Had a productive couple of weeks on the used gear market and today has been digital demo day (Analog arrives next week). Added a Bryston BCD-3 and original Tara Labs Prime I/C’s to my system at very good prices.
I don’t have “golden ears” by any stretch but I’m gob smacked at the results.
The BCD-3 is replacing an Oppo UDP-205 w/ DHL BL-1 I/C’s. Rest of gear is an Anthem STR integrated and ML Monti’s. My bass has easily doubled, maybe tripled. I can feel the pressurization in my room and it’s tight not bloated.
I think this has been the biggest jump up in SQ I’ve experienced. What were your biggest surprises/improvements regardless of budget?
So, I'm not at all sure, but this is likely my first post here...
I was 'gobsmacked' all over again earlier this week when my Sonic Frontiers SFD-1 DAC arrived back home from having a transformer replaced by Parts Connexion. Having been without CD playback capability for three weeks or so, putting it all back together and then putting on "Straighten up and Fly Right" by Diana Krall just blew me away. My system is now getting pretty old, but, to my tired old ears, it's still got some magic. A lot of that magic probably comes from my heavily modified 1972 Klipschorns (mids from TAD 2001 drivers into tractrix horns, uppers from JBL 2404s, and ALK 120db/octave networks).
Inakustik Reference AC-3500P power filter installed upstream of core AC-powered gear (Transport, DAC and active ATC SCM20-2 monitors; Teo Audio preamp doesn’t require power). Best improvement in my system in quite awhile.
SM integrated IC assemblies a close second.
[NDM discs still in testing mode<—for Geoff’s benefit.]
Biggest improvement in SQ came from meticulous setup and room treatments. Nothing sexy (no new flashy gear to show off). Bigger change than any gear swap ever. Remember, the setup and room will give you at least 50% of the sound you will hear. Most audiophiles never fully address the room issues because the listening room is also the living room. I'm fortunate to have a dedicated listening room (with treatment).
benjie Where did you get the rare earth magnets at? How did you place them on your speakers (one on ever screw?) woofers mid range tweeters?Thanks Pete
That’s rather odd since for a long time folks have been reporting that replacing ferrous speaker driver screws with non-ferrous screws improves the sound. Can you both be right? 😳
Gee, you say magnets do zilch. But you should have heard something. Magnets hurt the sound. Magnets and electromagnetic waves clash. That’s why you get better sound by wrapping mu metal around large transformers. It absorbs the magnetic field. It’s also why removing the big ferrous door of the breaker box panel improves the sound. No angry emails please, I’m not advocating removing the panel door permanently, it’s just an example.
I've tried the thickest, heaviest magnetic kitchen mats and they do zilch, nothing, nada to the sound or picture. Go ahead and experiment as I did. It cost me bupkis to try a half dozen. One E-Mat on the main power panel-wow! Try it, I recommend it (instead of TC at half the price) as it is refundable/returnable.
One thing to keep in mind. This colored magnet thing is really an illustration of the power of COLOR with respect to sound quality, not so much the power of MAGNETISM since the colored discs are actually very low magnetism. It doesn’t help to use more powerful magnets. The Rainbow MagnaBlock from PWB is also only very slightly magnetic.
And I don’t wish to complicate this too much, gentle readers, or frighten away any newbies, but I should add this whole colored magnet thing is an excellent example of how some things that are not (rpt not) in the signal path by any stretch of the imagination affect the sound. E.g., colored magnets on bookshelves, glass windows, computers, iPads, books, etc.
This is the page for colored 3/4” ceramic disc magnets from the PWB Electronics web page. Keep in mind these are only slightly magnetic. The real PWB Magnadiscs are treated but you can do pretty well with stock ceramic magnets. Just not as good as the real macaw! Metaphors be with you!
Timely tip, spray ceramic magnets first with white primer, then spray on color of your choice. That way you get good solid pure color magnets.
Another tip, PWB now has a universal Rainbow MagnaBlock that replaces all the colored ceramic discs. No fuss, no worry. Priced right! Buy a bunch!
Colored magnets is where it’s at. Uncolored magnets are what we call a local maximum. It’s kind of a long story. The applications are very specific. Not Willy Nilly. Maybe later. But I’m glad to see some people experimenting.
Creativeness buy more satisfaction than only money...I am with you Elisabeth, many audiophiles want to pay big bucks to assure themselves...I dont have money then I must be creative because I dream of good sound music...Cheaper than cheap is my motto...and buying used... My actual system is so musical that I am no more frustrated by costly one I cannot afford to buy...
Geoff I am with you for the magnets...But mine are only on the batteries not in contact with the gear, and they are only fridge magnets, and they make a very sensible difference on the small batteries I use... My stones cabled and crystals audio grid is not connected to the gear and exist near the amp ,near the dac and speakers, no magnets is directly in contact with a piece of equipment, it is not good and I am perfecty ok with your advice...My house electrical grid is also cleaned with stones...And I use aluminum sheets to isolate piece of gear from one another...
