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Vocals and upper midrange too forward?

Hey all - I just have a question regarding my new speakers.  I would say I am an audiophile apprentice.  I just got new speakers in the system and likely they have a more sophisticated sound with tighter bass and likely more detail but I think that the upper midrange (my words but it seems to be noticeable with male vocals and some guitar etc) is too forward.  Current system uses Prima Luna Dialog HP Integrated and went from Totem Sttaf to Devore Fidelity Gibbon 88.  I notice it both with analog and CD sources.  At first the sound was more "advanced" with the Devore speakers and I was hearing things in the vocals with bands like the Allman Brothers that I had not heard before.  As time goes on, I am starting to think it may border on the fatiguing.  The Sttaf with the silk dome tweeter may be more to my liking though would be a trade off with more cabinet resonance I think with the Sttaf.  Not sure if there is any fix but am I missing anything?  Anyone have similar experience?  All parts of the system are broken in I believe (I bought the Devore speakers used).  There actually may have been an improvement in the sound with the Devore speakers before the spikes were added as they were being shipped and I could not wait.  But now I have the spikes in place and positioned well I think.  Thanks in advance.
zipline11
reubent
6,979 posts
 
Play with speaker toe-in. You can try any angle from straight ahead to having the speaker angle cross over in front on you and everything in between. I would start with straight ahead (no toe-in) and see if the anomaly disappears. This may cause some issues with the coherence of the soundstage. If so, start toe-ing in the speakers until you have the best balance between consistent soundstage and forward/fatigue.

If you can't get them to work with adjusting the positioning, you're left with trying to tame the forwardness with cables, tubes, etc.

It could be that you just prefer the totems over the new speakers......

Good Luck,

TIC
paul79
174 posts
 
Spikes.... On slab floor? Carpet? If so, I have never liked the result from this, and the issues are exactly what you are describing. Even with carpeted wood flooring.

If you have threaded inserts for the spikes in the bottoms of the speakers, look at Herbie's Audio Labs Giant Studded Glider, or Studded Gliders to replace the spikes.
stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,384 posts
 
I used to own a pair of DeVore Gibbon 8 speakers.  I never felt they were bright or fatiguing but they were quite lean in the bass.  I had to get them close to the wall behind them and that did help a little.  I was using an all tube preamp (Audible Illusions Modulus 3A) and a 175wpc Classe' 15 amplifier.  I ended up trying a pair of subwoofers with the speakers and eventually tired of it and sold the speakers and subs.  I would try getting them a little closer to the wall and perhaps even try close to a corner.  It may thicken up the bass enough to get rid of the leanness you describe.  I also found toe in was more critical with the Gibbon8.  Not sure how that would relate to the 88.
inna
7,296 posts
 
Besides what others have said it might be a poor amp/speakers match.
Did you buy the speakers unheard ?
zipline11 OP
18 posts
 
Thanks for all the replies.  Looks like I've got some experimenting to do. Positioning them straight ahead may be the way to go in that room with these speakers and oddly enough I thought there MAY have been improvement when there were no spikes (the manual advises to try to have the front of the speaker higher than the back and thus the need for the spikes).  I feel like that breaks all sorts of rules and covenants but I may have those babies sitting on the carpet with no spikes at all.  
And inna I did buy the speakers unheard.  Took a risk I know but really no other possible way due to location of being out in the middle of nowhere.
And stereo5 I did try moving them closer to the wall but the feeling of the upper mid range being about two notches higher in volume than the rest of the range (even when I think that really ALL of the range individually sounds good including the bass).  Kind of a weird problem.  Anyway I will get to work on trying to find the sweet spot and thanks again everyone
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