B&W's are bright or "bad" speakers, only that they are not to your personal taste.
I would look at the size of your room, the volume levels and tonal balance that you want to achieve and then look at speakers with those factors in mind. Once you've found something that interests you, you'll know about how much power you'll need to look for and can start working backwards from there.
This is not to say that i think that the speakers are more important than all of the other links in the chain, but they can be the most influential. I say this based on various power demands, how they load and react with the room, dispersion characteristics, etc.. All of other products simply process and pass along what electrical signal is already there. Speakers convert that electrical signal to a mechanical signal and as such, have twice as many variables to deal with.
I would look for something that was relatively efficient ( 89+ db's or so) a relatively easy ( non-reactive ) load to drive, medium to high impedance ( 6 - 10 ohms ) and something that will work ( in terms of placement and your listening position ) within your requirements. This will make amplifier selection quite a bit easier and allow you to concentrate on a high quality source and minimizing losses in the preamp.
Just a thought and hope you don't find it out of line. Sean
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While you might be able to find a combo of gear that will tame the characteristics about them that you don't like, my guess is that you would end up in the same situation that you are already in. That is, IF you build a new system around them. This is not to say that B&W's are bright or "bad" speakers, only that they are not to your personal taste.
I would look at the size of your room, the volume levels and tonal balance that you want to achieve and then look at speakers with those factors in mind. Once you've found something that interests you, you'll know about how much power you'll need to look for and can start working backwards from there.
This is not to say that i think that the speakers are more important than all of the other links in the chain, but they can be the most influential. I say this based on various power demands, how they load and react with the room, dispersion characteristics, etc.. All of other products simply process and pass along what electrical signal is already there. Speakers convert that electrical signal to a mechanical signal and as such, have twice as many variables to deal with.
I would look for something that was relatively efficient ( 89+ db's or so) a relatively easy ( non-reactive ) load to drive, medium to high impedance ( 6 - 10 ohms ) and something that will work ( in terms of placement and your listening position ) within your requirements. This will make amplifier selection quite a bit easier and allow you to concentrate on a high quality source and minimizing losses in the preamp.
Just a thought and hope you don't find it out of line. Sean
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