consistent Posted August 19, 2005 Share Posted August 19, 2005 Guys, It does start from the source (recording) but good quality components help 'the source' from degradation. I have changes the caps and resistors is my pre-amp from metalized paper to Hovland and Sonicaps. Am also trying out certain resitors in the signal path with some interesting results. The better the cap the better the sound but not so with resistors IMO. I find that by 'playing around' there is a noticeable refinement to the sound I was getting.It is a tube pre which works well with my SS gear, amazing what can be done in the pre-amp. I am considering the amp but have to work up the courage. Be prepared to spend some time fooling around. I guess this 'fooling around' is something that is missing in some mass produced gear. No one realy listens, just produces to a price point! Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anakin26 Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Hmm.. what exactly to you mean by "fooling around" are you trying different values for the caps? Or different brands? I thought that especially with the caps in the amp you should stick with the factory values as changes might have unforseen effects? Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
consistent Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Hi Again, "Fooling around" is changing out caps but also playing with values. Not alot, just enough in a pre. You can do the same in an amp and speakers. I have currently come down 0.1uf from an original value but have used a combination of caps. I have found Hovlands to be extreme with detail (staging) but some unwanted 'loudness' effects. The Sonicaps allow for deep deep bass with a detailed midrange but the top end is back a little. I have combined and at the moment the sound is better than what was in the original box as I have tweaked to my tastes which I beleive to be closer to reality. Cheers from down under! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anakin26 Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 I will try mundorf caps. Any experience with those? Greetings from Austria to Australia! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 ---------------- On 8/19/2005 3:00:19 PM Al Klappenberger wrote: Sibilance is NEITHER a result of amp or speakers. It is a real thing that is recorded on many CDs. Some artists have a bad case of it. Wynona Ryder and Sarah Briteman are two examples. Listen to a recording that has sibilance with good quality headphones direct from your CD player and you will hear it! No amp, not speakers and no crossover netwrok. It's still there! ---------------- Though I too would usually contribute it to the source material, there are amps and speakers out there that exagerate material in the 10kHz region, which is often percieved/described as too much sibilance. In fact, to get rid of sibilance in the studio we simply lower the HF EQ knob on the mixer (which usually has a set center frequency around 8-16kHz depending on the maker of the board). In the case that you hear it on headphones then yes, the source material has this sibilance recorded onto it (and your system should reproduce it). However, there are times when you won't hear it on headphones, but you will hear it on a cheapy SS amp, crappy speakers, cheap CD player etc etc. I have no doubt that a crossover that doesn't take into account a slight bump in the response of a HF driver could also exagerate sibilance that wouldn't otherwise be there. Basically, anything that exagerates the high frequencies will have this effect. Even a room that is more reflective at high frequencies will have more sibilance...or at least what is described as sibilance (you of course won't hear any sibilance if there was absolutely none of it recorded on the source material...note that sibilance itself is not inheritantly a bad thing...however overexagerated sibilance is). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
consistent Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 From OZ to AUS Hi There! I spent some time in Vienna and Salzburg many years ago. A beautiful country. I have no experience with Mundorf but read they are suppose to be 'it' in the Cap world. Try logging onto http://home.zonnet.nl/geenius/Cap.html, this guy has done a few tests using a number of different caps but I believe it is all system related. I have a few recordings I use to test the ssssssss's (Kate Bush has lots of them.) If I don't hear them I have a problem. It is how I hear them in relation to other recordings that use better equipment and different mics for the performers. I have learnt that some caps (old and new) can really tear out the ssssss's or bring them back in as they were recorded or even exaggerate them. Listening to the rest of the instruments and vocals brings it all into persective. This is what I believe Sonicaps do over Hovlands (with some help using appropriate resistance values). I am using Khorns an SS amp and detailed digital gear so I am tweaking the pre to let the union of all this gear do the talking naturally as it was recorded good bad and ugly, that's my goal! I know it has been debated on this forum but I am a big fan of using different interconnect cables. Some do have an effect on capacitance and resistance in a system that is capable of picking up these little nuances. So I think choosing wisely with interconnects (also speakers cables) is also important. I make my own because most manufacturers chronically overcharge to what you get for the price. I have done some interconnect 'a' 'b' testing with friends and have demonstrated that 'there is a difference' in some not all cables. Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nklipsch Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 ---------------- On 8/19/2005 6:14:39 AM consistent wrote: Hi there, I'm currently playing around with caps and resistors in my pre-amp and believe me these have an effect on the sound of the sssssssssssss's. Use female voices they tend to 'test' your system as to its harshness, brightness and sweetness. I agree that it starts with the recording but ends up through your speakers. You just have to make sure your system doesn't add anything to the recording. Cheers ---------------- Hello, It would be useful to people if you wrote up your method,results and conclusions.Im interested in objective vs subjective effects of these issues. Mike.e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
consistent Posted August 22, 2005 Share Posted August 22, 2005 Hi N, I am a 'trial and error' guy sometimes even going back over old ground but I will attempt to take some pix and post a brief on my experiences at the weekend. I don't think I'll ever finish 'fooling around' (with electronics that is), the wife recons I should be doing something else with my time, but eh! All the best Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-MAN Posted August 22, 2005 Share Posted August 22, 2005 I think that one sign of a "bad" or cheap crossover is its tendancy to exagerate sibilance. DM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
consistent Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 Oh I hear that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEC Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 ---------------- On 8/22/2005 1:57:49 PM D-MAN wrote: I think that one sign of a "bad" or cheap crossover is its tendancy to exagerate sibilance. DM ---------------- DM, I would say that differently. I think one sign of a bad or cheap crossover is its inabilty to reproduce existing sibilance. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-MAN Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 Hey Bob, Maybe you're right. I am reminded of the shrillness of the latest movie viewing at a THX-certified threatre, and the sibilance was bitingly painful. And those were presumably "good" electronic crossovers! DM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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