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paranoid listener, bad recordings

I tend to listen apprehensively for some reason not understanding how durable speakers are at my listening level. So, I hear distortion from time to time coming out of my speakers and freak out thinking i have damaged them. But, I am beginning to think it is on the recordings.

Right now i have a pair of gallo 3.1's in my den that i am wrestling with room position (see other post) because of limited options. I put on some joni mitchell or typically pop recordings, sometimes older jazz, and will hear the distortion. I listen around 75-85db levels.

Am I paranoid, is the distortion in the recordings and should it sound like this on occasion? Is that too loud?
djwilbourn
jax2
3,031 posts
 
The listening levels you mention are what I'd call "moderate" and no reason for distortions to be coming up. I would look closely at your amp-speaker interface first. The 3.1's like to see a lot of power/current, as I recall from listening to them a few times. If you are still using the Prologue 2 that is listed in your system, the 40w/ch they generate may not be enough for your Gallos. How large is the room you are listening in? What kinds of music to you listen to? Certainly distortions could be originating elsewhere, but that would be my first suspicion.
djwilbourn OP
42 posts
 
Using a YBA YA201 for this setup. Still have the Prologue 2 in the actual listening room on other speakers. This is in the living room and really seems to be coming from particular recordings. CD only coming from a modified Adcom gda 600 dac. I listen to all kinds of music but mainly jazz and folk rock. Room is rougly 15x25 with a large opening on one end that goes into kitchen/dining area.
jax2
3,031 posts
 
I'm not familiar with that (100wpc) integrated amp. I went to hear the Gallo's you have with a a friend at a local dealer. They demo'd the speakers with a two different amps, and the latter pair definitely improved big time over the original integrated they had driving them. I think the latter pair were Parasound Halo JC-1's. They sounded a bit "cool" for my tastes, but the added power definitively drove those speakers much better than the integrated he started out with (which I think was right around the same power as yours). 15X25 is also a pretty large space, especially if ceilings are high. Anyway, that's what I'd suspect.
mlsstl
1,438 posts
 
Are you playing CD or LP as source material?

If LP, the record may be damaged from either prior use, dirt or it may even be a defective pressing. Tone arm and cartridge setup can be an issue and so on. There are a lot of things to check.

CDs can also be poorly recorded or mastered.

Assuming there is not something wrong or broken in your system, your listening volume should not be a cause of concern for damage to the speakers.
learsfool
1,215 posts
 
There are some good suggestions above, however it is also possible, even likely, that the distortion is on your recordings, at least some of them. Recording engineers are by no means perfect, and many times the miking/mixing is less than desirable, even on normally very good labels, no matter what the format.
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