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Confused Musical Presentation

Disclaimer!.... I have neurological auditory damage from exposure to military ordinance without hearing protection and therefore wear hearing aids. I have suffered a considerable amount of hearing loss above 3000Hz. The effect is similar to a treble tone control turned all the way down! However, I've been a music lover and audiophile since the early 80s and have enjoyed a lot of different systems over those years. My present system consists of Wilson Sophia 1, Quicksilver V4 (KT150), BAT 32SE, Cary DMC 600SE, and analog front end is driven by AVID Pulsus and ZYX 4D. Cables are Analysis Plus all around. I have minimal room treatment in 17 x 28 dedicated listening room. 

My  Problem: Listening to small group jazz (90%), typical audiophile fare, and solo instrumental and vocal music is simply breathtaking even at higher volume levels.  (My max on the volume is 80 out of 140 on BAT) No issues at all. However, when the music gets complicated/complex everything goes to crap! Soundstage collapses, music is jumbled together. There is the same effect even at moderate listening levels. Any suggestions to remedy this would be greatly appreciated.

Mike
communique1
erik_squires
16,898 posts
 
Hi Mike,

Room acoustics are often the answer to this, I was writing about this in a thread about Class D amps, especially with hearing loss.

Contact GIK acoustics for help.
tablejockey
4,081 posts
 
Best to just enjoy the music.

What system can do EVERYTHING with every recording, including the not so good ones at ANY volume level? Even the best show systems are still make believe.

Tuning up your room acoustics(don't forget the ceiling) and speaker placement can always keep you busy. 

Why increase audio nervosa? 
tomcarr
1,694 posts
 
Agree with room treatment. I’m using Primacoustic panels purchased from Sweetwater Sound. No affiliation, just a happy customer.
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,327 posts
 
Are you talking about a 19-piece jazz ensemble or an 80-strong classical orchestra?  Or just complex music played by a small group?  Generally speaking, the larger the forces involved, the more difficulty any stereo system has in creating a verisimilitudinous representation of it.  Just try Mahler's so-called "Symphony of a 1000" (symphony #8)!!
communique1 OP
64 posts
 
twoleftears, 
Its complex music regardless of size. For example, the selection The Lady In My Life from Christian McBride's Live at the Villiand Vanguard (I saw this exact band live) the music puts you at the venue...until they cut loose and I want to run for cover! (LP, CD, or Tidal Steam) I would chalk this up to the recording, but other similarly constructed tunes sound wonderful until the group cuts loose. Its as if the system gets confused/falls apart. I'm perplexed. 
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