Cheap/Free Tweaks ($10.00 or less)

gooberdude · « **Reply #40 on:** 21 Feb 2007, 08:36 pm »

I'm kinda wondering if the vinyl contributes as well, it certainly isn't hurting things.

If i had the room to spread all my gear out, i certainly would... Just getting my amp off the rack and onto the floor was a big thing. Glad i did that though.

last weekend i had a chance to check out another AC member's system. In addition to amazing gear
and a great time, the guy (Tim Babb) broke out several interesting doo dads that i'd never seen.

One was an EMI detector & was about the size of a large cigar. It beeped & lit up every time it sensed electrical fields, and as if on cue, could detect an unshielded interconnect compared to a shielded one.

The gist of the experiment was to see how far these fields emanated from the gear. With amps & other gear with transformers the thing squawked over 2' away from the chassis in some cases. quite amazing... keeping components separated is definitely in everyone's interest.

It was cool to see (and hear) how the beeping changed depending on what side of the trannie the detector was on. Uniform transformer leakage is a real thing.

The 2nd gizmo he broke out was the Audioprism line noise detector...this thing is nuts! We went to one side of his bsmt on a circuit with no gear plugged in, and the box made awful noise. He grabbed just one Quiet Line wall-wart thing and plugged it into that outlet, instantly ALL the noise disappeared. I could sell these things door-to-door, probably convince housewives their vacuums & microwaves are being poisoned by Com-Ed!

I now have the Noise Detector box at home, and have ordered a few of the QuietLines. Even though i've spent big $ on Oyaide outlets and plugs, the box squeaks like a stuck pig in every outlet in my condo. Not that the Oyaide stuff is supposed to reduce the crap, i just wish it did.

shoot, i'm way off topic...this is for cheap tweaks...

rollo · « **Reply #41 on:** 22 Feb 2007, 02:48 am »

Quote from: gooberdude on 21 Feb 2007, 08:36 pm

I'm kinda wondering if the vinyl contributes as well, it certainly isn't hurting things.

If i had the room to spread all my gear out, i certainly would... Just getting my amp off the rack and onto the floor was a big thing. Glad i did that though.

last weekend i had a chance to check out another AC member's system. In addition to amazing gear
and a great time, the guy (Tim Babb) broke out several interesting doo dads that i'd never seen.

One was an EMI detector & was about the size of a large cigar. It beeped & lit up every time it sensed electrical fields, and as if on cue, could detect an unshielded interconnect compared to a shielded one.

The gist of the experiment was to see how far these fields emanated from the gear. With amps & other gear with transformers the thing squawked over 2' away from the chassis in some cases. quite amazing... keeping components separated is definitely in everyone's interest.

It was cool to see (and hear) how the beeping changed depending on what side of the trannie the detector was on. Uniform transformer leakage is a real thing.

The 2nd gizmo he broke out was the Audioprism line noise detector...this thing is nuts! We went to one side of his bsmt on a circuit with no gear plugged in, and the box made awful noise. He grabbed just one Quiet Line wall-wart thing and plugged it into that outlet, instantly ALL the noise disappeared. I could sell these things door-to-door, probably convince housewives their vacuums & microwaves are being poisoned by Com-Ed!

I now have the Noise Detector box at home, and have ordered a few of the QuietLines. Even though i've spent big $ on Oyaide outlets and plugs, the box squeaks like a stuck pig in every outlet in my condo. Not that the Oyaide stuff is supposed to reduce the crap, i just wish it did.

shoot, i'm way off topic...this is for cheap tweaks...

Gooberdude,
If you thought the Quietlines are good,then PS Audio Harvesters.They are more effective.
To stay on topic of cheap tweaks I put 6 albums under the power supplies for my preamp.I am in SHOCK as to the improvement. Veils have been removed.I just just cannot believe what I am hearing.So much more info= more music and the clarity has improved.This could be one of the best finds in a long time. I still cannot believe it .
However it is so.THANKS for eating that mushroom. How did you even imagine to try it ot out?

rollo
rollo

HumanMedia · « **Reply #42 on:** 22 Feb 2007, 04:09 am »

Did you notice any immediate difference with the Quiet Lines in place?

shep · « **Reply #43 on:** 22 Feb 2007, 12:25 pm »

Please keep this posting alive! Maybe the paper/cardboard isolation approach is a major discovery, like the ultimate mouse trap aa Can you post some pictures so we can see what this looks like and keep on experimenting until there is a consensus about what works bets and where.

rollo · « **Reply #44 on:** 22 Feb 2007, 03:24 pm »

Quote from: HumanMedia on 22 Feb 2007, 04:09 am

Did you notice any immediate difference with the Quiet Lines in place?

