445 tweaks to improve your audio system

Last post 02-25-2012 11:43 PM by dtel. 6 replies.

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02-24-2012 3:24 PM

speakerfritz
Joined on 04-24-2006
Staten Island NY
Posts 10,867

445 tweaks to improve your audio system

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http://www.audiotweaks.com/collection_ascend.htm

2	4	Build yourself a component rack
3	5	Stuff dacron pillow batting into the ports on your ported speaker to tune the bass response
4	1	Get the Digital Gear away from your tuner
5		Cheap tube damper for input and driver tubes
6	3	Ground your metal rack, reduce noise
7	3	Pluse transformer for Digital
8		Component isolation device
9	1	CD spinner and magnetic field source used in combination with a tape demagnetizer
10		Isolation device
11		Contact cleaner and preservative
12	1	Fill freezer type Ziplock sandwich storage bags with sand and sandwich between two pieces of MDF
16		Fill gallon bags with play sand, place on top of CD players, amplifiers (away from heat-dispersion fins!)
17	1	Granite plate
18	1	These are little metal cones, put them under your speakers and you will have midrange galore, esp, guitars and vocals
19		Coil spring mounting of speaker enclosures
20	2	10 pair telephone wire as speaker cable
22		Improved contact
23	2	2 inch thick poly foam tubing placed around speaker cables
24		Marble slab subwoofer platform
25		Large bubble wrap isolation for CDP
26		Cheap tonearm wrap
28		Item is a clear plastic-like material in the form of a washer. It has a tacky surface
29		Nothing to upgrade? Then upgrade your AC cord to this
30	1	Damping feet for CD players
31		Change the capacitors and resistors in the cross-over in your speakers to better types
32	1	Mount these to your speakers and low frequencies are enhanced.
33		Separate dedicated AC lines for amp and digital components
35		Damping for equipment racks and speaker stands
37	3	Use plumber’s teflon tape on your small input tubes for vibration control
38		Reduce resonance of wood component racks
39		Close doors to listening area
41		Construct Maple sand Box for equipment support
45		Different soundimage in surroundsystems
48		Poor man's seismic sink
49	1	OHP covers
50	1	Black Diamond Racing cones, The Things and The Pits…
55	1	Inexpensive, but effective acoustic panels
58		Putting marble/granite slabs of different thickness underneath the spikes of the amplifier improves soundstaging
59	1	Securing bookshelf speakers with "Blue-tac" on stands
61		Foam mattress pads on your wall
62	2	Wooden boxes filled with #8 lead shot
65		Lift chokes off pc-board
66	1	Use plastic 35mm film containers on power cords, interconnects and speaker cable to cut RFI
67		Use spiral cable wrap to damp resonances of tonearm
68		Use to damp vibrations
70		Remove your grill cloths
71		Clean up your home's AC line
72	1	Remove the damping from reflex speakers and insert a V shaped brace running top to bottom (2"x2" approx.)to break up standing waves and add speed to bass
77	1	Slate under the spikes of the speaker stand
79		Cones
84		The best tube damping rings
86		Rewiring from the terminals to the diaphragm. Taking out the inner screen
87	1	Replacing the 12 volts DC power supply with two car battery
88		Throwing away the OP amps at the output of the dacs. replacing them with tube
90		Phono cable dressing for suspended t.tables
91		Glass panel tweak
92	4	Half racquetballs to dampen components
93	2	My tweak is about equipment damping, instead of buying Shakti Stones or Bright Stars, I put block of marble at the top of each of my component so vibrations are damped and somewhat minimized
94		Outboard power supply
97		Damping vibration in lower priced cd players to improve performance
98	3	Improve your imaging in spite of having a TV between your speakers
100	1	Adding a 3/4" glass panel to the top of the CD player
101		Do-it-yourself RFI detection
103		Separate Digital and analogue Supplies to regulators and run digital (5V) regulators from Nicad Batteries
104		Cones made of Aluminum outercone in which steal inlay is shrinked. space is filled with bitumen-like material
105		10kg Steal block for use with acoustic balance cones
