How to get rid of vocal sibliance

[shafesk]

I just got an audiolab 8000p and an icon audio la4mk3 preamp, the combo is great but I am experiencing some vocal sibliance especially for female vocalists....its a disaster because I mainly listen to female vocalists. I don't know whether its the pre or the power at blame but its certainly not the rest of the setup as I've had no such problems with my Cayin. Any suggestions? Its ruining an otherwise great setup.

Regards,

Shafin

 

[Anonymous]

Decomposition required. Please decompose this term 'vocal sibliance'

 

[shafesk]

It basically means I get very sharp S pronounciation from songs....so it sounds harsh to the ear...

 

[Anonymous]

Is it something that a graphic equalizer could cure?

 

[manicm]

I very palpably experienced sibilance in my system years ago - my new CD player was the culprit. You don't say which source and speaker you're using? I would look there before I remove your new amplification.

To madhouse the OP is correct. And I always come back to it, but if you want to brutally reveal any treble-related weakness in a system play David Bowie's 1999 remaster of Scary Monsters And Super Creeps. In the wrong system his heavy vocal emphasis of 's' will rapidly drive you to tears.

 

[manicm]

Yes, in the same way you can add 20" wheels to a Mini - it may greatly improve grip levels but destroy everything else dynamically.

 

[Anonymous]

Even a gyrator-based one using JFETs ???

 

[Anonymous]

It basically means I get very sharp S pronounciation from songs....so it sounds har
sh to the ear...

Are you a monster?

 

[manicm]

madhouse - your name seems apt.

 

[cheeseboy]

Yes, in the same way you can add 20" wheels to a Mini - it may greatly improve grip levels but destroy everything else dynamically.

no it won't, don't be daft.

 

[drummerman]

Just wondering why did you get that audiolab/icon pre/power?

regards

 

[Anonymous]

madhouse - your name seems apt.

It is nice to get a negative. The last bloke blew his brains out with a sawn off.
They only let me out on weekends twice yearly. Don't worry I won't be here long.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, in the same way you can add 20" wheels to a Mini - it may greatly improve grip levels but destroy everything else dynamically.

JEFTs (Junction Feild Effect Transistor) -- star-point earthing pretty sure you'd get something with a few decimal places of distortion. Many people cannot even hear %1, did you know this

HI*FI (20Hz - 20KHz) who the hell can hear 20KHz? Dogs can.

 

[manicm]

Yes, in the same way you can add 20" wheels to a Mini - it may greatly improve grip levels but destroy everything else dynamically.

JEFTs (Junction Feild Effect Transistor) -- star-point earthing pretty sure you'd get something with a few decimal places of distortion. Many people cannot even hear %1, did you know this HI*FI (20Hz - 20KHz) who the hell can hear 20KHz? Dogs can.

So you're saying the OP and I are lying? So you can't hear esses? And sibilance does not only occur at the higher frequency spectrum, it's about the quality of the reproduction, did your local asylum not teach you that, you crazy fool?

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, in the same way you can add 20" wheels to a Mini - it may greatly improve grip levels but destroy everything else dynamically.

JEFTs (Junction Feild Effect Transistor) -- star-point earthing pretty sure you'd get something with a few decimal places of distortion. Many people cannot even hear %1, did you know this HI*FI (20Hz - 20KHz) who the hell can hear 20KHz? Dogs can.

So you're saying the OP and I are lying? So you can't hear esses? And sibilance does not only occur at the higher frequency spectrum, it's about the quality of the reproduction, did your local asylum not teach you that, you crazy fool?

The food is alright, but the system has been taken over a bunch of <EDITED by MODS>. You ever had somone shaking whist sticking a needle in to you? It bloody hurts.

 

[chebby]

Shumtymsh you're jusht shtuck with it becaush the recording hash shibilansh.

 

[plastic penguin]

Shumtymsh you're jusht shtuck with it becaush the recording hash shibilansh.

That's the worst Sean Connery impression I've ever seen. :bounce:

 

[Macspur]

Shumtymsh you're jusht shtuck with it becaush the recording hash shibilansh.

That's the worst Sean Connery impression I've ever seen. :bounce:

Wish you could hear my screen reader pronounce that line! hilarious!

Mac

 

[Rethep]

Back to subject, i would say the pre-amp causes the sibilance, because the Audiolab to my ears was rather dull sounding in that area. Anyway a certain amount of sibilance just exists. You could get used to it.

Why change your beautiful Cayin ? If you want more bass, buy a more expensive tube-amp. If you really want strong bass, buy a transistor-amp but then you must say goodbye to all that beautiful tube-sound.

 

[skippy]

Shafesk,

How are your room acoustics?

If it's bright, it may help fitting a couple of acoustic panels to tame your room.

If you're handy, you could even make them yourself...

 

[sthomas048]

Could the sibliance be due to poor production/recording on some discs ? Some amps will highlight this more than others. Just an idea.

 

[shafesk]

Back to subject, i would say the pre-amp causes the sibilance, because the Audiolab to my ears was rather dull sounding in that area. Anyway a certain amount of sibilance just exists. You could get used to it.

Why change your beautiful Cayin ? If you want more bass, buy a more expensive tube-amp. If you really want strong bass, buy a transistor-amp but then you must say goodbye to all that beautiful tube-sound.

I haven't replaced the Cayin, it'll find a home in my bedroom system, I bought the Audiolab and Icon Audio for my living room to go with some new speakers...I don't know if it's the preamp as its all tube and I have heard my mate's audiolab 8000 pre/power with bnw 683s which sound bright as well.

 

[shafesk]

Could the sibliance be due to poor production/recording on some discs ? Some amps will highlight this more than others. Just an idea.

Maybe I'm just too used to the silky smoothness of the Cayin as I've never had the sibliance issue with them on any recording.....however, you are right because the sibliance is much less of a problem when I'm playing flacs...but I want to listen to other stuff too!

 

[shafesk]

Shafesk,

How are your room acoustics?

If it's bright, it may help fitting a couple of acoustic panels to tame your room.

If you're handy, you could even make them yourself...

I think my room acoustics are better than most as I've never had a brightness problem before

 

[sthomas048]

Maybe I'm just too used to the silky smoothness of the Cayin as I've never had the sibliance issue with them on any recording.....however, you are right because the sibliance is much less of a problem when I'm playing flacs...but I want to listen to other stuff too!

Well good luck in solving this issue, I know where you are coming from and it can be annoying. I love my vinyl and some discs are superb and others sound dreadful. Never noticed it until switching to valves. How long have you had the pre-amp ? Sometimes it can take a while for the tubes to settle in.