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Holy Brightness Batman!

I recently bought some Energy Veritas 2.2i stand mount speakers, with matching stands, and I was really impressed with them until today.  All of a sudden, they seem overly bright.  I find it interesting, that at first I loved all the detail and clarity and how open they sound, but after a two weeks they are just too much now.

I also found it interesting, that even though I loved the way they sounded during the honeymoon period, I wasn’t listening to music very much.  The first day that I got my Dynaudio Xeo 6’s, I listened to them for 12 hours straight.  I’ve listened to my Tyler Acoustics for long periods of time as well.  The Veritas though, 15-30 minutes into a listening session, I’d be falling asleep, even at 3 or 4 o’clock in the afternoon.  I wondered if it was because my brain was processing more information because the Veritas were revealing so much more information to me.  Anyhow, this is / was not a good thing.

So, I’m wondering if any of you have had similar experiences with “overly” detailed speakers, or speakers that are borderline too bright.  I feel like if I were demo’ing these speakers next to my Tylers, I’d pick the Veritas for sure, but I’d be wrong.  I’ve always been a fan of detailed, slightly bright, speakers, but now I wonder if I would have been better off with more musical, laid back speakers that draw me into the sound and keep my attention until late into the night.

So take note, when you are trying to make a decision on which speakers to purchase, the ones that grab your attention first may not be the best choice.  
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lcherepkai
280 posts
 
I bought a pair of custom/DIY speakers several years ago.  They have a similar design to Legacy Focus and use Eton metal dome mids and tweeters which are highly detailed and can be BRIGHT!  These speakers replaced Von Schweikert VR 4 Gen II and killed them in every way, making the VR's sound veiled and confused but the upper midrange brightness made them a challenge to listen to.  I experimented with interconnects and power cords and then tubed components.  I tried gold in various locations and found it either dulled the sound or made the already too prominent mids more prominent.   Really, I considered selling the DIY speakers due to the brightness issue but I lucked into something that didn't obscure any detail nor did it dull the top end extension.   

During my power cord experimentation, I tried various plugs from Iego and Oyaide and then sourced wire from several places.  The top of the line Iego 8095, which is rhodium over silver, has a very open and extended top end but somehow tames brightness and the Mundorf silver/gold wire is a great match with these plugs.  I got the wire from Ebay , a Taiwanese distributor, and for less than $400, I got the sound I was hoping for.  One of these in your system should tame the hotness without reducing the transparency/detail.   That's not cheap but it will better a lot of more expensive after market power cords.  I had Fusion Audio Enchanters, BMI Hammerhead Gold and Whale Supreme, and 6sons Audio Windigos in my system.  I never felt that my DIY cord wasn't better than all mentioned.   And the taming effects were noticed in all locations I tried the power cord in.  It sounded as good on the digital source as the power amp as the power conditioner/regenerator.   Good luck with your quest!
sbonamo
61 posts
 
I would check the height of the tweeter relative to your ear height. It may be the new speaker’s tweeter is dead on axis with your ear and the Tyler’s tweeter was above / below your ear making it sound less tipped up in the highs. In addition, I would play with toe - in and rake angle which can have a significant effect on highs. It may be the new speaker if positioned straight at your ear and dead on in terms of height = shrill / overly bright. I find with most speakers having the tweeter slightly above your ear height is the best mix of detail without brightness.
sbayne's avatar
sbayne
493 posts
 
@lcherepkai - Can you post some links for the sources where you've been buying the Iego 8095 plugs and Mundorf silver/cord wire?  What gauge of wire? Thanks
lcherepkai
280 posts
 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/MUNDORF-Germany-iwsg115-Silver-Gold-wire-1-5mm-bare-2M/112251739246?ssPageN...

http://www.acoustic-fun.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=25_29&products_id=52

https://www.ebay.com/itm/IEGO-US-IEC-8055-Furukawa-Japan-Pure-Copper-99-99-Red-Copper/283733892818?h...

This last one is a supplier for Iego out of Viet Nam.   This particular listing is NOT for the 8095 plugs.   I didn't see it presently listed but I've contacted this seller before and know that they do carry the 8095 and at a better price than Acoustic Fun.  Regarding the cheaper Iego 8075, which is rhodium over copper, it is well below the 8095 in performance being quite a bit less resolved and lacks the ability to smooth out brightness that the more expensive plug has.
sbayne's avatar
sbayne
493 posts
 
Thanks!
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