|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
In Reply to: Will a tube amp tame a harsh metal tweeter?? posted by Mr Blue Sky on May 24, 2003 at 17:16:43:
In line with what others have already said, I doubt your problem is down to the metal tweeter; the last two speakers I've owned - one twenty years old, one the latest - both used metal tweeters and both have natural, unfatiguing highs.
Maybe look at your cabling or even pre-amp overload from your CDP. A decent valve pre-amp probably would improve your system in other respects but don't go this route just in an attempt to combat the problem you perceive to be caused by the tweeter.
Follow Ups:
That tweeter used in the MA Silver 8i is bright. It shows a 7-8 dB peak from 10-15kHz. The only way to avoid that kind of sizzle is to sit off-axis AND treat the tweeter baffle with an absorptive AND roll down the peak with EQ (if possible).
Could you post a link to a frequency response graph? I own a pair of these and find them to be on the bright side of things, but not fatiguingly so. I am curious to see how close the graph is to my perception of the speakers. Thanks.
Do you know anything about the new Silver S8? Do they have the same peak?
Above: Measurements published by Audio Ideas Guide of Silver8iIt took some digging but I have located the review published in the June 99 issue of Home Theater Magazine. I goofed. The measurements are the original Monitor Series not the "i" series revision. The mag measures a complete system consisting of the Silver 5, 3 and Center and each one displays the high treble peak (10kHz-16kHz). I checked the Home Theater web-site but this review is old and does not appear in their archives (2001-2003).
http://www.hometheatermag.com/
The good news is that the 8i does not display the high frequency peak. I found on-line measurements of the Silver 8i courtesy of Audio Ideas Guide. The bad news concerns the location of the frequency peak. It occurs in the upper-midrange, which measures 3-4dB higher than the treble (look at the second un-smoothed curve). This peak is not as severe in amplitude as the higher frequency peak of the original Silver series. Yet it falls in a frequency band (the upper mid-range) at which hearing sensitiviy is far greater than the high treble. The 3dB peak will be audible and difficult to treat in the manner I outlined (absorptive ring around tweeter, tube amp etc.). For one thing the peak is not a tweeter problem at all but occurs at the top of the mid-woofers' passband. The best thing to do is to sit off-axis of this model, where the peak will be somewhat depressed.
It's okay. The Monitors are gone. I'm not going to live with a speaker that makes my ears bleed and drives my wife crazy. I'm done with metal tweeters and drivers for life. I did some extensive listening today and I've really had it with those speakers.
Based on the measurements the problem is the mid-woofer not the tweeter. Peaks in the upper mid-range are very common in modern speakers. Many tube amps actually make these peaks worse. If you are really through with the speakers, you might want to consider more laid-back speakers like Spendors.
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: