Make yourself really happy and just buy more music. I could say more but the post would be deleted.
Any tweaks I'm missing?
I have lots of ’tweaks’ added to my system.
Is there anything I’m missing?
A small cupboard, so no power conditioner possible.
A smallish budget, so most probably no Gate to try.
One small request...
Can the negative knobs please refrain from commenting.
I’m not interested in what you think of me, the products you have not tried, or my spending habits.
Only those who have experiences of possible additions, would be much appreciated.
Upgraded over the last year:
Chokes on electrical items with a switched mode power supply
Halide Bridge USB to coaxial reclocker
Akiko Triple AC Power Enhancer
Audio Prism Ground Control spades on speakers
RCA shorting plugs for inputs on my amp.
Akiko Tuning Caps on amp outputs.
Akiko Fuse Box Tuning Chip.
1 x Shumann Resonator Chatres SE + power supply
1 x Schumann Resonator CHARTRES Mk3
Black Ravioli pads for amp, Dac and power supply
Vibrapod isolation cones and feet
Akiko Universal Tuning Sticks on speaker cables.
iFi AC iPurifier.
MCRU Mains Filtration plug
Mad Scientist Nitro Nano power cables.
’LOA audio tweak’ chip.
Signal Ground solutions SGS-1 Groundng Box.
3 x Bybee iQSE - one on power board.
High Fidelity Cables MC-0.5
XLR Noise Stopper Caps.
Russ Andrews ’The Silencer.’
Audioquest Jitterbug.
iFi USB Silencer.
SR Orange fuses
PPT Omega + EMat to trial
Mad Scientist Graphene Contact Enhancer to apply
Mad Scientist Donuts coming.
Ideas?
201 responses Add your response
I just pick one of these "so called tweaks" from your list that intrigued me. Akiko Fuse Box Tuning Chip. https://www.akikoaudio.com/en/akiko-audio/tuning-chips/512-akiko-audio-fuse-box-tuning-chip-english For god sake’s man, 50 pound ($100aud)!! it’s a bloody sticker!!!!!!! I showed the first post at our Audio club meeting last night, general consensus was, you were "taking the piss" is this correct?? Are you looking for a record of all time largest reactions to a thread??? |
discopants- A good experiment to try is play your system moderate volume and pinch the speaker cable going in to your speakers between your thumb and forefinger to feel the vibrations. Then use a 1cm wide piece of the thin tape around the speaker cable and try again you will barely detect any vibration. Experiment! Love it! I'll try it tonight! One of the greatest yet seldom mentioned benefits of tweaking is the way it forces you to listen and evaluate. Tweaks are misunderstood. Tweaks do not "make" your system sound better. YOU make your system sound better by using the right tweaks the right way. My very first tweak was a phone book (remember those?) placed under my CD player. Had to strain and concentrate but the subtle improvement was there. Put another one on top, strain and concentrate and yeah, another barely perceptible improvement. Probably nobody else would ever notice, improvement so slight only probably only being intimately familiar with the system let me even hear it at all. Not putting it out there as a recommended tweak, that's for sure, but as a listening exercise. Because then later when I heard BDR Cones, WOW! Now THAT'S a TWEAK! And being already used to listening and evaluating so closely it was a wealth of new characteristics to work on. |
jerrybj If your system uses tubes, get Herbie's tube dampeners on all signal tubes. https://herbiesaudiolab.com/collections/tube-dampers Read all of the information on the Perfect Path Technologies threads here on A'gon. https://perfectpathtechnologies.com/ Change out all of your fuses for the Synergistic Research Orange fuses. https://highend-electronics.com/products/synergistic-research-orange-quantum-fuses This will keep you busy for a long time, and improve your sound tremendously. Frank |
