Cheap tweaks...What would YOU reccomend?

I have an Audiomods arm with a continuous loom through to the phono stage.

It came with Nakamichi RCA's and I had originally planned to replace them with Eichman Silver Bullets, then along came Keith Louis Eichmann with his latest set of products.

So finally, I got around to changing them to a set of Pure Harmony RCA's and the results were pretty remarkable…
- more tightly focused image
- extended high-end
- deeper and better controlled bass
- improved dynamics across the board
- significantly enhanced clarity

Pretty much, significant improvements all around and not something you really had to listen for – the were quite discernable.

Considering the miniscule voltages at play I would sat that is a considerable achievement

Unfortunately, they only come in sets of 4 for $120, but I will be sharing the other pair with a friend, so the cost to me was $60.

I also use them on my other interconnects to great effect, but it seems no matter where you put these RCA's – they bring put the very finest of details in any recording

Checkout the KLE Innovations web site for a dealer near you

They really do an amazing job

Back to the tunes :-)

I am awaiting some digital/analogue Shorties from high-end electronics. Supposedly they work extremely well and very cheap. They go into your unused analogue/digital connectors on your components.

I have an Akiko Audio AC tuning plug plugged into the bottom outlet of my Maestro receptacle. The top is my power cord to my conditioner that connects everything in my system. Improved dynamics, defined bass and lowered the noise floor. Soundstage also widened. Great tweek. Definite keeper.....

Ucrazykid, anything sounds better than Isopods. About 30 years ago it was the leading edge of audio to cut racketballs around the seam, put them under a marble shelf and on furniture cups for the feet.

Great turntable isolation can be had from placing squash sports balls (double yellow dot) under the feet or platform your turntable sits on. Great cheap isolation from vibration and shock. Better than Isopods.

Decongestants, like pseudophedren. If you ears or sinus' are plugged it full of fluid you won't get the best out of your ears! :) maybe obvious but I thought I would through it in.

Do not other to take your ear health seriously. I had the unfortunate circumstance of a viral ear infection rob me of 30% if my low frequency hearing on the left side. It's been 6 years and will not be coming back. Take any change in hearing seriously and get it checked by an ENT, some things can be treated if addressed quickly.

I was on a 2 week business trip out of the country and figured my ears woul get better. When I finally had them looked at they told me I missed a 72 hour window to trat with steroids and would not likely recover.

Wishing you all great health!

I'm a beginner audiophile, so I like to try tweaks that are affordable alternatives to more expensive products to see if they work before paying higher prices.

I started using the Diversitech EVA foam anti-vibration pads (similar to isol-pads, isoblocks, etc.) under my components, speakers and other devices to eliminate vibration noises. They work and they are cheap, and there isn't any hocus-pocus marketing to read through because they are made by an industrial supply company. Something to consider if you are looking for some sort of isolation footer. They come in a lot of different sizes. I have a short blog post about them if anyone is interested in reading and sharing their experiences with comparable products...I'm always looking to learn about new tips/tweaks. http://thesoundapprentice.blogspot.com/2013/10/cheap-tweaks-diversitech-eva-anti.html

All solder is bad, especially that which you can buy today. Welding would be great were it easy to do.

ITS a secret !!

Lacee - I shared your beliefs until I tried it on my 10 gauge cable and found it improved the sound

I think the trick is to minimize the effect of the solder by ensuring..
1. The spade is a tight fit on the wire
2. Crimp before soldering to make an initial "cold weld"

Maybe all that is needed is a crimp?

I've since tried it on my braided romex and my other furutech and DH Labs cables with the same positive results.

I also had problems with the 10 guage Furutech stranded wire when I used it for a DIY power cord even using Furutech plugs.

THe wire is very stiff and a bit thick on the plastic insulation.

I gave up, went back to 10 guage Romex with better furutech connectors. Nice tight fit.

I guess since I'm one of those less is more types, I have a problem adding spade connectors and solder to a connector.

I've always felt that the sound was less coloured with a direct,clean connection,and that a solderless connection when there can be one(as on my Furutech RCA's)was about as pure as it can get, noyhing between the bare wire and the connectors.

