Holy MOFO!!! (...and Gawd bless Art Kyle!)

 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 580
Registered: Mar-05
it's been years since I've barked and howled in pure delight...feels GREAT!

so, UPS finally came around 6pm with my NAD 2200 amp & 1240 pre-amp, I had it up and running by 8pm and after an initial scare (see thread in Speaker Forum), find myself head over heels in audio NIRVANA! Thank you thank you Art Kyle for your advice!

sheesh, all this time I thought going from an Onkyo 601 to a Marantz 5400 was a big improvement in music performance...but going from the 5400 to NAD separates (albeit +15 year old vintage ones) has been more like going from a biplane to a freakin' F-14!

This thing is just SCARY...rated at a *very* conservative 100wpc, at just barely 1/4 volume (9 o'clock position) it effortlessly and powerfully fills up my 600 square foot listening space with incredibly rich, detailed and vibrant sound that just makes me want to bounce up and down and off the walls! I shudder to think what this beast would do to my beloved Ascends if I or my wife walked by and accidently bumped the knob up past 12 o'clock.

Ah, now I'm finally living that famous old Maxell commercial---you know, the one with the guy sitting in his armchair in front of his stereo and everything is flying past him...!

The Marantz, even in Source Direct mode and cranked up to -5 db, couldn't hold a candle to this. Very hard to describe, except that there's like this unbelievable RAW ENERGY flooding out of my speakers, the sheer power and force coupled with its detail and clarity, was just jaw-dropping. I can only compare it to the dynamics of a live performance.

The old cliche about "hearing things you never heard before on old CDs" is definitely true---I already experienced that somewhat when I upgraded to Ascend speakers but the NAD amp just extends and magnifies it!

One caveat though: like the Ascend speakers, the NAD really does reveal poor recordings mercilessly. A lot of classic rock that contains strong accoustic guitar leads ends up sounding thin and bright (John Lennon), in contrast to better quality recent recordings with the same type of guitar (Nirvana Unplugged).

On some recordings I did notice a fair amount of sibilance, strangely even individual songs on the same CD had very different levels of it. For instance Norah Jones' "Come Away With Me" was almost unlistenable due to excessive hiss yet the rest of her songs on the same CD were just fine even though they were tonally similar. (WTF?)

Overall what especially shines is midrange and, surprisngly, bass. Classical piano and classical guitar are just mind-blowing, jazz and vocals in close second place. I first hooked up my Ascends without the sub, and did a double take---I have NEVER heard so much bass coming out of these speakers which are rated to go down to only 50Hz!

When I did hook up my lowly JBL e150 sub directly to the pre-amp, I found that yup Art was right again, using the sub's onboard filter produced a much cleaner bass than when I was using the Marantz's filter. The darn thing actually doesn't sound that terrible anymore!

Now all I need to do is make a run to Walmart for some more RCA cables and tomorrow I'll connect the NAD gear to my Marantz. That'll be a hoot---the 6.1 Marantz will be powering all of one channel, the center speaker! My wife will probably be watching one-channel TV, since the NAD pre-amp has no remote volume control so she'd have to constantly get up and adjust the volume manually during commercials. Wonder if the current NAD pre-amps and receivers have remotes now or if they're sticking to their guns...

At some point I'll experiment with running the amp directly off the Marantz instead of using the pre-amp, I'm curious to see if there's much of a difference.

Right now I am tempted to say the hell with this surround sound business and just sell off the Ascend center, the Marantz 5400, and my surround speakers and just use the NAD 2-channel for everything...maybe put the proceeds into a better sub like a Hsu STF-3.

YEEEEE-HAW! Wish the wife didn't have to sleep, I'd be up all night listening to music...
 

New member
Username: Bunny

Big D, Texas

Post Number: 3
Registered: May-05
Congrats Edster !
Separates are a whole different experience.
Scary thing about your system is that it could get even better ! Is the 2200 bridgeable? If it is you could add another AMP and use both in bridge mode for your fronts.... Man I can't even begin to describe !