106		Rope platform for audio components
107	1	In addition to painting the CD edges green, painting the CD tray and the inside of the chassis cover would also benefit from the green paint effect
108		Installed two cooling fans in an entertainment unit to reduce heat generated by six components.
109		Outboard Power Supply/ transformer
110	1	The ultimate no-cost speaker stand
113		Connecting two identical conductors in a single path
114		DeoxIt and Pro-Gold are contact cleaners which also improve the conductivity of all the (electrical)contacts in your hifi setup
115		Using Belden coax cable as speaker wire
116		A platform to reduce the vibration of a CD player or source
117	1	Coins on top of speakers do wonders
119	1	Solid core, house hold industry, mains cable as your power cords
120	1	Coins placed under the spikes of speakers or stands
121		Tighten the screws on the units of your speakers from time to time
122		Use shorter runs of speaker cables
123		Eliminating first reflections in listening room
125		Speaker setup
126		Remove build up of static charges on the surface of any cable as well as CD's
127		Tweeter anti-diffraction rings
129		Tracking weight
130		2 in. thick square concrete slabs on top of my subwoofer
131		Small metal cones under front edge of proac tablettes
132		Suspending your speaker wires off the floor
134		Near field monitoring
136		Changing power cord connections to mains
137	2	Erosion of the edge of CD
138	1	MDF sand Box
139	1	Hospital grade power outlets
140		Setting up speakers with string
141	2	Correct Polarity using a Digital Multi Meter
142		MDF Speaker Stand
143		Blue tacky puddy like substance provides great damping and coupling to speakers
147		Speaker cones or spikes DRAMATICALLY increase not only BASS response but soundstage and imaging!
148		Got my speakers "off the ground" and moved the horn tweeter to ear level made a WORLD of difference!
149		Use a sound pressure meter to help place speakers (and integrate a sub-woofer) by balancing all of the frequencies.
151		Switch components from left to right channel.
155	1	Ferrite rings
156	1	Rec-out preamp connection
157		Basic reinforced Aluminum cone
158		Shortcut the unused INPUTS to the preamplifier (No, not OUTPUTS, please, unless you want to make some damage!)
159		Mounting bypass capacitors in your speakers network.
160		Position cd-player and preamp away from power amplifier.
161		Home made power cords. Amazing!
162		Short-out unused inputs of your preamp
163		Replacing rectifiers of power supply. Incredible!
164	1	Marble support table. Wonderful!!
165		Replace your current speaker wire with Home Depot 6 gauge stranded electrical wire.
166		An improvised RoomLens
167		Using 3 natural quart crystal balls inserted into wood base for the equipment support.
168		Use between pre-amp and subwoofer to eliminate bad effects of long interconnects on sound quality
169	1	Using this interconnect between transport and d/a converter
170		A cylindrical open-cell foam piece of tubing used for insulation of water pipes
171	1	A sheet of .125" damping material with a viscoelastic adhesive backing
172		A polymer damping sheet with a concentric circle design on one side-supposed to eliminate internal standing waves
173		Poster hanging putty
174		A static discharge device, similar in effect to Versa Labs' "Zap", which retails for $40.00.
177		Homemade speaker and component support.
178	1	Damp amplifier cooling fins
179		Short the unused inputs on your pre-amp.
180		Upgrade the mains supply
183		Big do-it-yourself ferrite rings for eliminating EFI in power/speaker cables.
184	3	Heavy felt tweeter rings for smoother detailed treble
186		Purchased stanley door stoppers from WallMart and placed under amp and turntable for isolation.
187	3	Amp on-top of cd
189		Quad els on target stands.
190		Equalize audio to match your hearing!
192	1	Use inflated rubber tubes as seismic sink of CD or turntable players.
194	4	Isolating Stones
195		Put a bag of shot on your amp, if possible (don't block air holes) and especially on your CD player.
197		Shelves can be improved upon by a sandwich of plywood and cork.
