Audiophile Priorities and Recent Topics

Tweaks are about a deeper understanding of how sound is being produced from the recording process all the way to the end result.
Tweaks also seem really counter intuitive and voodoo magic at times. How can six feet of wire dramatically change the sound when electricity has traveled 1000s of miles to get to your stereo. Honestly I have no idea. My latest theory with NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE is that it’s not filtering the electricity from the source but it’s effecting the electricity changes produced from inside the device... but I digress.

Cable lifters ungodly expensive. 8 little plastic foglifter devices $150 and do they even work???

Before spending your hard earned cash try an experiment.

Buy a case of beer (everything sounds better with beer)
Buy lots more broccoli (don’t just steal the rubber bands)
Go to the drawer that has all those rubber bands that came on the broccoli
I have two sizes thick and thin
put the thick rubber band near the bottom and the thinner rubber band around the top
wedge a piece of cardboard between the bottles so they don’t vibrate. (I cut mine from a pizza box... had to use the leftover beer)
repeat until you have enough to get the cables off the floor.

now just listen. Is it better?
If it is, buy Danager a beer. If it isn’t just drink the beer and eat the broccoli.
this sounds like a win win to me

OK, here’s playing the devil’s advocate.  Sometimes the most obvious answers that are right in front of you do not come to light.

I do not consider interconnects, or speaker and power cables tweaks.

First, lets be real, many of the lengths that some of you go to to tweak your systems would be considered fairly symptomatic of a neurotic condition by non audiophiles.  I think you will find it is also considered the same by a lot of audiophiles.

A possible explanation for the tweak o maniac is that they have blown so much money and ended up with a such a lousy sounding system that they will try anything, no matter how weird, to make it sound better and not have to admit they really blew it.

This is only relevant if you have never had your system sound so good that you could just sit back and enjoy it.

Remember I am just playing the devil's advocate.

It seems to me that there are basically two types of tweak: the substitute tweak and the add-on tweak.

Substitute category: you're replacing something that your system needs in order for it to work with a something else that performs the same basic function, though supposedly better: fuses, power cords, capacitors, whatever.

Add-on category: without these, your system will continue to produce sound: dynamat, footers, microdots on the walls, whatever.

@jetter

I do not consider interconnects, or speaker and power cables tweaks.

I’d agree but would you claim to be deriving more than 50% of your system’s listening pleasure from your cabling alone? I ask this as I’m genuinely curious because I’ve read the claim being made and it simply doesn’t cinch up with my own personal experiences or even guidance you read in say Harley’s book. I wouldn’t assign more than 10% or so to cables which means I acknowledge it can certainly make a difference and is worth addressing but it’s not close to being one of my highest priorities.

So the thread was created to foster a discussion of what are your highest priorities and what role (and relative importance) do areas like cables, footers, and fuses have in your system? I just know my experience and I’d like to hear others. Our collective accounts could be really helpful to others.

substitute = gear changer = great buying opportunity