(Nearly) Free Tweaks [Archive]

Early B.

08-10-2005, 05:39 PM

It's been a while since we listed our favorite tweaks. This time, let's confine it to free or cheap tweaks.

Of course the obvious ones involve screwing around with placement and toe-in. Another simple tweak is taking the grilles off the speakers. But my favorite cheap tweak would have to be putting a concrete paver under my sub.

neomagus00

08-10-2005, 05:42 PM

being the scientist type that i am, and a novice in the HT world, an explanation of WHY this is a good tweak would be cool too... the first three of early b.'s i understand, the slab i do not... why?

Vr3MxStyler2k3

08-10-2005, 05:45 PM

Slabs isolate the subwoofer from the floor, lessen the chances of your floor becoming a trampoline and resorts to cleaner, more accurate bass...

I think crossover upgrades should be at the top of the list...

The no grill thing is an excellent point... mainly because grill cloth damps the highs around 13khz... - or sometimes the grills just suck (Infinity Beta)...

Placement...well I've started quite a long thread on that one...

Emlyn

08-10-2005, 06:13 PM

If one has a pair of SDA's, which go close to the back wall by design, try putting a soft wall hanging (decorative blanket or rug) on the wall between the speakers. If you can avoid it, do not put large glass objects, like mirrors or large TV's between speakers for two channel systems. This made a big difference in soundstage depth with mine.

steveinaz

08-10-2005, 06:42 PM

Emlyn

08-10-2005, 06:46 PM

Double-sided strips of velcro for cable management. Cheap and very effective, easy to undo if cable swapping.

michael_w

08-10-2005, 07:02 PM

Kind of a placement thing but make sure tweeters are at ear level.

Replacing the jumpers is really cheap and easy but it's up to you to decide if you can hear a difference. (myself .... I'm not quite sure if it does)

michael_w

08-10-2005, 07:14 PM

I havn't stepped to that level but I guess swapping tubes can make a big difference.

Frank Z

08-10-2005, 07:14 PM

Calibrate your HT system with an SPL Meter.

dorokusai

08-10-2005, 08:10 PM

Turn the power button to "on".

PolkThug

08-10-2005, 08:45 PM

Hands down, the best tweak is the ear wax candle.

Emlyn

08-10-2005, 09:04 PM

Remove eyeglasses, turn off the lights. Works well as a bed time tweak too.

unc2701

08-10-2005, 10:24 PM

For HT- get a pair of step ladders, put your rear surrounds on 'em and move them to every reasonable position in the room till you find the best. It's amazing the difference that it can make, and the "right" position isn't always where you think it is. OH, and you have to calibrate w/ a SPL meter between each try.

Polkersince85

08-10-2005, 10:31 PM

Spark plug wire separators/ holddowns that will fit you IC's work good for management. Gives your system a Hotrod look. Get more music per CD, too.

Early B.

08-11-2005, 12:47 AM

Hey, thanks for the cable management ideas. Hadn't considered that one.

Funny you should mention it, Thug, but I've been looking into the whole ear candling thing. I want to get it done just so I can run home, turn on my 2-channel system and hear stuff I haven't heard before! I wonder how long it lasts before your ears fill up with wax again....

Early B.

08-11-2005, 12:54 AM

This sounds really stupid, but I put a few coats of polyurethane on the inside of my wood speakers. Why, you ask? Because there are times in our lives when we do things for absolutely no reason whatsoever. Nevertheless, I did a great job convincing myself that it actually gave the highs a bit more detail, so the psychological effect was beneficial.

dragon1952

08-11-2005, 01:37 AM

Schris22

08-11-2005, 01:42 AM

how thick of concrete do ya need for isolation? like will one inch thick do it?

Chris

Early B.

08-11-2005, 02:54 AM

how thick of concrete do ya need for isolation? like will one inch thick do it?

Go to Home Depot or Lowes and spend $4 and change on a concrete paver (18" x 18") in the outdoor gardening section. Spray paint it black and stick it under your sub.

unc2701

08-11-2005, 09:49 AM

Windex. Clean your CD's squeaky clean with Windex and an old cotton undershirt. Wipe from inside towards the outer edge all the way around until smudge and gunk free. Believe me, there's stuff on there you don't see. Awesome tweak!

That reminds me- you can take the scratches out of cd's w/ a q-tip and brasso. Just make sure you keep it away from the label side.

madmax

08-11-2005, 11:10 AM

"Feel" each of your components. If you feel a vibration such as 60hz you can find the vibrating part (usually a transformer) and damp it.

madmax

Schris22

08-11-2005, 11:40 AM

Go to Home Depot or Lowes and spend $4 and change on a concrete paver (18" x 18") in the outdoor gardening section. Spray paint it black and stick it under your sub.

I think i'll do that...

