Swap out your preamp resistors with Audio Note 2W non-magnetic resistors of the same value.
Feeling Tweaky
I recently tried my first system tweak, purchasing IsoAcoustic Orea isolation footers for my Luxman 507uX Mk2 integrated amp, Marantz Ruby CD/SACD player, and Shunyate Hydra Denali 6000S power conditioner. I liked the improvement in sound quality so much I’ve gone ahead and ordered IsoAcoustic Gaia feet for my VPI Classic 2 turntable and Magico A3 speakers. I never expected a tweak to make such an improvement, not just a change, in sound quality. By the way, my cables are Audioquest Rocket 88 speaker cables, Audioquest Colorado cables from the CD/SACD player, and VPI phono cables. The Shunyata Hydra Denali has a Venom power cable. All the other power cords are what came with each component.
Acoustic room treatments that would affect room decor are unfortunately out of the equation and I’ve already tried my best to design component shelving to be a vibration free as I could. I’ve thought about are redoing the house wiring to create a dedicated circuit, and making an ultrasonic record cleaner.
So my question to you all is, what tweaks have had the most positive impact on your own system, that you could you recommend for the above described system? There seems to be a lot of tweaks out there that range from the sublime to the ridiculous in both performance and price. I’d like to know what tweaks of the many out there have worked best for you so I can make a list and prioritize each in terms of performance and budget. Please share your favorites and I’d appreciate your advice. Thanks,
Mike
Acoustic room treatments that would affect room decor are unfortunately out of the equation and I’ve already tried my best to design component shelving to be a vibration free as I could. I’ve thought about are redoing the house wiring to create a dedicated circuit, and making an ultrasonic record cleaner.
So my question to you all is, what tweaks have had the most positive impact on your own system, that you could you recommend for the above described system? There seems to be a lot of tweaks out there that range from the sublime to the ridiculous in both performance and price. I’d like to know what tweaks of the many out there have worked best for you so I can make a list and prioritize each in terms of performance and budget. Please share your favorites and I’d appreciate your advice. Thanks,
Mike
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^^^ Hi, Mike ... Good power cords, speaker cables and interconnects make a huge difference in audio performance. Contact Grover Huffman. He makes really good cables for not a lot of money. A friend of mine has a complete loop of Grover’s latest "Empress" cables in his system and his system is awesome. Here’s Grover’s web addy: http://www.groverhuffman.com/home Frank |
Octet11, I've been wondering if better power cords can actually make any difference. Not to say that they can't, but the idea of it is so conter-intuivitive to me I've hesitated to commit the resources to get any to replace what I have. The Shunyata Venom is my only power cord that is not stock. When I purchased the Shunyata Hydra Denali power conditioner used, it it came without a cord. When I called Shunyata they recommended the Venom so the conditioner would operate correctly. So I got it against my better judgement. I've been meaning to pm Eric Squires who mentioned about a year or so ago in a post about his then new Luxman 507uX amp, that he had upgraded to a not overly expensive power cord. I was wondering if he noted any improvement from doing that. Maybe he'll catch this post and report how that worked out for him. Thanks for your recommendation about my system Octet11. You may very well be absolutely correct and I should stop being cheap. Mike |
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@ skyscraper, you state:
Acoustic room treatments that would affect room decor are unfortunately out of the equation. When I read this I obviously, and incorrectly, assumed it was voltage/current from the wife but you later disclose you are a widower. Why then can you not incorporate some room treatments that can be artistically introduced that will make a significant difference? In my experience a greater difference than a component upgrade let alone tweaks! |
Everything must be tweaked. 🤗 “When Bob Gilliland made the first flight of the SR-71 on December 22, 1964, engineers were still tweaking 379 items on the aircraft. That didn’t deter Gilliland, who took the airplane to 50,000 feet and Mach 1.5. At a 2010 talk in Ridgecrest, California, Gilliland recounted that he ignored the one error message he saw in the cockpit that day: “Canopy Unsafe.” We have the cold war, Kelly Johnson, and the CIA to thank for what is still the fastest aircraft propelled by jet engines. Once the U-2 proved vulnerable to the Soviet Union’s surface-to-air missiles, the CIA issued a contract for a spyplane that could evade SAMs. Johnson responded with the A-12, the aircraft that would evolve into the SR-71.” |
