A Couple Little Things I'm Wondering About

I have a quazi-high end system.   I experimented with cable lifters.  I found that 1/2 round vibrapod/rubber-like balls under the cables benefited the sound the most.  They eliminated vibration and elevated the cables 2" above the nylon carpeting (90oz-dense).  I tried caps on my unused terminals on a tube preamp but it diminished the sound quality in every location so I don't use them.  

@djones  I tried taping my speaker cables 5' high to the rear wood wall.  The result was brighter and thinner sound.  Yuk!   I tested various cable lifters and no lifters.  There were marked differences, between 3% and 10% difference estimated.   I preferred the low cost half vibration dampening half "rubber" balls.  It's as if there was no effect, certainly not negative and about 5% better than cables lying on the very thick, dense nylon carpet.  Not monumental, but appreciable difference for maybe $50.

I spent $160,000 in building my custom engineered listening room.  My former $30,000 listening room which was not engineered but used some of my concepts (5.5" 3000 lb psi steel reinforced slab, 2X6 staggered studs on 8" plate every 8" dual 5/8" soundboard and 5/8" X drywall, 90 lb dense plush carpeting, separate subpanel, 20 amp breakers 12 g. wire, SR black power outlet) but had vaulted ceilings to 11.6', multipane wood casement windows to the sides of the speakers and 1/2 height rear wall, steel CD cabinets for 4,500 CDs, 18,000 LPs and 5,000 78s on the walls.   This room had many acoustical issues.  My professionally engineered room which I have detailed on other Agon posts is 100% better.  Sound is evenly distributed (with 25 Hz versus 32 Hz in former room) with NO bass humps or thumps, superior resolution, superior imaging, etc.  Today, in Enjoy the Music on-line, one writer documents that he would spend 40% of his audio dollars on the acoustics and 60% on the equipment, speakers and cables.   http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/viewpoint/1020/Listening_Room_Acoustics.htm  I agree with him.  My system is about $70,000 retail; however, my anticipated new speakers will make it closer to $105,000.  Still, I have no worries about the acoustics.  All my music is now located in the adjacent room so I have a 100% truly listening room only environment.  Oh yes, those $50 in cable lifters come in handy for improving the sound if only by 5%.