198		Look in the ads in hi-fi mags and design your own speaker and equipment stands
199	1	Adding new connectors to your amp.
200		Replace all the ceramic capacitors with WIMA red ones (No MKS). or Siemens styroflex
201		Play Densen : DeMAGIC CD
202		Install a special power group only for your audio installation
203		A demp the chassis with MDF blocks 2 inch square
205		Place all cabling off of the floor using styrofoam cups.
209		Speaker/IC line supports...cones/rounds/polys/squares/trap'zds
210		Cones/Trap'zd's/bullet shaped anti-resonant weights for speakers/electronics
211		Compound Bias for tube power amplifiers. Not just fixed OR auto Bias, but both.
212		Vitalizing most tube amps by modernizing the driving-section.
213	1	BI-Amping your system...eliminate the crossover in the speaker
214		Ohm that unused digital output!
215	1	Very cheap, very good sounding homebrew speaker cable
219	2	Elevate your listening position to get your ears at the same level as your tweeters.
220	2	Use an isolation transformer without plugging your equipment into it
223		Foam ring around tweeters.
224		Put eggboxes of commercial damping panels in critical areas to cut reflected energy at listening position.
225	1	Damping(especially metal- and ceramic dome) tweeter's high-freq. Resonance
226		Use a sheet of EAR ISODAMP, about 30 per. and cover the top and bottom of the chassis with it.
227		Some use tennis balls, but for those of us with limited space "squash balls" work better for component isolation.
228		Use nylon bolts instead of spikes on hardwood floors.
229		Terminal and contact cleaner with electro-magnetic properties to enhance electrical connectivity on gold surfaces
230		Vibrapods are great but can't be used with spikes unless you have some kind of cover for them.
231		Economically challenged tube traps
232		Gold connector cleaner and conditioner-sealer
234		Keeps speaker cables from touching the ground.
235		Damping of CD transport mechanism
236		Bitumen damping of CD cabinet
237		Lifting speakercables off the floor
238	1	Bike tube under CD player/amp
239		Back wall resonance deadening.
240	1	Digital equipment in separate a/c zone.
243		Switch cycling
244	2	The Nordost Eco 3 Antistatic Spray prevents static charges to build up on your equipment, your cables and even your records and CD's!
245		Vibration isolation platform.
247		Skipping CD's
248		Speaker setup
253		Air dampening/isolation device
254		An isolation platform placed on top of components to reduce EFI interference and better the effectiveness of isolation platforms.
260		Replace speaker terminals and wires to crossover with some decent (solderable) speaker cable soldered directly to crossover, spades to amp
261		Speaker damping without fibreglass,etc.
262		"Spikes" for speakers, racks, et al
263		Replacing cheap wire with higher quality copper.More punch,and higher definition
264		Positioning spikes for optimum sonics
267		Best Solid Silver loudspeaker cable on Earth
269	3	Biamp and biwire your loudspeakers if possible.
270		Place layers of bubble wrap under component shelves to achieve air based isolation.
271		Perfect sound staging
272	1	Cheap CD Mat
273		Neoprene washer substitute.
274	2	Amazing roller ball isolation device for CD players
275		Component isolation
276	3	If your Television is between your speakers, throw a blanket over it when listening to music.
277		To extend the IC's life and dampen created HF
278		Oak drawer knobs from DIY shop used as equipment feet.
280		Low jitter, high accuracy replacement CD clock module
281		Solder wire ends to prevent fraying + improve connections
282		An isolation platform for your turntable. Probably works well on CD players too.
284		Reduce front baffle loudspeaker diffraction losses
285	1	Put ball bearings in three Vibrapods and place turntable on it.
286	1	Remove stock (hard plastic) feet from your CD player
287		Laser alinging your speakers, perfect alingment!
288		Home made, non-shielded (Not needed and only degrades the sound), low capacitance solid silver interconnects.
290		Flour in ziploc bags rather than sand.
291		Vinyl flooring as great panel damping.
292		Zerostat to render cd's static free.