I agree that the connection must be as tight as possible,and that if solder needs to be used it has to be from one of the top aftermarket sources, like many of the silver solders.

I could agree with tining the stranded wires with a small bit of quality solder, but I think I would pass on any type of connector when making up a power cord.

Those little spades ,even when they are copper ,just have to be adding something extra to the sound or taking something away,but that's just my audiphile nervosa.

I don't doubt your claims, and it's always great to learn new stuff.

If you build your own power cables, instead of just inserting the stripped wire into the connector - try crimping and soldering copper spade connectors on to the ends and then tighten down as hard as you can.

I didn't use anything special - just spades from my local parts supply - but they are copper and the correct gauge for the wire and the solder is good quality lead-free for electronics use

The improvements in dynamics and fine details was very noticeable.

The first cable I tried this on was a 10gauge furutech cable which was proving difficult to install a connector onto.

The other advantage - none of those little rogue strands of conductor that do not go into the hole that can cause serious problems :-)

Donjr, I don't know about your system or room, but I added a sub a couple of years ago (a REL, FWIW) and it seemed to complete the whole deal. I've never regretted it.

Now that I sit hear thinking about my integrated amp upgrade, I'm wondering if I might need a sub. May e even just a REL T5 or 7. I only have one dedicated duplex. Can I run the Hegel H200, Audiolab 8200 CDQ and a Sub off a good power strip off the same circuit?

I've got a question. I have my three shelf rack sitting on Herbies Big Fat Dots. I'm not exceeding their weight limit of 200lbs for the 4 dots, but could these Herbies Dots have any negative effect? The feet on my rack are those slightly rounded round feet, not spikes. I'm in tweak mode with a new Hegel H200. My room is fine. One thing I know I should do is xlr to run balanced from my CDP. Hegel recommends this so I'd imagine I'll gain a little something by doing this.

I'm looking for a tad more bass slam like i had with the Rogue Cronus Magnum. Maybe this is impossible. My Harbeth C7es3's are on Skylan stands filled to the top with kitty litter. I'm using Audioquest NRG 4 power cords and Audioquest Rockefeller speaker cables.

The rig is on hardwood with a giant oriental rug in front of it. My room has honestly never been an issue.

I'm also considering Oyaide Rhodium banana plugs for my Rockefellers. Any suggestions?

Thanks, looks like I have the heavey duty toggle switches.

My amps are always on, in standby, the toggle switch just puts the amp into full power/play mode.

It replaces a circuit that was used on the stock amps to turn the amps on to full power when a signal was sensed by that circuit.
That signal sensing full power circuit was said to degrade the sound,so a heavey duty toggle switch was used as part of a mod.

I was just curious if there is a hierarchy concerning toggle switches.

Like is there a Nordost Odin of toggle switches?

Thanks for all the tips so far.

Sorry - that link should have been

toggle swithes

I used some heavy duty 20 amp toggle switches on my power supply to my phono stage.

Like this
http://www.delcity.net/store/Heavy!duty-Toggle-Switches-!-Flat-Terminal/p_788975

The rational being the 20 amp continuous rating was more than adequate for most hi-fi components - even amps i.e. under 2000 watts :-)

It seems to work very well and due to the heavier internal mechanism it makes and breaks contact quickly with no arcing (i.e. that I can hear :-)

Just Google "toggle switches with silver gold contacts" and you will find a large selection that may be suitable. I would go with 20/30 amp models for an amplifier, preferably made in the US :-)

Switches are perhaps the most hard working component in any electrical circuit due to arcing when turning off

Well made switches have a mechanism that release very quickly - in most cases eliminating the possibility of arcs forming - when I used to work in the switchgear industry silver contacts were preferred for their durability and if I recall correctly, it helps prevent arcing - that could have changed since then.

Since yours are old I would recommend changing them. Will they sound better? It doesn't hurt to try :-)

Here's something I'd like to put "out there" to get some response concerning a tweak that's not mentioned or is one of the last unchartered territories of tweakdom.

I am curious about on/off power switches.

My amps are old and have the ancient toggle switch.

I've upgraded the fuses, IEC,wirng from the IEC inlet,RCA, and now I am wondering about the quality of that toggle switch.