HumamMedia,
Quit Lines have an effect that some hear off the bat.It takes about 24 HRs to settle in.These devices are excellent for use in circuits that have either major appliances or TV connected.I found that the Quiet lines rob some of the dynamics when connected to a circuit that the components are in.They will soften the sound somewhat.The PS Audio Harvesters can be inserted in the same circuit without ill effects.They clean up the line by converting NOiSE to energy which is dissipated by the LCD NOT back into the ground or neutral.This is PS Audios claim not mine.
The Harvesters when used in gang form plugged into a cheap power strip and then into the circuit are very effective in lowering the noise floor.When you see the blue LED blinking there goes the line noise.
Music Direct offers a 30 day MBG, so check them out.

rollo

gooberdude · « **Reply #45 on:** 22 Feb 2007, 03:25 pm »

I have not received the Quietlines yet, i just have the damn Noise sniffer box that makes my wallet
shake violently.

i ordered 3 QuietLines from Musicdirect on Tuesday, hopefully i'll have them today.

I was about to buy 2 used pS audio noise things, but i've been spending SO much on audio lately, and
last weekend i heard what the Quiet lines can do...so i went that route. if i knew i just needed one of these, i'd buy PS audio. Since i'm experimentin', i needed a few.

OK, last night i did stick an empty album cover (the LP wouldn't fit - long story) under the Isoblocks
that support the maple plat that holds up my TVC preamp...a good change is audible. Then i stuck 2 fully stuffed LP's under the Isoblocks that support my turntable....i haven't been able to test this one out though, ran into a slight obstacle.

This could be another thread: Do you ever go out looking for the free tweaks and the result costs you major $?

Case in point: last night i disassemble my TT to get the LP's all setup. While i did this, i decided to fire up my cdp (which had not been powered in months). Right away i knew the LP's had done their good thing, and i realized my sub digs cd's....the cdp has a stronger output than my phono pre, and with the TVC the output is crucial. SO, i removed the nice pointed footers that reside under my TT and set them under my sub, which had unpointed footers (same mfgr) on them for a while. the change is ridiculous, but now i'm going to drop good $ on a new set of pointed footers so my TT will once again be fun.

One step forward, 2 steps back...

To me, using paper or album covers or posterboard or whatever hasn't changed the bass one bit, which is a great thing in my tweaky world. What it has changed is the top end, hi frequencies seem so smooth now. When i tweak i always concentrate on the bass, to listen for a change...if it gets thin i did something wrong. If it gets stronger or stays the same, i did something right and then listen to other areas of the sound.

Now cymbals really shimmer and have a decay (or reverb) that lasts and lasts...but the sounds don't run together, they are all indiv and sharp. If i had a recording of a person slapping a tambourine, and nothing else, it would enthrall me for a 1/2 hr i'd bet! i must be smokin' the good stuff these days...

i'll see if i can post some pics later, but this is a simple tweak to conceptualize...just lay album covers (with or without the LP's) under your gear. Under the feet of your gear, on top of the shelf those feet used to touch...

matt

rollo · « **Reply #46 on:** 22 Feb 2007, 03:41 pm »

Quote from: shep on 22 Feb 2007, 12:25 pm

Please keep this posting alive! Maybe the paper/cardboard isolation approach is a major discovery, like the ultimate mouse trap aa Can you post some pictures so we can see what this looks like and keep on experimenting until there is a consensus about what works bets and where.

Shep,
So far, I have tried the albums under the tubed power supplies and S/S power supply for preamp and CDP.The results are positive. More music is coming through. Clarity has improved and the soundstage opened up even more. NO change in tonality or harmonic structure. Basically a quieter background with more information. Like someone lifted a veil I did not know existed. WOW.
Then I tried different configurations of cardboard under the same pieces and found similar results. Today I will be searching for corrugated cardboard approx. 2"-4" th. in strip or sheet form. Will also try ream of paper. I did remove the stock feet from the components and rested them directly on the cardboard.[ if you have ventilation holes on bottom DO NOT REMOVE FEET].
Have fun guys.
rollo

rollo · « **Reply #47 on:** 22 Feb 2007, 04:32 pm »

Guys,
Clean your connections once a month with ProGold. The most effective tweak there is IMO. It is so simple its stupid.
rollo

lushds · « **Reply #48 on:** 22 Feb 2007, 05:26 pm »

On the subject of isolation feet, I've tried quite a few(ebony pyramids, sorbo, BDR, ceramic etc)
One that is <$10 and I would highly recommend is using Pumice stones.
You can get these at Walmart or any drug store, just look for those square, flat ones.. you can also cut/saw them to size.