Terry9, I know next to nothing about caps and mods but that sounds like an interesting subject to learn about. I once stumbled across a web site that talked a lot about DIY stereo and mods. I saved that site somewhere and you’ve reminded me to go back, find it, and try and learn about them. It would be interesting to learn something about the inner workings of our equipment. Recapping my old Dahlquist DQ10’s always sounded like a good thing to learn about and do, but I hadn’t the background and knowlede to even think about doing something like that. Glad you brought it up. If I have the time left to do so learning about the electronics of our components is on my bucket list. That’s the kind of thing retirement is good, and gives you the time, for. I do plan on building an ultrasonic record cleaner, maybe this winter. I’ve read up on them and it seems like a fairly simple DIY project. If it works even half as good as yours I'll be happy. I'm curious how well they work with records that have been well cared for, but still can be noisy. Any thoughts on that from your experience? Mike |
skyscraper:
that book thing was some sort of joke. Is this a joke? So, let's start with the hypothesis that information itself produces detrimental information fields and that those things, the electronic devices, that bring that information into the house, that are essentially the LINKS to the OUTSIDE WORLD OF INFORMATION, are also detrimental to the sound. Thus, TVs, computers, cell phones, as well as LPs, CDs, DVDs, Blu Ray discs, cassettes, I.e., all music and video media, produce detrimental info fields. i won't even get into books, magazines, newspapers, bank statements, telephone books and bar codes. So while it's nice to collect these CDS and records and have them all nicely arranged on the shelf the more you have the worse the sound gets. Sorry to be the one to break it to you. You're just not aware of the degradation of the sound because it happens over a long period of time - and even if you were clued into the degradation who would suspect the CDs, right? Who would suspect information fields? I mean, really. But I digress.I mean okay yeah of course its a joke. But read it. Does it read like a joke? It sure doesn't read like a joke to me. Did you look at the website? This stuff is for sale. For money. Some joke. Here's a laugh: Believe a word of it, the jokes on you. |
Ultrasonic record cleaning is a good idea. It gave me as much as doubling the cost of a major component. Also, after nearly 1000 hours, my Koetsu shows minimal wear (according to a photomicrograph) - so my US cleaner has already paid for itself. I use an Elmasonic and run it at 80KHz. Look up the Rushton thread. The next best upgrade is exchanging inferior parts for better ones. Film and foil caps usually sound better than factory, because factory makes to a price point. MIT RTX series caps give lots of performance for not so much cost, and may be a good match to your Magico's. BUT - this constitutes a mod, which tends to diminish resale value. Good luck. |
Audioguy, that book thing was some sort of joke. I think. I’m sure you’re right this hobby can earn you a divorce. Honestly if I wasn’t a widower in here, I’d never have this fancy system, much any tweaks at all. The cost of the IsoAcoustic footers alone would have have gotten me my head handed to me, much less providing fodder on the list as one of the things I’d done wrong since we were married. There were a few of those trotted out any time we argued. I don’t understand why someone my redecorate their home as a tweak to get better sound. But what the hey, it’s better that than many other far worse things you could be up to. Millercarbon, I glanced at the content of your link. The article references Ernst Haeckl, an early, but probably by now obscure, Darwinian, a vintage copy of one of whose books is in my library. I did enjoy that reference. That volume will remain in my listening room/library doing whatever good or harm it may to the room acoustics, morphic or otherwise, along with the rest of my stuff. Audioguy would certainly approve. (As an aside, Haeckl was famous for the "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny" observation, re: fetuses having gills and the like during a portion of their development). I’ve always enjoyed Natural History and being in a room filled with everything you like, to include a nice stereo system, is the best. Mike |
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isochronism Miller, I tried the Teleportstion Tweak. Geoff’s Mom answered and said he was in time-out.... >>>>>Maybe your Mommy can help you with your spelling. |
Books are bad because of the morphic fields they put out. There’s a whole website devoted to tweaks and my personal favorite, the Teleportation Tweak for long distance system upgrades. One phone call anywhere in the world and you will hear your system improve while talking on the phone. Truly amazing stuff! But seriously, morphic fields. Its how the Teleportation Tweak Works! http://www.machinadynamica.com/machina43.htm |
