Tweaks you got rid of because they were not effective (enough)?


There are some audiophiles for whom cost is no object; they buy what they wish and every single tweak and gadget which promises to improve the sound. And the industry is all too happy to produce such tweaks -- often made of expensive materials with elaborate engineering explanations. Those who question the value of these tweaks are frequently accused of being "naysayers" who are either too ignorant or insensate to realize that "everything matters."

Of course, money spent one place cannot be spent elsewhere; expenditures on tweaks take the place of other more central factors affecting the sound. In some cases, those tweaks are worth it; you can hear the difference, and that $400 (or whatever) really could not have improved your speakers or sub or amp, etc.

So, the question here is simple: Which tweak have you tried which, after some experience and reflection, you realized was either *not* effective or not the most effective way to improve your system? 
128x128hilde45
Spikes under speakers and components. Never heard a difference, good or bad.
agree w input already given

footers and spikes on electrical components (i do feel they matter under speakers and racks, ground to concrete subfloor)

tube dampers, esp. those retarded metal spring loaded thingy’s - ugh

shun mook mpingo wood thingy’s and shakti stone - what a load of bs

cd demagnetizers, glow paint, poly edge rings - all useless

lots of expensive wire...


@cd318 
To get a real improvement it was better and more cost effective in the long run, to just buy better equipment
Bingo! - Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

Better Equipment.....everything else is just icing on the cake.

I have been underwhelmed with most tweaks (many already listed here) with a few exceptions, which are listed below in the (approximate) order of the tangible benefit I perceived:
  • Decoupling/springs and/or Herbie's products below components, and especially beneath speakers
  • Stable, heavy, acoustically inert platforms/bases
  • Damping the room
  • Mass loading components and speakers to reduce cabinet resonances
  • Optically decoupling Ethernet connection to DAC