I've not used mad scientists contact enhancer but PPT total contact applied to your breaker box , and the plug sockets of your hifi gives incredible results for the cost. There is considerable burn in for about a week the system may sound very off but after 2 weeks it will be singing and it gets better as it cures further. Black ravioli pads combined with oak cones works well for me for component vibration control. Fo.q tape from Japan very cheap and effective for vibration control get the thin tape 0.3mm and the thicker 2mm tape. One pack of each , buy directly from Japan for about $30 a pack. Has multiple uses, I have it on power cables, speaker cables, plug sockets, around iec inlets, equipment chassis and pcb (be careful not to short anything). I also have it on capacitors, speaker driver chassis and a few other places. Very good value for money. A good experiment to try is play your system moderate volume and pinch the speaker cable going in to your speakers between your thumb and forefinger to feel the vibrations. Then use a 1cm wide piece of the thin tape around the speaker cable and try again you will barely detect any vibration. The combined effect if used correctly through the signal path (I.e power supply to speakers) is super stereo imaging and lower noise floor. There are threads on here about the use. Keep on tweaking Disco |
Macbook Pro to Halide Bridge to heavily modded Dac to Audience AU24SX interconnects to Perreaux integrated amp to ATC SCM 19v2 speakers. Turntable is in the attic. With all my LPs. Not able to set it up in present situation. Will wait until I retire/move to a more suitable place, to bring it out again. |
Georgeifi What does it matter to you? Your opinion is of more value than mine? You’ve stated your opinion. Leave it that. I’m really not interested in anything you say. I'm looking for other deluded people such as myself for their tweaks. Those I have, have already made a huge difference to my music enjoyment. |
That that is a long list of “tweaks”. But, as onhwy61 noted, you fail to list your actual components. Doing such will allow others to offer more specific, and likely efficacious, recommendations. The same applies to providing a description of your room and the goal that you would like to attain. If your goal is to apply to your system as many tweaks as possible (which is what your header “Any tweaks I’m missing?” implies), then so be it. I wholeheartedly agree with those above who recommend removing all of your tweaks (as possible), then listening as you reapply each individual tweak. The results may well surprise you. I surmise from your list of tweaks that your system does not likely include either a turntable or any tubed components, so I will not waste time delving there. millercarbon’s recommendations are dead-on correct. Ditch the Vibrapods for BDR cones. The same applies to the Vibrapod-Black Ravioli Pad combo. Regular demagmetizing of your system with the XLO disk is a no-brainer; try it on your car’s CD player, too. Applying Static Guard anti-static spray to cables and power cords is quite beneficial (and thank you, millercarbon, as Static Guard is much less costly than Nordost’s product!) If you spin CDs, then consider Mapleshade’s Microsmooth CD treatment. I have found this able to make lackluster CDs enjoyable and already great sounding CDs fantastic. Also consider applying a marker that dries to true black to both the inner and outer edges of a disk. Music Direct offers one for about 15 US$. Marigo Audio Labs tuning dots provide great improvement in SQ for low cost. You can find these on Music Direct’s website. Marigo’s tuning products have twice received quite favorable reviews in The Absolute Sound. I have been using them for over 25 years and have yet to be disappointed. I hope that you find at least some of these recommendations to be beneficial. Don’t forget that it’s all about the music! |
Maybe a new set of hearing aids?Bit late for that, he’s been drinking the water on geoffkait property TrepanationA lobotomy?, I concur. https://i.imgflip.com/d514m.jpg Sounds like serious overkill. A better question for you to ask is more like “what should I remove from my system to make it sound better?”Even "overkill" does not fully express this. Leave me alone George.Wow, all that voodoo snake oil has made you testy, I can imagine the angst your going through I’m not surprised and I truly feel for you, have you tried a snake oil exorcism start from scratch again, with no BS products i think this is your cure. I expressly asked that posts such as this are not placed.It’s more other poor gullible sods I fear will be infected by this post, if this sort of madness is not commented on. Only those who have experiences of possible additions, would be much appreciated.No use asking them, they’re looking up to you as the snake oil messiah, and are at your feet, it’s you that should be telling them.
