Slight Hardness on LP's


Hello FriendsI'm very happy with my set up, but on some LP's, and maybe overall, I found the sound, a bit harsh, e.g one some live records, the clapping, of the audience, is not natural!!, but at the same time the Bass, is great!!, my phono stage, and preamp, and monoblocks are all solid stage!!, do you think, maybe to go with a "tube preamp", might solve this!!, or will it spoil the great bass!!, Friends I live down on the far south coast of Australia, my closest Hi-Fi shop is 3 hours drive, from me!!, Is there a tone control, unit out there, or will this, smudge the nice cymbals??Hoping someone out there, can help??, My System is bellow, thanks in advance!!Source: "Once Analog" TT, "Aust" made, mated with the "Wand Tonearm" New Zealand, made, with a Dynavector DV-20X2L low output cartridgePhono Stage: Vacume tube logic made in Switzerland (solid statePre Amp: P.S Audio, and Dac, in one unit!!Mono Blocks: "Channel Islands", which I love!!, they are rated approx 170 WPC per channel, maybe this might be the problem, as the speakers are rated at I think 98 ohms, too much power??, I think they were designed, for fewer watts??I don't know!!, someone told me you can never have too much power, regardless!!Speakers: Zu Soul's MK 2Cables: Telos speaker cables, PAD and Harmonic Tech interconnects, RCA's, from TT, to Phono Stage, RCA's from phono Stage, to Pre Amp, Balanced from pre to "Mono Blocks"Friends, I know, this a long question, but want to get everything right, as we all "Enjoy the Music" !!ManyThanksDavid SpryAustralia



128x128daveyonthecoast
If the only thing you don't like about your system is that on some live recordings the audience clapping doesn't sound natural, then you have a great system and I would advise that you don't change a thing.

BTW, for many rock and pop albums the clapping is not taped at the recording venue.  It is added in the recording studio from sound effects tapes.
Can you give as idea on what LP you find offensive during music ?
i would visit and smuggle in a phono preamp or three and some cartridge alignment tools but the new wall between Colorado and ???? Will prevent my immediate escape
Call Mick at Supratek. Australian preamps or combo phono/preamps.  You might check his blog. Easy to find on the internet.
He makes 6SN7 preamps and 300B direct heated triode preamps as well. 
Some good ideas above to try before buying gear.

Unclear if this is a relatively new to you system or not?

Also what acoustic treatments do you use? 
Are you all copper in the interconnects and speaker cables?

Is it your ears changing -as in "the system was sounding fine
for months/years until recently"?  Or it has always sounded this 
way (harsh) sometimes and now it is time to do something about it?