Background:
I own a Parasound Halo based 2-channel system, a P 3 preamplifier, A 21 amplifier and D 3 universal disc player driving Paradigm Reference Studio 100 v.4 speakers. I recently upgraded interconnect cables from 1.0m BetterCables.com Silver Serpent II RCA and XLR to 0.5m PS Audio xStream Transcendent XLRs. The Transcendent cables use solid silver wire. I also upgraded my speaker cables from BetterCables.com Premium III bi-wires to PS Audio xStream Resolution Reference 10 gauge PCOCC bi-wires. I noticed my P 3 preamplifier had jumpers between the preamp in and amp outs that looked to be simple chrome plated U-shaped pieces of some indeterminate metal. From their stiffness and the sound they make when you drop them I suspect they are some sort of pot metal. I looked at commercially available jumper cables and did not like any I found. The jumpers do not have RCA jacks but merely connect the center pins of the preamp in and amp out.
Solution:
I looked up the spec for the RCA center pin and found it to be 3.2±0.1mm or basically 1/8". I found a source for .9995 1/8" silver rod and purchased a foot at $5 an inch. I then cut 2 pieces 2.5" in length (the length of the U-shaped pot metal piece when rolled on a ruler), bent them to shape using pliers and polished them. I put them in my system last night and could not believe what I heard. I had to swap them out several times to see if what I was hearing was real or imagined. It was real. I played a song I am very familiar with, the opening track from Sarah McLachlan's Afterglow Live. What I heard was a deeper soundstage placing Sarah closer to me and her backing band further back with airier high frequencies and deeper, tighter bass. I consider the difference as significant as that I heard after changing the interconnects and speaker cables.
It seems that every tweak I do on my system now is opening it up more and more. I replaced the cheap plastic feet on my speakers with Soundocity outriggers and noted a definite improvement.
Anyway – I thought I would post this mini-review / how-to for a relatively inexpensive but significant tweak.
Martin