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WOW you must have the best sounding system in the whole wide world!! The "Snake Oil Voodoo’ist Manufacturers" must love you, you’ve got more money tied up in BS snake oil than what your systems worth. Can I give you some sanity advice, throw all that **** in the cupboard to sell to some other poor sap later on ebay. And just hook up your system without that ****, the way it was designed by the manufacturers to be, who have more EE knowledge in their **** hole than these snake oil voodoo’ist. Cheers George |
kudelka8Unfortunately I'm not in North America or Europe. There is nothing available where I am. Contacted Furutech who had mentioned an audio wall outlet, but was not a viable commercial proposition for them. |
beernutA fool and his money... Yeh, could be me. But, I no longer drink, don’t gamble, not a drug dealer, not into cars. My vice then is sound. Harmless - or if harmful, only harming my bank balance. I haven’t got the desire to replace my amp for anything in the vicinity of $10+ thousand. I’ve been wanting to get my system to a point where if I suddenly keeled over, I’d be satisfied with it. Replacing my speakers with ATC SCM19 v2 was one of the first changes, and a huge step forward. (With a ’visual’ wife, the system has to be hidden, no cables, no ugly...) My music has never sounded better, and I’m looking forward to summer; lounge doors open in the day, or the evenings. |
Contrary to the popular faith that because hearing decrease with age, (which is true off course), the capacity and the power to discriminating listenings by self education of the ears with music must decrease, is false... The perception of sound is complex and only simple mind think that it is only function of frequencies direct perception... On the contrary at any age man can educate his own ears... Creating your own audio system without discriminating ears is difficult in fact impossible, the only solution is using money to buy reputation and high quality ready made at high cost... Without money, if you learn to listen, creating a great hi-fi for peanuts is possible... I made it... rule number 1: Almost all electronic gear are on these 3 levels of quality...Be it 3 levels in S.Q./ price ratio: low-fi,mid-fi, high-fi...Inside each level the difference are way less linked to the product " per se" and way more linked to his particular implementation, his qualitative embedding in your audio system, and room and electrical house grid , way more than any upgrade of one piece of gear... You buy after searching for the best possible something in one of these 3 categories of gear and you keep it (no upgrade) when I say that almost all gear are on par approximatively for quality, I only affirm that nevermind the great difference, a good amplifier is a good one and changing it will cost you big money, but tweaking it toward his improving potential will cost you way less... I can say that most people dont know the true quality level of the gear they already owns. The reason is simple, controls of vibration, treatment of the room, cleaning the noise in the electrical grid gives you most of the times an S.Q. out of this world compared to an upgrade with an hyped new product, especially if you buy it in the same level of quality among the 3 possible... Rule number 2 You treat the electric grid of your house Rule number 3 You controls with different experiments the vibration-resonance in the gear and room Rule number 4 You use your ears and a small step at a time you treat your room for sound Rule number 5 You read and inform yourself about tweaks that you replicate or invent yourself after listening session in your system and after 2 or 3 years your system will be top level at the least cost... My best to all and each of you... |
beernut: I have found most "tweaks" make little if any audible improvement in sound. Right. So here's what happens, or at least can happen, or at least is what I have actually seen happen. Person starts out not even able to hear something as obvious as the difference between a budget and really good CD player. That was me. Could not hear it at all. Not even a little. Really puzzled me how some could be so weird as to say there was a difference, when clearly there was not. And, they MEASURED the same. So clearly these people were nuts. This was 1990, give or take. Only I really love music. Gradually dawns on me there really is a difference. There are differences. Became aware. One day guy swaps carbon fiber footers under a speaker. Well now, actually heard a difference. Wife was there, sort of heard it, maybe. One day after doing something like oh say ten times the footer thing she's all wow I didn't think it could sound any better but it does. So what most likely is going on is the same sound changes are there regardless, only the more skilled listeners pick up on it a lot easier and sooner and at the smaller levels. Or another way to look at it, there is always some gross level at which the improvement is massive enough everyone says wow that's amazing. Everyone. Which I know, because I been there quite some time now. Years. Well so here's the thing. If you want to get there, or even if just a little better is enough, or even if you just want to get the most out of what you got, the most for the least money, whatever measure it is absolutely does not matter the better you listen the faster you get there. Period. And so unless you want to try and be happy right where you are, or maybe don't even care- unlikely, and freaking odd beyond strange, considering where you are!- then unless that's the case far from spending your time questioning or justifying not doing anything to get there- like tweaking- you will be a lot better off learning to listen. And paying attention to threads like this and trying the tweaks is one of the best ways to practice. |
