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How to tame a bright system?

Hi all,

I have been facing a problem, the brightness of my system:

Bluesound n130  --- Chord dave ---- audioquest fire (xlr) ---- Etude  ---- copper wire ---- B&W 606s2.

 

The brightness shows up, particularly after I upgrade the cable from the chord company clearway (RCA) to the AQ fire (XLR).  AQ fire really improved everything. However, the high frequency is too cristal to my ears (especially the "ding, ding" sound from the piano, I believe most of the people would love it but not me .... ).  I like the cheap clearway, but it does not have the excellent bass and the dynamic offered by fire. I also tried with AQ Mackenzie (copper) which gives a proper sound but lacks space. I also found the vocal of fire is a bit forward (I am not really big fun of forwarding vocal).

Can someone help to recommend a cable that has everything of clearway but more dynamic and extension at the low end? I think this would be an ideal cable for my current system.

 

If possible, please help to focus on the cable rather than the other components. I know there is a lot to improve, but not at the moment.  Thanks a lot guys!  ;-) 

 

 

 

tension255
cd318
2,636 posts
 

Yes, change the speakers.

Or spend a lot of time and money in frustration.

No cable on earth can make that kind of magnitude of difference.

And even, even if one could, then what would that say about the rest?

For what it's worth I use Chord Odyssey speaker cable and have never seen any reason to change it.

krelldog
321 posts
 

Its your speakers. B&W are well known to be extremely bright. To some....literally nails on a chalkboard.

Easy fix.

stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,384 posts
 

What everyone else said, "change the speakers".  I was in your situation once, I changed everything from all electronics to all the cables, and guess what?  The brightness was still there.  I finally "got it" and replaced the speakers but that arrogance I had not considering the speakers cost me upward of 40K+.

twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,318 posts
 

Chord + Chord + B&W.  There you have it: a recipe for brightness.  I don't think even previous generation Cardas (e.g. Golden Cross) would ameliorate that.

holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 

A DSP would be another option, but that assumes that the speakers (tweeters) do not have a lot of distortions that are creating the effect of brightness.

One can certainly get the frequency response shaped however they want with a DSP.

Or sell the B&W and get a used pair of Vandersteens and call it a day.

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