Enjoy it !

Good Job! and .....Yes, thank you Art indeed!
 

Silver Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 513
Registered: Feb-05
Fantastic Edster. I'm glad you're enjoying the setup. I look for recent remasters 2000 and up for rock music. The early remasters blow. Isn't music fun!
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 590
Registered: Mar-05
Yeah the 2200 is bridgeable...ooh, you've given me yet another way to horrify the wife! These amps go for only $200 or so on eBay after all, hmmm.

Nah, that'd be serious overkill plus my neighbors would kill me...and I don't even live in an apartment, lol.
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 591
Registered: Mar-05
Art,

yeah music really takes on a whole different quality with this kind of power behind it...

Later tonight I'll experiment with going directly from Marantz to amp to speakers, see if that's significantly worse than using the pre-amp. Also will try out the NAD tuner for the hell of it, my city's FM completely blows.
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 592
Registered: Mar-05
BTW Art, do you have the Norah Jones CD? Just curious if you also have the same experience on your NAD with that one song of hers.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Chitown

Post Number: 53
Registered: Apr-05
How much for your Ascend center?

 

New member
Username: Bunny

Big D, Texas

Post Number: 4
Registered: May-05
Hey Edster,
Do not thrash the idea just yet; I am not talking only power but also the sound improves soooo much !
At low volume the music still sounds fantastic, clear, refined.....
See ya later, I need to go listen to Beethoven's 9th right now!

Seriously, keep it mind ...for the future maybe.

Cheers !

 

Silver Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 517
Registered: Feb-05
I do have both Norah Jones CD's Edster.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Johnharper

Pasadena, CA

Post Number: 25
Registered: Apr-05
Edster, if you are as smart as I think you are, better quickly get that wife of yours a TIVO for her birthday, name day, etc. Christmas is too far off!. That might, I say might, be enough to get her past the volumne problem as well as any financial considerations. Thanks again!
 

Bronze Member
Username: Johnharper

Pasadena, CA

Post Number: 26
Registered: Apr-05
Edster, if you are as smart as you appear, you best run out right now and buy your wife a TIVO to handle the volume problem as well as all those others which are apparently just over the horizon! And based on the glee in your last posting,I want to retract my apology. You sound like a most happy camper. And maybe I should be looking for Ascends rather than Axioms to replace my Boses! Cheers. John
 

Silver Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 518
Registered: Feb-05
Edster, try Jacintha "Autumn Leaves" for a heavenly experience. Jacintha is a force to be reckoned with. Lawd have mercy!
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 597
Registered: Mar-05
thanks Bugs, I'll keep it in mind...that's why I was drooling at the 200 watt Outlaw monoblocks just a few days after ordering the NAD stuff.
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 598
Registered: Mar-05
Stof,

I'll PM you in a week or two when I finally make up my mind, right now I'm having a little snafu integrating the new amp with the Marantz for HT applications...
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 599
Registered: Mar-05
John,

thanks for the Tivo tip, luckily she's not addicted to any particular programs or shows, just likes to vegetate and channel surf once in a while. Right now I have her listening to just the center channel through the Marantz in "multichannel stereo" setting and she seems fairly content with that since she always keeps the volume pretty low anyways.

It's just me who feels silly keeping the Marantz to run only the center channel and, once in a long while, the two surround speakers.
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 600
Registered: Mar-05
Art,

How does Norah Jones' "Come Away With Me" sound on your NAD gear, do you hear any extra hiss compared to the other songs on that CD?

I did listen to a half dozen of Jacintha's samples on Amazon.com and while I agree she has a fantastic voice, the songs I listened to didn't have that much melodic structure.

The female vocalist I've been listening to a lot on the new amp is Suzanne Vega, "Nine Objects of Desire" CD...love how the bass and drums sound on that recording! Never knew my Ascends could deliver such killer mid-bass, wow.
 

