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Feeling Tweaky

I recently tried my first system tweak, purchasing IsoAcoustic Orea isolation footers for my Luxman 507uX Mk2 integrated amp, Marantz Ruby CD/SACD player, and Shunyate Hydra Denali 6000S power conditioner. I liked the improvement in sound quality so much I’ve gone ahead and ordered IsoAcoustic Gaia feet for my VPI Classic 2 turntable and Magico A3 speakers. I never expected a tweak to make such an improvement, not just a change, in sound quality. By the way, my cables are Audioquest Rocket 88 speaker cables, Audioquest Colorado cables from the CD/SACD player, and VPI phono cables. The Shunyata Hydra Denali has a Venom power cable. All the other power cords are what came with each component.

Acoustic room treatments that would affect room decor are unfortunately out of the equation and I’ve already tried my best to design component shelving to be a vibration free as I could. I’ve thought about are redoing the house wiring to create a dedicated circuit, and making an ultrasonic record cleaner.

So my question to you all is, what tweaks have had the most positive impact on your own system, that you could you recommend for the above described system? There seems to be a lot of tweaks out there that range from the sublime to the ridiculous in both performance and price. I’d like to know what tweaks of the many out there have worked best for you so I can make a list and prioritize each in terms of performance and budget. Please share your favorites and I’d appreciate your advice. Thanks,


Mike



skyscraper
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
Skyscraper, get yourself a nice cookie jar and label it Hi Fi. If you get the urge to buy something ....silly, throw the money in the jar. Eventually you will have enough for something significant like a new cartridge. I do not understand this instant gratification thing. Spend your money where it really counts. If you are rich and don't mind throwing money away for the sake of experimentation fine, but otherwise go for the sure thing. You will wind up with a much better system in the long run. 
Geoffkait, you see? People do know when you are joking or being serious. It's fine to have obtuse thinking but you have to display it carefully with strangers. Must of us are just plain dumb. I include myself in that category. 
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 

mijostyn
Geoffkait, you see? People do know when you are joking or being serious. It’s fine to have obtuse thinking but you have to display it carefully with strangers. Must of us are just plain dumb. I include myself in that category.

>>>>>I gratefully accept your advice, coming as it does from someone who I strongly suspect displays himself to strangers frequently.
sgordon1
436 posts
 
Rim shot, and cymbal crash, to Geoff!
skyscraper OP
830 posts
 
Mijoststyn, I appreciate your cynicism on tweaks, having been repeatedly criticized for being too cynical myself ever since being a teenager. On the other hand maybe there are a few things, like you've done with your system, that may be sensible and helpful. I aim to try and winnow them out, especially the low and no cost ones. My long career in Corrections has been an excellent training ground for weeding out BS. That is 90% or more of what you hear every day, and have to sort out the truth from in that setting. There's always someone inventive enough to get over on you though.

Mijostyn, In my reply to your first post on this thread I'd asked you a question or two. Would you mind re-reading those and let me know your answers, as I was thinking of following your advice on a thing or two you've done with your system.  Thanks.

Mre28m5, I'll add your suggestions to my list of products to look up. Thank you.

Tantejuut, your ideas and products suggested are added to the list too. Thanks,

Mike


audioguy85's avatar
audioguy85
2,018 posts
 
So now books are bad in a listening room? Can’t say I’ve ever heard anyone ever say this. My take, a combination of reflective and absorbing materials in an average room will in essence average out the sound period. All this room treatment crap is for the birds. Just furnish and decorate the room properly, and dont just listen in a room with walls lined with mirrors and windows for example....I dont get all the obsession with this. A pillow here, a throw over there...a picture hung here or there, a nice stuffed chair or couch over there, a scatter rug, some hard surfaces such as a table maybe? You know, its called a room you live in? Not a prison. My goodness...I’ll do what I want, cause it’s my room and i gotta live in it. I’m not rich and can’t afford an addition or a divorce for that matter. This forum drives me nut sometimes, talk about being anal and obsessed. I do not think any speaker manufacturer envisioned any user of a particular speaker going to these lengths just to get acceptable sound. If the speaker sounds that aweful in your average furnished room, then maybe it’s just crap....all my own opinion. I've done none of these tweaks and my system sounds fine, unless I'm deaf or i just lucked out...who knows...
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