HI-FI Tweaks, myth or fact!

Monstermunch · 27 Mar 2006 at 18:02

Thought I would start this thread cos of a heated debate in another forum.

Over the years I have listened to magazines and people go on about simple and easy tweaks to perform on your system for little or no cost. Some good and some bad but i've always tried to be as objective as possible.

Here's a list off the top of my head:

1. Green Pen around edges of discs - Obviously started by the people who make green pens I think :rolleyes:

2. Polishing plug pins and fuses - IMO makes a remarkable difference to the sound, adding control response and bass depth.

3. Green paper in the CD Drawer - One of mates insists there is a difference but I think NOT

Comments, any more anyone. I may add to this later. Maybe we can create a sticky!

DRZ · 27 Mar 2006 at 18:07

Have a read up on Peter Belt - Techniques involve freezing CDs, attaching tin foil to your components etc. Total rubbish.

As for polishing fuses and mains plugs etc - I am sure there are hundreds of things you can do to that mains cable before polishing the fuse will ever make a difference. Ever.

Monstermunch · 27 Mar 2006 at 18:17

DRZ said:
Have a read up on Peter Belt - Techniques involve freezing CDs, attaching tin foil to your components etc. Total rubbish.

As for polishing fuses and mains plugs etc - I am sure there are hundreds of things you can do to that mains cable before polishing the fuse will ever make a difference. Ever.

Trust me i've been doing the HI-FI thing for years, it's the only thing i've ever tried that actually makes an audiable difference to the sound. It just seems to give the amplifier much more control.

Obviously it's not as good as a dedicated PSU like the PSX for example or even an expensive power lead, but it does make a difference.

Please give it a try and see for yourself.

DRZ · 27 Mar 2006 at 18:21

I have just built myself a power supply (for some audio equipment I am building) and have it sat here connected to my oscilloscope - do you think I will see a difference when I polish the fuse in it?

Does Brasso give better sound quality than just using fine glasspaper?

Monstermunch · 27 Mar 2006 at 18:38

DRZ said:
I have just built myself a power supply (for some audio equipment I am building) and have it sat here connected to my oscilloscope - do you think I will see a difference when I polish the fuse in it?

Does Brasso give better sound quality than just using fine glasspaper?

Okay you got me on that one but if you don't have the know how and can't afford better equipment then it does improve the sound!

tom_e · 27 Mar 2006 at 19:07

it would make sence if the ends of your cables or fuses were quite tarnished as oxide isnt always that conductive but apart from that im not too sure

mcmad · 27 Mar 2006 at 20:28

Monstermunch said:
Thought I would start this thread cos of a heated debate in another forum.

Over the years I have listened to magazines and people go on about simple and easy tweaks to perform on your system for little or no cost. Some good and some bad but i've always tried to be as objective as possible.

Here's a list off the top of my head:

1. Green Pen around edges of discs - Obviously started by the people who make green pens I think

2. Polishing plug pins and fuses - IMO makes a remarkable difference to the sound, adding control response and bass depth.

3. Green paper in the CD Drawer - One of mates insists there is a difference but I think NOT

Comments, any more anyone. I may add to this later. Maybe we can create a sticky!

tosh, the lot of it.

do a blind test & see if you still think so..

Monstermunch · 27 Mar 2006 at 20:39

mcmad said:
tosh, the lot of it.

do a blind test & see if you still think so..

Generally I agree, every tweak suggested to me i've either thought about or tried. None of which IMO had any impact on the sound except cleaning the pins.

I spose it's no different to putting new banana plugs on speaker cable every few years!

9designs2 · 27 Mar 2006 at 20:42

Yeah the Peter Belt stuff is general rubbish, I was reading the mags when it came out in the 80's !! green pens crack me !

BUT cleaning contacts in general is a good idea, a fuse is an extreme example to pick on I think !!! But a twice a year clean of all the contacts in the system does keep the sound as it should be.

Even the best Hi-Fi companies don't rely on an oscilloscope alone

Anyone for a bottle of snake oil !

mcmad · 27 Mar 2006 at 20:51

9designs2 said:
Even the best Hi-Fi companies don't rely on an oscilloscope alone

wanna bet ?

they leave the garbage to the marketing guys & hi-fi mag reviewers.