Silver Member
Username: Petergalbraith

Rimouski, Quebec Canada

Post Number: 607
Registered: Feb-04
Edster, try Jacintha "Autumn Leaves" for a heavenly experience. Jacintha is a force to be reckoned with. Lawd have mercy!

What kind of music?

(I love Diana Krall and Holly Cole; gives you my genre...)
 

Silver Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 523
Registered: Feb-05
The Jacintha album I mentioned above is jazz. I have a number of Diana Krall albums but as a vocalist I believe Jacintha is in another league. The Autumn Leaves album is truly sublime.
 

Silver Member
Username: Petergalbraith

Rimouski, Quebec Canada

Post Number: 610
Registered: Feb-04
Thanks Art.

I'll check it out...
 

Silver Member
Username: Smitty

Canada

Post Number: 199
Registered: Dec-03
Edster, just curious if you've had a chance to determine if the pre-amp or amp made the bigger improvement in sound.

quote:

Later tonight I'll experiment with going directly from Marantz to amp to speakers, see if that's significantly worse than using the pre-amp.


 

Silver Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 552
Registered: Feb-05
No hiss on Norah Jones for me Edster, just sweet music. I hear the breathiness of her voice, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 641
Registered: Mar-05
Art,

I did some playing around today and discovered that the hissing was specific to only that one song on the entire album and is caused not by the NAD but by the Ascend speakers' completely flat frequency response, because when I hooked the speakers directly to the Marantz it was still there.

It was more noticeable on the NAD because of the higher current.

I'll ask on the Ascend users' forum to see if anyone else has this experience...
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 642
Registered: Mar-05
Smitty,

yeah, the NAD pre/pro does make a big difference as Art said it would. Turning it off and using the Marantz as a pre-amp created a far less impressive result, though the Marantz does afford (in theory I suppose it's an advantage) the possibility of using a direct-digital connection in Source Direct Mode which is supposedly cleaner...but it just didn't have the same OOMPH.
 

Silver Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 577
Registered: Feb-05
It amy not be the speakers Edster it may be the CD player. What player do you use?
 

Silver Member
Username: Petergalbraith

Rimouski, Quebec Canada

Post Number: 638
Registered: Feb-04
No hiss here on "Come away with me"...
And I use horns! :-)
 

Silver Member
Username: Kano

Post Number: 503
Registered: Oct-04
When I upgraded from a Panasonic F65 5 disc DVD to the Denon 2910 I noticed a huge reduction is background hiss, not only on CDs but on DVDs as well. You will notice improvements across the board with a good player, I highly recommend the upgrade, especially for CD playback through the NAD.
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 656
Registered: Mar-05
Art,

oh dammit, there you go again, driving me into bankruptcy and divorce!!! lol

It's a vintage Sony ES cd changer...I know, I know. I bought it thinking that CD players were the last thing Sony knows how to build competently after TVs, esp. the ES series.

Good God, maybe I should upgrade this before I upgrade the subwoofer, eh?
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 657
Registered: Mar-05
BTW guys, what do you think of this option:

http://www.referenceaudiomods.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Cod e=Tosh_3960&Category_Code=MODS

$450 sounds a lot more do-able to me than the $700 or so the Denon 2910 would cost.

If anyone knows of any equally high-caliber CD players like that being sold as refurb or used, please let me know. Do I have an icecube's chance in hell of getting away with say around $200-300?

I've heard that the low-end Pioneer DVD/CD players have very good music reproduction...
 

Silver Member
Username: Kano

Post Number: 504
Registered: Oct-04
Sounds like a great deal... If you believe the hype.
 

Silver Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 589
Registered: Feb-05
Edster,

Keep your current DVD player and get a dedicated CD player. I have both the Denon DVD2910 and the NAD C542 and good as the Denon, is and believe me it is good, it does not compare to the NAD for redbook CD playback.
 

Silver Member
Username: Petergalbraith

Rimouski, Quebec Canada

Post Number: 648
Registered: Feb-04
Hmmm. The NAD C542 sells for C$700 in Canada. Ouch.

