Tweaks

You are kidding, right?

If you aren't kidding, you have to be very new to this, so read, read, read and then think, think, think until it makes sense to you.

You're in a room playing music. Sound waves flow out of the speakers and are bouncing all around your room hitting everything in sight, including your components.

Signals or AC pass through wires, if the grounding or shielding allows leakage, what's next to the leaking wires.

This isn't rocket science, but it can appear to be!

Chuck

Certainly Vibropods are a very cheap tweak, and crossing power ICs at right angles is easy and cheap too. I have not heard of putting grounding caps in unused pre-ins. Does anyone know where to get grounding caps or how much they cost?

Tbromgard, You can make grounding plug yourself for a couple bucks each. All parts are available from Radio Shack.

http://www.siteswithstyle.com/VoltSecond/Shorting_plug_rca/shorting_plug.html

All three of these tweaks are fairly standard, and well known actually.

Remember though that tweaks are just that, "tweaks", which are minor little adjustments to one's system, that may, or may not, affect the sound of the system. Try'em out and if they work, great. If not, no big deal, as most of these tweaks are relatively cheap to try out anyway.

Tbromgard: Here is a link to some grounding caps:
Music Direct-grounding caps

#1 I tried shorting pins and found no appreciable change. Make sure if you try this, not to insert said pin into an output jack. #2 Vibrapods made some difference but not huge and not always an improvement. Audio points and Still points are the real deal. #3 I would rather listen to Elton John (I dislike his music) than spend the time attempting to have cords intersect at right angles.

Suggestion for #4 Try some GIK panels in your room. They are reasonably priced.