• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

How to improve a harsh and artificial sound?

M

Marcos Mazur

Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2020
Messages
65
Likes
10
What may be causing harshness and annoying sound in my setup? it happens in any music I listen to on my pc, any format and any player I try.
I make it clear that I don't talk about noticeable noises or sound distortions (ground loop and stuff like that, I think), I'm also not listening at high volume or having any ear problems, THE FACT is that despite my desktop sound configuration sounds clean, detailed and balanced, I still realize that the sound doesn’t sound natural and pleasant, getting tired quickly, sometimes I even feel mild "needles" in my ears, hurting a little.

Something’s wrong, what would be the problem? It's frustrating because I spent a reasonable amount of money here in Brazil trying to improve the quality of my desktop sound.

I'm currently using:
Bookshelf Pioneer SP BS22-LR + Amplifier SMSL SA100 + DAC Tempotec Sonata HD Pro + Robust audio cables / RCA and Foobar 2000 Player.
 
Last edited:
The brightness can be explained by resonances in the upper mids, lower treble, and upper treble of your speakers. They have excess energy from 700 Hz to 2 kHz and again from 10 kHz and up. The fact that you aren't using a sub makes them thin, too, which exacerbates the problem.
You can try the EQ settings found here and see if it helps: https://pierreaubert.github.io/spinorama/eqs.html
 
Killingbeans said:
If you don't mind DIY, you could modify the speakers:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/affordable-accuracy-monitor-review.13624/
Click to expand...

Thank you, wow! I found these improvements interesting, but I'm still afraid to be very lay and have little practice in customizing equipment.
I really like the sound of the speakers, but I feel that the harsness is not due to the components, at least I think, the reviews I read all mention it as a "non-fatigating" sound.
 
flipflop said:
The brightness can be explained by resonances in the upper mids, lower treble, and upper treble of your speakers. They have excess energy from 700 Hz to 2 kHz and again from 10 kHz and up. The fact that you aren't using a sub makes them thin, too, which exacerbates the problem.
You can try the EQ settings found here and see if it helps: https://pierreaubert.github.io/spinorama/eqs.html
Click to expand...

I will consider this possibility, I hadn’t even thought about it, I’ll try later, would it be appropriate to equalize on the Foobar 2000 DSP's? (Graphic Equalizer, in this case), or is there a good generic that I can do directly for windows 10?
Thanks, I was kind of hopeful.
 
1) speakers
2) some kind of EMI, HF interference, superimposed on digital source output - there is no simple advice unless you are experienced in this field
 
flipflop said:
The brightness can be explained by resonances in the upper mids, lower treble, and upper treble of your speakers. They have excess energy from 700 Hz to 2 kHz and again from 10 kHz and up. The fact that you aren't using a sub makes them thin, too, which exacerbates the problem.
You can try the EQ settings found here and see if it helps: https://pierreaubert.github.io/spinorama/eqs.html
Click to expand...

it is a fact that these Pioneer are not the best in sound depth, but I notice that they have some good level of depth and in the amplifier I always set adjusted with -1 of treble and -1 of bass, it is less ''toxic bright'', but still harsh :(. damn!
I find it very abnormal what I feel in the sound, since before I used cheap edifier's and despite the limited sound, it did not cause this to me.
 
Last edited:
Kal Rubinson said:
Setup, room acoustics and, perhaps, excessive expectations from entry level stuff.:oops:
Click to expand...

In fact, man, I've been trying to adjust this for a few months, I have had little success, I even use an audioquest filter in the DAC, the Jitterbug, which relieves bright / harsh, but does not completely eliminate it, I will consider an acoustic problem in the room for a while , it is a small room and perhaps an equalization is useful. Thanks
 
Marcos Mazur said:
would it be appropriate to equalize on the Foobar 2000 DSP's? (Graphic Equalizer, in this case)
Click to expand...
No, graphic equalizers are poor and won't work the settings I linked.
Marcos Mazur said:
or is there a good generic that I can do directly for windows 10?
Click to expand...
Equalizer APO is the go-to option for Windows: https://sourceforge.net/projects/equalizerapo
The Peace GUI makes it easier to use: https://sourceforge.net/projects/peace-equalizer-apo-extension
 
pma said:
1) speakers
2) some kind of EMI, HF interference, superimposed on digital source output - there is no simple advice unless you are experienced in this field
Click to expand...