I'm still playing CDs on a 5-year-old Pioneer DV-333 DVD player, and wondering what I'm missing...
 

Silver Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 591
Registered: Feb-05
Peter, trust me you're missing alot. The NAD C542 sounds as good as many 5k units of 5-10 yrs ago. My friend and owner of Northwest Audio Labs replaced his 7 yr old 8k DAC and transport with the NAD C542.
 

New member
Username: Bunny

Big D, Texas

Post Number: 8
Registered: May-05
Edster,

I agree with Art, the C542 is a very nice machine but if budget is a constrain try the NAD C-541i, I own one and I have been very happy with it. You could probably find one for around $300.00 or...... try the following link !

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?dgtlplay&1122048700

Just another option

Cheers
 

Silver Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 592
Registered: Feb-05
Good option BB. The C541i is great player with a solid rep for delivering the goods. I had a Rotel RCD971 for 2-3 yrs and it was a great player. I just prefer the sound of NAD to its closest competition which is Rotel, Cambridge, and the lower end Arcam's.
 

Silver Member
Username: Petergalbraith

Rimouski, Quebec Canada

Post Number: 649
Registered: Feb-04
Thanks guys. I've spent this year's audio allowance (if you know what I mean), but perhaps I can try to audition a CD player on my system. My neighbour has a rotel, so maybe I'll invite him and his player over for a listen and a beer.

:-)
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 668
Registered: Mar-05
thanks Bugs, $300 is a lot less scary! : )

 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 669
Registered: Mar-05
Art,

well I posted my query about the hiss on that one Norah Jones song "Come Away With Me" on the Ascend forum and guess what---EVERYBODY there hears it too, and they almost all have much much better CD players than mine! Whew...

It seems that it's not "hiss" per se but actually a PART OF THE RECORDING---the sound comes from the drummer brushing his cymbals, and is normally imperceptible with less revealing speakers.

I experimented by hooking up my Mordaunt Short bookshelves which are decent but nowhere close to the Ascends in overall performance...guess what, zero "hiss!" Ditto with my Polk R20s, which are totally abysmal for anything other than surround duty or bedroom minisystem duty.

So for now I think I'll hang on to the 'ole Sony until my wife gives me back my allowance for the year. : )

The guy who let me audition his Ascends was running a $1000 CD player (Audio Refinement) and A/Bed it with his cheapo Sony 200CD carousel...certainly could hear an improvement but not so huge that I could really justify to myself the extra expenditure.

Am playing with the idea of using an EQ to salvage crappy recordings...any experience with those things? My brother had one way back in the late 70s and it was pretty handy then...the NAD pre/pro has a Tape Monitor circuit so it should be easy to add it on.
 

Silver Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 602
Registered: Feb-05
I'd still bet "money to marbles" that the hiss is not part of the recording. I would guess that it is another sound altogether that should be discernable as something other than hiss that the Ascends don't reproduce very well. Just a guess. And you should hear a considerable difference between an Audio Refinement CD player and a Sony carousel. If you don't some part of the chain is weak. Take the Norah Jones CD to some audio stores and listen to some very expensive gear and listen very carefully and I'd bet you will hear what you believed was the hiss as something altogether different. I will also listen to it again just to check myself.
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 680
Registered: Mar-05
That's a good idea, I'll take Ms. Jones on the road with me!

actually I did hear a difference with the AR player---richer, more detailed and "alive" but not anywhere as earthshaking a difference as the NAD vs. the Marantz 2-channel.
 

Silver Member
Username: Petergalbraith

Rimouski, Quebec Canada

Post Number: 653
Registered: Feb-04
Ah... that hiss. I thought you were talking about sibilance when she sang before. Yes I hear that (hard to miss) but it sounds like a brush on a drum (or something like that). Now that you mention it, it is mixed too loud relative to the rest. I hadn't taken much notice of it before before I was listening softly (80 dB or so) late at night. I just cranked up a bit to 90-95 dB and now it's annoying me. You've ruined the track for me! :-)

Luckily, the DVD recording of that song is completely different and sounds much better.
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 688
Registered: Mar-05
Peter, is this a concert DVD or a DVD-A/SACD that you're referring to?
 

