Cheap tweaks...What would YOU reccomend?

Lacee - I shared your beliefs until I tried it on my 10 gauge cable and found it improved the sound

I think the trick is to minimize the effect of the solder by ensuring..
1. The spade is a tight fit on the wire
2. Crimp before soldering to make an initial "cold weld"

Maybe all that is needed is a crimp?

I've since tried it on my braided romex and my other furutech and DH Labs cables with the same positive results.

ITS a secret !!

All solder is bad, especially that which you can buy today. Welding would be great were it easy to do.

I'm a beginner audiophile, so I like to try tweaks that are affordable alternatives to more expensive products to see if they work before paying higher prices.

I started using the Diversitech EVA foam anti-vibration pads (similar to isol-pads, isoblocks, etc.) under my components, speakers and other devices to eliminate vibration noises. They work and they are cheap, and there isn't any hocus-pocus marketing to read through because they are made by an industrial supply company. Something to consider if you are looking for some sort of isolation footer. They come in a lot of different sizes. I have a short blog post about them if anyone is interested in reading and sharing their experiences with comparable products...I'm always looking to learn about new tips/tweaks. http://thesoundapprentice.blogspot.com/2013/10/cheap-tweaks-diversitech-eva-anti.html

Decongestants, like pseudophedren. If you ears or sinus' are plugged it full of fluid you won't get the best out of your ears! :) maybe obvious but I thought I would through it in.

Do not other to take your ear health seriously. I had the unfortunate circumstance of a viral ear infection rob me of 30% if my low frequency hearing on the left side. It's been 6 years and will not be coming back. Take any change in hearing seriously and get it checked by an ENT, some things can be treated if addressed quickly.

I was on a 2 week business trip out of the country and figured my ears woul get better. When I finally had them looked at they told me I missed a 72 hour window to trat with steroids and would not likely recover.

Wishing you all great health!