Ceramic insulator cone under phono stage shocker!


I have used small ceramic insulator cones underneath my phono stage for quite some time.
Previous phono was a Gold note ph10 and it did not make ANY audible difference I could detect which way up the cones were so I had left them cone upwards.

When I changed my phono to a Manley Chinook I just left the cones same way.
This afternoon I decided to flip them over so cone down just to see.

I honestly could not and cannot believe the difference!
I may have lost a smidge of low bass but everywhere else is improved in spades.
Much more detail, resolution, air, imaging, dynamics.
Just completely shocking how much better a small change has made.

But I am perplexed why such a huge change on the Chinook where I noted nothing on the ph10?

Any theories here?
128x128uberwaltz
I suspect it's more than coincidental that the PH-10 is solid state while the Chinook uses tubes. Probably having the cones in the new orientation lessens vibrations that previously were affecting some or all of the tubes.

It might be a good idea to try to determine if any of the tubes are excessively microphonic, in which case they should be replaced. You can do that by removing the cover of the Chinook, and while it and the rest of the system are operating **very gently** tapping each tube with the eraser at the end of a pencil. If you do that with the volume control set at or a bit below a setting you would normally use, and the tapping results in a particularly loud noise, it would signify a problem in the particular tube.

Best,
-- Al
 
Al
You could have something there.
I know one pair of Amperex tubes in it are well used to be polite......

Sounds like a project for tomorrow morning.
Interesting.
No microphonics from either of the 4 tubes inside the Chinook that I could hear at all by performing Almargs suggested test, not even the slightest pop.

It just has to be the difference in the way the vibrations are borne away being much more noticeable through the tube phono.

Whatever it is a great cheap tweak! Lol.