Interesting. I think the quality of specially the volume pot speaks loads about the maufacturer. I like the feel and “action” of a good pot like the better Alps ones even though I almost always use a remote. I really good heavy smooth volume pot instils confidence in the rest of the build.
Agreed. My preamp uses ALPS pots, but the balance pot has been problematic for ages. Finally decided to just turn it 30 or more times, and now it work properly. And seems to sound better.
Alps is the name I always look for. It’s important to wipe the contacts through a good turning throughout its complete range periodically. One of the best upgrades I got was a recommended tuning control upgrade to my Magnum Dynalab tuner when I had one. Better parts undoubtedly lead to greater satisfaction as well as a superior listening experience.
Read the manual at the links below if you want a more concise technical write-up. Otherwise, there are a few papers floating around. On the same note, don't pick up a tiny li'l one. These things need to be big and weight a lot. Keces BP2400 Balanced Isolation Power Conditioner Keces BP5000 Balanced Isolation Power Conditioner
Biggest unexpected improvement? Installing the provided spikes on my Tannoy Revolution 8 speakers. Such a minuscule change. Less than an inch. I wanted to hear what they were like without. Good, but the highs were missing details and finesse. Then I put the spikes in. Holy fookin ****e. No wonder there are no pre-owned Revolution 8’s in the US. I was expecting great. Got better.
Hey audioL, this is the article that convinced me to make a DIY fluid damper. I used one of those white plastic containers that most tofu comes in, for the paddles (but an old credit card is a great use of that piece of garbage!), junk wire I had lying around (the best was the wire from champagne cork stoppers), and whatever plastic container I could find on recycling day that would fit best with whatever turntable or arm I was making the damper for. Let me know how you get on! Tonearm Damping Article By Bob Graham The BAS Speaker Volume 3 No. 4, January 1995
Adding the Pro-next Phono Box S2 to my Debit Carbon Evo and bypassing the dedicated phono stage on my as301 amp. Next up is adding an RSL Speedwoofer to bring some bass to my Klipsch rp160m.
What I’ve learned through my short experience in stereo is exactly like guitar gear. live with your current setup for awhile. Tweak it. By that I mean learn the acoustics of your room. Try and get close to 90-100% of what you can from that set up. In the process you will learn a ton of what sounds good and what setup is needed. Acoustics etc. I’ve done that with my system. No new components. The more I learn the more my system blows me away. Literally. my setup sills have sharpened and my system blows me away now. Loved it before but now after experimenting with speaker positioning , hangin blankets , yes that, in different spots has made my sound system mind blowing yes the blankets will be replaced by pro acoustical treatment. Lol Live with your setup for a long time. Learn how to squeeze every inch on sound you can from it.
For me it's speaker placement. Just playing around with them until you find that sweet spot. It's amazing. And cheap.
Get one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-GLM-20...18142801&sprefix=electric+tape,aps,341&sr=8-5 I did on @avanti1960's recommendation; wonderful little device.
biggest sound improvement for me: switching from vinyl to CD. no more noise, hiss, ticks, pops, scratches, hum, or wear and tear. best thing i ever did: music wise, and i'd do it all over again.
Some really good remastering that enables more detail being brought out that was hard to detect previously. What seems trivial or minor details can make a huge difference to the enjoyment of music.
Speaker movement can be very dependent on the speaker. Some can be sensitive to a slight direction change others are not.