PS1000 Appreciation Thread - Page 16

I’d like to apologize for the lengthy mini-evaluation I posted a couple of days ago on my impressions of the PS1000, NuForce HDP, and Pure i-20.  I got carried away when I couldn’t get my computer to verify that the post (intended for the PS1000 Appreciation Thread) had been successfully transmitted; and as a result,  I kept trying to post it to different threads…all in vain (I thought!).  I must have “tried” to post it at least a half-dozen times in different places – hoping for success.  I finally gave up – only to be contacted by Amos (Forum Administrator) telling me that all those cross threads were, indeed, transmitted – and further, that cross threads were a huge no-no!  I respectfully thanked Amos and let Amos know that this kind of thing would not happen again. 

I post here because this seems to be the most active PS-1000-thread around.

I really appreciate my new PS-1000 (on topic, done)

 

Now to my little problem, I find that in some songs the vocals are very sharp. S-sounds becoming really tssssss sort of....

 

The worst case is:

Sarah Brightman - So many things. Fast forward to 1:35 and listen aprox. 10 sec, (or listen to the whole song the problem is all over it)

 

I get a horrible, sharp and really unpleasant:

"...how I find myTSSSelf TSSSo often..."

 

 

Anyone else have similar experiences?

 

Take care,

It might be helpful to try another pair of cans, or speakers, on the same passage for comparison.  Maybe the recording is just too darn hot.

What  equalization are you using for the Sarah Brightman tracks?  If you turn the equalization off altogether, the errant sounds should vanish as well.  Give it a try!  I had the same problem with some of the tracks on the latest Jackie Evanco recording.  Turning off the EQ cleared things up completely.

Edited by jackal3642 - 8/5/11 at 7:35pm

I usually don't apply any EQ. But applying a dip around 9 khz really smooths out the tsss-sound, not solving it completely though.

 

Listened to it on my old BOSE AE, it's there but not as sharp, I believe it's EQ-ed by default (the BOSE).

 

So it might be as bbophead suggested, that the recording is just too darn hot. On the other hand I get it on quite a few other songs too.

  Is it ALL vocals and particularly Sarah?

 

  I have never noticed a sibilant nature from the phone with voice material. Vocals are very well handled for the most part, from Baritone to Soprano!

 

  Source, source material, amp and cabling are important prior links in the chain don't forget. Often they get over-looked when judging what the last in the link has to say.

Edited by achristilaw - 8/6/11 at 6:09am

No, not all vocals. And not all songs with Sarah Brightman, Just sometimes in different songs with different artists a s-sound gets really sharp and disturbing.

 

When I hear a sharp "s", it's always there if I rewind and listen again, So it's either something bad in the recording or something with my gear.

 

 

Anyone heard the Phonitor or Auditor with the ps1000's (other grado's)?

just for the record i could have wrote exactly what majkel has here and elsewhere. i put them above my he90 and o2. i think that says enough. perhaps that i am insane. i don't know but these are the ears i was given. to these ears i have yet to hear better at any price. also, for the record as i have mentioned elsewhere they are powered stupid good by a cullen gcha. for instance, the ear hp4 with nos mullards i do not like as much. i consider that, plus a scd-1 and da924 a dedicated system that does not come apart! it all sits under my night table on a suspended platform 8" off the floor. true love.

oh, ps it is all wired with crystalcable. except for the headphone cable i made myself and took over 100 hours! i will not share details about that sorry.

 

Yup. It's not bad actually. The Phonitor/Auditor are smooth in the treble. It doesn't seem to be one those SS amps that don't get along with Grados.

 

  In the past I had one of each (different times). They are reasonably smooth but a touch dry on top and will cast a shadow on some of the natural liquidity of the Grado's treble. I felt they were O.K with low impedance, better with the 800 and very good with the T1. The design (from SPL) really benefits the higher impedance first (IMO).

 

Edited by achristilaw - 8/15/11 at 12:50am

A while back, I compared the PS1000s out of the SPL Phonitor directly with the Melos and Apex P/V out of my source. The Phonitor was actually less grainy, but the Melos was richer and more liquid. The differences here were surprisingly minor. The largest difference however was with bass slam and dynamics, which the Melos had more of. Resolution was about equal for both.

 

The P/V simply just destroyed the Phonitor.

 

I prefer Grados out of hybrids anyways.

Edited by purrin - 8/15/11 at 8:53pm

music_man, as someone who has recently become obsessed with wanting to hear what nos 12ax7 driver mullards are all about (been rolling telefunkens and bugle boys, two very different types of tubes, with great results with my ps1000), i'd like to hear why they don't quite work for you in your system - is it that they're too lush/muddy?   i'd love to get a hold of some mullards at a real world price, but sadly, it seems hard to find 'em.

 

  

 

  The better Grado's are finicky eaters. The HP2's in particular!! A lot of amps "work"...but when that synergistic bond is found, settled and finally accomplished,  ....yummy in the tummy (burp)!  A Grado Tornado!!