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New Listener Mag Tweak Issue

Latest issue, july/aug reviews many tweaks that members here have been recommending for years now including

Symposium rollerblocks
Symposium platforms/shelf
Aurios MIB
Nueance shelf
Walker HDL (high definition links)
Shun Mook Mpingo disc
Nordost Pulsar points
Vibraplane

Like to hear members reactions to reviewers findings. No surprise that rollerblocks and MIBs produced more detail under CDP, they recommend double stack tungsten rollerblock
set-up, but this is $700 of tweak per unit! I like the fact
that one reviewer did not always think enhanced detail retreval was an improvement, and maybe less musical. BTW they should have used the drop of teflon oil tweak for rollerblocks, does help.

If you want an idea of what doublestack rollerblocks sound like at 1/7 the cost try a set of daruma II for $99, check the tweak section there is a member Doug Kerns who is selling them and he does fast turnaround. Gives about 75%
the improvement for fraction of cost.

Redkiwi fav the Nueance shelf was well received and one of the more sanely priced tweaks. Things become more confusing when they combine shelfs and bearing isolation together.

I would really like some member here to confirm that 2" $50 wood disc placed on gear/speakers makes noticeable improvement in sound, refering to Shun Mook Mpingo disc.
The reviewer was just too positive about these, I have hard time believing this, any members tried these?

Comments please.
128x128megasam
11 responses Add your response
albertporter's avatar
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albertporter
4,949 posts
 
I heard the Mpingo wood discs at the CES in the Shun Mook room. Removing and replacing them while I stood there was the only way I could convince myself that I was not imagining things. I can say that in that room the effect was positive. I cannot know if there was a ( better? ) alternate way to arrive at the same overall sound without that wooden disc.

I use the Walker HDL on my Soundlab speakers, and of all the tweaks mentioned above, it is the only one that is 100% positive to all that hear the test. I do not know of another way to get the same performance results. Removing them is not an option after living with them.
dtsag
119 posts
 
I have a set of three of these Shun Mook Mpingo discs. Even with one disc used over my PS Audio transport, it make a whole lot of different. You can turn it clockwise or counterclockwise to adjust the brightness of the music. The trick is to place the disc at the "proper" position.

It can be used on many equipment, including power cord! But again, as with many tweak topics discussed in this Forum before, it all depand on the capability of your system and I am sure a lot of people will say they can't hear any differences.

Happy listening.
genesis168's avatar
genesis168
409 posts
 
I have a set of Shun Mook discs. they are places atop my preamp and work like a charm. Will highly recommend
megasam's avatar
megasam OP
798 posts
 
DTsag & Genesis what effect do the SM discs have on sound? Any theory why wood disc on gear would effect sound, I like to try and keep an open mind and do use several other tweaks.
cornfedboy
1,645 posts
 
sam: the wood is what you see of mpingo's. it merely covers, very cleverly and virtually invisibly, "the all-seeing eye." understand the idea came from the dollar bill, of all places. -kelly
kitch29
316 posts
 
OK, I put a dollar bill on my amp and nothing happened. I even tried saying "Novus Ordo Seclurum' 3 times fast. Whose eye is that, anyway? And why is it looking at me. I'm gonna take another yellow one and stick with vibrapods, at least they don't stare back.
genesis168's avatar
genesis168
409 posts
 
Megsam, the discs makes the sound more liquid and rounded. Sounstage and depth also improved. You can adjust the tonal balance slightly by turning the discs.

These discs work based on the theory of ...instead of getting rid of vibrations (nobody can though...you know that), it will help the component vibrate (resonate) at a more listenable frequency. The saying goes... "if you cannot kinn the culprit, then let it work to your advantage".

If you see how they attach these discs, they mount them on walls where it resonates most and on the top of the components where it also vibrates. These discs do not kill the resonants but rather tune the resonant frequency to a more acceptable one.

Hope it helps.
dtsag
119 posts
 
Hi Megasam,

In addition to Genesis168's comment, the disc works together with other tweaks as well. For my PS Audio transport, I have one set each of BDR pits, cones, and round things under the transport, and Audioprism blacklight and Statmat on top of the CD already. I can still hear a favourable improvement easily.
cornfedboy
1,645 posts
 
if i bought some slimy green liquid from a slightly mysterious resident of nepal for, say $600, and was told it would improve my listening accuity by 67% should i use it as a weekly enema, i'd probably sing its praises, too. of course your results might vary by rotating the terminus of the pastry bag before insertion into the intended orifice. -kelly
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geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
I used to have about eight of the little codgers in my system. I also figured out how to knock off the Shun Mook Spatial Kit which employs three Mpingo discs. And that ain't easy, McGee.
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