By the way it is you who speaks to me of the Stein Harmonizer that included in his design crystals and batteries if I remember correctly...I was pleased because that confirm the effectiveness of my own design by an another road...I only added some magnets to the batteries because the effect was more effective...
Yes 2 cheap mats will be used here nevermind where ...But I hope and I am confident to notice an improvement like the one you note...My systems with stones and crystals cabled connected grid +batteries+magnets is very musical and the noise threshold is lowest after all that I did....Thanks for the idea,nevermind the results...
Magnets and magnetic fields for the most part are something to be avoided. That’s why mu metal should be wrapped around large transformers and why a degausser is of great value for removing magnetic fields from CDs, LPs, cables and cords. And why audiophiles generally avoid ferrous chassis connectors, The willy nilly application of magnets is probably best avoided. Some audio products employ magnetism in their design, even some of mine. But there probably aren’t any audio products that work solely by applying a magnetic field. Yes, I realize that one cable operates by “magnetic conduction.” So, please, no angry emails. Plus there are some very specific applications for small colored ceramic magnets courtesy PWB Electronics. Yet, I remain open minded, so keep experimenting.
Only one Perfect Path Omega E-Mats cost more than the total sums paid for all my gear,including 2 headphones AKG K 701 and K 340, 200 bucks for the 2) ,an amp,(Sansui AU 7700, 100 bucks ) and a dac (starting point systems nos, paid 24 bucks new on a bid), and my speakers (Mission Cyrus 781 paid 50 bucks) then I cannot invest in one of these mats that sells 600 bucks with a system cost around 400 us bucks...
But my system is already cleaned by my stones grid and the electrical house grid is also already cleaned by my own design grid and I hope the cheap solutions of Elisabeth will makes a sensible difference in my system, a perceptible one because of my lower noise treshold... I just paid 20 bucks for 2 magnetics fridge mats...I will report later...
I tried the thickest of 4 thicknesses of kitchen magnet mats and it (as well as stacked 6 of them) had no effect on the sound under equipment or on a power panel. I would have liked them to. I purchased a dozen Perfect Path Omega E-Mats. Instant improvement with one, superb sound from a dozen.
Thanks Elisabeth I will try the magnetic sheet also...In my batteries+ stones and crystals cabled grid I added magnets to the batteries with success, then I dont doubt the results with this sheet magnet under the gear...I will try it for sure...
L100s! I could only dream of L100s! Best I could do with my newspaper route money was the L26. When they went on sale. Was always a bit jealous of my friend who somehow managed to save up for the L36.
This is easy. My aha moment was coming around a corner in a Sam Goody store in the seventies. They were playing music through JBL L100s. I remember thinking, "WHAT THE HELL!" I’ve been chasing the dragon ever since, but I have finally caught him: Upgraded Tekton Double Impacts-Vincent SV-237MK-Bluesound Node 2. I am content.
Most of the times, except for drastic and very costly changes, few changes or upgrading of gear in my experience rivals the astounding results I had obtain by cleaning the audio grid and the electrical grid of my house with my own cabled batteries connected stones grid......By the way most people, some professionnals included, underestimated totally the higher noise level that percolate in their audio system unbeknownst to them … That is my own important discovery pertaining to audio and gobsmack moment ...
1) My first pair of Stax headphones, er I mean earspeakers. 2) when I moved my system from a small crowded family room to a spacious basement. My wife misses me.
Great question. My first such experience was in 1973 hearing the JBL Paragon speakers with Macintosh tube amplification. Then a couple of years later hearing a pair of Magnepan speakers. Then 40 years later, Spatial Audio M4 Triode Master speakers.
Then even more recently: Don Sachs 6SN7 preamp, Don Sachs KT88 amp
If you search long enough, you will find audio nirvana!
Hooking up my Lepai amp to my Magneplanars. Absolutely gobsmaked. The heavens parted and the entire symphony was transported to my living room. Other than the fact that it was a little crowded with so many folks there it was just amazing!
Moving to a D-Sonic amplifier for my Magnepan .7. I am running an Aric Audio preamp, the combination is amazing. Effortless, open, present and holographic. Maggies need power and more power, current is everything. They sing now and do what they are so great at.
Price can be determined many ways. Having a monopoly on something or another certainly helps. Or maybe run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes. By the way I got my Talisman for $100. 🤗
I know the Talisman has a 1000% mark-up but it is worth the $200 I paid for it. It is more consistent (100%) than my AudioDesk CD lathe/trimmer which I bought used for $200 as well. I stopped using it because I don't know that it is 100% safe to trim CDs and doesn't consistently improve CD sound. Plus the AudioDesk is now priced at $1,100 at Music Direct. How much do you think other tweaks cost versus their value? Perfect Path, Synergistic Research tweaks probably have huge mark-ups, especially the fuses.
Overall the bulk tape eraser would be my choice but I got a deal as an insider on the Talisman when they first came out. I could make a Talisman for twenty bucks. Give me a break.
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