What’s your vote for the most ridiculous, overpriced, and useless tweak?


My vote: Furutech Outlet Cover 105 NCF $220, with “special crystalline material that has two “active” properties.” https://www.thecableco.com/outlet-cover-105-ncf.html

glow_worm
Geoff ...

These are just a few of the things I’ve done to reduce micro-vibrations.

All of my electronics sit on a multi-layered rack, with constrained damping material between each layer. Then the shelves are finished off with an attractive finish material. You can see the rack in my virtual systems.

In addition to the above, each electrical component sits on a nicely finished, very heavy granite platform. Each granite platform was built in two layers, with constrained damping material between the layers. The surfaces of the granite slabs are machined to very fine tolerances to assure a perfectly level fit for the dampening material.

My turntable sits on one of the granite platforms described above. Then, between the turntable and the granite platform is what could be described as small foam donuts with a carbon steel ball bearing tightly pressed into the center of each "donut." The separate Well-Tempered TT motor sits on those "donuts" as well.

On graphene ... Perfect Path Technologies all the way, baby.

Elizabeth ...

I had a heck of a time getting my floor standing speakers to sound right on the raised foundation. Bass was boomy, which of course, affected the rest of the sound, I tried the above granite platforms under the speakers. That cleared up the sound immensely, but there was virtually no bass. So, I bought two of the Mapleshade 2" thick maple platforms. I spiked the platforms to the floor, then spiked the speakers to the platforms. Walla! everything snapped into focus. The result was a very articulate, deep bass, and a much-improved midrange and highs. I highly recommend the Mapleshade maple platforms. You can order them unfinished and save a lot of money on them. That’s what I did. Here’s a link:

https://www.mapleshadestore.com/airdriedmapleplatforms.php

Frank

PS: The glass tabletop is removed for listening sessions. Nice improvement there as well.
@mahgister  Thank-you for reminding everyone that your ROOM is the most important "tweak" in the path.

Cheers!
Yes the treatment of the room is the most important tweak for any audio system at any price... After that the cleaning of my electrical room and house grid and audio grid with varied stones and crystals... Last but not least the treatment of mechanical vibrations : I use simple very low cost material with a success without defect...Sandwiches consisting of one granite plate on 4 little feet of quartz, sorbothane on this plate with another granite plate where I put cork plate and finally a bamboo plate with sorbothane under the speakers...The same sandwiches under the dac and under the amplifier... All is crystal clear with that bass included...But I have also treated my speakers with sorbothane and stones and heavy damping with a concrete mass ...


At the end my audio system plays at his peak optimum, I know that because there is absolutely no comparison between the same system before and after all that...I am proud of the fact that my amplifier(100 bucks) my dac (50 bucks) my speakers (30 bucks) had a sound that make me jealous no more of my friend magneplanar system...The cost of my tweaks exceed the cost of my vintage system,but is far lower that a new piece of gear and without that my system is not on par with my dreams at all nor with reality if I compare it to the magneplanar system...
My system, even if the sound is wonderful now, is very low cost audio system, then almost all tweaks are for me overpriced...They are ridiculous only after I have try them or replicate them if their use is revealed not useful...They are overpriced tweaks that are very useful, resonators for example, it is simple to replicate them at low cost...