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Maggies are radio antennas.

If your digital sources are generating radio-frequency noise that is picked up by the Magnepan wiring, it can get in to your power amp(s) through the output terminals and cause the flat, harsh, bright, vague sound you experience. I've demonstrated this by putting RF chokes (JW Miller 5522) in series with my MG-20 ribbon tweeters.

A more common pathway for RF noise is through the AC wiring. Power filters on the digital sources' AC supply may improve the digital sound.

Your vinyl setup is less likely to generate such noise, so it reveals more of what your power amp and speakers are capable of delivering. If your analog sound is degraded by playing a CD while listening to the analog input, then one or both of these RF noise pathways is active in your system. If not, then you simply need better digital sources.

If your digital sources generate radio noise, there are things you can do to control it and get performance from your digital media similar to or better than your vinyl. You may also have non-audio sources of noise, and controlling them will improve the performance of your whole audio setup.


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