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Cheap Tweak..Mass Loading

If you are dissatisfied with the sound of your system, try this before spending big bucks on upgrading of audio components. I borrowed 3 bags of lead shot (25 lbs) each from a friend and placed one on each of my 2 power conditioners (one for power amp and analog sources and one for digital) and a bag one my power amp. The improvement in sound was very dramatic, bigger than component upgrades that I have done in the past. Soundstage is huge with more depth. Dynamics at high listening levels is unbelievable. Resolution and detail at low levels is amazing. The bass is so tight it's like a sledge hammer hitting you square in the chest. For $45 I have seen a much bigger improvement in my system than I ever dreamed that I would. If you have not mass loaded your components..Do it!
slowhand
13 responses Add your response
atlasiris
17 posts
 
Hi all,

Mass loading is a very good thing and I love to use a particular grade of sand. I sew them into tiny black pillows about 1.5 x 2 inches in size. I place this on different parts of the electronics, inside the cd player, amplifiers and preamps :) Some places benefit from these some don't. So it's better that putting a whole big mass on the chassis.On my single ended bi-polar transistored amps, putting these pillows on the transistors sucks life out of the sound.
craig_hoch
65 posts
 
I have a 15lb bag of sand/BB mixture sitting on my Oppo Universal Player and 12lbs of lead shot sitting on my CAL Sigma DAC. The additional mass made a huge improvement in the dynamics & soundstaging in my system. This is a tweak that works!!
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
This is an old thread, so I'll just continue on the "footers" thread. Trying to damp chassis vibrations in the digital source.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
The ones without lead.
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
What are some of the better mass loading commercial products?
slowhand OP
610 posts
 
Sorry guys, I did not mean to imply that mass loading would work in every case for everyone, only that it is a cheap tweak to try before spending big bucks on upgrades.
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
I run my VTL tube monos 24hrs/day on weekend and 25kg load of lead shots would block the heat dissipation from transformer and tubes as well.
BTW Do I need to mass load my 50lb Monarchy DT40b CD-transport?
AR PH3 phono that I currently posess "likes" to be away from top and bottom as well(i.e. in the air) so I use racing cones for it. Is there any air-bearing tweaks for that tweak-hungry phono?
glen's avatar
glen
714 posts
 
Thanks CFB! Oddly enough while I was at Martha’s web-site picking out some lovely fabric, I went ahead and purchased a few matching throw pillows for the couch. I also hid the buckshot as a precautionary measure.: ~)
cornfedboy
1,645 posts
 
glen: as albert & sean correctly note (of course) this doesn't work on all components and the critical mass my vary among the components for which it does. once you determine on which pieces mass loading works and the amount required, you can have the shot sewn into quite a lovely custom bag, matching your curtains, upholstery or whatever. see, again, marthastewart.com (i'm lobbying a'gon to link to martha's site; i think it's indispensable for discriminating audiophiles). perhaps this may be a perfect place to involve your spouse more in your audio hobby. perhaps not. -cfb
brianw
373 posts
 
You can also try using sand abrasives used for commercial sand blasting.
glen's avatar
glen
714 posts
 
If I brought home two bags of lead shot and tried setting them atop my components in the livingroom I imagine the wife would be out in the garage looking for BUCKSHOT! I don't think I need to tell you where that would be headed:~)
sean
6,231 posts
 
My findings support Albert's statements. This does not work on all things equally well and the weight needs to be varied somewhat. Doing this in conjunction with other tweaks can add up to a noticeable difference. Sean
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albertporter's avatar
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albertporter
4,949 posts
 
I got great results mass loading the power supplies of my Soundlab U1 speakers with two twenty five pound bags of lead on each. The Aesthetix tube preamp and phono did not respond well with this, but later trials on my power conditioner and subs were beneficial. I agree this should be experimented with, and probably with varying amount of weight.
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