Sibilence

Maybe one or more of the spikes on either your speakers or rack has come loose or otherwise gone out of whack.

One cause of siblance, in any case.

I don't know the particular speakers but I would check the drive units are tightened up.Hope this helps.

Good point, Syd.
Use care when tightening; woofer screws may get stripped and those plastic tweeter plates are easily cracked.

OK....
Checked spikes/screws on faceplates..

All good.

Next?????????

Listening to Tori at the moment and I could SLAP her

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Originally posted by redeye:
Evening Boffins..

What causes this? I've noticed this happening more and more in the last few weeks. Espesh bad on female vocals. My system hasn't suffered from this in the past so why now?

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To sibilate - to hiss (Chambers 20th Century Dictionary)
I often wonder to what extent the sibilance about which people complain in this Forum is just the naturally occurring sibilance in speech. I have been observing and listening closely to people over the last few days and certainly some people do exhibit considerable sibilance in everyday speech. How can we know to what extent the recorded artist sibilates naturally or whether it is due to some mechanical or electrical phenomenon emanating from the hifi?
This is intended as a question not as a response based on any knowledge on my part.
Terry

just relax, Redeye.

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Listening to Tori at the moment and I could SLAP her

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....clearly your system is working as it should.

or then there's the hicap option.

Rico - SM/Mullet Audio

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What causes this? I've noticed this happening more and more in the last few weeks. Espesh bad on female vocals.

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I would systematically go across the whole system and clean and check everything – the sibilance could be caused by any number of things. Check the stands are solid and level, check the mains and interconnects are clean and solidly wired (Duraglit is good on mains plugs), check the drivers, and give the tweeters a good hoover. Yes I’m on about hovering tweeters again… the thing is I’m bloody right! Just keep the hoover a bit away from the dome so you don’t damage it.

Worst case scenarios are that your tweeters are shot, or that something upstream needs recapping or some other servicing, but clean everything up first to make sure – my bet is that you will catch it here. Good luck!

Tony.

"To sibilate - to hiss (Chambers 20th Century Dictionary)
I often wonder to what extent the sibilance about which people complain in this Forum is just the naturally occurring sibilance in speech. I have been observing and listening closely to people over the last few days and certainly some people do exhibit considerable sibilance in everyday speech. How can we know to what extent the recorded artist sibilates naturally or whether it is due to some mechanical or electrical phenomenon emanating from the hifi?
This is intended as a question not as a response based on any knowledge on my part." Terry[/QUOTE]

Interesting point. Was at Peterborough Cathedral a couple of years ago, and listening to the choir heard massive and in hi-fi terms absolutely unacceptable sibilance! I think we just don't realise that sibilance is a normal part of the sound human voices make, and it's easy to end up with very woolly sound if you try to eliminate it from reproduced music. It's not a problem, it's a fact of life! The problem is EXCESSIVE or DISTORTED sibilance. But just as bad is sound that has had sibilance over-subdued - otherwise known as medium wave radio sound!

I think sibilance, in HIFI terms (as opposed to the dictionary definition) refers more to the distorted form. I.e. SSSSSSSS’s sounding more like TZTZTZTZTZ’s.

An Ekos/Troika does not sound “sibilant” whereas a cheap arm/cartridge (or worn stylus) might.

As for Redeys’s problem, I would suspect a loose connection somewhere or knackered tweeter. Does it occur in both channels?

Steve B.

Nick..yes CDX is new but problem there on 3.5/flattie that proceeded it.

Steve...yup, both channels.

Rico..Bollocks! First 2 Tori's are OK
,she got a bit too perverse after tho'.

2 things..
The Naca 5 has bare wire on the speaker end..
The 180 was re-capped recently.

Either of these you think??

once again I suspect you might be suffering a bit from multiple system changes - perhaps the 180 needs to settle in etc etc - and I suspect that correct banannas on the NACA5 might help - is that bare copper tarnishing? If so, at the least you can clean it with a pencil eraser. Amuse yourself by following Tony's recommendations (sound idea), and then determine to wait two weeks for it to all settle down. There should of course be an instant improvement following the completion. And what better to fill in an Autumnal Sunday.