millercarbon "golden" plate...I am very proud because it is my idea....No other product exist I know of that is like that for ratio S.Q. and price...You can look at "my systems" where I had some photos...And dont think a minute because of the look that my system sound like trash... : ) buy some shungite plate 250 gram for 10 dollars from Russia (ebay) buy some copper adhesive tape 10mm for few bucks from alieexpress Tape the copper on one side of the tile That’s the big "golden" plate For the small version buy cell phone shungite small plate (few bucks) same copper tape on one side only... The big plate is for your breaker central panel ( I have 5 of them there) The small plate are for any connectors, unused duplex plug on the wall, or any unused plug on your power conditioner, or on top of your Shumann generator near the power plug, or on top of any power supply... Router-modem, computer power external bank where your music are, etc, use your imagination... ALWAYS put the shungite side on the active face of the location, and the copper side on the exterior... Every added piece add a cumulative positive effect with no end in sight for me.... It is audible immediately... Enjoy a miracle at low cost and I will be pleased to read your report... I am more glad to give you the idea than I will be to sell you that, but it works and I mean my words... My best... Like already said, I had many more tweaks but ALL homemade , tailored for my room and gear by the ears...Then always positive in their cumulative effect.... |
Any tweaks must be made by ourself, designed specifically with our own ears for masters designer... My system also is heavily tweaked, but almost all homemade, and with no negative, because the correction is made on the spot, and any successive tweaks that degrade the sound will be automatically modified... You cannot make that with costly out of the box ready audiophile products...The proof is in the pudding, in the last 2 years all my tweaks produce only an always positive cumulative effect...Why? Because it is my ears that has created these audible effects with my brain imaging the materials to produce or modify it to pleasure my ears, gradually, one weeks after the other, it was fun,... The total cost is less than the cost of a piece of gear ...One of my most extraordinary tweaks cost peanuts... Lacking money and dreaming HI-FI, I takes that like a fun challenge, I read a lot, I was inspired, buying almost nothing except basic materials to makes my own creation... Then having a lot of tweaks is not the problem at all "per se", if all is designed by the same ears on the same room, with the same system; otherwise antagonism between parts and industrial ready made products makes impossible an optimal synergy that is possible only with tweaks obeying the constraints of your unique et individual system, in a unique room, in an totally unique electrical grid and acoustical atmosphere... My best... The good news is the cost is ridiculous, and the result astounding....The bad news for some is you must think and read and inform yourself....But it is more fun, a more lasting fun, than buying something...And I am proud not from exhibition of a luxury object but proud to have create luxury musical object with almost trash….Look at " my system section" photos, compare it to others systems, and laugh at me, but remember that I will laugh the last laughs...My best to all... |
That might be the most extensive list of "tweaks" I have ever seen. What is it you are trying to fix? This has always amazed me, why would a well thought out and set up system need all of these tiny little adjustments? Different isn't always better. I won't make any friends with this statement but here goes, I have found most "tweaks" make little if any audible improvement in sound. I've tried many and always felt underwhelmed. That's me. Build your system from the ground up with synergy and set-up first. Seems like you are putting band-aids on without understanding why.... |
kudelka8 I think you are right... All my tweaks are homemade and often created by me, introduced one by one for the last 2 years...… Always improving, no negative, easy to correct any negative if you control all , materials and homemade product, except the cheap Schumann generator that I had modify... My system will look like trash for most people, but the sound was more than very good, not at the start at all but after all , cleaning. controlling, modifying tweaks, this "trash" system sound Hi-FI… My system section contains photos... |
Sounds like serious overkill. A better question for you to ask is more like “what should I remove from my system to make it sound better?”I like to cook, and have 47 different spices in my cupboard, but I don.t use all of them for every recipe.. You didn’t list a hospital grade wall out let. Run out and get one. Huge difference, ,that can make. .Furutech and wattgate make excellent ones. then take all of the tweaks out of your system, well away from it, and listen to what you have. Then work on your speaker placement. Get that perfect. No sense doing anything else till you’ve Done that. then start adding back tweaks, one at a time. Experiment with combinations, look for synergy. Take months at it.. Just because one of them makes a system sound different doesn’t’ mean it sounds better. I’m all in favour of tweaks. Yes they can help a lot, but most of them don't, really. But it’s wonderful when you find one that does. The last one I found that made my jaw drop was set of Bindbreakers under my pre-amp. Another recent discovery was that it improves the sound a lot to turn off my power conditioner when I’m not listening to music. And oh yes, reboot my modem and demag the whole system before listening . Everything you try is going to be system and room dependent. |