SexyGreyFox · 27 Mar 2006 at 20:53

Good grief I've just brasso'ed the mains plug on my TV and the picture is sharper. The bread in my toaster came out browner too.

philhoole · 27 Mar 2006 at 21:04

mcmad said:
wanna bet ?

Yes ! A scope is a pretty poor measurment device in some respects and can only tell you so much about a signal. They do use far more sophisticated measuring devices.

9designs2 · 27 Mar 2006 at 21:11

philhoole said:
Yes ! A scope is a pretty poor measurment device in some respects and can only tell you so much about a signal. They do use far more sophisticated measuring devices.

Yes their ears !!!! the most sensitive measuring device

mcmad · 27 Mar 2006 at 21:51

philhoole said:
Yes ! A scope is a pretty poor measurment device in some respects and can only tell you so much about a signal. They do use far more sophisticated measuring devices.

ok, now youre getting picky

.. lets agree on test equipment (spectrum analyser etc).

mcmad · 27 Mar 2006 at 21:51

9designs2 said:
Yes their ears !!!! the most sensitive measuring device

you are kidding right ?

DRZ · 27 Mar 2006 at 21:55

mcmad said:
you are kidding right ?

It is pretty god damn sensitive both outright and in terms of dynamic range. Shame it is attached to a human really

The best measurement mics in the world are better though

9designs2 · 27 Mar 2006 at 22:05

mcmad said:
you are kidding right ?

Show me someone who thinks they can design purely with measuring equipment without listening and I'll show a a piece of crap equipment !!
A lot of the effects in audio can not be measured, the pairing of certain components say, how do you measure, how well the music appears to "flow" or has good "timing" or is "tuneful" all effects that most people will perceive and tell from one piece of equipment to another.

Measurement gives a good direction and indication of the expected sound, but the ear gives the final and true verdict to how successful the theory was.
(I'm a Mechanical engineer not electrical, so forgive the simplified examples)

mcmad · 27 Mar 2006 at 22:09

sorry but for me hifi should purely pass the music from source to speakers unaltered in any way.. anything else is noise & distortion.. Get it to my speakers nice & pure like that & I will tweak it to make up for my damaged hearing thanks

flow, timing, tunefull... youv'e been reading to many reviews..

DRZ · 27 Mar 2006 at 22:16

mcmad said:
sorry but for me hifi should purely pass the music from source to speakers unaltered in any way.. anything else is noise & distortion.. Get it to my speakers like that & I will tweak it to make up for my damaged hearing thanks

flow, timing, tunefull... youv'e been reading to many reviews..

I am a scientist, through and through and I have to say, I am not sure I agree with you.

Every bit of metal you go through affects the signal and you have a choice of how you do that as a designer. It isnt as simple as that.

Take a musician, for example. A guitarist doesnt just play the notes. If they did, it would be boring and unlistenable - each person adds a certain something to it and it is that which makes it listenable.

Have you ever talked to a good studio engineer that has had to mic up a kit for a drummer that was rubbish? Hard to get it to sound good. A good drummer does things in a different way but it sounds much better.

Im not, by any strech of the imagination, a wishy-washy hifi fanatic. I am studying Acoustics and look at things in a scientific way. I believe the "best" is the "humanisation" of the science. You cant keep things clinical for something with as much feeling/expression as music.

9designs2 · 27 Mar 2006 at 22:18

mcmad said:
sorry but for me hifi should purely pass the music from source to speakers unaltered in any way.. anything else is noise & distortion.. Get it to my speakers like that & I will tweak it to make up for my damaged hearing thanks

flow, timing, tunefull... youv'e been reading to many reviews..

That is the ideal design, so why doesn't all equipment sound the same, if it were purely a measurement exercise.....all designs would met the same required "spec".... don't think anyone would claim all gear sounds the same ???

Like all complex measurement equipment it needs training to be used correctly, that includes the human ear

Not read to many reviews just listened to music....