314		Inexpensive high quality interconnect wire for thoes that make their own interconnects
315		Air Isolation of components!
316		Rollerblocks
317	1	Tennis Balls for Excellent Dampning and Better Air Circulation
318		BassLine, an acoustic enhancement invention for improving sound from bass reflex speakers.
319	4	Three evenly spaced PVC tubes behind speakers to tune them
320		Solid-Tech
322		Place thin piece of mortite strategically on cd transport tray so that it doesn't interfere with the opening and closing function.
323		Resonance damping of bass and midrange steel baskets with car repair "steel plastics"
324	1	Short circuit the digital out from your cd-player when not onnected to a separate d/a converter
326	1	Apply FunTack to caps, ICs and transistors.
328		Speaker/speaker stand isolation platform
329	2	Use pieces of a thick neoprene mousepad to decouple speakers on stands
332		Better alternative to expensive HiFi stands.
333	4	Make your own awesome solid silver interconnects and cables
334		Superior version of MDF (medium density fiberboard).
335		Improved stability, vibration damping, focuses speakers
337		Neat dampeners
338		Stand speakers on a cutout piece of 1-2 cm thick polystyrene, the same size as the base of each speaker.
339	1	Clean all copper contacts like equipment plugs,valve pins,fuses.More current to your system.
340	1	Cd cleaner that really improves the sound quality of budget cd players.
341	1	Stabilize the voltage supply on IC in CD player, DAC, OPAmp etc. to improve leading edge of music pulses.
342	5	Use Brasso polish to make scratchy CD's like new again.
345		Pirelli bi-wire cables, strands not solid-core, as speaker cables.
346	6	Aluminium honeycomb footers.
347		Driver dampening on speaker cabinets.
348		Upgrade caps resistors in speaker crossovers.
351		Clean Your Clock - quick tweak to improve the clock performance in your CD player.
352	1	Vibration control platform.
354	3	AC outlet
355	4	AC plugs
356		Subwoofer tweak
358	3	Video and Audio improvements in Home Theatre System
359		Turntable Tweak
360		Hockey Pucks (as equipment feet)
362	1	Twist your interconnect cables into "twisted pair"
363		Cheap AC line noise filter
364		Component isolation (substutite for graphite blocks)
365		Buckwheat Pillow Vibration Fix
366		Vibration control for components, $15 rollerblocks
367		Wall panels - Effective and cheap
369	3	Silicone resin used inside cabinet for maximum clarity
372	2	Mass Load Device
373	1	The speaker attachment to improve sound
374		Acorn nuts under speaker spikes
376	1	Twin inner tube damping device
377	3	Put ferrite beads on your speaker cables
378	1	Checking AC field around your cables
379	1	Audio Spectrum analysis, home theater room optimizer
382		Anti-Resonance Platform for audio components
383		AC Line Noise
384		CD Base
385	7	Amazing speaker tweak
387	1	Zobel network calculator
388		Inky black contact enhancer liquid
390	1	Focus Rings
391	8	Bass Tune your room
392	1	Reducing "digititis" glare of CD
393		Styrene foam cylinders [as cable separators]
394		Make ground plan for DAC chip, easy way to improove S/N
395		Voltage regulation
396		Cheaper Supplier of Lead/Steel Shot
397		Dampning inside CD player
398		Dampening CD player chassis/housing
399		CD player platform
400		Replacing spikes on stands
401	1	Cheap mains conditioner
402		Stylus replacement shure m75, m91 etc
403	1	Turntable isolation via holographic setup principles
404		Leaving your equipment switched on
405	1	Isolation platform
407	1	Clean up bass response on sub-woofer
408		Contact treatment
410	1	Concrete blocks above AND below the sub!
411		FM performance
428		The Space Harmonizer, a new unique resonant platform
429		Digital to Analog Sound...the Easy Way!!!
431		Speakers setup on carpet
433		Effective, cheap, very affordable and easy to install.
434	1	Tighten the screws on your speakers in the speaker cabinets.
435		Damping Material
438		MDF Shelf Treatment
439		Change your existing basic outlet with a commercial grade outlet
440		MiHorn/Focus Ring Alternatives.
441		AC outlet
442		Anyone use Quietcoat?
443		The wonders of blu-tac on my Rotel rcd-1070 cd player
444		Equipment Isolation
445		Dedicated mains

