A question on sibilance ... More prone on preamp, amp or something else ? ...

[CPP]

I agree as well. As always, it starts and ends with the recording.

as the say garbage in garbage out. If the recording is poor then nothing is going to make it sound good. Start off with good recordings then start looking at your speakers

 

[Mike]

Bump. This was an interesting thread. A topic Joe and I talk a lot about.

 

[joeinid]

With all else being equal and just swapping amps/preamps, I get it on some gear and not on others. I may be more sensitive to that part of the frequency range but once I notice it, I can't shake it. Female vocals can show it first, but when I hear it on some male vocals, that piece is done for me.

 

[Mike]

Joe - using the same everything - except amp and preamp - I find sibilance on SS sounds "electronic" and is more harsh and noticeable. With tubes, it doesn't bother me. Kind of adds to the air of the recording and much less noticeable. Blends in if you will and sounds more natural and less accentuated like with SS and for me, was even more so with Class D.


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[Rayooo]

Joe - using the same everything - except amp and preamp - I find sibilance on SS sounds "electronic" and is more harsh and noticeable. With tubes, it doesn't bother me. Kind of adds to the air of the recording and much less noticeable. Blends in if you will and sounds more natural and less accentuated like with SS and for me, was even more so with Class D.


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'couldn't agree more, I've listened to systems where sibilance is utterly annoying, harsh etc. other systems, still very detailed where the sibilance is somehow natural, pleasing adding yes air. To me, this issue of natural sibilance is absolutely critical in a system I'm going to spend more than a half hour with...not to mention spending a ton of $$ on.

 

[Steve]

I am relating to this terminology with regards to the output characteristics of the McIntosh C1000P (SS) and C1000T (tube) pre-amps and all else remaining equal. The exercise of experimenting with component synergy and semblance preference is an interesting one.

I'm inclined to believe that the pre-amp plays an important part when conveying a particular source. I think matching the source to the strengths of a particular pre-amp is important so that a presentation isn't over accentuated. For example, a source that is capable of an extremely high dynamic range may not be an ideal match to a particular solid state pre-amp but better suited to a tube pre-amp.

 

[ACHiPo]

I have a couple recordings in my "demo tracks" that I find are good at revealing system effects on sibilance--Rutter Requiem (Reference Recordings--Redbook, but an excellent recording) and The Addicts' Rehabilitation Choir (Mapleshade--again great Redbook recording). Both recordings are choral music, and if there are issues with cables or electronics the "ess" sounds will not sound natural, but if everything is ok, they sound as you'd think they should.

I've found cables to have a pretty big effect on sibilance, followed by DAC. My line stage (first Rowland Consummate, then PSE hybrid, then Parasound JC2) didn't seem to have a big effect on sibilance, although I heard major differences on transparency and clarity.