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"Sizzling" tweeters at high volume?

I have my new SFC-1 tube amp (Svetlana El34) 50wpc. my speakers are ACI Sapphire II (Focal TK-120 kevlar tweeters)rated 15-150wpc, 90db with imp. of 6ohm. On some recordings (Live at the Greek, Tim Haggans...)snare drums, and trumpet would start to "crackle", at volume level past 12 o'clock. On other CD's it doesn't(Kind of Blue)
eldragon
sedond
1,391 posts
 
the focal inverted titanium tweets should be a drop-in replacement - these tweets are what's in my meret re's, & i get no ringing, even at "head-banger" volume levels in a ~25x38 listening room... there was a cheap pair here f/s on audiogon last week...
jack994d
1 posts
 
It sounds likely that the amplifier is starting to clip at that point. Clipping causes a rapid increase in distortion such as you describe. Try backing the volume off just a little bit at a time until you get to the point where this no longer happens.
eldragon OP
707 posts
 
I guess David was right? Not to listen after 10:30 am.
trelja
3,226 posts
 
Sedond, I find the Focal titanium tweeters to be the worst of the lot. Followed next, by the tioxid(TiO2). To my ears, the Kevlar tweeters are the least offending. I have also noticed that these tweeters are very system dependent. With a laid back tube amp, the Kevlar tweeters can be OK. With more forward sounding tube amps(I heard them with Rogue stereo and monoblocks w/Rogue 66 preamp) or many ss products, they send me running as fast as I can in the other direction. Of high end tweeters, the Focals are by far my least favorite.
sedond
1,391 posts
 
hi trelja,

inneresting - many folks have similar comments about these tweets, but i like 'em a lot in my meret's, driven by electrocompaniet amps. as much as comparably-priced proacs, which i also like a lot, w/their dynaudio-derived tweets.

that said, i'm considering getting gnu speks - the (less-expensive) newform research nhb645's or the r645's, or a custom-wersion w/accuton drivers...

regards, doug

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