This is no joke.

This is what they look like:

Funky Tweak

Absolutely, you've discovered the most recent top secret Machina Dynamica tweak, code name "star power". Since you leaked it prematurely you're going to have to pay full price. That will be $349.95 each plus $599.95 for the super mu metal wrap that improves performance ten fold. You'll thank us (OK, them) later...

Wait till her 60th for the Full Monte brother,hah,B

Yup, you could make a fortune. "La Flora Rama" by Mapman....available at fine "high end" audio salons around the world. Find a way to cryogenically freeze those puppies and you can charge double.

I don't think you are losing it at all. It's amazing how small things can change the acoustics. If you make a fortune, I like brownies with walnuts. ;)

flashbacks from the acid in the 60,s

Cake an now brownies? just remember hemp is for speakers.

Try the "dollar twenty tweak". Take four quarters and two dimes. At the front edge of your speakers place a quarter in each front corner with a dime in the center. This came around several years ago. At the time I was giving single ended amplification a try and bought a pair of JBL L-300 speakers, high efficiency speakers with Alnico magnets. The difference I heard with the "dollar twenty tweak" on those big cabinets was amazing.

well mapman, next try a ten to fifteen pound sand bag, now that will make a big difference, does it surprise you that adding dampening and mass to your speakers will change the sound? why do you think manufactures make such inert speaker cabinets ? . one tweek I have done for years is zip lock bags filled with silica sand and then covered in nice cloth to make it look nice. depending on the speaker it can make a big difference, tighter bass, better separation and bigger soundstage, not bad for a very cheap tweak. Happy listening !!

I agree with Chrissain. I have added sand to my speaker stands and it made a big difference just as Chrissain stated.

This is what the Totem Beaks, HRS Damping Plates, etc. do, help stablize the cabinet vibrating and/or to keep it from moving.

http://www.magnan.com/tweaks/componentsupport.html

Chuck

Hmm, I understand the benefits of added mass, but these things really do not weigh much, 1 lb at most I would guess. Now I will have to go weigh them.

I'm still leaning towards the theory that what I heard yesterday was more me for whatever reason than the ornaments, but hard to say. Some days things just sound better than others for whatever reason. Who's to say humans hear teh same way day in and day out. Our moods change, so why not our hearing? Very strange....

Rrog, even I can afford that tweak. More details? Do the coins have to protrude in front of the speaker, be flush with the front edge or what? Also what to do with the other two quarters? Or just save them and reduce the tweak down to 70 cents?

I like the sandbag idea also. Would need to work on WAF for that one though. It is my wife's sunroom that these are in currently after all.

@Springnr: If I remember correctly, you prefer pie. As long as there are baked goods, the world is a better place.

Hemp does make for a great driver. The Omegas Hemps are one of my favorite speakers.

;)

It just dawned on me that if these things are really doing something, that yes I could make a fortune. That's tempting. I could use the money!

Unfortunately, I am too cut from the straight mold to even consider selling voodoo.

Maybe I should corner the market on these things now though just in case?

What I like about your finding is that you weren't expecting a change or even looking for one.

On the quarters, it's 2 quarters and one dime on each speaker (= $1.20). I think it was Sam Tellig that propagated this.

Curious, what happens when you remove just one of the ornaments?

"What I like about your finding is that you weren't expecting a change or even looking for one."

That is true.

Very creepy though which is why I posted. Hopefully this is as close to the Twilight zone as I get.

No Rod Serling standing in the corner yet.......

I've always liked these Triangle but they had gotten relatively low listening time until recently. Maybe I'm just re-discovering them again. They are are a relatively recent addition to that room. I had my Dynaudio's in there prior but they were overkill for that room.

I've heard that nailing a pair of cats to the top of the speakers works quite well, but use the small finishing nails rather than 3.5" spiral ardox (don't ask, but it gets messy). Persian or Himalayans work best due to the extra damping. They do augment the sound in an 'active' sense for the first few days but after that it's pure damping but should also be cryo-treated for a lasting effect.

backwave diffusion thru the array?

As for sandbags, I made tripod weights (I'm a serious photogrpaher) out of 20 oz. coated (waterproof) pack cloth. It is available in colors to fit many decors, too.
I cut a strip and with the coated side OUT, I double / or triple stitch the 2 sides.
Than I turn it inside out....seams now IN and cloth side OUT. Fill to taste then fold/seam the open end. For my use, I add a rope handle. I care less about looking good in a room than weighing down my tripod legs.

Now you know what people in the high end sell. Hey, I have a ton of Christmas tree ornament holders that you can use to hang ornaments from. I use these to watch acoustic energy fly in the space. Improves the sound, I think. Maybe I should take a booth at RMAF.