Does anyone think it would make a difference in quality to replace it with something newer?

If so what type of switch and from what source?

I am certain that some of the upper tier electronics must use on/off switches that are above the normal ones we most often see.

Then again, maybe the power swich doesn't matter that much?

My positive past experiences with upgrading power related items leads me in the direction that the off/on switch just has to be doing something to the sound, and that some just have to be better than others.

It may or may not be a cheap tweak, but I am looking for answers from those who have experience with power switches.

This also goes out to anyone from the audio industry,is there a need for a designer power switch and if you felt so, which one did you use?
I hope Ralph will enlighten me for instance.

I have the copper IEC's for my amps but have not yet put them in. They are pretty generic any way. Having new boards laid out for my amps that will have about 40% more copper content and will have them and all the parts that can with stand a double shock of cryo treatment. It's always something or something else.

Thanks for the reply Theaudiotweak.
I had considered the rhodium plug so that the amp sees a rhodium to rhodium connection, despite the fact that the romex is copper.

I guess I should have used a copper IEC on the amp for continuities sake.

Lacee,

There was a thread somewhere else and a guy was being pounded for building and selling an extreme power cord of some type. The fellow that was taking all the abuse indicated he had tried all the Furutech models and materials as well as other brands of the same sort and settled on the copper version as the best balanced sound. He described what each material presented when used with his cable design. Not as a discussion as to his design but rather to the pains that he went to auditioning the termination quality. The Furutech copper is treated in some fashion to reduce oxidation potential. I am now using these copper connectors and not the rhodium I used previous.
Mechanical grounding at these junctions will be my next step.Tom

Those cheap Furutech copper connectors do sound good.
I am debating the move up to the more expensive Rhodium version to match the Furutech rodium IEC that I installed in my amps.

I suppose I should just bite the bullet and do it.

Anyone made the move and regretted it?

I would love to run direct from the panel to my front end gear,but that would mean two more dedicated lines,and long ones at that.I've used the professional wire covers in seven foot lengths and the thought of two more runs is just too much.
What I have done is install the Furutech GTX D Gold on the wall that the two front end components are plugged into and that made a positive improvemnt over the stock outlet.So I have two dedicated lines, one for each amp and one line, not dedicated for the front end.

I'm just about at the end of the line(pun intended)in getting power to my gear.

I use those same cheap Furutech all copper connectors on my power cords they sound wonderful. Tom

Lacee - I had a very big surprise today - I received a pair of Sonar Quesr silver plated copper mains connectors that I ordered a couple of weeks ago.

Installing them on my Furutech 10 gauge power cord had an amazing impact, by opening up the image far beyond that obtained with the previous gold plated copper connectors. It also separated instruments much more than previously experienced. However - the power cord was installed on the power distribution centre than provides power to the source components. The Romex power cord is now on the amp

I have no doubt of the improvements you obtained from hard wiring the amps - have you thought of doing the same with the sources?

If that's not feasible, maybe try the silver plated mains connectors like these

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/SONAR-QUEST-CRYO-Ag-Audio-Grade-Silver-plated-IEC-plug-Schuko-plug-/130856829251?pt=US_Audio_Cables_Adapters&hash=item1e77acc143&_uhb=1

They work :-)

Williwonka, I was using some DIY 10 guage Romex as power cords for my Acoustat tube amps, into a Furutech GTX d gold outlet on a dedicated 20 amp line.Very nice sound, and I moved my Annacondas out to my vinyl/headphone setup.

What sounds even better now is running the amps directly to the panel with no Furutech GTX D Gold outlet which until recently, each power amp was plugged into.

Each amp is now on it's own dedicated 20 amp line.
Each line has the cheap but good copper Furutech receptacle and plugs directly into the Furutech IEC on each amp.

Conclusions?

Better sound, yes.

But is it because each amp is now on a dediacted line?
Is it because I have one less break in the route of power from the panel to the amps ie- no GTX D receptacle?
Were the old Acoustat tube amps starved for power?
Until now I never would have thought so.

So for those who have multiple dedicated lines and multiple outlets of whatever brand, try the direct approach like I did.

Go direct from the panel to your amp.