Put on top or under each Schumann generator one of my "golden" plate " a tile of shungite between 100 or 250 gram with one side taped with copper self adhesive tape...The shungite side in contact with the S.G. under it or on top, even on the power supply if you prefer... Improvement is certain... Price cost 10 dollars each tile ( buy in Russia from Ebay) Enjoy... I am very curious if you can compare the improvement with some tweaks like the Omega mats or other tweaks... The golden plate effect are also cumulative, on interconnect, unused plugs etc, no negative effect at all, only positive in my system heavily tweaked already... It is free but very effective for me.... It is my own idea and I am proud to give it... |
Wow. I mean, not bad. I'd go BDR Cones over Vibrapod, try em if you want more a more dynamic presentation. But ..., you asked for additions: Cable Elevators. Doesn't have to be the brand name stuff. Cable Elevators are really just ceramic insulators. Buy Cable Elevators if you want that particular look and want them to all look exactly the same. Otherwise go on eBay search ceramic insulators, you'll find exact same as Cable Elevators plus a whole bunch more. I've tried and compared, only real difference is dimensions, shape, color, they all work great. Use them under speaker cables, power cords, interconnects. Much more effective than other things like wood, plastic, etc. All of which work. Just nowhere near as well as ceramic. XLO Test CD- has demagnetizing tracks that really work. There's other CDs with the same idea. Have not compared. XLO, one track is a sweep tone, the other a bass fade. I copied mine onto a CD and duped the tracks so it plays several times while the system warms up. If you've never demagnetized like this let your system warm up, have a good listen, then run the tracks and listen again. The longer its been the greater the improvement. I do mine every week or so, and every time I want it to sound really good. Radio Shack Bulk Tape Eraser- these used to be readily available for $20, now hard to find and getting up there, but they come up on Amazon. Or any large powerful demagnetizer. Used on records (yes- I report what I hear and leave it to others to explain why it works, or doesn't, it being after all impossible to demagnetize vinyl) and CDs just before play. If used on a CD you may notice the improvement particularly in top end clarity and reduced haze dissipates after a while. But only if you listen real close. I told a friend who hadn't noticed, then said wow you're right. Perfect for records as it lasts just about long enough for a side. Also works great on cables. Only problem is with cables you have to go slow and the unit gets hot and after thermal shutdown can take 20 min or so to cool and work again. If you get one after a while you'll figure out what you can do and not do to get the most out of it. I do records every side, cables a little less often. Static Guard anti-static spray. Ordinary laundry anti-static spray. Spray this over your cables and even with zero noticeable static electricity you will hear a cleaner, blacker presentation. Again, the longer between uses the more you notice the improvement. Okay now for the big guns- Synergistic PHT, ECT & HFT. PHT come in different versions or flavors. Black Widow is the most neutral safest bet. Green Dream is super liquid, like that one a lot too. I have two GD and one BW on my Conqueror arm. ECT, two of those on the arm base, one on the motor, three on my amp, couple more inside my Herron phono stage. ECT are so amazing I pull the one off my motor stick it on my laptop and movies take on an impressive near 3D quality, like going from 1080i to 4K. HFT, HFTX, HFT Wide Angle, Speaker Kit, I have them all. Don't know which is more amazing, the way moving one even an inch makes a difference easy to hear, or that they work at all. Ted's placement suggestions are spot on. Tried others, nowhere near as effective. The upper ones on the front wall, depending on where you put them, you can fine tune the amount of sizzle on cymbals. A tweakers wet dream! |
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Most tweaks are tuning devices--if they actually change the sound, whether the change is an improvement or a decrement, is a matter of taste and the specific implementation in a particular system. With so many devices, it would be hard for you to even know what these tweaks are doing to the sound. I think you should start by removing items to see what that does to the sound. Given the number of devices you have, the possible combinations are essentially endless, but, at least this is a no-cost approach to changing the sound. In my experience, the biggest changes come from power conditioning/treatment and from using systematic grounding devices and schemes (like the Nordost system). You don't necessarily need rack space for power treatment, a very good power strip (like those from Isotek) can do quite a bit to improve your system. Power conditioning and grounding devices improve soundstaging and clarify instrumental timbre without dramatically changing tonal balance (meaning sound will almost always be an improvement). Isolating platforms and feet also change sound a lot, but, because they change tonal balance, the change in that respect can be good or bad. By far, the biggest change occurs when you optimize speaker and listening chair placement and do some form of room treatment. That does not necessarily mean buying exotic traps and panels--it could mean using spot rugs on the floor, tapestries on the wall, movement or addition and subtraction of furnishings. |
