Your most recent system tweak, did it help or hurt the sound?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by draden1, Dec 18, 2019.

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  1. aorecords

    aorecords Forum Resident

    I feel that I should say this: I'm using this cable for my CD player. It was a dramatic change of the performance of the disc player. Initially, I was unsure if I liked what was happening but I was patient and really began to listen and then began to comprehend how the sound was altered and the improvements I was hearing. It added so much depth and texture some familiar recordings seemed slightly foreign. The cable also added image stability, drive, blacker backgrounds and added to the hologram effect.
     
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  2. doctor fuse

    doctor fuse Forum Resident

    I just solved a soft crackle that I thought might be a bad tube or transistor or cap, but it turns out the connectors just had to be cleaned and reattached. This will now be at least an annual event.
     
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  3. ayrehead

    ayrehead Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mid South
    I just now got around to trying the speaker dots on my 12" midrange drivers and I must say that I'm floored. One dot did nothing. Three slowed everything down. Two was just right. There’s a definite reduction in glare. Instrumental timbers are more realistic, as are male and female vocals. Not bad for a measly $39 investment.
     
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  4. LeBud

    LeBud Born to be mild

    Location:
    Ottawa
    The Gaia III's that replaced the spikes on my Nola's really improved the sound way more than I expected .
    They aren't cheap, but IMO they're worth the expense.
     
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  5. carrick doone

    carrick doone Whhhuuuutttt????

    Location:
    Vancouver, Canada
    Does rebuilding an ST70 from the ground up with new solid state rectifier and bias circuit count? Dead quiet and getting better sound every day.
     
    Ingenieur and doctor fuse like this.
  6. Mister Charlie

    Mister Charlie "Music Is The Doctor Of My Soul " - Doobie Bros.

    Location:
    Aromas, CA USA
    The latest tweak did help a lot, I bought a new turntable. :)
     
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  7. Zos93

    Zos93 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hertfordshire UK
    My most recent tweak really improved the sound and only cost £1! On the Naim forum it was revealed (and confirmed by the manufacturer) that the Musicworks G3 mains block which uses their peek cones for feet sounds better sitting on soft surfaces such as carpet than on hard surfaces.
    I use Musicworks peek cones under my speakers sitting on granite plinths so I thought I'd try putting something between the cones and the plinth; a quick trip to the local Wilko resulted in a pack of EVA rubber furniture floor protectors. One attached to the granite under each cone has resulted in a wider soundstage and better bass.
     
    Last edited: Apr 12, 2021
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  8. bever70

    bever70 Let No-one Live Rent Free in Your Head!

    Location:
    Belgium
    I had a slight imbalance in my soundstage depth between left and right. I have planar speakers which generate as much sound to the back as to the front. And my Tv is slightly off center in between the speakers (can't change this because of cabinet setup and wife also needs to see part of the Tv :D). So, added a plexy screen on top of one of my TT's. Problem solved :D!
    Totally balanced and alive 3D soundstage.

    [​IMG]
     
  9. doctor fuse

    doctor fuse Forum Resident

    Off topic, but where did you get that dust cover for your 160?
     
  10. Mike-48

    Mike-48 A shadow of my former self

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    Complicated! I moved the speakers about 10" into the room, and the soundstage opened up noticeably. At the same time, the plastic panels over two small windows (panels used for the same reason @bever70 explained in his post) now cause irritating reflections. I'm considering how to kill the reflections yet not throw the spatial stuff off again.

    So the tweak improved the sound and caused a new problem at the same time. From towel tests, fixing the new problem will result in a large overall improvement. It never ends. :doh:
     
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  11. bever70

    bever70 Let No-one Live Rent Free in Your Head!

    Location:
    Belgium
    I got it from a Dutch company in Holland, they're just over the border from where I live. They can fabricate any model, any size. They did the cover for my Jvc, next to the Thorens, as well. But I'm sure there must be alternatives in Canada or the US who can build you a dustcover to size ?

    @Mike70 I know what you mean. When I got the acrylic sheet up, I had to slide the TT a few cm's back. When you have everything set up just right, even the smallest changes in your living room (furniture or whatever) will be audible and make a difference (for the better or worst).
     
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  12. bever70

    bever70 Let No-one Live Rent Free in Your Head!