Mickey,

I could add one woofer in that I have 1 dog.

nails won't work. He is a Jack Russell terrier and tends to bounce up and down a lot.

PETA is tracking you down as we speak I would fear!

I hope it's Pammy in person.....

I suspect you accidentally sat on one of them and it is the rearward anamorphic stimulation that has you so excited. Try wriggling your hips and see how it sounds.

" rearward anamorphic stimulation"

Doesn't that only occur with surround sound?

sounds like he's talking about Pammy's two bald friends now.....

your waf factor can be overcome, get the right size zip lock bags , fill with sand and then have HER pick out the cloth you cover your bags with, pick out a nice fabric, and you both win.

Mickeyf,
That wasn't funny at all. Any reference, even intended to be humorous, to an animal cruelty, is absolutely repulsive, and out of place in this forum.
IMHO.

Oh, I tend to agree with Mickeyf - with the possible exception of predrilling the cats and using a small dowel and glue rather than nails - just better aesthetically.

What was that noise again? Couldn't hear you.

Musicnoise:

You and Mickeyf should be banned from using this site.

Per your postings the two of you are sorry examples of mankind.

Dekay,
Couldn't agree with you more. "Sorry examples" is probably an understatement.
I wonder if they could express their ugliness not being protected by the anonymity of the internet forum.
It's like stepping into a pile of sh-t, really.
I wonder, where the moderators are.

Please leave the dead-cat stuff for somewhere else.

MY cats respected my Magnepans for well over 20 years.

Typical of extremists and totalitarians - Mickeyf's post was a harmless joke - as was my post - indeed, my post was prompted by the initial response to Mickeyf's post.

Absurd humour has existed for centuries - how long have you three been around? What really gets my goat is the hypocrite who has Fluffy and Tinkerbell de-clawed so they dont rake the precious speaker grills. BTW what sort of physical- or behaviour-modification is required to get cats to 'respect' speaker grills?

Another good point Mickeyf. Animals do what animals do - there is no morality, respect etc. I have had pets all of my life - they do not 'respect' somebody's speakers and if they tear up the speakers or chew up the $1000 headphones they are not a 'bad cat' or a 'bad dog'. Just a cat or a dog doing what they do. I bet the joke police had a real bone to pick with Monty Python - how about South Park? Geez, work as joke police must be bottom of the barrel - what's next on the ladder book burnings?, planned parenthood protests?

Seriously since tube traps behind a speaker absorb standing waves this ornament may act as a disfuser to improve sound. Call me Dr. Tweak.I have three weaks that will blow you away helping all systems and you will find it hard to believe. Normally I charge good money for my expertise but out of the goodness of my heart I will expose these three now. I have many more.

1) Take your blocks of wood and tiptoe devices and throw them out. They are hurting the sound. Remember one componet per shelf and for amps and preamps only use one of two things to ISOLATE THE COMPONET. Sorbathan pucks, or rubber feet(Herbies one example)Vibrapods all work to isolated electronic signals. So ISOLATE amps, preamps, CDs yes and turntables. Decouple speakers. Spikes , tiptoes all work on these.This would only be my choice for a concrete slab. A pier and beam or second story go back to isolate. There are a few products out there that do this- they are basically a carpet covered board with foam underneath them.(SubDude HD) IS AN ISOLATED PRODUCT WHICH WORKS WELL WITH SUBS AND SPEAKERS FOR CONDOS OR APARTMENTS OR PIER AND BEAM OR SECOND STORY FLOORS. For Slabs spike em.
2)Now tap your mega buck amp or preamp. Is it dead silent like your speaker? Probably not- just a few are. Take the outside metal case off, buy some Dynamat Extreme stick on absorbtion/deadening material from your locar CAR STEREO house(they use this to suround the speakers to isolate road noise)you line the inside cabinet(where you can/don't cover vent holes or slots) and reattach the cover.BE careful one this stuff is on it is not going anywhere. Put on the inside of the cabinet. It is not pretty. So for $40 you have deadened and issolated your amp and preamp. The sound tightens up and on a good su=ystem separation is improved.I would not use on speakers. Be carefull on cd players. Most can use this on the exterior bottom also.Leaving your metal case off will also improve sound but most feel it detracts from the visiual experience.
#3) I could give you a hundred tweaks. Do I do the free toilet tissue roll trick, the $10 a foot speaker cable that blows away the $100 a foot cable or how to make a cheap bass trap that looks great or improving outlets for under $10?? I choose the outlets today. ALL outlets can be improved. Most have a 59 cent recepticle. Home Depot or an Elelctrical supply store will have the brand Hubbell or Levitron HD 20 amp outlet that will improve most sound systems.

