14 Simple & Inexpensive Tips for Improving Your Stereo System (TAS 197)
November 3rd, 2009 -- by Robert Harley
Source: The Absolute Sound
Source: The Absolute Sound
1. Tighten your speaker’s driver mounting bolts
The bolts holding the loudspeaker drivers to the baffle can loosen over time, causing the drivers’ basket and flange to vibrate. Gently snug-down the bolts and you’ll hear an increase in midrange clarity and resolution. Be sure not to over-tighten the bolts and strip the baffle. Cost: Free.
2. Cross Cables At Right Angles
It’s inevitable that analog interconnects, digital interconnects, and AC power cords will meet behind your rack. Where they do, they should intersect each other at right angles rather than running parallel to each other. Separate all cables as far as possible. A great device for separating cables behind a rack (or behind power amplifiers) is Shunyata’s Dark Field Mini Elevators.
Cost: Free, or $99 for a Dark Field Mini 12-pack.
3. Clean All Contacts
Remove all interconnects and speaker cables and clean their plugs and jacks with Caig DeOxIt contact cleaner. Do the same with tube pins and sockets as well as AC cords (after disconnecting them from the wall outlet, of course) and your equipment’s AC jacks (but not the wall outlets). Cost: $9.95 for Caig DeOxIt
4. Don’t Listen With the Lights Dimmed
Light dimmers operate by chopping up the 60Hz sinewave of the AC power supply, which puts noise on the AC line. Turn the lights all the way off. Cost: Free.
5. Absorb Sidewall Reflections
Hanging a rug or other acoustically absorbent material on the sidewalls between you and the loudspeakers reduces tonal colorations and significantly improves soundstaging. Cost: Varies.
6. Move your loudspeakers
It's unlikely that you loudspeakers are optimally positioned. Experiment with small movements and be sure to get the toe-in on each speaker perfectly identical. Even a slight difference between the left and right speakers will affect the tonal balance and degrade imaging. Cost: Free.
7. Isolate your components from vibration
If you don’t have a high-quality equipment rack, invest in one. To improve the performance of your existing rack, put cones or feet under your components. The budget-minded should consider Vibrapods; those with more ambitious systems should look at the Harmonic Resolution Systems Nimbus.Cost: $5.99 each (Vibrapod); $45 each (HRS Nimbus).
8. Turn off component displays when listening
Some products allow you to turn of the front-panel displays—and for good reason; they can subtly, or not so subtly, degrade the sound. Cost: Free.
9. Insert shorting plugs in unused preamplifier inputs
Preamp input jacks can pick up noise; shorting those inputs to ground prevents noise from getting into the audio circuitry. If you have a power amplifier with balanced and unbalanced inputs and use the unbalanced connection, be sure to insert the small “U”-shaped shorting pin in the unused XLR jack between pins 1 and 2, or use XLR shorting plugs. Cost: $39 for a 10-pack of AudioQuest Noise Stopper Caps or $59.50 for 12 Cardas RCA Caps.
10. Replace stock bi-wire jumpers on your loudspeakers with high-end ones
If you have loudspeakers that can be bi-wired but use a single-wire connection, replace the stock jumpers with a premium replacement such as Cardas bi-wire jumpers. Stock jumpers are made from brass; the Cardas units are solid copper with rhodium plating. Cost: $16.50 each.
11. Move the listening seat forward or backward to adjust bass balance
Loudspeakers in rooms set up standing waves—stationary areas of high and low pressure in the bass. Moving the listening seat forward or backward by 1–2' can greatly influence the system’s overall tonal balance. Cost: Free.
Email this page
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Comments
Suggestions 5 & 6 are remarkably similar....
Suggestion #14 is the best - it's a way out of the spiral that, occasionally, traps us all.
Good music on a car stereo is better than lousy music on the most esoteric high-end system ever conceived.
When possible, listen in the dark. Limiting the sensory inputs to the music coming from your audio system will enhance the overall impact of the listening experience. Think of listening in the light like driving while talking on a cell phone, one sense will override the others, or at worst compromise the others.
I would say 5 & 6 are interactive, but both are equally important IMO. The 'room' being one of the most neglected components, and having
a larger effect on sound quality than any of the tweaks mentioned.
My listening room has hardwood floors. Adding a 5 by 7 foot rug about 2 feet in front of my PSB Stratus Gold's made a big difference in the soundstage.