IMHO Tori was all ground covered before, better. I can't resist a piss-take where she is mentioned.

Did you ever get my e-mail?

Rico - SM/Mullet Audio

OK..will get the hoover out pronto!

I agree that Tori is no Kate if thats what you mean.
Despite the fact that in the last couple of months I've shed a 3.5,FCap,92R and a pair of FB1's the ssssss problem has been there all along. Without a doubt the greater resolution I'm getting now from the new gear has made it more noticable.

Don't have a spare HiCap you're looking to off-load by any chance??
Enjoy your Sunday

ps...try mmjp@paradise.net.nz

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the last couple of months I've shed a 3.5,FCap,92R and a pair of FB1's the ssssss problem has been there all along. Without a doubt the greater resolution I'm getting now from the new gear has made it more noticable

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So you're positive the siblance isn't your system but on the CDs themselves? Before I was Flat, I wasted much money trying to "cure" siblance with B&Ws, Transparent cables, YBA amps, etc...

Other than that, perhaps your new 180, CDX and Minstrels are going through break-in puberty and need a few weeks to fully mature.

When you've finished with Tori; send her round to my place for a slap would you.

Ta.

Someone beat me to it. I was going to suggest the J. Edgar.

I take it you've checked all the connections?

Try wiping the balance control with a few rotations back and forth.

Last but not least; check yer ear-holes. Have you had a cold etc: recently?

Is the narrow attchment particularly recommended?
What's wrong with taking this:



And doing this:

hey wow - a bearded tweeter.

Rico - SM/Mullet Audio

Redeye,

I think you've got a problem with reflections in your room. The better your system gets the more noticeable it becomes.

Just to prove it, you could try to minimise reflections from the side walls by putting something absorbant like towels, blankets, mattreses, etc. at the reflection points. That will probably cure it but kill the music.

The difficult part is getting the music back without the harshness.

Allan

Have you.....

1. installed a dedicated mains supply as per the NZ blueprint?

2. Stopped buying Australian made CDs?

3. Do you have Black snaics?

4. Is your system plugged up the correct way?
(cable direction, plugs in wall?)

We'll start there shall we...

Chris.

[This message was edited by Chris Murphy on SUNDAY 21 April 2002 at 23:12.]

Add a XPS, natural sibilences will be smoother.
I've quite often experienced big resonnances in rooms around 2000Hz. The problem, as stated above, is to damp them without killing the music. Unfortunately, i've not found the universal cure, it's a case by case operation.

Emmanuel

Keep brawn and brain apart, with the former on top of your rack, the latter on the bottom - the CDX and preamp (both brains) should not be near the power amp (brawn). Use a spacer shelf between them if possible.

Next, dress your wires properly:-

No interconnect, mains lead or speaker cable should come in contact with any other of the above.

Speaker cables should not touch the walls, or the vibrations from the walls will be transfered back into the electronics and speakers - one of those nasty microphonic loops.

Talking of loops, make sure that you don't have your Naca5 in coils...

Finally, dare I say it...

Get a QS Ref. rack if you can.

Regards,

Steve.

The proof of the pudding...

[This message was edited by Steven Toy on MONDAY 22 April 2002 at 04:24.]

Thanks to all who posted above.
All suggestions being systematically worked through...one step at a time. Labourious process but its gotta be done.
Chris' assertion that I should whack in a dedicated spur will be acted on (soon). Anyone know a 'good' sparky in Christchurch who's done this sort of work before without making a total bollocks of it??

Shame about the Aussie cds tho...thats most of them

Redeye,

If your Minstrels are biwireable, try plugging into the tweeter jacks. The improvement is substantial.

Mike

Cheers but no they're not.
Always found with your arrangement that one up one down gave the best balance..

Black to woofer
Red to da tweets

Good luck cutting the Naim cable to fit