So now books are bad in a listening room? Can’t say I’ve ever heard anyone ever say this. My take, a combination of reflective and absorbing materials in an average room will in essence average out the sound period. All this room treatment crap is for the birds. Just furnish and decorate the room properly, and dont just listen in a room with walls lined with mirrors and windows for example....I dont get all the obsession with this. A pillow here, a throw over there...a picture hung here or there, a nice stuffed chair or couch over there, a scatter rug, some hard surfaces such as a table maybe? You know, its called a room you live in? Not a prison. My goodness...I’ll do what I want, cause it’s my room and i gotta live in it. I’m not rich and can’t afford an addition or a divorce for that matter. This forum drives me nut sometimes, talk about being anal and obsessed. I do not think any speaker manufacturer envisioned any user of a particular speaker going to these lengths just to get acceptable sound. If the speaker sounds that aweful in your average furnished room, then maybe it’s just crap....all my own opinion. I've done none of these tweaks and my system sounds fine, unless I'm deaf or i just lucked out...who knows... |
Mijoststyn, I appreciate your cynicism on tweaks, having been repeatedly criticized for being too cynical myself ever since being a teenager. On the other hand maybe there are a few things, like you've done with your system, that may be sensible and helpful. I aim to try and winnow them out, especially the low and no cost ones. My long career in Corrections has been an excellent training ground for weeding out BS. That is 90% or more of what you hear every day, and have to sort out the truth from in that setting. There's always someone inventive enough to get over on you though. Mijostyn, In my reply to your first post on this thread I'd asked you a question or two. Would you mind re-reading those and let me know your answers, as I was thinking of following your advice on a thing or two you've done with your system. Thanks. Mre28m5, I'll add your suggestions to my list of products to look up. Thank you. Tantejuut, your ideas and products suggested are added to the list too. Thanks, Mike |
mijostyn Geoffkait, you see? People do know when you are joking or being serious. It’s fine to have obtuse thinking but you have to display it carefully with strangers. Must of us are just plain dumb. I include myself in that category. >>>>>I gratefully accept your advice, coming as it does from someone who I strongly suspect displays himself to strangers frequently. |
Skyscraper, get yourself a nice cookie jar and label it Hi Fi. If you get the urge to buy something ....silly, throw the money in the jar. Eventually you will have enough for something significant like a new cartridge. I do not understand this instant gratification thing. Spend your money where it really counts. If you are rich and don't mind throwing money away for the sake of experimentation fine, but otherwise go for the sure thing. You will wind up with a much better system in the long run. Geoffkait, you see? People do know when you are joking or being serious. It's fine to have obtuse thinking but you have to display it carefully with strangers. Must of us are just plain dumb. I include myself in that category. |
I use sorbothane under my cables only to reduce microphonics from the cabinet. I never use it under equipment because it can alter the transient response. Hard and soft materials are both usefull in audio. I have used all kind of cones under my equipment but always come back to master base. Always 3 pucks. 1 under the transformer, other 2 to balance the case. It expands the soundstage inmediately. I also use techflex flexo noise reduction sleeving around my cabling for reducing microphonics. With these tweaks the sound is more focussed and less diffused. I must investigate more tweaks like a fiber optic network, quantum chips, fo.Q tape, grounding boxes, graphene contact enhancers, industrial ddr memory. Tweaking is a fun ride for the last bit of performance as long as it don't result in audio nervosa. |
Hi, Mike... In my system adding a few of the HFC MC 0.5 magnetic conditioners to unused power outlets has made an immediate and noticeable improvement. At around $200, the MC 0.5 is the least expensive product HFC sells. Well worth the cost. I also have found that experimenting with the tilt angle of my speakers - in addition to setting optimal toe in and room placement, etc. - has made a big improvement in my system. This may not apply to a speaker as well engineered and designed as your A3, though. GLHF! |
Thomas, I really like the IsoAcoustic Orea and Gaias and will not be adding or subtracting anything to or from them. Now don't go trying to tempt me into purchasing new components after I just acquired an entire new system. My current audio plan has to include staying out of the poor house. Tweaks are it for the foreseeable future. I appreciate your suggestion none the less. Thanks, Mike |
