Please help with speaker recommendations

[chrisjennings]

NAD C340 AMP
NAD C540 CD PLAYER
VAN DEN HUL INTERCONNECT
YAMAHA N-S 300 SPEAKERS (BI-WIRED)
SILVER WIRE LEADS - CAN'T REMEMBER THE MAKE

My system is exceptionally clear, and plays rock/pop/indie very well. However, I happen to have mostly classical music! With classical, there can be a bright harsh edge to the treble - piano, high strings, treble voices. I'm hoping another pair of speakers might help to warm the sound a little and remove this harsh edge. I've been told British speakers have a reputation for a warmer sound. Is this true, and what should I go for? I'm prepared to spend £600 or so if necessary.

Thanks!

[topspeed]

NAD C340 AMP
NAD C540 CD PLAYER
VAN DEN HUL INTERCONNECT
YAMAHA N-S 300 SPEAKERS (BI-WIRED)
SILVER WIRE LEADS - CAN'T REMEMBER THE MAKE

My system is exceptionally clear, and plays rock/pop/indie very well. However, I happen to have mostly classical music! With classical, there can be a bright harsh edge to the treble - piano, high strings, treble voices. I'm hoping another pair of speakers might help to warm the sound a little and remove this harsh edge. I've been told British speakers have a reputation for a warmer sound. Is this true, and what should I go for? I'm prepared to spend £600 or so if necessary.

Thanks!

From cheapest to most expensive:

First, look around your room first and see if it is "lively" and has a lot of reflective surfaces; tile, glass, hardwood floors, etc. Your upper end glare could be a result of speaker placement and room interactions. Curtains, rugs, furniture, etc. in strategic places could tame your sound.

The next thing I'd try is different speaker wire. Silver wire can be known to accentuate an aggressive top end. YMMV.

Finally, you've got your speakers. If I remember, Yammie's NS series are semi-horn loaded aluminum dome speakers, right? The horn could be the culprit but who knows? It's dangerous to characterize all Brit speakers as "warm" because different people have different opinions. The UK's largest speaker manufacturer, Bowers & Wilkins, have been characterized/criticized as both agressive and laid back...for the same speaker! Again, different people hear different things.

There are a ton of excellent speaker designers out there so you'll just have to get out and listen for yourself. Try not to pigeonhole a speaker manufacturer just because of it's origin. People like to generalize things like American speaks are bright and ballsy (Klipsch, JBL (Canadian but close enough)), Japanese (Sony, Panasonic) are tinny and hollow, Brits (Castle, B&W, Audio Note) warm, Danes (Dynaudio, Dali) cold and sterile, Italians (Sonus Faber) warm and laid back. The truth is, speaker manufacturers have their own sound regardless of origin. I can put two American speakers such as Vandersteen and Klipsch side by side and guarantee you they sound VERY different. Which one is actually better is up to you.

Good luck and I hope this helps.

[chrisjennings]

Thankyou!

I have tried alternative speaker wire, and was amazed how completely muffled the sound became with the same system. I guess there are no short cuts, and it's a question of trying different things. Thanks again.