everything sounded great until the upgrade


In short: I loved the sound of my modest system, until I upgraded my amp. Now it  sounds pretty horrible. It went from a warm sweet embracing easy-to-listen sound to knives and forks trying to escape from a bathtub.

So...

1. I can just unplug this new amp (used) and sell it

Any other options? I could upgrade my speakers but I have no budget for that.

2. I could sell the speakers and use money to buy used ones that go with the amp. 

3. Lastly I could change the source, but was it the culprit - to begin with?

btw - the sound of the "new" amp is decent with my turntable, and terrible with my CD player.

(If I wrote brands and models it would throw the discussion into "A sucks, B is great")

grislybutter

Toe in might soften some top end depending on off axis response.
Older CD players can definitely benefit from an external DAC  


I have an MF A300 with a pair of Dynaudio Audience 82 that I bought new and used everyday for about 20 years. I thought it was a great match, but it’s hard to hold off the itch indefinitely. (20 years is pretty good though) I recently upgraded “everything”, but I haven’t been able to make myself sell any old equipment yet. There’s a fantasy of a 2nd system (that I doubt I will ever use).

@grislybutter ....sounds like what my gear sounds like to me after I've been away for an extended period, exposed to all manner of audio trivia....*G*

Hang tough, get through a reasonable break-in, and then decide what and where to go with it.  New equipment can startle with the differences they exhibit.

Remember: Change is a b*tch. ;)

Here, chill...

 

Here to help, or at least, distract. ;)

Was great live....*G*