Symphonies reproduction

[ebenai]

I need some advise. I have a descent system (Manley Stingray, JMlabs 826S and Musical Fidelity X-Ray V3). Jazz CD sound great no complaints. So does chamber music. The problem is when I want to listen to big orchestras, like symphonies (Beethoven's fifth). It just does not sound right, specially the strings at high frequencies when played together, No problems with soloists. My room is not large (10 x12x 9)

 

[Rip Van Woofer]

Maybe the recordings? Some mix the strings (especially violins) too "hot" IMO.

Or maybe listening too loud? There's a fine line over which strings can start sounding edgy.

Or your room is too reflective and "live".

Finally, maybe your speakers have frequency response errors in those frequencies that massed strings especially reveal. That and large choral passages can sometimes separate the great speakers (in the midrange and high frequencies) from the merely good.

 

[markw]

What Rip said, and then some.

Your amps have the least effect on what you are hearing when you compare it to the effect the of

1) The quality of the recorded material and

2) The speaker/room interactions.

If either of these is lacking, nothing will compansate for it.

 

[tbewick]

Why don't you try playing the same piece of music on someone else's system to see how it sounds. Did the version of Beethoven's fifth you're playing get a good review for sound quality? I've heard the Mackerras CD version which sounded good (sound quality) but the remastered Klemperer vinyl (I can't remember which one, stereo/mono) lacks bass.

The strings are apparently quite demanding for speakers because of all those high frequencies. Speakers that have poor transient response can give violins an unpleasant harshness.

Some orchestras tend to have their strings sections playing more vigorously than others, which does sound harsh when listened to nearby in live performances. Maybe this happens in some recording studio performances as well?

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Everything above is correct. It could be a lot of things. The reflective room hit me before I even read all the posts. Have you tried different angles with your speakers? A lot of guys with high end equipment tend to bring out their front mains into the room, a few feet from the wall, and canter them just behind the listening area. Acoustical tiles are popular on the walls. In your case, possibly the rear wall? It's hard to say without seeing your layout. Any chance of posting some digital pictures? Finally, what do you think of your tweeter? (1" Tioxid 5 inverted dome tweeter with 3/4" coil). In an article taken from Home Theater Magazine on similar speakers, they wrote "dubbed TNC, this new tweeter features a special low-density aluminum/magnesium alloy formed using a similar technique to the Utopia's beryllium dome, which is claimed to endow it with incredible rigidity and lightness while retaining excellent damping properties. In plain English, this means that the TNC tweeter is touted to combine the best aspects of a good metal dome with those of a soft dome in one budget-priced offering." If this is the same tweeter, it may not act exactly like a very high end soft dome would, especially with strings.

 

[ebenai]

Thanks

Thank you very much guys for your answers and advice. I think mi room probably needs to be treated with some absortion panels, but I will try with a different recording of the same symphony to rule out this first. I'm listening to Kleiber's DG CD. Nevertheless, I think the room and perhaps the character of my speakers play a role. Would adding powered SW help? Like vandeersteens or rels?

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Thank you very much guys for your answers and advice. I think mi room probably needs to be treated with some absortion panels, but I will try with a different recording of the same symphony to rule out this first. I'm listening to Kleiber's DG CD. Nevertheless, I think the room and perhaps the character of my speakers play a role. Would adding powered SW help? Like vandeersteens or rels?

A powered SW would fill in the lowest frequencies the midwoofers have trouble reproducing - 20Hz to 50Hz. With the new home theater receivers, they also take the burden off the amplifier sections that normally try to reproduce this bass by setting an internal crossover at, say 60Hz or 80Hz. You may already realize this, but not realize that a good subwoofer actually "cleans up" the sound of the front mains. By having more power "on tap" (not having to rely on your main amp to drive the lowest frequencies) to reproduce those "bursts of sound," the main front speakers work more efficiently and thus may sound better. Unfortunately, a tweeter doesn't require much power at all, and adding a subwoofer won't make a huge difference in the highest frequencies, other than possibly cleaning up the muddy bass. A digital or parametric eq would do wonders for your highs, though. Have you considered any?

 

[rgriffin25]

Thank you very much guys for your answers and advice. I think mi room probably needs to be treated with some absortion panels, but I will try with a different recording of the same symphony to rule out this first. I'm listening to Kleiber's DG CD. Nevertheless, I think the room and perhaps the character of my speakers play a role. Would adding powered SW help? Like vandeersteens or rels?

I often find that older recordings lack the clarity the newer ones have. Do you feel the same with newer recordings?

 

[ebenai]

Equalizer

I was thinking about an equalizer but I have not read very good things about these devices. Seems that some experts (perhaps purists?) recommend against them, yet I think that it might help a lot. I would not even know where to start looking. Any recommendations?

 

[jaxvon]

I'll beat WmAx to the punch here. According to him, the Behringer DCX2496 is the only way to go. PM him if you wanna know more about it. It has parametric EQ as well as ton of other functions. It's $250 from Musicians Friend online with free shipping (they are an authorized dealer).