Silver Member
Username: Petergalbraith

Rimouski, Quebec Canada

Post Number: 674
Registered: Feb-04
The concert DVD in New Orleans. It came with the CD you are referring to as a bonus.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Brittho

Frisco, TX USA

Post Number: 11
Registered: May-05
Upload

Edster,
On some blues and jazz the use of the snare brush can really come across rather hiss like. But at a live concert it is intoxicating. On this CD though I have not experienced anything too annoying with the use of the brush. However I am not currently using anything that would really seperate like the system that you are currently enjoying.
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 807
Registered: Mar-05
Nice pic! Now I know what the CULPRIT looks like, lol. Am considering the addition of an EQ to tweak bad recordings like that...

What do you use, currently? I don't remember hearing that damn snare brush so much on my Marantz 5400...
 

Silver Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 698
Registered: Feb-05
Edster please not an EQ. They meant for you to hear that brush.
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 819
Registered: Mar-05
dunno about that Art, "Come Away With Me" is the ONLY song that makes me keep the horrible Polk R20s since their highs roll off way lower than the Ascends' do...

also old 60s rock sometimes sounds pretty bad, I was thinking the EQ could let me take off the treble-edge a bit and boost the mids.
 

Silver Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 701
Registered: Feb-05
What a bummer. "Come Away With Me' sounds great here!
 

Silver Member
Username: Petergalbraith

Rimouski, Quebec Canada

Post Number: 745
Registered: Feb-04
My current reference for drums is the drum solo on track 7 of the Diana Krall DVD "Live from Paris". Man that's good stuff. I crank it up to -10 on the dial in the daytime.

Any other great drum solos that are well recorded to recommend?
 

Silver Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 704
Registered: Feb-05
Yeah, but you're going to hate me for this. Oedo Sukeroko Taiko - The Drums of Tokyo. Awesome recording.
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 824
Registered: Mar-05
Art,

Either your current-day NAD gear is better than my vintage stuff (I know for sure your CD player is) or your Paradigms roll-off earlier on the treble than the Ascends do.

Do you know if Paradigm posts any frequency response curves for its Reference series like the one in the link below? Just curious...

http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/cmt340m/cmt340mmeas.html

I know it CAN'T be due to all your special cables and interconnects! ; )
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 825
Registered: Mar-05
Peter,

you seem to be big on Diana Krall...which of her CDs would you recommend as THE must-buy for a complete Krall neophyte like myself?

When I signed up for the paid version of WinAmp I got a free MP3 of her single "Temptation" which I really liked. I've always had a lot of resistance to her because just from seeing her photo I figured she probably gets by more on her looks than actual talent, but now that I have been exposed to her a little more I'm letting go of that preconception.
 

Silver Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 710
Registered: Feb-05
I hate to intervene on this one but being a huge Diana fan myself I would say beyond a doubt start with "Love Scenes". After her version of "Peel Me a Grape" you will be putty in her sweet hands.
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 829
Registered: Mar-05
thanks Art, I'll have to include that one on my upcoming re-enerollment in the BMG music club. I cancelled my membership after about 2 years (bought only when they had special sales, so paid about $6 per CD shipped) and now they're offering me a pretty good deal to re-up. So looking at the list below, which other of her CDs would you recommend?

http://www.bmgmusic.com/catalog/browse/artist.jhtml?partyId=10991

I wanna keep the DK selections to about no more than 2-3 CDs, I have lots of other stuff in mind already...
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 830
Registered: Mar-05
BTW, a female vocalist CD with lots of strong bass and percussion:

Suzanne Vega, "Nine Objects of Desire" --- this was one of the first CDs I listened to after setting up my NAD separates, and the difference in the range and quality of bass coming out of my Ascends was staggering.
 