Musicnoise & Mickeyf:

You guys/girls (difficult to tell on the WWW) creep me out, by your justification of what you think is OK to post in a forum such as this.

why dont you just a) answer the question and b) confirm you haven't declawed (mutilated and tortured) your cats?
If you think I'm being funny now I'm not. I have more compassion for animals, cats included, than most, likely you as well. and yes, this, is no joke.

M
Never yelled at 'em, and certainly would never declaw.
The butcher shop cat liked a certain rug while the orange tabby loved a couple trees out back. They both ignored the scratch post I built for 'em. I think they scent mark thru the paws and using the nose, won't share certain things.
They both stayed away from my panels without ever being told or coerced.

I'm not a bluenose or a stiff, but jokes about nailing cats to something or drilling holes in 'em are in wacky poor taste. Your original 'joke' was, IMO, not a bit of absurdist humor.

I agree with Magfan. The jokes didn't strike me as absurdist.
Certain topics, such as references to child sexual abuse, cruelty to animals,or disability of any sort, etc. should be avoided in ANY context. It's just a poor taste, and not something other members of this forum should endure.

Maril555 - you forgot to mention racial, ethnic, gender, age, mental health, political orientation, religion and whatever left (if anything). I hope that weather jokes are still OK?

Kij,
I've been a student of humor ever sense I went to the big house. Yep, the punatentiary.
Jokes are a form of performance art and best suited to someone conscience of the audience and how joke/performer/audience interact.

On this forum? All audio jokes are probably OK. You must just be sensitive to the jokee.....if aimed at a particular person.

Yeah, I'd stay away from jokes about racial stuff. Nono to gender and mental health stuff, too, except as it relates to spending absurd amounts of time and money on a hobby / avocation which some find valuelss....the IPod forever crowd. Weather is always good for a laugh, but in a hifi context? Religion and politics can be the 3rd rail of humor.

Who was that no-talent guy from Seinfeld? Richards, right? This guy couldn't get a booking on Mars, for Pete's sake. In addition to being a one-trick pony and of only so-so talent, he was ill tempered and went the wrong way with an audience. Completely Wrong but the chance you take with performance art.

Just an example....I was arguing with my boss at work. Sort of yelling back at forth at a meeting. Everyone sat their like they were painted on the wall. I had to do something. SO, when my boss finally agreed with me, I took my opportunity......'Dog gone it, XXX, why are you agreeing with me? I'm in no mood to take YES for an answer!' Good for a laugh and no hard feelings. But we both made our points and got on with it. I took a chance and knowing my audience got away with it.

Somebody making dead cat jokes? And violent ones, at that, is quite over the edge.

Magfan,
Over the edge makes them funny.

Two audiophiles walk into a bar....oops....wrong thread.... ;)

I lied down in the sunroom yesterday eve, closed my eyes to listen and tehn opened them to notice that THEY were gone. My wife must have packed them away somewhere or tossed them, not sure yet. They are funky, but not particularly stylish.

With the caveat that I was listening laying down on a couch well away from my prior listening position to different material than before, I first noticed something sounded different while listening with my eyes closed. Then I opened them to see they were gone.

I still think a lot of this is just me. Maybe I've been hanging around this site too much. My gut tells me to just forget about it and move on.

As an animal lover though, the cat jokes perhaps may scar me for life. Not sure I can forget those....

"the cat jokes perhaps may scar me for life. Not sure I can forget those...."

Mapman - As long as you know the difference between a joke and reality you should be OK.

Was reading about the Beak tweak that Totem sells

Totem Beak

I don't really understand the principle behind this but I wonder if I could have stumbled upon something similar? Its interesting that a reputable speaker company sells a tweak that is advertised to improve the sound just by sitting on the speaker. That's essentially what my gaudy thingamabobs appeared to do.

Please, resist the urge now for bird jokes. Monty Python has already milked all of those.

I don't understand it either. If beak "dissipates distortion" into air then it makes it audible. Dimensions are very crucial and beaks are machined with the greatest precision yet should work on the top of any speaker. Sounds like SNAKE OIL. Oops, I mentioned an animal not in the article. Sorry.

(what about whale jokes? - they mentioned whales)

Hey Kijanki, Ballan, Mapman, please, torture me no longer with the bar, whale, bird, and snake jokes. Much more and I'll have to throw a little hissy fit about my self righteous love of birds, whales, snakes and the purveyors of spirits. Oh, the horror, the horror what's a mother (or fascist) to do?

I have 2 pair of beaks on my Forests. Bought 'em used (of course) for less than half of list so I wasn't really disappointed that they really dont affect the sound at all. Moreover I was disappointed to find out they were actually machined metal.....

I have listened to the beaks, could not tell a difference. sand bags do, however.

Man, ya gotta be really obvious to get a rise around here, eh?