I recommend you to try out Schitt Freya+ pre in front of Luxman amp. It will give warmth to your speaker. Schitt give 15 day’s return. Stock 6sn7 tube does sound decent, but if you like the sound of Freya then you may try some Nos tubes(Sylvania GTB or RCA gray bottle around 100$ pair or Kenrad vt 231 at 200$ pair) Kenrad vt231 sounds sweet with excellent bass. You may refer to the following thread on general reputation of 6sn7 tubes. 6SN7 VT The Reference 6SN7 Thread |
Sorbothane. Not a big fan. No offense to anyone who embraces Sorbothane but I believe it blocks energy from getting out of the system. If you’re looking for a viscoelastic material to use as constrained layer damper there are better materials, much better. Best results when mounting components on cones will generally be using extremely hard materials, like very hard cones - but not like carbon fiber ones, which are relatively soft. Brass is another relatively soft material to avoid, and aluminum. And lead. Ugh! Hardness of the material is proportional to the speed energy is released from the system. Besides, Sorbothane has little or no effect in the worst offender - very low frequency vibration coming up from the floor. As Bob Dylan says at the end of all his records, good luck to everyone. |
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Sgordon, I do intend to fully research the suggestions made here. There are simply so many tweaks mentioned on past Audiogon threads, and elsewhere that I am hoping to winnow the field, categorize them, and focus research by drawing on the experience of those who have used some of these products. It’s a fairly complex subject to investigate, considering the many categories of possible tweaks, the efficacy of various products, cost, and cons hawking expensive junk. This post is only one venue for starting research. Besides its fun to ask what each of you thinks, and it never hurts to ask persons more knowledgeable than you on any subject. The internet, and this site and it’s members, is a blessing in that regard. So in short your idea is a good one and I’m on it. I’ve spent a considerable amount of time already researching isolation footers alone. And I did purchase a newer product recommended by a site member that I’d not come across while doing that research. Tvad, thanks for the suggestion on sorbothane. I did use that on the edges of my floating shelves to keep their edges from contacting the component cabinet's vertical side walls. There must be other uses. Mike |
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Suggestion, OP: invest a few hours, on multiple occasions, gleaning some experiential nuggets from the tens of posters on dozens of threads on the products and ideas already mentioned to you. It is easy and attractive to want to be "spoon fed," and start your own post. Why not consider a more productive path? If you are serious about better sound, you have to be willing to make sacrifices of time and energy. And probably some dollars, too. I think these are what can get you further down the road, sonically. You may want someone to say to you, "Do this, buy that." Why not make the effort to learn, with your intellect and your ears, so you can truly experience the satisfaction of being able to say, "Hey, this is sounding BETTER, and I am creating something special!" It's a journey and (along the way) can be a very enjoyable one, too. |
Tweaks that worked for me were. 1) dedicated line of 20A on separate phase 2) star wired distribution block. 3) high end receptables and iec connectors from Oyaide C004 4) neotech 3003 power cables 5) master base under all my equipment 5) audioquest sorbothane pieces (cut to size) under interconnects, low level cabling and rack 6) cable dressing 7) hifi tuning fuses 8) diffusors behind my listening seat 9) JSSG 360 cable tweak (from computer audiophile website) 10) friwo medical smps with ultra low leakage currents for modem and non audiophile equipment. 11) linear psu's for audiophile equipment. 12) hqplayer and fidilizer for nuc 13) star quad geometry for DC cabling. |
OP - I am not introducing anything new here. But from one recently new to the hobbiest to another, some of the suggestions from here that I followed: I tried elevating speaker cables - more noticeable for me on thicker heavier and longer cables. Currently using doubled and tripled up styrofoam cups due to the weight. Things sounded airier, a bit more defined. Cones - Jury's still out on the "how", but after placing them under seemingly good rubber footing (both really heavy monoblocks and light DACs), I cannot deny some improvement. Subwoofer placement - perhaps the best and most significant overall tweak! Short of adding additional LF sources, do not dismiss placement if you are using one or more. I added more with excellent results in a 10 x 14 room where only one sub couldn't work. Btw. The light switch thing worked in my listening room! |