The only more direct route would be to solder the 10 guage Romex directly to your amp,bypassing all IEC outlets and plugs which is not a safe thing to do and not reccomended.

Update - tried a 10 gauge romex power cord today.

Tough to braid - but sounds great and definitely worth the effort

Put the 12 gauge on my sources

I guess it's the same as plugging everything i to the wall outlet really.

Romex Power Cord - 8 feet long

Since there are a few post in Agon that mention this I thought I'd give it a try.

Had some 12 gauge cable lying around - the 4 conductor stuff used for two-way light switching.

Stripped off the sheathing and removed the bare earth wire leaving me with three insulated conductors - I used the red for earth

Figured I'd better braid them to keep noise/hum to a minimum.

Soldered Spade terminals on the ends so the mains connectors had lots of surface area to bind to.

Attached some gold/copper mains conectors like these
Mains Connector

All parts cost about $35 and a couple of hours of my time

Results...
> Not quite as quiet as my Furutech, but required full volume to hear anything
> More dynamic and spacious than my Furutech 15 gauge
> Almost as good as my Furutech 10 gauge

Hard to believe? well it brings power to your outlet doesn't it?

RE: the trivial noise issue
- first I had to crank the volume to full and put my ear to the speaker in order to hear it
- I believe this is due to my less than stellar braiding
- get the conductors the same length and tighten the braid and the issue probably goes away

I didn't expect it to be quite this good - should be even better once burned-in

For the 8ft braided length I used approx. 9.5 ft of Romex

Only issue is it's bit springy - but it does support itself - no sagging at the outlet :-)

Wanna try a new power cord, but the cost is putting you off? Try this tweak - something to do on those cold winter nights :-)

Opps, I've learned it is not the Rick Schultz of High Fidelity Cables.

Billgaw, there are several manufacturers of such devices. I have tried those by Exemplar and found they had a very nice improvement. When I got Rick Schultz's High Fidelity series of cables, I accidentally noted that without the Loops, the sound was better.

This is but one of several instances where I noted tweaks that worked with other cabling did not work with HFC's "magnetic conduction." I wonder if these use "magnetic conduction."

I checked out Rick Schultz of EVS audio's web site after reading about him here on Audiogon. He makes something called a ground enhancer, their $30 a pair with a money back guarantee. I got a pair yesterday, they just hook onto the neg. speaker connection on each speaker. Very easy to take on & off to compare, they work as advertised!!! They improve everything.
When my wife came home I had her sit & listen to a Dianna Krall track then I removed them & replayed the track, she said the vocal was more open sounding the 1st time & she had no idea what I had done.
After a few hours there was even more improvement.
Well worth the 30 bucks!!!
http://www.tweakaudio.com/EVS-2/EVS_Ground_Enhancers.html

Instead of amp stands between or behind your speakers,try this:Get a length of gray foam pipe insulation,the type that's "pipe shaped" with a slit down the length for placing around a water pipe.Cut it in 3 inch lengths and put under the amp/amps.I use 4 of them under each mono block.Really excellent isolation.I was initially going to use them for feet under maple slabs,but no need.

Remove the metal cover from your tube preamp.

Never play a record with the plastic lid closed. In fact remove the lid completely.

So my previous post may have been a bit misleading and I have learned the errors of my ways :-)

Turns out the improvements I achieved was due to the additional effective mass I had added by adding a headshell weight

However - the last item . Epoxy the Denon DL103 to the headshell weight did pay huge dividends. I can see why the Zu and Soundsmith mods are so popular

Improvements included improved dynamics, a much improved sound stage and space around individual instruments.

Best $12 I've ever spent

Move the counterbalance weight on your tone arm back. Yes, you have to use a headshell weight to do this, but I found the improvements were well worth it - more detailed bass, smoother highs, more spacious soundstage.

An interim step in order to get the best position is to first use a piece of outer sleeving from an old power cable ( in place of the headshell weight) about 3 inches long and cut a slot down the length to allow it to be placed over the arm near the headshell.

