strident mids...

[methenyfan11]

Hi!

I'm new to the forum and am seeking your expertise! Everything is perfect, except that when I really turn this system up, the strident mids make it unbearable, and force me to turn it back down. The highs, the detail, the sound stage are all wonderful and quite a delight as I'm new to the hi-fi arena. (previously mid-fi).

I'm trying a new system: Rotel 1068 pre/pro, Rotel 1095 five channel amp, and B&W 703's (mains and ctr). Using MiT cables and Monster. Also using velodyne SPL 1200 II sub.

Speakers are broken in, as they were floor models. Pre/pro and amp are new, and have only about 50 hours of use so far.

Do you folks have any suggestions for someome who wants to be able to turn it way up sometimes without the mids taking over? ie. a different amp/speaker combo, different cables, etc.

PS: As far as room dynamics, I've used this room for sound for years, and with my old system, you could turn it up for hours without ear fatigue, even though it was a Kenwood/Klipsch combo. I'm looking for the slam and warmth of the Klipsch, but with the delicate details and sound stage offered in this new system.

Thanks in advance for your insights! Methenyfan11

[RACER4551]

Greeting's, i own a very similar setup,1068,1095 and 703's,htm7(center),602s3(surounds),SVS pb-2(sub).I had a similar impression from my setup,it seemed very forward in the mid and high regions at first.I set the tone control on the 1068 to -3 on the hf and the lf to +2 for all speakers and seemed to help alot,then i purchased some different cables(solid copper interconnects)and with those it really tamed the mids and highs to my liking and i now have retuned the tone controls to the 0 settings.As you know rooms are also to play in the quality of sound,and i also noticed that the setup sounded alot warmer after about three months of playing time.Also i noticed that source players such as dvd and cd players made a difference and bad recordings sounded like bad recordings because the rotel setup is very honest as the old saying goes what goes in comes out.There are so many verables that effect sound quality,i would play with the tone controls and placement of your speakers first and then maybe some different cables.Also what are you using for a source? Does all your sources sound bright and forward?

[ToddAnisman]

Y'know, this is a bit of a stretcch, mainly because I'm not familiar with Rotel, but this couyld be distortion in gain staging. I think the Rotel 1095 has enough power (200wRMS/8ohms), but I am wondering when the preamp is getting turned up if there is some distortion occuring before the signal hits the amp. This would manifest as the strident or harsh sounding midrange, especially if the distortion is occuring there. one way to test is to the set the Amplifier's sensitivity to maximum (does it even have a sensitivity control?). Then do the same tests....

Hope this helps...

-Todd A.

[methenyfan11]

It's great to hear from someone with essentially the same gear! Sounds as if you're very happy with it now that it's fully broken in and you have figured out cables, and room dynamics.

To answer your question: My source hardware is a Sony SACD/DVD/CD player (DVP 975). I have it hooked up with Coaxial cable (except of course for SACD mode) so the 1068 is doing the processing. (Wow, what a difference that made!).

Software: As you observed, some CD's sound markedly better than others. But even on the better ones (Pat Metheny or eg: Sting's Sacred Love album, or Disney's Fantasia 2000), they sound outstanding, even breathtaking at lower and moderate levels. It's when I turn the knob past around 73 or 74 on the 1068 with CD's and maybe around 76 for DVD's, that the sound gets sort of thin and harsh.

It's helpful to hear the sound mellows after weeks. This is the best sound by far I've had in the house and I'm hoping to be able to stick with these components even for really loud listening.

Thanks so much for your suggestions. I was worried that the components might not be a good match.

[methenyfan11]

Thanks for the testing idea. The Rotel does not have a sensitivity switch (at least to which I'm aware). I, too, wonder if either the pre-amp or amp is starting to distort/strain at the higher volumes.

On the other hand, the mids are stronger than I'm used to at all volume levels, but only bothersome at very high volumes. It seems to magnify any grainy quality in the recording - thus better recordings can be played louder before they become too much to bear.

I first tried this amp and speaker complement with my mid-fi receiver as the preamp, and the problem was worse then - perhaps because there was more harshness to amplify in the first place.

So I wonder if it's a combination of harshness before full break-in period, wiring adjustments, the tonal character of the amp, and a tendency for the amp to get thin when pushed. I know that I love the sound at modest volumes, but also know this is too much money to spend if it's not right for all listening levels.

I will try wiring, speaker placement and working with the room dynamics, as well as letting the gear break in some more. If those fail to cure the problem, I'm going to need to change either the amp or the speakers. If anyone knows of a speaker in a similar price range to the 703's, with very high fidelity but more laid back mids, maybe that would be a better match for me/the accoustics in my room. Or if there is an amp with a softer tonal balance in the mid to high mids (that does not give up the strong clear highs I'm enjoying), I'd be, well, all ears!

Thanks again for your insights. Methenyfan11