Noise pollution by EMI is one of the possibilities that I believe, I have been trying, the speakers still do not believe to be the problem due to the reputation of not being a tiring sound, before that I think it could be the amplifier, but I don't know enough to say.
Today I even tried to use a P2 noise filter, but I was confused, because there was a "buzzz" and a bigger "hisss" in the sound (it seems that it got worse instead of getting better, because before there was only a smooth "hissss"), but it disappears from the moment I play music in the player (WTF!), I bought another filter similar of another brand to test and gave the same result, it's kind of uncertain but like you said, sometimes it's just trying.
I also use a USB Jitterbug filter that softens the harsh, but doesn’t eliminate it, another thing I’ve thought about is trying a better IFI Silencer filter, but it’s kind of expensive and I don’t want to spend on something that maybe doesn’t solve.
Today I will try to connect everything on another PC to see if something changes.
Thanks for the answer.
 
I would stop spending money trying to fix it anywhere before or including the dac, although try lowering the input into the dac by a couple of dB.

As others gave said, speakers, room and just maybe driving the amp too hard. I think Kal probably nailed it.
 
Marcos Mazur said:
What may be causing harshness and annoying sound in my setup? it happens in any music I listen to on my pc, any format and any player I try.
I make it clear that I don't talk about noticeable noises or sound distortions (ground loop and stuff like that, I think), I'm also not listening at high volume or having any ear problems, THE FACT is that despite my desktop sound configuration sounds clean, detailed and balanced, I still realize that the sound doesn’t sound natural and pleasant, getting tired quickly, sometimes I even feel mild "needles" in my ears, hurting a little.

Something’s wrong, what would be the problem? It's frustrating because I spent a reasonable amount of money here in Brazil trying to improve the quality of my desktop sound.

I'm currently using:
Bookshelf Pioneer SP BS22-LR + Amplifier SMSL SA100 + DAC Tempotec Sonata HD Pro + Robust audio cables / RCA and Foobar 2000 Player.
Click to expand...



3 Steps:

1) Update speakers to AA mod as discussed extensively here @ ASR, this will help a lot, especially the better treble driver,
2) Replace your SMSL amp with the recently reviewed Allo Volt D+ (w/30 V DC power supply -- find one on amazon)
3) Replace the TempoTec DAC with a Topping E30 (I think asking the TempoTec "dongle Dac" to drive the amp's high impedence line input is asking a bit much of the Sonata HD's "on chip" headphone amp stage, part of the Cirrus Logic DAC chip I believe??) -- I'd go the E30 route to get a remote volume control

This is the kind of rig I'd buy today if I was starting out, with modest funds...

Then EQ as needed/wanted, to taste....
 
Listen to some Dean Martin,

If that's harsh, it's the gear.

If not, maybe check your musical inclinations.
 
I have a Hidzs S8 and have tried it with a NAD C316BEE driving a set of the Pioneer 22's....short story -- it wasn't ideal....

Asking the Cirrus' CS43130 DAC on board chip amp to drive an integrated amp line input (even a sensitive one) is a big ask...

At the very minimum a more powerful amp is indicated...
 
Marcos Mazur said:
the speakers still do not believe to be the problem due to the reputation of not being a tiring sound
Click to expand...

The frequency response tells you more than the reputation. The people who describe it as non-tiring can have a different personal taste, or even a specific variety of hearing loss that fits this speaker well. Or maybe they don't listen to it near field, and their room/setup "solves" some of the problems. There's really no way of knowing for sure.
 
Marcos Mazur said:
In fact, man, I've been trying to adjust this for a few months, I have had little success, I even use an audioquest filter in the DAC, the Jitterbug, which relieves bright / harsh, but does not completely eliminate it, I will consider an acoustic problem in the room for a while , it is a small room and perhaps an equalization is useful. Thanks
Click to expand...
Those are not solutions but EQ may be. I would start with REW to see what is wrong and then find a way to implement it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

L
High-pitched speaker noise from ground loop?
Replies
18
Views
3K
Beave
B
Back
Top Bottom