Then set the counterbalance weight and give it a listen. Reducing the length of the sleeve will reduce the weight and require the counterbalance weight to be .moved forward. Repeat steps until you have the best sound

Once you have the best sound you can then measure the weight of the sleeve and make the headshell weight about 0.5 grams lighter to maintain the position of the counterbalance weight.

Headshell weights can be found on the web - or make you own from an old key, the brass makes for a nicely finished weight.

Piece of bluetac will hold it in place, or place it between the cartridge and headshell for a more solid fix.

PLEASE NOTE this will alter the mass of the arm, which in turn may cause a shift in the "resonant frequency", but you should be able to hear any degradation in sound should this happen and back out the tweak easily

If you are feeling VERY adventurous, you could epoxy the weight to the cartridge for even better cartridge performance, much like Zu and Soundsmith modifications

I will be doing this in the next couple of weeks, so I'll update this thread with the outcome :-)

Take your curtains down and put some acoustic blankets in place. Get some with grommets and just hang them up. About $60 for two. Made a big difference in my system because windows are behind me. I also removed some glass vases, glass lamps and some other reflective items out of listening room with positive results. Much smoother upper midrange.

I just installed a Pass and Seymour 20 amp MRI grade (i.e. no magnetic materials used) 120v outlet.

To my surprise it made a noticeable difference to the details and sound stage image - mainly due to it clamping the pins of the plug like a vice.

At $25 from Take Five Audio (no affiliation) - a great upgrade and much cheaper than Furutech.

If you have a heavy carpet on wooden floor, remove it and see if that doesn't open up the sound and give better dynamics. Be sure to remove all Sonex you might have lying about. If you happen to have Tube Traps in room corners try experimenting by moving them away from the corners gradually along the wall behind the speakers and see if that doesn't improve things. Make sure the reflective "side" of the Tube Trap faces the center of the room.

Roll the signal caps. Replace OEM tubes where applicable.

76doublebass, I've done that with all sorts of cushions including those with shells of nuts in them. I just cannot agree at all. Perhaps they are better than a tv table.

Not easy to do but:
take out your cross-over circuits
and raplce them with over-lap circuits.
[ any circuit that does not have a cross-over point ]

I'm not sure anyone has mentioned this one yet because I couldn't read all 6 pages of (very interesting) contributions (yet), but taking one or two tokes of some reasonably potent weed prior to listening can completely change how the music sounds, often for the better. I'm not sayin' you should do anything you shouldn't do if you're not hip to doin' such things, but just sayin'. yeah...

Ozzy, are you thinking the caps are shorting plugs? That would, of course, be a no no, were they.

Are you using a Terminator on a digital OUTPUT?

Simple and cheap Cardas caps for unused RCA inputs. Digital Terminator for CD player unused digital output. Unreal improvement due to lack of noise. Who says digital cannot sound good, wrong!

I actually spent yesterday filling up the inside of my cheap turntable with acoustic caulking to try and deaden it. I've only listened for about 2 hours, but it seems to be doing the trick. I'm probably going to go buy another thing of caulk to fill it all the way.

I have my amplifiers and preamps on BRICKS or stone slabs which helps vibration. I also use the controversial dakiom feedback stabilizers for negative feedback vibrations. Room treatment is something I'm staying away from due to being too costly but worth it if you have the funds. You can use cheaper alternatives but to do proper room treatment, it's for those with the budget. My favorite tweaks however are called sound processors such as pro gear like behringer, bbe, dbx, peavey and some of the older srslabs, hughes, carver holography, from sonic maximizers to graphic equalizers on solid state gear. I keep tube PURE and CLEAN with no interference from equipment because sound processors add distortions or too much links in the chain.

Instead of noise harvesters just plug a low wattage incandescent lamp into the same circuits (wall outlet or power strip) as your gear. I have one outlet for digital on the left with a lamp behind that speaker and had a dedicated outlet run to the right side for the amp with a lamp behind that speaker. Incandescents draw noise out of the line.

Probably said somewhere above, but cleaning every connector and tube pin & socket with a good contact cleaner can work wonders.

Speaking of speaker placement, nothing is more accurate and reliable than the XLO Test CD out-of-phase track for determining the absolute position on the floor for both speakers. Ye olde move a little/listen a little technique tends to find the local maximum as opposed to the real maximum.