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What is your favorite low-tech tweek?

With all of this talk of expensive interconnects, the right plugs, etc., what have you done to your system that has been helpful but without shelling out tons of money?

In a differant thread I saw where I could use some foam insulation used for water pipes to wrap around my longer interconnects to keep them off the floor and seperated from other cables/wires. Also, I am using a pair of tall electrostatic speakers laying on their sides for audio. They are positioned at the base of my screen used in my home theatre. I didn't want the speakers flat on the hardwood floors, so I am using a couple month's supply of wine corks beneath the speakers for seperation. Finally, I got a bit tired looking at the cheap two-wire power cord that came with my Cd player and I re-wired a much better computer cord to a two-pronged plug and I do believe I have better results. That, or I should have made the best use of what the wine corks were designed to do stop with the crazy creative tinkering. So, what have you done along these lines?
unclejeff
hawaiikid
107 posts
 
A month ago I bought some Stillpoint ERS material from a local dealer. ERS material reportedly absorbs RFI. I placed a sheet over my cdp and made panels to cover the sides and front of my amp. Well, the results were very favorable. My system played with noticably more detail and was more holographic.
unclejeff OP
1,313 posts
 
Hey H-kid, Can you enlighten us a bit on the ERS material. I have never heard of it.
hawaiikid
107 posts
 
Hi Unclejeff, the "ERS material" is made out of graphite fibers and various metallic substances that are imbedded in a cloth-like material, and is commonly sold by the Stillpoint people in 8"x10" sheets for approximately $20.00 or you can possibly purchase ERS from your local high end audio dealer.

Radio Frequency Interference practically exists everywhere from tv, radio, cellular and telephone, and microwave signals. The ERS material supposedly absorbs harmful RFI.

Fortunately, a local dealer in Hawaii had a roll of the ERS material and I bought a sheet roughly 33"x36". Needless to say, the cost was justified many times over by the favorable results that I got when I covered the top of my digital front end player and the sides and back of my amplifier. I immediately noticed more detail, speed in the lower bass, and a bigger and deeper soundstage. I actually had to lower the gain on my REL Stentor subwoofer and volume control on my amp, believe it or not.

Because of the graphite fibers, you must be careful when using this product. I was advised that the graphite fibers could cause a short in my components, so I taped all sides with electrician's tape, please be careful to follow the manufacturer's instructions.

The word is beginning to get out about this product (ERS) and you would be surprised to hear which manufacturers are using or plan to use this product in their power cord, interconnect, and speaker cables.
jm88439
40 posts
 
Getting my wife and son out of the house. The system always sounds amazing then.
gonglee3
304 posts
 
I like to put my speakers near my bed (but not too close) and fall asleep to music, especially after a good night bath, with my favorite cup of tea, I am in heaven. Somehow, it sounds better lying down - I have no scientific explanation for it. May be we used to be like dogs and our head got more blood supply since horizontal placement of our body; hence yogis upside down poses. Feels good, everyone should try it. You can just sit in a chair, and let your head down for a few minutes.
This relaxed state of mined between the waking and the sleeping stage (the alpha state) is great for listening to music. I wouldn't recommend songs with words though - they might have the scary effect of hypnotizing us (All the audio exec. systems with waking up feature should not allow radio as a source to wake up to for this reason). Anyone in the industry should alert manufactures. Wake up to CD music only, without words to be safe.
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