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My list of tweaks and the verdict

As metro NY has been pretty much shut down for the past 11 months and counting, I get so bored sometimes that I find experimenting by buying tweaky audio products to be a helpful reprieve and keeps me from spiraling into the abyss.
So this is what I have purchased in the past 6 months and my quick verdict on sonic impact — what I hear or perceive to hear using my brain and ears in my 2 channel all analog all tube setup:

Not in any particular order and using baseball terms:

1. Walker Audio Talisman. Strikeout. A big swing and miss. The silliest purchase for sure.

2. Copper ankle socks. Home run. No more shocks when I touch my tonearm. Just wow. Least expensive tweak to date that works.

3. Symposium Segue amp shelves. Strikeout. Heard no difference in noise floor, bass, etc. But looks really nice.

4. Symposium Segue ISO Stealth turntable shelf with Rollerblocks Series 2. Home run. Out of the park. Really hear and SEE a significant improvement in everything - clarity, bass, soundstage. Took the performance of 2 very different turntables up a lot. “See” because my needle would jump sometimes and now you can actually see the rollerblocks doing their job swaying back and forth with no impact on the music like a building a Japan. Disclaimer: Room suffers from significant footfall.

5. Townshend Seismic Isolation Platform under my Harbeth 40.2 Ton Trager stands. Home Run. Further improvement due probably to serious footfall in my room. My most expensive tweak but worth it to me.

6. Stein Music Carbon Edition Perfect Interface. Another big swing and miss. Strikeout. Zero diff perceived vs no mat or stock mat. Most expensive swing and miss.

7. Yellow bird Hexmat. A solid double. First time I’ve heard a mat make a noticeable improvement. Probably cause this mat is a record isolator/decoupler and again reduces impact from vibrations.

8. Stillpoint Ultra LPI ver2. A solid double. This one is so easy to A/B and hear a noticeable improvement on some songs vs using no record weight or even the stock record weight. Basically things got quieter enabling me to turn up the volume which increased the perceived dynamics. Plus it looks really cool.

9. Symposium rollerblock jr. Under my phonostage or preamp. Strikeout. I don’t hear any impact on the noise floor but theoretically it’s there.

10. Isoacoustics Gaia tried under preamp, phonostage, amp. Strikeout. Didn’t hear anything noticeably different but again theoretically it’s doing something.

11. Assorted tube rolling. NOS, new new etc. Not sure if this is a tweak but I didn’t really hear any discernible difference to my memory. But it was fun to learn and do it.

Well there you have it! Anyone have similar experiences?


aj523
aj523 OP
373 posts
 
@audio2design

Yeah so I’d say the biggest bang for the buck is clearly around turntables and speakers for sure.
The Townshend podium under my harbeths was a revelation albeit an expensive ticket for entry. The fact that vibration control works under those doesn’t necessarily mean it didnt or doesn’t work under other electronics like an amp, preamp. In fact I’d say it likely does but in my case perhaps my particular brand of amp or preamp doesnt benefit, or I just didn’t hear it cause it was so subtle and not perceptible to me. I don’t have another source in this setup to try like a CD player but I suspect it would be improved.

Now one thing I didn’t mention is that I have the entire rig running through an Audioquest Niagara 5000 power conditioner which was my first significant upgrade - going from 3 wall outlets to just one thru this unit improved the entire sonic presentation, background noise dropped to a crazy silence, all those proverbial buzzwords comes to mind. I didn’t view that as a tweak though so didn’t include it. That’s an easy one to experiment with and hear an improvement. 
audio2design
1,351 posts
 
Depends on the CD player. Given CD drives worked fine at high speed in laptops slow speed in audio is child's play. All comes down to how the electronics derive their clock and how immune the DAC is to jitter.
rjshatter's avatar
rjshatter
4 posts
 
How about a list of cheap tweaks or no cost tweaks.
Here's some that I've used.

Plug components directly into AC outlets and avoid AC power strips.
Replace standard ac power cords with shorter cords that are of heavier gauged wire. 
Buy a large ball bearing and place it on you turntable to see if it is level.
Clean RCA connections by unplugging them then reattach.
Place a heavy weight (Iron dumbbell plate) on top of your solid state amp or,
Remove the cover of your amp and replace with a piece of glass or solid piece of wood.  

During the winter months spray the floor near your stereo with a mix of Water and fabric softener. I can't remember what the water to fabric softener ratio is - maybe someone can help with this. This reduces static electricity.

Remove all inactive speakers from the room. This includes cell phones, remotes with mic's, headphones, blue tooth speakers and any device that talks to you. A Linn dealer showed me this effect by removing a pair of headphones from a listening room and then reintroducing them into the room.

Lower the noise in your home by turning off the refrigerator, AC or heating system and other electric devices that emit noise.  Just remember you turned them off.

If you listen to your music through pc speakers and they are sitting on a glass table try putting a folded wash cloth in front of each speaker. 

Place your pc tower on three or four half tennis balls. Used tennis balls cut in half can also be used under stereo components but have varying effects. My stereo's sound improved when using a whole tennis balls because the stand and shelves were all metal. Three whole balls under components are very unsteady and you got to be careful when touching the component. It helped the amp, pre-amp and cd player. It also certified me as a complete audio nut when my friends saw this. Then they heard the difference and agreed but still laughed....a lot. Then I told them about a cheap $100.00 ac wire I was considering. That got a good laugh.

 Anyone have other tweaks to share? Please do so. I'd love to see what has worked for others.
Thanks
sokogear
1,095 posts
 
The longer the power cord the better. The shorter the interconnect or speaker wire, the better. Don't let wires touch and keep them as still as possible. 

These are indisputable scientific facts. Minor violations will most likely not be audible, especially if you don't know something happened. But major things, like using long interconnects that probably require XLR cords/plugs or speaker wire will be.

Love to hear the jokers who make fun of the most extreme audiophiles whose listening rooms probably resemble Jimmy McGill's departed brother from Better Call Saul who was petrified of any magnetic or electric field. Tin foil, etc....

Remember - if you think it sounds better, it does. The mind is a powerful thing.
audio2design
1,351 posts
 
Indisputable scientific facts ... Nothing like gross hyperbole for a Monday!   Longer power cords, but you better make sure those fuses are really low resistance ...

Please don' replace the metal case of your amplifier with a wood one. Just takes one good fault and poof, there goes the house. Electrical products are made of metal or certain plastics for a reason.


If your humidity is low enough that you are worried about static, but a humidifier. Static spray isn't going to help the lack of humidity in the air.


I am going to go with no human can reliably whether my cell phone is in the room or not, not because of the microphone at least. Carefully placed for a sound reflection perhaps, but I am not holding it by my ear like that.


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