Thanks,

Chris

Will report if there is any difference...

tecmo04

08-11-2005, 11:41 AM

interested to hear schris. i want to do it too

Jstas

08-11-2005, 06:53 PM

Clean your gear.

Dust and grime from your greasy fingers gumming everything up builds up over time. Dust and grime not only cut down the gear's ability to dissapate heat but it can hamper smooth operation of dials and buttons. If you keep the gear clean, not only does it look spectacular but it runs cooler too. Cooler running means better performance out of it.

madmax

08-12-2005, 12:00 PM

When eating fried chicken or ribs it is a good idea to wash your hands before handling your equipment.
madmax

Willow

08-12-2005, 12:13 PM

Willow

08-12-2005, 12:20 PM

My 2 favorite nearly free tweaks:

1. Placing speakers on tile/slab when the room is carpeted
2. Cable management. Many people overlook good cable management, they have these huge, expensive systems and cables everywhere. AC laying on speaker cables, laying on IC's....nasty. Clean those runs up and pitch the AC line conditioner (you won't need it no mo'). My system is deadly quiet.

Why the slabs under the main speakers ? same results as the sub ?
My wife would say, geez this place looks like a construction zone. My reply would be snarky " great here's your hard hat"

bobman1235

08-12-2005, 12:42 PM

Funny you should mention it, Thug, but I've been looking into the whole ear candling thing. I want to get it done just so I can run home, turn on my 2-channel system and hear stuff I haven't heard before! I wonder how long it lasts before your ears fill up with wax again....

Uh, first, ear wax is a necessary and helpful deterrent to things getting into your ears and causing infection. Not to mention that "candling" is proven to be ineffectual and potentially dangerous.

Why Ear Candling Is Not a Good Idea (http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/candling.html)

Ear Candling Exposed (http://www.doctorhoffman.com/candling.htm)

If you want to clean your inner ears, do some basic irrigation with one of those solutions that you find at a drug store. If you have actual ear wax PROBLEMS, go see a doctor.

I know 20 people are going to now say they've had it done a million times and notice a positive effect with no negatives, but I'm just sayin... not good for you. You all like... good sound, I wouldn't eff with your ears... they're kinda necessary in this hobby.

Vr3MxStyler2k3

08-12-2005, 12:58 PM

Getting your ears cleaned at the doctors then going home and cranking the music probally wouldnt be a good idea. Just get some ear drops of some kind..

Willow

08-12-2005, 12:59 PM

Bob, is right, I did one of my wife's ears and the suction it caused left here with pain for 1 week.

It not only cleans wax but you should see the crap that comes out of our ears. I know it's gross but anytime we do it we cut the candle open and check out the gunk
On the other hand everything is good in moderation

neomagus00

08-12-2005, 02:20 PM

moderation = good, but willow, you should take a gander at the first article that bobman posted, it discusses the 'gunk'

Willow

08-12-2005, 02:44 PM

even the medical field has snake oil.
It feels good anyhow.
How do we know that article wasn't written by a Naysayer?

Vr3MxStyler2k3

08-12-2005, 02:46 PM

Doctors clean your ears out with a water pic of sorts...

I dont recomend doing this yourself - but it works very well...

Dont think Id want anything sucking anything out of my ears...lol

PolkThug

08-12-2005, 04:59 PM

Candle experiment. http://altmed.creighton.edu/ear/experiment.htm

Polkersince85

08-12-2005, 06:43 PM

I think we have gone from "tweaks" to "freaks". IMO Maybe with the wax out, you will hear the "tw"

Early B.

08-12-2005, 07:13 PM

OK, back on topic. I just painted my nuts. No, not those, the cap nuts on my amp. Screws, too. I wanted to get a more appealing look. Not necessarily a tweak, per se, but it helps visually while I'm listening to music 'cause what looks better sounds better. Same concept in golf -- you buy clubs that look nice, hoping they will improve your game.

Polkersince85

08-12-2005, 07:24 PM

I tried turning the volume up on my preamp, wow, now it's a lot louder. Worked great.

scottnbnj

08-13-2005, 01:07 AM

drops and a bulb that you buy in the drug store work. next time you're at the doctor ask if it could help or hurt.

)

Polkitup2

08-13-2005, 06:19 PM

SACD and DVD-A, all speakers set to large, position them the same distance from your melon, rock on!

Frank Z

08-13-2005, 07:17 PM

SACD and DVD-A, all speakers set to large, position them the same distance from your melon, rock on!Not a really good tweek. There are plenty of recordings that will blow the drivers if the full range signal is sent to a speaker that can't handle the lower frequencies. Telarc's 1812 Overature is a prime example of a multichannel disc that needs to be played at a low level to ensure that you don't grenade your speakers.

