Sound Quality, How far do yo go..?

While I get you point. I know what my system sounds like with headphones and I don't think they are affected by sound isolation?

I listen to the system with quality amplification, with as little as 3.9-Watts from a single ended amplifier, where there is no need for any isolation.

So if I am able to turn up the amplification to louder SPL's and it still sounds the same, then I don't get the impression that I need to look for a problem that I don't have any appearance of having.

I have been playing records for some 60-years and I am aware of sound isolation issues, as well as other audio related issues, like room correction software and digital signal processing, which I also choose not to employ.

When and if there is a next audio room, I already have a list of upgrades (which I feel will make definite audio improvements) and they are a priority with any future plans that I may have.

One of those upgrades includes a separate stand alone DAC. Another involves a larger, more powerful sub woofer, so maybe after the sub woofer upgrade, I will have a need for better TT isolation, which I would address at the appropriate time.

The reason that my system has evolved to the extent that it has, is because, I continuously make improvements on it.

I have never sat idle, but I prioritize the aspects of sound reproduction that I feel are the best step forward that will reproduce audible improvements.

 

At the end of the day, what matters most is that each of us is happy with whatever means of sound reproduction we employ. Everything else is irrelevant.

 

I wrote the word "try" before. Even better: let someone change things while you are listening.
It's all about what YOU hear, in YOUR room, with YOUR equipment.

I once visited someone with bad room acoustics, bad equipment, bad ears. He was advising on a high end forum (the idiot).
I can tel more of this kind of stories but I am not willing too. That kind of people are amatures but wanna be experts.

 

I could understand your comment if people were supporting #9 in the list but here people are talking about a aspect that most people address, appropriate support for their system.

The purity of your electrical supply is another issue addressed in many threads here and I can vouch for a dedicated supply being important. The display issue has also been discussed, although I've never discerned any difference.

 

1. Yes.
2. Not on my current kit but my old Arcam CDP seemed to benefit from this but only at night when the mains was cleaner (see 4 below).
3. Yes.
4. Yes.
5. No squash balls or inner tubes for me but isolation is certainly important.
6. Not tried it, quite tricky with flat Nordost cables, but some swear by it.
7. Hell, yes!
8. No idea, I don't do AV.
9. Contrary to what others state, this idea has been around for at least a couple of decades. As for trying it or not, we do every time we pause a CD. Personally, j have never noticed much, if any, of a difference so tend not to sweat it.

 

Everything What HiFi says has to be taken with a large pinch of salt. I have found that many of their reviews do not correspond with what my ears tell me.

 

I found that big stacks of audio magazines are the best isolators for audio. They are also very good for creating lanes and kill zones in your living room to trap and confuse relatives or visitors. However, you should not mix color with B&W publications in the same stack because it will affect the sound imaging.

Pre 60's audio magazine publications that were still printed with lead based ink should be avoided as they have a tendency to accentuate the bass and make it boomy.

 

Be careful being too judgmental on some of these tweaks. Record clamps, power line conditioning and better interconnects were all controversial in their day. Now those are mainstream.

 

What Hifi and other magazines have commercial interests. I have a friend who is a pro reviewer.
If he writes a bad article, the importer doens't buy advertisements in their magazines.

 

1 and 7 are valuable. Everything else is "WHUT" Hifi?

 

3. Listening in the dark. Yes, with eyes closed, there is better focalization.
4. Listening at night. Yes, but rested not tired.
5. Partially-inflated bicycle inner tube. I use them under my speakers and turntable and the sound quality is way better.
7. Cables, generally. Yes, bettter cables, better sound. The expensive snake oil cables not included.

 

1/9

 

So in other words, on this forum, there is no consensus for which of these 9 tips has some value.

What does that tell you?

 

I don’t understand why I hear the Twilight Zone theme song when I read this thread? I do admit that the music goes away when I stand on partially inflated bicycle tire tubes?

 

Partially inflates bicycle tire inner tubes are very functional rough and ready pneumatic isolators that will work down to lower frequencies that a lot of isolating devices. It's not as elegant or easy to control as the old professional air bladder isolators that used to be used for things like electron microscopes, but it's the same concept. Not snake oil, not weird science.

 

Sound Quality, How far do yo go..?

I've been around quality sounding stereo systems all my life.

If the stereo system sounds 'really good'... it's really good enough for me.

That's it really.

 

Depends...

 

*Pssst:* They are still controversial.

 

What does that have to do with this article, which does not suggest any specific products and consists mostly of free or inexpensive practices to try?

 

I agree with your point, but, man, you picked three of the most contentious examples I have seen discussed on this and other audio forums...

 

Power line conditioners I could see as being still highly contentious but record clamps have a pretty defined purpose and use, same as record mats. If those are being hotly debated, eh... Now does one need to spend thousands to achieve a benefit? I would say no.

For interconnects? Well, until we have a way to teleport people into and out of listening sessions, that debate will rage on forever. And even then, the teleportation process would just be the reason the person couldn't hear any differences

But yea - this stuff is all free or virtually free and most is very easy to try. It's not even an attempt to shame anyone who says they can't hear said differences. Just "Hey, if you haven't tried this, maybe give it a try! You might be surprised." Wow, how terrible are they for such a piece /eyeroll

 

The only tip I fully agree with is #3: Listening in the dark, which incidentally also show how a large portion of the music experience is influenced by the brain and reinforce the argument about the power of auto suggestion.

However I'm disappointed by the omission of cats. Admittedly they are not free but they can and do improve everything, including the enjoyment from music.

 

Cats are amazing creatures and I love our two so much but... unfortunately they make for very poor stylus cleaners #askmehowIknow

 

I beg to differ and allow me to present this as a proof that cats are valuable accessories for LP record playing: here is my useless feline busy improving a POS Pro-Ject Debut II.

 

I understand. I can see something like that helpful in isolating a turntable. I’m not sure I see value beyond that, and I was just trying to inject a bit of humor in what is a somewhat contentious thread.