    Location:
    Belgium
    I just realized I quoted the wrong Mike :doh:!
     
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  13. BroJB

    BroJB Large Marge sent me.

    Location:
    New Orleans
    Swapped the RCA cables from my Bluesound Node 2i for an optical cable.

    Pretty significant improvement, and had me wondering why I didn't do it sooner.
     
    Mike-48 likes this.
  14. guyfromscene24

    guyfromscene24 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver
    Completely agree - I had the same experience with my PSB Synchrony Ones.
     
  15. Erik Tracy

    Erik Tracy Meet me at the Green Dragon for an ale

    Location:
    San Diego, CA, USA
    I've been struggling to get my subwoofer integrated seamlessly with the Audio Note AN-K's I got. The bass has been flabby, indiscriminate, loose, there, but not - frustrating.

    I went down an internet rabbit-hole and cannot remember where I read it, but moving the subwoofer in small increments can make a difference. Doesn't make sense, but I had a f' me it did help moment.

    A small movement of the sub forward of about 12 inches off of the front wall - snap! Like magic....happy place.
     
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  16. Django

    Django Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dublin, Ireland
    I moved it from a small room to a bigger room. Definite improvement.
     
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  17. draden1

    draden1 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Des Moines, IA
    Awesome, congrats! Sub placement is pretty fickle and proper response is based on your room. You can read about room modes if you really want to go down a rabbit hole.
     
    bever70 likes this.
  18. jonwoody

    jonwoody Tragically Unhip

    Location:
    Washington DC
    Django I feel that's a bit too tweaky for even this thread. :D
     
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  19. MonkeyMan

    MonkeyMan A man who dreams he is a butterfly?

    I upgraded some of my cables from Blue Jeans Cables, so they are a tweak in my opinion. I added the following from Tara Labs:
    • 10 meter 0.8 XL (with HFX grounding block) balanced interconnect from preamp to amp
    • 8 feet 0.8 speaker cables
    • "The Muse" speaker links
    This made a big improvement! :righton: I bought these items new, and they are still breaking in...
     
  20. ayrehead

    ayrehead Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mid South
    I am using a 4mm Herbies Way Excellent platter mat. Lately I've been going back and forth between clamp + periphery ring vs. no clamp and ring. No clamp and ring sounds way better and there's no doubt about it. From now on I'll only use the clamp and ring on severely warped records.
     
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  21. bever70

    bever70 Let No-one Live Rent Free in Your Head!

    Location:
    Belgium
    Same experience here with no clamp! Very noticeable on headphones as well. The clamp takes the life out of the sound. Comparable to damping components (using weights on top) which I also don't like.
     
  22. Andy Saunders

    Andy Saunders Always a pleasure never a chore

    Location:
    England
    My latest tweak was a huge success- True Point Pads for The Michell Gyrodec and Orbe range of Turntables, much more control, detail and separation with a lovely tight bass, this tweak is very easily heard, very happy indeed.:edthumbs:
     
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  23. allied333

    allied333 Audiophile

    Location:
    nowhere
    Installed CIS Cree Schottky diodes in a tube amp vs standard diodes. CIS Cree produce zero switching noise vs standard diodes. Like a tube rectifier, but solid-state. Sound is improved. Although been out 5 years, few know about these diodes.
     
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  24. Khorn

    Khorn Dynagrunt Obversarian

    Probably the only thing that could correct my listening room deficiencies is an M26.
     
  25. mcbrion

    mcbrion Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut
    That'll do it. As F. Alton Everest said - in essence - in his Master Handbook of Acoustics, size matters. A bigger room will have fewer immediate reflections (unless it's cavernous and echoes like the dickens!) and the direct sound will reach your ears long before the reflected sound. My basement listening area, 23 x 45 will make music sound superior to my 9 x 13 x 20 ASC treated room with ISO Wall Damp Treatment, which does not have the "authority" of the larger - and mainly untreated room (although I DO have tube traps in that room when I listen and MAN, does that help!).
    I have, however, heard large rooms (a dealer in New Haven who closed, but had a large room), produce some of the most unremarkable sound I could imagine, given a 150k+ stereo system. Absolutely NO nuance. So, a larger room by itself doesn't help if you don't set everything up properly, but otherwise... yes.
     
    Last edited: Jun 15, 2021
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