I don't know a lot about the physics behind it, but Black diamond racing products are the only things I have used that really seem to work. I use them under my speakers and under my cd player and they really add a razor sharp sense of focus to the images on my sound stage. I think the point about the lead or sand base under the stage of live musicians is an interesting point. Except that with live music you don't need to focus the image because it's there in real life. On a stereo system you do what you can to create a representation of the real thing if only for a few fleeting moments. My rule on tweaks is this. If I'm not absolutely sure I hear a difference that I judge as an improvement I do not buy, unless the investment is so inexpensive that it doesn't bother me just to spend the money to do it. I would definitely advise you to listen for yourself and judge weighing cost versus benefits. A good example for me is power cables. To date I am not hearing huge improvements with the use of fancy power cables in my system. I decided though to invest in a good quality value cable (Sonic Horizon) because I think they make a small improvement and don't cost an arm and a leg.
I'm just not goinng to spend 500 or more for a power cable.
I'm just not goinng to spend 500 or more for a power cable.