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My list of tweaks and the verdict

As metro NY has been pretty much shut down for the past 11 months and counting, I get so bored sometimes that I find experimenting by buying tweaky audio products to be a helpful reprieve and keeps me from spiraling into the abyss.
So this is what I have purchased in the past 6 months and my quick verdict on sonic impact — what I hear or perceive to hear using my brain and ears in my 2 channel all analog all tube setup:

Not in any particular order and using baseball terms:

1. Walker Audio Talisman. Strikeout. A big swing and miss. The silliest purchase for sure.

2. Copper ankle socks. Home run. No more shocks when I touch my tonearm. Just wow. Least expensive tweak to date that works.

3. Symposium Segue amp shelves. Strikeout. Heard no difference in noise floor, bass, etc. But looks really nice.

4. Symposium Segue ISO Stealth turntable shelf with Rollerblocks Series 2. Home run. Out of the park. Really hear and SEE a significant improvement in everything - clarity, bass, soundstage. Took the performance of 2 very different turntables up a lot. “See” because my needle would jump sometimes and now you can actually see the rollerblocks doing their job swaying back and forth with no impact on the music like a building a Japan. Disclaimer: Room suffers from significant footfall.

5. Townshend Seismic Isolation Platform under my Harbeth 40.2 Ton Trager stands. Home Run. Further improvement due probably to serious footfall in my room. My most expensive tweak but worth it to me.

6. Stein Music Carbon Edition Perfect Interface. Another big swing and miss. Strikeout. Zero diff perceived vs no mat or stock mat. Most expensive swing and miss.

7. Yellow bird Hexmat. A solid double. First time I’ve heard a mat make a noticeable improvement. Probably cause this mat is a record isolator/decoupler and again reduces impact from vibrations.

8. Stillpoint Ultra LPI ver2. A solid double. This one is so easy to A/B and hear a noticeable improvement on some songs vs using no record weight or even the stock record weight. Basically things got quieter enabling me to turn up the volume which increased the perceived dynamics. Plus it looks really cool.

9. Symposium rollerblock jr. Under my phonostage or preamp. Strikeout. I don’t hear any impact on the noise floor but theoretically it’s there.

10. Isoacoustics Gaia tried under preamp, phonostage, amp. Strikeout. Didn’t hear anything noticeably different but again theoretically it’s doing something.

11. Assorted tube rolling. NOS, new new etc. Not sure if this is a tweak but I didn’t really hear any discernible difference to my memory. But it was fun to learn and do it.

Well there you have it! Anyone have similar experiences?


aj523
redwoodaudio
413 posts
 
Appreciate some reporting from the tweak trenches, OP. 
My favorite recent tweak: isoacoustics oreas under my harbeth 30.2s and tube preamp.
And I tried a Schumann generator for a while, didn't make an audible difference. I guess I could have tried 6 or 8, but I had better things to do. 
spatialking's avatar
spatialking
610 posts
 
@aj523 Thanks for the work and the tweak reporting.   I am sure it was a lot of work and I appreciate the effort.   Thanks for sharing.
mahgister's avatar
mahgister
12,994 posts
 
And I tried a Schumann generator for a while, didn’t make an audible difference. I guess I could have tried 6 or 8, but I had better things to do.
The S.G. produce audible effects but in an already good room where the effect can be audible in the first place... The effect of my S.G. is very audible and subtle at the same time especially in higher frequencies range, no way i would have been able to enjoy them BEFORE my room increasing acoustical controls and treatment...There is an ORDER in the process of improving a room , the S.G. are NOT the first thing to do at all....

You have certainly better things to do, i guess it will be improving your acoustic treatment and controls...This experience is a sign of a lack in your acoustic settings....

My best to you....
antigrunge2
1,399 posts
 
Tweaks for little money that work:

Wrapping DAC and Streamer in EFI/RFI cloth

Using Black Ravioli pads under source components

Using Caig Deoxit or similar on all signal and power contacts

Replacing spades or other high mass speaker cable terminations with crimp-on, low mass, brass crocodile bananas

The Cartridgeman Isolator between headshell and cartridge


A litlle more money:

Stein Speaker Match

EMO EN70-HD inserted in ethernet to streamer connection

Intona Isolator inserted in streamer to DAC connection

Furutech NCF Clear Line passive power conditioner

Acoustic Revive RUT1 passive USB conditioner

EAT and Duende Criatura tube rings


Expensive but worth it:

Bybee Golden Goddess speaker Bullets

Acoustic Revive Rem-8 and RGD-24 under source power transformers

Acoustic Revive RTP passive power conditioning bars

Gingko Audio isolation platforms

Symposium Svelte Shelf isolation platforms
turnbowm
353 posts
 

sokogear319 posts02-15-2021 8:09pm"...I believe it cleans up the power as the current goes from the wall (or a power conditioner, power strip, etc.) to the component, so the longer the cable, the more it conditions the current..."

Theoretically, the longer power cord, with more inductance, capacitance and resistance, would provide more filtering but I think the difference would be minimal at best.

The downside to the longer power cord is an increase in the source impedance of the AC supply to the components with a resulting reduction in music dynamics (bass impact, in particular).

Companies like Audioquest and Shunyata Research go to great lengths to minimize the impedance in all of their power delivery components (power conditioners, power cables, etc.) for this very reason. This same consideration also applies to their speaker cable designs. Longer cables defeat their best efforts.
 
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