Silver Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 714
Registered: Feb-05
I like that album Edster. I tried your link but it wanted a password. Anyway her 2nd best cd is "Only Trust Your Heart". Oh but "Love Scenes" melts in your mouth, trust me on this one.
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 832
Registered: Mar-05
Guess just try this generic link, and do a search for her. It should list 10 albums.

http://www.bmgmusic.com/

 

Silver Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 716
Registered: Feb-05
It only listed a couple of albums for me. "The Girl in the Other Room" isn't very good in my opinion, I sold my copy. Go to Amazon or CD Universe and get the good stuff. I'm a BMG member as well but they are of limited use for good music. The albums I mentioned are worth it.
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 836
Registered: Mar-05
so you're saying get "Only Trust Your Heart" and "Love Scenes?"

how do those two compare with "Live In Paris?"

> I'm a BMG member as well but they are of limited use for good music.

You're right about that, it's slim pickins unfortunately.

On the other hand when I walk into a full-blown retail CD shop they usually want $13-18 for the same CDs!

The thing BMG does that's always annoyed me though is they gouge you on shipping and make you play sales tax---the second seems especially fishy since I've never heard of them having any retail locations anywhere in the US as far as I know.
 

Silver Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 719
Registered: Feb-05
Live in Paris is a great DVD. I wouldn't get the CD if their is one.

BMG has dome good sales which makes it worthwhile. We don't pay sales tax in Oregon so they don't charge it to us. Trust me we pay huge income and property taxes.
 

Silver Member
Username: Petergalbraith

Rimouski, Quebec Canada

Post Number: 747
Registered: Feb-04
Hey guys!

"Love Scenes" is also my favorite CD. Less big band and more jazz trio. "Peel me a grape" is great, as is "I don't know enough about you". The Live from Paris DVD version of "I don't know enough about you" is even better!

You might also like Holly Cole!

I have 1 or 2 Suzanne Vega CDs which I haven't listenned to in a great long time, so I'll try those again.

:-)
 

Silver Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 724
Registered: Feb-05
Ya'll probably hate opera singers. But I just bought Cecilia Bartoli "Gluck Italian Arias" on SACD and it is magnificent. Also bought Renee Fleming "Bel Canto", it is outstanding as well. Tonight I test ride my new Angela Gheorghiu "Puccini" CD. My guess is that it will be great.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Brittho

Frisco, TX USA

Post Number: 13
Registered: May-05
Edster922,

I bet yeah that the snare brush is the same pitch as a typical female voice and the NAD with the speakers you are using is promoting the voice more so than you would want on this one track. If the drummer swapped the brush with a different longer length to acheive a slighly lower frequency you would not have the issue on your system but it might not sound as good on the average Joe's system which is what they were going for on a single track like this one. So basically in studio with Norah it sounded great however they did not have the same set up that you are using. Follow me?

I am just a lowly trombone player so I tend to pick up on concert imaging (especially brass) more than most folks. This is one reason why I love R&B stuff and other offerings from the 70's when I want to jam. So your set up for me would be fantastic to enjoy. I'm happy for you!
 

Gold Member
Username: Rick_b

New York USA

Post Number: 1178
Registered: Dec-03
A fellow opera lover! Good for you, Art.
 

Silver Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 773
Registered: Feb-05
The human voice is such a wonderful instrument and with singers like Cecilia and Renee the beauty of their sound is quite moving. I enjoy recitals on CD, not complete opera's. Opera is so much more wonderful live that the 2 dimensional CD cannot do it justice.
 

Silver Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 858
Registered: Mar-05
Britt,

yep everybody seems to blame it on the brush. It's still annoying at high volumes, which is how I like to listen to such a gorgeous voice as Norah's, and why I'm now considering buying some cheap vintage EQ to use only on bad recordings like that to tame those high frequencies that lesser speakers normally roll off.

thanks for your thoughts though. What are you running right now?
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