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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
ddrave44
137 posts
 

Aniwolf +1

While cost isn’t everything, it is something. An ok $599streamer into a $2.5k interconnect and $12.6k DAC means that you are hearing everything (good and bad) that the streamer is producing.

Put another way, at $599 they can only spend so much on parts as they also need to provide for design, marketing, manufacturing & labor so something has to give. I haven’t heard that streamer, but it seems like you’ve found its weakness by paring it with such a revealing DAC.

 

ebm
9,311 posts
 

Upgrade everything ASAP!!

tension255 OP
13 posts
 

Thank you all. It's me again, coming back with some useful info. I tried several speakers at a local store. Unfortunately, most of them sound forward and the music can be aggressive sometime. When I was about to leave, I saw a pair of Dynaudio S1.4. Had the last try and settled on them. Mainly because they are laid-back. I fell like sitting on the 3-4 row rather than the front row. So even aggressive music cannot punch on my face anymore since they are played at a safe distance. 

Back to my original statement, I think it is not about bright or dark, but mainly for the sound stage (forward or backward). With a backward sound stage, everything solved on my side. I appreciate other suggestions all the same. Limited by the energy, knowledge and skills, I cannot try them all, even I believe they will all work well somehow. 

 

SO NOW I have Bluesound n130 - Dave - fire - Etude - a pair of white S1.4 (first version). 

Enjoying music better than before. 

BTW: I did not find many speakers that have a laid-back sound stage, except the S1.4 and special 40. Most of the speakers are forward and punching on your face (or we should call it 3D?). Can I ask for some comments on that, is there any other speakers (say 5 inch) has a laid-back sound stage but good imaging and space?

Thanks all, take care!

best,

T.

tension255 OP
13 posts
 

BTW: I was about to take the special 40, but their look really makes me hesitate. ...... why no white version ?!

holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 

While cost isn’t everything, it is something. An ok $599streamer into a $2.5k interconnect and $12.6k DAC means that you are hearing everything (good and bad) that the streamer is producing.

What is the streamer producing?
I thought it was just a bit stream, and the DAC was doing the magic to make it analogue.

I am not even sure that the $2500 interconnect would do anything that the a $25 interconnect would not do.

Now the speakers I can understand could make a huge difference.

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