That is something that I would really like to try. I have been put off simply because I am not exactly sure what I need. I don't suppose that you would be willing and able to share the exact specifications of the bearing you tried (even diameter would be a real help) or even a link?
Dramatic testimony that could only occur with analog playback which is plagued by so many technical impediments. Gotta love vintage hi fi.
Great story! But I think this deserves its own thread. A lot of use would like to hear more about your system and the other wall treatments you are using.
I would truly agree here. I wasn't expecting much using the cutting boards(aptilig 18×15×5/8) but was pleasantly surprised by the noticeable difference. I then added 2x2 rubber-sorbothane pads under each corner of the boards. Clean mids, less forward his, more bass detail. Got the tip here. I had previously isolated my speakers from my carpeted floor by putting them on 3/4" hardwood boards with rubber/cork av pads and svs for the sub(wow). Last surprise was sitting my sub catty-corner after seeing someones kit here set up that way. I' m going say...yeah, for sure. Had to play with it till it dropped in. Deeper, sharper bass attack. Really helped the towers' woofers to sing.
Here you go. 7/32" Silicon Nitride Grade 3 (best specification) Ball from Boca Bearings Ridiculously inexpensive at $3.82. I originally ordered a Grade 5 ball (not as tightly spec'd) from another distributor before ordering 3 of these from Boca a few years ago (have been running the past 4 years with the SI3N4 balls). I do an oil change every couple of years and change out the ball for a new one at that time. 7/32 IN-C SI3N4 BALL GRADE 3 (1 PC) by Boca Bearings :: Ceramic Bearing Specialists
Probably my best bang-for-buck improvement was upgraded interconnects. Not only the quality of the sound improved but the volume increased quite a bit. I was really surprised.
$10 on kitty litter to fill my speaker stands is easily the best money I ever spent on my system. I assumed it would make a difference but wasn't prepared for how much.
Hello @Salectric , I've actually done exactly that with a thread on my most regularly frequented CAM forum, "Room Acoustics Redux: getting the most outa your gear". The thread recounts the entire near-25 year creation and evolution of that room and the contents therein. It was begun in 2008 and I've made periodic updates to it ever since.
Brilliant thank you. Given the high cost of postage I have ordered 10 and next time I re-build the deck I will replace the bearings I the suspension which my reckoning still gives me 14 years' worth of main bearing at one every two years (which incidentally is also about how long I always intend to leave it between oil services until memory intervenes and it becomes considerably longer).
Yes, that will work for you. Same size ball in the suspension posts. Not sure you will hear much of a difference in that application but might be slightly easier to rotate and adjust the posts. Price for 10 is still cheap. Anything Michell related over here is pretty pricey as a result of the extra layer or retail due to the North American distributor. I'd probably pay $15 for the standard steel ball if I purchased it through Michell channels here! Let me know how you make out.
Hello Khorn, I have put all my gear on pretty heavy granite plates, based on rubber discs, usually for water pipe fittings, works fine, even for my 39 KG amp. To make them more insensitive against vibration I have put some on top of them too. Kind of granite/rubber/stereo Sandwich.
Funny you should mention this... I have 2 vinyl copies of HOUSES OF THE HOLY which I hadn't played for a long time. (I've been mainly listening to my Target CD version)... As I have recently upgraded my cartridge I'm attempting to break it in with some vinyl mileage.... played the first HOTH LP and had a bit of a 'thump, thump, thump' in the RAIN SONG. The rest of the LP was clean and ok. When I played the 2nd vinyl copy to see if the RAIN SONG sounded better I found the whole album had a much 'cleaner' nicer sound. Both LP's were bought in Sydney in the 70's........... I'll have to check the fine print! I don't even know why I have 2 copies!
iFi SPDIF iPurifier... then the... Uptone LPS 1.2 for the iFi... then the... IFi SPDIF iPurifier2 (surprisingly nice improvement over the original) exceeds my cdp transport and allows me to keep the Sonos Connect cooking (we use it throughout the house and we love the stability (wi-fi) and interface). May spring for an Aries G2 or something at some point, but no hurry.
In my post on the first page of this popular thread, I'd mentioned I was just wrapping up a two-year system wide overhaul. Well as part of that o'haul, I too added balanced power to my system (along with three new 20a dedicated lines and new dedicated HVAC!) as part of a strategy to lower my system's noise floor. My big rig actually required three ridiculously heavy Balanced Power Technologies power conditioners to accommodate all the gear properly, two 20a units at the front and rear of the room and a 15a model for the rack full of front-end gear. Like @HIRES_FAN, I too found there to be worthwhile benefits to investing in balanced power. It didn't blow my doors off though. For example disconnecting my room from our whole-home forced air HVAC and switching to a near silent dedicated Mitsubishi mini-split in my room had a much greater impact on my overall noise floor than did balanced power. However , the second biggest surprise I experienced while assembling the current iteration of our big rig came from switching out the three power cords feeding the new balanced power conditioners. When I installed the first of the B-P-T conditioners, A BP-2 15a model powering all the front end gear, I used a B-P-T branded power cable that the seller included with the unit. This power cord was a robust 10 or 12g affair with hospital grade plugs and OFC wire. Around the same time I had read on several different forums and the Audio Bacon HiFi review site about how amazing Furutech's latest flagship DPS4.1 bulk power cable for the DIY crowd was purported to be. Well PartsConnexion was having one of their periodic 25% off sale events so I took a flyer and order a 1m cable terminated with Connex branded rhodium plated "Furutech knock-off" plugs. I switched the B-P-T cord out for the new purple Furutech, switched back on, and my jaw dropped. I cycled back and forth several times to be certain I wasn't imagining what I was hearing. Fresh off the build bench, this new power cord was responsible for an easy 10% increase of soundstage width and depth along with simply making all the players and/or singers within the soundstage more tangibly present. I promptly ordered two more but had to wait awhile as they required back-ordered 20a IEC connectors to fit the higher current IEC inlets of the pair of 20a B-P-T BP-3.5 conditioners. Well my patience was amply rewarded a few months later. It turns out the effect was additive. Powering all the amplification in my active speakers and subs with balanced power from more of the same fat purple cables only raised the sonic benchmark higher. Awesome!
Because the digital-only audiophile never raves about the dramatic sonic change from a power cable or interconnect... At least there's a measurable mechanical effect of the damper I was praising. Out of curiosity, what do you consider technical impediments?
This! I was trying to think what made the biggest difference in my setup until I read this. I used to have to tiptoe around to prevent skips. Now I can literally do jumping jacks in front of the turntable and it stays dead still. Just be sure to mount to wall studs that can support the weight. You don’t want it to come crashing down.
When moving my speakers around I expected to notice some changes, but it blew my mind when I found "'the spot' and the optimal toe in."
Now that's one of the very few things in this thread that's actually believable. Speaker placement and getting it right for your space and sitting position makes FAR more difference than some of the snake oil some people are trying to sell in this thread.
