Fuzzy sound on good quality system

[Omniwing]

I really hope you can help me out. Here is my setup:

Oppo BDP-83 as CD player. Connected with high quality stereo analog cables to a NAD 3155 amp that I got used. Speakers are newly purchased Ascend Acoustics CBM-170 SE.

When I play CDs, the sound quality does not sound 'full', and there is a fuzzy sound, that is more apparent with parts of the song that are stronger and louder in volume. It is almost like a clicking fuzzy noise. It is difficult to notice, however definitely there. When I input something else into the receiver, like a TV, I don't notice the fuzzing.

I've re-clipped the stereo wires, re-wired the entire thing to make sure no connections were loose, as that is kind of what it sounded like. All of the wires are new, and I've been through all of my Oppo settings countless times to make sure everything is set up correctly. My NAD is set to 8ohms, which shouldn't be a problem at all with this system. The fuzz is there at all volume levels.

Please help me resolve this. It is a very old amp (1988) that I got used, could that be the problem? I just bought and paid $500 for the Oppo, I don't think that would be the issue, however like I said when I run other things through the amp, I don't seem to notice a problem. I'm sure the wires between the Oppo and receiver are correct. Any ideas? I am willing to try anything, and will report back.

 

[highfigh]

I really hope you can help me out. Here is my setup:

Oppo BDP-83 as CD player. Connected with high quality stereo analog cables to a NAD 3155 amp that I got used. Speakers are newly purchased Ascend Acoustics CBM-170 SE.

When I play CDs, the sound quality does not sound 'full', and there is a fuzzy sound, that is more apparent with parts of the song that are stronger and louder in volume. It is almost like a clicking fuzzy noise. It is difficult to notice, however definitely there. When I input something else into the receiver, like a TV, I don't notice the fuzzing.

I've re-clipped the stereo wires, re-wired the entire thing to make sure no connections were loose, as that is kind of what it sounded like. All of the wires are new, and I've been through all of my Oppo settings countless times to make sure everything is set up correctly. My NAD is set to 8ohms, which shouldn't be a problem at all with this system. The fuzz is there at all volume levels.


Please help me resolve this. It is a very old amp (1988) that I got used, could that be the problem? I just bought and paid $500 for the Oppo, I don't think that would be the issue, however like I said when I run other things through the amp, I don't seem to notice a problem. I'm sure the wires between the Oppo and receiver are correct. Any ideas? I am willing to try anything, and will report back.

An amp made in 1988 isn't very old, by a long stretch. If you hear this on some music and not all of it, it's on the CD, not the system. List some of the ones that have this sound and I would bet that they're some of the earlier releases or some of the new ones that were mastered for iPod, which means the sound sucks when played through a good system..

 

[Omniwing]

Thanks for the reply. It seems to not be isolated to certain CDs, however I'll do some more testing to check. I know a piano or voice track would be easier to identify the fuzz, but most of my music is rock.

To be honest, I really did not think that could be possible. I was under the impression that CDs simply had outstanding quality all of the time. However, I put in the album "Californication" by Red Hot Chili Peppers, which I noticed the static or fuzz on 'scar tissue' on my system. I put this in my PC cdrom and ran it into my NAD. Low and behold, the fuzz was still there! But when I play a lossless data file, it is not.

Is the CD just simply mastered badly? I spent about $1000 on my Stereo, did I really build something so accurate that I hear imperfections in CDs?

 

[Omniwing]

Hahaha, I just read a forum titled "worst mastered CDs", here is a post:


"I know there's a thread on the forums already dedicated to "slovenly" mastering.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication is always on the top of many peoples lists."


Looks like I do have a good ear after all!

 

[highfigh]

Thanks for the reply. It seems to not be isolated to certain CDs, however I'll do some more testing to check. I know a piano or voice track would be easier to identify the fuzz, but most of my music is rock.

To be honest, I really did not think that could be possible. I was under the impression that CDs simply had outstanding quality all of the time. However, I put in the album "Californication" by Red Hot Chili Peppers, which I noticed the static or fuzz on 'scar tissue' on my system. I put this in my PC cdrom and ran it into my NAD. Low and behold, the fuzz was still there! But when I play a lossless data file, it is not.

Is the CD just simply mastered badly? I spent about $1000 on my Stereo, did I really build something so accurate that I hear imperfections in CDs?

Bad mastering will be audible on most systems and it's not a new problem. Some mastering record producers want the music to sound as loud as possible and if they want to be used on future projects, the engineers need to jack up the levels whether the sound is excellent, or not. Analog audio id more tolerant of exceeding the 0VU level on the meters but in digital, there's no code for levels above that, so it clicks, has noise bursts, etc.

 

[j_garcia]

Have you adjusted the speaker levels within the player? I have been auditioning some speakers and had to adjust the levels up to compensate for the difference in sensitivity, but I noticed right away that doing this in the player caused audible distortion. Setting the levels back to zero and adjusting the levels in my receiver did not have this distortion, so I know it is the player's analog section and those adjustments because it sounds fine with the levels at zero.

 

[davef]

To be honest, I really did not think that could be possible. I was under the impression that CDs simply had outstanding quality all of the time. However, I put in the album "Californication" by Red Hot Chili Peppers, which I noticed the static or fuzz on 'scar tissue' on my system. I put this in my PC cdrom and ran it into my NAD. Low and behold, the fuzz was still there! But when I play a lossless data file, it is not.

Is the CD just simply mastered badly? I spent about $1000 on my Stereo, did I really build something so accurate that I hear imperfections in CDs?

One of my favorite CD's with regard to music, but also the source of much frustration. Californication is one of the WORST recorded CD's I have ever had the displeasure to listen to. Great music that simply sounds terrible on high resolution gear. It is really a shame

 

[highfigh]

Within a few months of CD players being released for sale here in the US, I took a phone call from someone whose first comment was "I thought CDs were supposed to sound great, man!". He went on to say that his first CD was a total disappointment and that he wanted to return the player. I asked if he had another disc to try and that was his only one. I asked what it was and he told me that it was The Who- Live at Leeds.