Sibilance

WayneKerr

Well-known member
I am referring to sibilance on digital feeds only, (analogue/LP playback is a different animal). Recently saw on here a poster saying that sibilance was the result of poorly matched kit. I'm not so sure.

I play a CD album, 16 tracks fine, no siibilance, 4 tracks display sibilance. As all these tracks are from the same album could it not be that it is the recording itself which is sibilant and nothing to do with associated kit? I only ask this as I'm noticing it far more than I used to.
 
I am referring to sibilance on digital feeds only, (analogue/LP playback is a different animal). Recently saw on here a poster saying that sibilance was the result of poorly matched kit. I'm not so sure.

I play a CD album, 16 tracks fine, no siibilance, 4 tracks display sibilance. As all these tracks are from the same album could it not be that it is the recording itself which is sibilant and nothing to do with associated kit? I only ask this as I'm noticing it far more than I used to.
are those four tracks notably different in musical content than the other 16?
I mean do they contain a lot more in the way of vocals?
 

twinkletoes

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Is sibilance caused by poorly matched kit? no, i don't think so. Poorly designed kit on the other hand is very possible. Mixing and matching kit yields very little difference in my 25+ years in this hobby, almost a as much as hearing the difference in cables.

Sibilance will be mostly caused by over-saturated speakers/drivers which can be caused by a number of things.
If the speakers are sound and are working.

Bad recordings

dirty contacts and this does make a difference. Speaker cable corrosion or example

unstable power that day

atmospheric conditions

something has moved/been removed from the room.
 
I am referring to sibilance on digital feeds only, (analogue/LP playback is a different animal). Recently saw on here a poster saying that sibilance was the result of poorly matched kit. I'm not so sure.

I play a CD album, 16 tracks fine, no siibilance, 4 tracks display sibilance. As all these tracks are from the same album could it not be that it is the recording itself which is sibilant and nothing to do with associated kit? I only ask this as I'm noticing it far more than I used to.
Weird one Doug. You usually associate sibilance with bright or mismatched systems. Something your system isn't.

My hunch is the recording of certain digital tracks. Really can't think of an alternative explanation.
 

WayneKerr

Well-known member
Sibilance can be caused by mismatched components, or even a single poor component, in my experience. Yes it can be in a recording too, but a poor component will render it unlistenable.
None of it is unlistenable, it's not a horrid spitting sharp sibilance you can sometimes get with an LP/cartridge... I've just started to notice it more with my CDs.
 
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manicm

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Is sibilance caused by poorly matched kit? no, i don't think so. Poorly designed kit on the other hand is very possible. Mixing and matching kit yields very little difference in my 25+ years in this hobby, almost a as much as hearing the difference in cables.

Sibilance will be mostly caused by over-saturated speakers/drivers which can be caused by a number of things.
If the speakers are sound and are working.

Bad recordings

dirty contacts and this does make a difference. Speaker cable corrosion or example

unstable power that day

atmospheric conditions

something has moved/been removed from the room.

Not sure about this. B&W 685 S1 was known for being bright, yet when paired with my Arcam system known for being neutral, handled bright recordings far better than my previous system with a NAD CD player - which I had isolated as the culprit.

I've mentioned this many times, but if you want a borderline sibilant recording throughout, not just a few tracks, seek out the 1999 master of David Bowie's Scary Monster. In the wrong system Scary indeed. Seek out the CD, streaming services seem to have only the later master which was heavily rolled off to my ears. Then you'll know what sibilance can really be.
 
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Gray

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I play a CD album, 16 tracks fine, no siibilance, 4 tracks display sibilance.
The very same thing was very apparent to me recently.
Definitely the recording. You could bet a lot of money that inferior equipment was used to record the offending tracks.

No question the 'wrong' (I say right) playback kit exacerbates the problem - but when it can sound so right and wrong, can only be the recording at fault.

Too much of my music is edgy, but I'm never going 'forgiving' and compromising the good (normal) stuff.
 
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MeanandGreen

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It’s how some recordings are. Some can be bad for it.

Poor recordings can be highlighted by a combination of your rooms acoustics and speakers/positioning also.

For example hard reflecting surfaces between you and the speakers or around the speakers can highlight it. Glass tables, windows near to speakers and such like, hard floors etc…

These are all much more likely than anything electronic.
 
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MeanandGreen

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No its more like poor recording on certain tracks only if its all on one CD, nothing to do with room acoustics or speaker positioning.

I wasn’t aware the OP said it was only on one CD, since he referenced ‘digital feeds’. I was under the impression he was using a specific CD as an example, but I might be wrong.

It certainly hasn’t anything to do with mismatched components but I don’t see you pulling up anyone else’s posts?
 
I wasn’t aware the OP said it was only on one CD, since he referenced ‘digital feeds’. I was under the impression he was using a specific CD as an example, but I might be wrong.

It certainly hasn’t anything to do with mismatched components but I don’t see you pulling up anyone else’s posts?
Why do I need to pull up others posts? Reading the initial post again might help.
His initial post said "I play a CD album, 16 tracks fine, no siibilance, 4 tracks display sibilance."
This, to me means its only 4 tracks on one CD that are at issue.
However I do apologise in the fact that the OP seems to have moved the goalposts in subsequent posts that I have only just read.
As such I have removed my comments..
 
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MeanandGreen

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Why do I need to pull up others posts? Reading the initial post again might help.
His initial post said "I play a CD album, 16 tracks fine, no siibilance, 4 tracks display sibilance."
This, to me means its only 4 tracks on one CD that are at issue.
However I do apologise in the fact that the OP seems to have moved the goalposts in subsequent posts that I have only just read.
As such I have removed my comments..

No worries, I‘ve also amended my post to make clearer the point I was trying to make.
 

WayneKerr

Well-known member
I wasn’t aware the OP said it was only on one CD, since he referenced ‘digital feeds’. I was under the impression he was using a specific CD as an example, but I might be wrong.

It certainly hasn’t anything to do with mismatched components but I don’t see you pulling up anyone else’s posts?
No worries. I believe the concensus of opinion is down to my music collection and my lack of taste. Don't get me wrong I have some wonderful recordings which sound amazing... as I said, reasonable kit can be a double-edged sword :)
 

WayneKerr

Well-known member
Why do I need to pull up others posts? Reading the initial post again might help.
His initial post said "I play a CD album, 16 tracks fine, no siibilance, 4 tracks display sibilance."
This, to me means its only 4 tracks on one CD that are at issue.
However I do apologise in the fact that the OP seems to have moved the goalposts in subsequent posts that I have only just read.
As such I have removed my comments..
Apologies for confusion, Al, it is across my entire music collection.
 

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