Polkersince85

08-13-2005, 10:25 PM

A good source for an isolation mat is these 1/2"-3/4" thick exercise mats. I often find them in thrift stores for less than a buck or two. Cut them up to size, put it on the shelf, a piece of glass, set the cd player on it and rock on.

janmike

08-13-2005, 11:55 PM

The best tweak was convincing my wife that good equipment, and I mean everything, is important. Works for me!

Polkitup2

08-14-2005, 08:19 AM

My point with SACD and DVD-A is to hear them as the engineer intended, you need five large speakers placed equal distance from your listening position. I know with my setup I also have to select source direct mode on my Denon 3910 otherwise the DSD signal gets converted to PCM to which bass management is applied. So if I set my speaker's to small, I am getting converted to PCM

Frank Z, I have Telarc's war of 1812 that comes with the warning label about being recored at a high level. Nice recording. I always though that by setting my speakers to large if I had smaller speakers that couldn't reproduce the low extension that I would simply lose that portion of the signal. You're saying I could actually blow my drivers?

Also, if you liked the cannons in the War of 1812 you might like the DVD Master and Commander. The cannon shots in that movie put Telarc's a to shame IMO.

Frank Z

08-14-2005, 10:28 AM

Sure can, but you'd have to put some power into them as well. Why risk it?

If your speakers are designed to reproduce a specific frequency range. Feeding them a full range signal is not going to make them sound better, they'll sound worse. Let your sub handle the low range and let the smaller speakers do what they to best, mids and highs. You just might notice an improvement in detail and clarity from a lot of your favorite music. Chances are that your receiver, preamp, or cd/dvd player has some sort of bass management feature that will allow you to not only select the correct size but you might even be able to select the crossover points for the individual speakers as well.

So I guess another free tweak would be to become very familiar with the operation of each piece of equipment we own. I know that there are quite a few features that I wasn't aware of untill I really dug into my AVM-20 manual.

Don't just plug and play, spend some time reading as well.

Now where'd I put that stack of manuals.......

dkg999

08-19-2005, 12:59 AM

Use some CAIG deoxit and a Q-Tip to clean the IEC connection on your components, both the plug on the power cord and the metal conductors on the component. Amazing how much oxidation you will clean off! And it seems to make some difference in SQ.

For sound deadening panels, use 1" to 1 1/2" foam blue board from Lowes, Home Depot, etc. Cover with your choice of fairly heavy fabric and use small nails to fasten to the drywall. Worked wonders behind my Maggie 1.6's.

To separate components for better airflow, buy wooden toy wheels from Hobby Lobby, usually the 2 1/2" by 3/4" thick ones. Paint with some black water based paint and use 1/16" sticky back foam from Walmart cut to size on both sides of the wheel. Works very nicely to get some additional air flow and when painted black with black foam, nicely hidden from view.

michael_w

08-19-2005, 03:04 AM

What kind of foam is this blue board stuff?

ode

08-20-2005, 02:19 AM

My point with SACD and DVD-A is to hear them as the engineer intended, you need five large speakers placed equal distance from your listening position. I know with my setup I also have to select source direct mode on my Denon 3910 otherwise the DSD signal gets converted to PCM to which bass management is applied. So if I set my speaker's to small, I am getting converted to PCM

I thought that small speakers are ones designed to be used with a subwoofer, they aren't able to reproduce anything below 200hz. Large speakers are ones designed to reproduce the entire range. It has nothing to do with the size of the speaker.

Frank Z

08-20-2005, 08:37 AM

Ode,
You are correct.

Polkitup2

08-20-2005, 09:21 AM

Ode,

I should have said "full range" instead of large. I was referring to the setting of large in my DVD player which implies a full range speaker.

Emlyn

08-20-2005, 09:38 AM

I thought that small speakers are ones designed to be used with a subwoofer, they aren't able to reproduce anything below 200hz. Large speakers are ones designed to reproduce the entire range. It has nothing to do with the size of the speaker.

Even a small speaker like the LSi7 has a -3dB point of 53Hz. Almost all home speakers (including the SDA-SRS) can't manage clean output below around 25-35Hz without exceeding the -3dB point. So, a large subwoofer is almost always necessary in home systems to get high SPL's from 80Hz down to 20 Hz.

Multichannel DVD-A and SACD are mastered in recording studios with sound systems such as Genelec active monitoring systems that have five full range active monitors (around 20Hz to 80kHz) and a subwoofer that is set to cut off around 19Hz. These systems are capable of easily producing 136dB SPL's and aren't anything like most home audio/home theater speaker systems.

Polkitup was correct that all speakers in a home environment need to be set as "large" to achieve the same effects as in the recording studio for multichannel music. This isn't usually possible in the home environment, but if one wants to get close to the experience as heard by the recording engineers in the studio on a multichannel DVD-A or SACD release of a recording one really does need to have big floorstanding speakers and adequate amplification for the job. It was too much of a hassle for me, so I've gone back to just two channel systems. That's a good tweak really--go back to two channel music, it costs less than multichannel. :D