Roksan Kandy 2 AMP 'To Bright'

The What Hi Fi magazine review said the Kandy likes to operate at high volume.  It likes to be pushed they said.  I do not like it at high volume all the time, but  saying that I don't expect the Kandy to become high pitched and abnormally bright if I and when I do have it loud.

What speakers do the panel at What Hi Fi use to test these Roksan Kandys at high volume???

Hey Sewage man. An idea - how about popping down to your local richer sounds and buying a Cambridge audio 840a on the 30 day money back guarantee? That way you've got another well regarded point of reference that should sit well with the mezzos and dac and you can simply take back afterwards. I spent a couple of hours with a Kandy and wasn't impressed - bright and a bit boring imo - but I know others love it.

lordmortlock:

Hey Sewage man. An idea - how about popping down to your local richer sounds and buying a Cambridge audio 840a on the 30 day money back guarantee? That way you've got another well regarded point of reference that should sit well with the mezzos and dac and you can simply take back afterwards. I spent a couple of hours with a Kandy and wasn't impressed - bright and a bit boring imo - but I know others love it.

The sewage man:

The wire I have is screened so it cannot be that.  What I need is a graphic equalizer, but lo and behold What Hi Fi do not test or review them!  Any suggestion of which one to get? 

I have just read through this for the first time now. Sewage man, you do already have a graphic equalizer. If you use Apple TV as your source you also use itunes and itunes has a comprehensive and very influential on the sound graphic equalizer. On itunes click on View in the tool bar and then in the drop down box click on Show Equalizer and then play about to your hearts content. To set what eq setting you use right click on each track, or batch of tracks and then Get Info then click on Options and look for the drop down box Equalzer Preset. If you set this then that is the default eq for that track for now on. In your ipod you need to go to settings and eq and make sure it is on. If you say select jazz as your default setting on your ipod, it will still use the setting you have selected on itunes. Experiment with the settings and you will soon lose the brighness and it will not have cost you a penny.

Thank you for your comprhensive answer about Itunes.  The problem is though that I do not steam through my apple TV.  I listen to music directly off the hard drive when itunes on the computer is turned off.  There is no sttings on the Apple TV for a graphic, otherwise I would gladly follow your advice.

Ah, so Apple TV is in effect a 160gb network hard drive. Oh well, back to square one then!

I will have to exchange either the speakers or the Amp. 

Does anyone on this forum think that the Roksan Kandy is lightweight regarding its punch and attack when turned up around 50-60%??

The quote from the What Hi Fi mag states 'This amp like to be driven', and stays composed when it is!

What speakers where they using for this test???

The sewage man:

What a saga!!!  I do not think the Rotel 04 is a fair test as you can adjust the treble and bass.  However I am going to take my Roksan Kandy and Dac to Canterbury Hi Fi on Monday and do a test on two speakers there, Monitor Audio RS8  and a B&W 704.

I will try and sort this nightmare out once and for all.

Listen to some B&W 684s if they have any. If you then think it's bright then you can say it's the amp or DAC.WHF said the 684s needed something like a Kandy to drive them.

change the amp, as you've said you don't often listen loud.

link:

change the amp, as you've said you don't often listen loud.

To what amp though?  Unless someone on the forum wants to buy it what can I do? Thats a point anyone want to buy some Mezzo's and an amp???

The sewage man:

Does anyone on this forum think that the Roksan Kandy is lightweight regarding its punch and attack when turned up around 50-60%??

I presume you mean you have the dial at 12 o'clock. I'd be deaf within a weak if I played music at that level.

The sewage man:

link:

change the amp, as you've said you don't often listen loud.

To what amp though?  Unless someone on the forum wants to buy it what can I do? Thats a point anyone want to buy some Mezzo's and an amp???

On the Roksan Kandy K2amp though 12 o clock is not particularly loud, the volume pot of this amp has been mentioned before.

Gerrardasnails:

The sewage man:

link:

change the amp, as you've said you don't often listen loud.

To what amp though?  Unless someone on the forum wants to buy it what can I do? Thats a point anyone want to buy some Mezzo's and an amp???

I would try what someone else has mentioned on here. Buy the 840A from Richer Sounds. See if it changes your system completely. If it does, either sell your Kandy on Ebay, or take the 840 back and at least you know it's the amp that's the problem.

Thank you for that advice.  However the Cambridge Audio 840A has a 4 star review.  The Naim Nait 5i 5 stars.  Wouldn't that be a better amp? 

You are missing the point IMO. Its about synergy. I don't think the blame for this lies with your speakers. I'm becoming very accustomed to a pair of Mezzo 2s and don't detect any excess brightness from them at all. In fact, I think the tweeter is one of the best metal tweeters I've ever heard.

The 840A is a superb amplifier and is designed by some of the same people who design the Mordaunt-Shorts. The synergy between the two brands is, from quite a bit of personal experience, excellent. To drive MS speakers I'd choose CA over Naim every time.