http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/sblocks1e.html

You can read about them here also; there is a long list of cheap tweaks here..
http://audiotweaks.com/collection_ascend.htm

Have Fun
DS

shep · « **Reply #49 on:** 22 Feb 2007, 09:33 pm »

This is a serious discovery!!! Right so I had this cold and my hearing went all weird so I thought, I've never had my ears checked so..today I did that. They were clean as a whistle and then I had the infamous tests.. oh boy did I have a shock...I am blissfully normal for a 62 year old, meaning, it's way down and my pretentions of still hearing like an audiophile bat were shatterd

So I go home suitably chastened and think to myself, "hey no self-respecting audiophile is going to take that as an answer, I can hear thru my deficiancy (right) Wanting to take the sting out of this totally unnecissary blow to myself-esteem, I set about cuting carboard sheets into neat rectangles and plopped them under my CDP and under my T-amp. I put five sheets per, which equals about an inch in thickness. Put on a cd and BINGO! better highs, more extended (clean, less grain?) Even the upper mid benefits. Way to go! No I'm wondering feverishly about different thicknesses, how many layers, what kind of cardboard etc. best remedy for the post ORL appointment blues ever discovered. What does he know anyway? I told him I have this neat hi-fi and I want to know if I'm hearing everything and he looks at me as if I were a Martian. Man has no class whatsoever. More! More!

gooberdude · « **Reply #50 on:** 22 Feb 2007, 09:42 pm »

Man, i need to get my hearing checked too. i think its pretty darn good,
but you never know.

For an experiment, just try one layer of cardboard....then build up.

So far I haven't placed more than a few millimeters of paper under my components.

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #51 on:** 22 Feb 2007, 09:58 pm »

I've been using old business cards for shims to level my turntable height to level for years (something hugely important for suspended belt drivers, very important for non-suspended belt drives, and little importance for direct drives I've found). Some legs need 15, others need 3, etc.

Outside of the 'shimming' and leveling aspect, never did I consider any additional isolation they were providing.

Thanks for driving me audiophool nuts with something I hadn't though to before, Matt/gooberdude

shep · « **Reply #52 on:** 22 Feb 2007, 10:04 pm »

Ah yes well I usually put too much of everything. This makes such sense, especially the alviolated structure of cardboard. Well even if it's utter nonesense (which it isn't) it has to be the cheapest tweak ever discovered aa. I think I will try the pumice one after I've calmed down from my encounter with the evil doctor.

jqp · « **Reply #53 on:** 22 Feb 2007, 10:16 pm »

shep

take the card board sheets back into the doctors office to put under his test machine - you may get an even stranger look from him, but who knows your hearing may improve!

shep · « **Reply #54 on:** 22 Feb 2007, 10:33 pm »

Hmmm. Actually I was so nervous and sitting in that soundproof cabin holding an idiot button, listening the the rush of blood in my ears, how's a guy supposed to here 18,000 thingys? I bet he was totally wrong!
But I still had to pay him...

gooberdude · « **Reply #55 on:** 22 Feb 2007, 10:35 pm »

hey Shep,

i'm not knocking your first attempt! just chiming in to say i started with less material covering the
shelf, and i'm happy with just one layer of the album covers.

YMMV though...

my guess is each component is going to be a bit difft.

shep · « **Reply #56 on:** 22 Feb 2007, 10:38 pm »

This could get really complicated! "my cardboard is better than yours! it's NOS, from the 50's, found it in a warehouse, aged prime paper from old spruce". The combinations are endless HELP!

shep · « **Reply #57 on:** 23 Feb 2007, 12:06 pm »

For trade: NOS prime grade vintage 50's cardboard, zero humidity content, "first run batch", virgin pulp, sourced from 100 year old spruce in northern Oregon. This is the last, there will be no more. I would consider a trade for the magic clock or some of Peter Belts thingys, or if you have recent Wadia you hate the sound of. I will ship by hand delivered courrier on the next sailing of the QE to avoid contamination. Reasonable offers will be considered.

gooberdude · « **Reply #58 on:** 23 Feb 2007, 04:47 pm »

TCG,

thanks for the business card suggestion! after i tore apart my TT to get some 'paper
under the Isoblocks, the TT wasn't quite level. very difficult finding 2 album covers that
are exactly the same thickness overall.

Just a few business cards and my bubble level is...level. Cool thing too, the cards hide
perfectly underneath the isoblocks, totally hidden from view.

pacifico · « **Reply #59 on:** 24 Feb 2007, 03:16 pm »

I just took 4 chemistry and biology text books and covered my cd player with them. Two were stacked under vertically and I put the other two on top horizontally. The effect was amazing and an unbeatable upgrade in sound as it dramatically improved my soundstage. incredible. thanks guys for hints.