linear tracker bad esd

[richard l martin]

Hi everyone. Some interesting comments and thanks everyone. Yes i do have sibilant issues on some cds and i found DSJRs comment on my speakers very interesting. I have had them for over 20 years now and have always been happy with them but maybe its time for a change. In the past i was never bothered by sibilant distortion or esd infact i didn't know about esd until i joined Audiokarma about 6 months ago. Ever since then i seem to have been obsessed with it! No good. Don't go on Audiokarma any more, found people on there to be rather unfriendly. Kind regards all.

[WOStantonCS100]

Hi everyone. Some interesting comments and thanks everyone. Yes i do have sibilant issues on some cds and i found DSJRs comment on my speakers very interesting. I have had them for over 20 years now and have always been happy with them but maybe its time for a change. In the past i was never bothered by sibilant distortion or esd infact i didn't know about esd until i joined Audiokarma about 6 months ago. Ever since then i seem to have been obsessed with it! No good. Don't go on Audiokarma any more, found people on there to be rather unfriendly. Kind regards all.

Hope you get it sorted. This is certainly not AK! Been there. Done that. Ran helter skelter from it and haven't looked back since.

[DSJR]

Richard, all I can suggest is to get a listen to some decent modern alternatives which are not inclined to impressive over-etched treble (and there's still a good few of those around). To start with, you should have a Spendor dealer where you are (I'm a Harbeth fan too, but you'll need to travel up to and beyond London to hear some). Vintage wise, loads of refined and uncoloured models from Celestion (DL Series onwards), some KEF models (some of the cheaper ones went from being sludge-boxes to fairly recent Q types which strip paint at fifty paces...). Popular "HiFi" models from Neat and Kudos will spit and scream methinks, but there have been some Charios from time to time which are quite gentle and the later Castle models were refined as well. heck, even Linn Katan and Ninka were quite good up top too

[richard l martin]

Hope you get it sorted. This is certainly not AK! Been there. Done that. Ran helter skelter from it and haven't looked back since.

Thank you. No not AK. Sensible friendly and very helpful people here!

[richard l martin]

Richard, all I can suggest is to get a listen to some decent modern alternatives which are not inclined to impressive over-etched treble (and there's still a good few of those around). To start with, you should have a Spendor dealer where you are (I'm a Harbeth fan too, but you'll need to travel up to and beyond London to hear some). Vintage wise, loads of refined and uncoloured models from Celestion (DL Series onwards), some KEF models (some of the cheaper ones went from being sludge-boxes to fairly recent Q types which strip paint at fifty paces...). Popular "HiFi" models from Neat and Kudos will spit and scream methinks, but there have been some Charios from time to time which are quite gentle and the later Castle models were refined as well. heck, even Linn Katan and Ninka were quite good up top too

Thanks for that. I feel much happier nowing that it is most lkelly my speakers at fault infact having listend to some cds last night i am pretty sure it is. Time for some ebaying. Should be able to pick up a pair of Celestions there.

[DSJR]

Celestion - in my opinion obviously - made a very consistent series of speakers over the years. Mordaunt Short also had a couple of stars (the 30.1 [and smaller 20.1] for sale here a week or so ago are cases in point), especially the ones with Robin Marshall's input, Speaking of Robin, his own Epos ES11 could sound refined and civilised and I'd love to hear them again on more modern gear, since in my day the ES14 (which does have a sssssparkle in its final form) took all the interest in dealerships such as mine.

I think Wharfedale did some great things too, but may have gone from lively and fresh sounding (505's) on the one hand to either bland/boring or restrained (depending on viewpoint) with the *08 series. The move to Chinese manufacturing and the subsequent floorstanders are too late for me and I don't know how some of these models sound - the Diamond series are, by and large, sublime and now very cheap miniatures on the used market I think.

Lastly, I can't comment with overmuch enthusiasm for much of B&W's output I'm afraid. This form specialises in an upper mid recession (oooh missus ) followed by a treble which either bites your head off, or sparkles pleasantly (on the dearer ones). The original M805 was a goodie though and apparently the black ones were the most "accurate" and the walnut ones slightly warmer in balance for the domestic market. They MUST be presented on high stands though, with the tweeter set above you. later 805's in the curvy boxes may look better, but the crossover simplification may not always be a good thing I believe.

[richard l martin]

Celestion - in my opinion obviously - made a very consistent series of speakers over the years. Mordaunt Short also had a couple of stars (the 30.1 [and smaller 20.1] for sale here a week or so ago are cases in point), especially the ones with Robin Marshall's input, Speaking of Robin, his own Epos ES11 could sound refined and civilised and I'd love to hear them again on more modern gear, since in my day the ES14 (which does have a sssssparkle in its final form) took all the interest in dealerships such as mine.

I think Wharfedale did some great things too, but may have gone from lively and fresh sounding (505's) on the one hand to either bland/boring or restrained (depending on viewpoint) with the *08 series. The move to Chinese manufacturing and the subsequent floorstanders are too late for me and I don't know how some of these models sound - the Diamond series are, by and large, sublime and now very cheap miniatures on the used market I think.

Lastly, I can't comment with overmuch enthusiasm for much of B&W's output I'm afraid. This form specialises in an upper mid recession (oooh missus ) followed by a treble which either bites your head off, or sparkles pleasantly (on the dearer ones). The original M805 was a goodie though and apparently the black ones were the most "accurate" and the walnut ones slightly warmer in balance for the domestic market. They MUST be presented on high stands though, with the tweeter set above you. later 805's in the curvy boxes may look better, but the crossover simplification may not always be a good thing I believe.

Thanks for the insight its been taken on board. I'm going to have to save up for a bit now!