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Replacing driver screws with brass screws

There was some discussion about this on Millercarbon's thread about the Moab speakers, and I wanted to pursue the subject further without interfering with his thread.
As I stated there, I have heard about this practice for quite a few years, but never tried it because it seemed like one of those lunatic fringe ideas; and even though I actually really enjoy trying tweaks, and have found many of them effective, I just was not prepared for what this one did for the music coming out of my speakers. 
Specifically, it improved the detail in ambient trails, focus in general, complex harmonics in voices and stringed instruments, and instrumental separation. It is not subtle, and it is immediately noticeable.
So, I am curious to know how many of you out there have tried this, and what your experience has been.
Thanks, John  
128x128roxy54
noromance's avatar
noromance
9,486 posts
 
Torque to TONE.... Old Ways...
This could be the best post here. 
noromance's avatar
noromance
9,486 posts
 
Try copper screws.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
oldhevymec, seems you're saying vibrate when what you mean is rattle. Tight won't rattle but everything vibrates, only question is how. You're probably right about torque to tone. Tighter probably is higher in the same way a guitar string is adjusted higher by tightening. The difference being the relatively stronger screw is going into MDF and probably cannot be tightened anywhere near enough for this to be noticeable. What probably would be noticeable is tightening compressing the gaskets. Just not to the degree of tone you're talking about. Lots of people tighten mounting screws, I sure have, never heard anything like this though.
clearthinker's avatar
clearthinker
1,582 posts
 
What about gold-plated brass screws?
Remember the first Krells?  KSA50 and KSA100.  They have these fixing the front panel to the chassis.

Now I had always thought they were there as decoration????


clearthinker's avatar
clearthinker
1,582 posts
 
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.  Small amounts of other metals are often added.  Crucially the proportions of all the contituents is variable.  So the content of brass is not fixed as for say iron.

Point no.1       Not all brass is the same, so why expect the same results?


Brass is non-magnetic (if there is no iron in the mix).  Speaker drivers have big powerful magnets in them.  In the case of a smallish speaker the fixing screws will be within a few inches of the magnet and within its magnetic field.

Point no.2     Clearly the lack of magnetism in the fixing screws will have a real and MEASURABLE effect on the action of the magnet on the driving coil, as compared with steel/iron fixing screws.


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