Welcome to the Klipsch forum.....hope you stick around.

This hobby began in 1966, when I figured out how to disable my dads stereo by swapping out the driver tubes for RF tubes. He used to like to blast the stereo during the school week til 1 in the morning.

my first crossover network project came in 1972.

my first DIY khorns came in 1986. I built as set of khorns using 18inch drivers, enclosed backs, and used them at an air force base in Germany during all army day.

Filed under: tweeter, drivers, crossover, wire, woofer, modification, upgrades, cabinet, speaker, capacitor, buzz, dac, cones, compact disc, bass, preamp, disc, noise, treble, mid, cd, sound, transformer, amplifier, horns, tuner, player, waf, tweaks, improve, tubes, hum

02-24-2012 4:21 PM In reply to

Pete H
Joined on 12-23-2008
N.E. Ohio
Posts 1,549

Re: 445 tweaks to improve your audio system

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446 Turn it up louder and you won't notice some of the other things on the list.

447 Get your alcohol balance correct prior to turning any of your equipment on.

448 Have a really bad system that you listen to for 15 minutes prior to listenting to your main system.

Beer

Pete ........It is what it is!

Onkyo 805 and 890, Sansui 8080 and G5500, Sony STRDE997, Carver CT7, 5 Carver M200's, Oppo 983, Sony S7000, S7700, S9000, Behringer 16 Channel Mixer and DCX 2496, QSC DCA1622, RF 7's, RC7,RS7's, RSW15's, RF35's, RP5's and 8's, RC3's, RB5's, RB61's, Cornwall 2's, Split Cornscala's, Velodyne1512

02-24-2012 5:33 PM In reply to

CECAA850
Joined on 05-07-2004
Beaumont, TX
Posts 10,168

Re: 445 tweaks to improve your audio system

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449 Twist a fattie before listening.

A Harmony One remote runs a............. Pioneer Elite KURO 150FD display. Anthem D2 pre-pro. 4 QSC PLX 1104 amps. Oppo BDP-80 Blu-ray player. Toshiba XA2 HDDVD player. IB sub with 4 Ascendant Audio 18" drivers powered by a Behringer EP-2500. 2 Klipsch Dean G'd RF-7's, 1 Dean G'd RC-7, 2 RS-7's and 2 RB-35's, all protected by a Furman Elite 20-PFi

Bedroom 1, Lascalas w/ ALK networks and Crites tweeters, Juicy Music modded Crown D-45, Njoe Tjoeb CD player and an Anthem TLP-1. Tuba 18 sub powered by a Behringer A-500.

Bedroom 2, Heresy II's with III upgrade, Carver TFM-15, Carver CT-6 and a Sony CDP C235.

Don't sweat the petty things.
Don't pet the sweaty things.

02-24-2012 5:48 PM In reply to

dtel
Joined on 03-01-2003
South Mississippi
Posts 12,251

Re: 445 tweaks to improve your audio system

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# 447 and #449 can be substituted, or combined depending on the mood, or even doubled depending.

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving
safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways,
Champagne in one hand - strawberries with whipped cream in the other hand, body
thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming WOO HOO - What a Ride!"

02-24-2012 6:06 PM In reply to

speakerfritz
Joined on 04-24-2006
Staten Island NY
Posts 10,867

Re: 445 tweaks to improve your audio system

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I don't see the rotate your woofers 90 degrees every 6 months mod.

02-24-2012 6:18 PM In reply to

juniper8
Joined on 03-23-2010
Posts 562

Re: 445 tweaks to improve your audio system

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I like this stuff, thanks for the post, made me think of one, for the use of something cheese-y I saw on TV. How about flexsseal on metal horns?

02-25-2012 11:43 PM In reply to

dtel
Joined on 03-01-2003
South Mississippi
Posts 12,251

Re: 445 tweaks to improve your audio system

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juniper8:
How about flexsseal on metal horns?

That's funny, but it would probably work. Yes

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