Glad to see this helpful BLOG. However, I wouldn't accept #5 carte blanche. Dr Floyd Toole (a world renown expert and not connected to acoustical treatment suppliers) in his latest book says that:
* treating sidewall first reflection points is a good idea WHEN you're in the business of mastering a recording or WHEN you're trying to compare audio components. Musicians are on avg. 7 times more sensitive to lateral reflections which interups their mastering process but they, like everyone else, prefer no sidewall absorption when just listening and enjoying music (as per tip #14). Side wall absorption will squeeze (i.e. narrow) the soundstage and apparent sound width and spaciousness. If absorption is to be used, it must be thick enough (3"-4" minimum) to cover a broad enough frequency range that no one set of frequencies is ignored above the "transition frequency" or Schroeder frequency which for most small rooms is about 300-500Hz.. Otherwise if a thin rug or other acoustically absorbent material (e.g. drapes) are used it will attenuate only the highest frequencies leaving the mids and bass alone which may be tantemount to turning down the tweeter volume so your freq balance is now unbalanced. To keep the balance, attenuate all frequencies by using thicker material which manufacturers call broadband absorption.
* leaving the sidewall bare to reflect the direct sound source increases the apparent sound width and listener envelopment which tested listeners preferred when listening and enjoying music (as per tip #14). Diffusion could also be used if slap echo is heard bewteen two parallel side walls as diffusion prevents the room from sounding 'dead.'
On a side note, manufacturers of bass traps (realtraps, GIK for example) tell customers to stradle the corners with the traps. As these are resistive traps and not membrane bass traps, the bass traps really need to be pulled into the room much more than the "stradle the corner" advice suggests. This is because the resistive nature of their bass traps works most efficiently (i.e. max absorption) when the sound wave is at its fastest momentum which is one-quarter of the frequency's wavelength. So for say an 80Hz peak, it's one-quarter wavelength is about 42" so start by pulling the bass trap out 42" take measurements and repeat as you move the trap closer to the wall and note the differences it makes. Too bad the manufacturers don't really disclosure the whole truth behind how best to use their products - they might end of selling more of them and have more happier customers.
Finally, the use of side wall absorption to reduce tonal colourations may also not be completely true. A bare wall will cause acoustical interferene by introducing comb filtering, but in reality the delayed sound from the side wall are reflections that occur at longer delays and are attenuated in volume by propogation loss (-6dB/double distance) which causes the comb filtering interferance to be inaudiable in most small listening rooms.
So, if you're mastering your next band's CD or evaluating a component then absorb and be sure enough to use thick material (>4") otherwise try listening with just the reflective or diffusive side walls; you won't feel like you're listening through headphones nor will you need to turn up the volume as much.
Alan (and other AVguide readers),
My apologies for the unintentional duplication of text for points #5 and #6 in our original post of the article.
I have since corrected the problem (see above).
Best,
Chris Martens
Chris Martens
Editor, Playback
playback.avguide.com
As a corollary to item 4, do listen with the lights out and your eyes closed. I have found that the absence of distraction and contradictory visual information (there are no musicians in the room, only ugly boxes of mostly silicon) allows me to become far more immersed in the aural illusion.
I always listen in the nude as belts and socks absorb sound waves
Smoking large spliff helps sonic appreciation. Put head between legs and wear a hat.
I always shave the sides of CDs so that they spin evenly. I also use only 99.9999999% pure silver wires.
and a good single malt whiskey to accompany the shpliff followed by chocolate really elevates the listening experience further. aaight!
I agree. Speaker placement and room accoustics in general seem to be the biggest factors affecting SQ in a home system. However, that does not reduce the merit of the other tweaking ideas. This is a great list and thanks for posting it! I am a skeptic by nature and when i tried a few of these things years ago, I went into it expecting to notice no differences. An power cord, really?! Oddly, they do make a difference to me and my unsuspecting friends who, umprompted would ask, what's different?. Each of us has to determine for ourselves how far down the rabbit hole (and debt!) we want to go. I like that these things are affordable tweaks, especially when done one at a time. I take my time and consider it a fun hobby, doing one little thing at a time. It's not something to be taken too seriously either way, it's all about the fun and the music. Enjoy and thanks for the list!
Drat! There goes my "Golden Ears" rating! I tried the 90deg cabling oriention tweak and after extensive listening, detected...nothing! Maybe they need to be 3" apart like components...onward!
Why does changing the AC cords make a difference? What makes a cord an "audio" cord and one a "home appliance" cord? Wire gauge?
There are some companies that have made a mint in selling connecting wires (Monster Cable, for one) for high dollar prices that will give no better performance than a standard hook up. The only place a "Monster Cable" is usefull is when the conductor is carrying a large amount of current. Then the AWG (size) of the conductor should be taken into account. The average home system will work fine with an appliance extension cord from the local hardware store, for about 25% of the cost of a "Monster Cable", that is essentially the same thing. And buying large cables for inputs, that are running at the preamp level, is just plain stupid, unless you are running the input a very large distance.
You sound like an electrical engineer. Your ears are more sensitive than you are obviously giving them credit for. Set the math aside and learn to relax when you listen. From working in an audio store for 3+ years I learned that most often the spouse who was just there for company would be the first to hear the difference from a simple change like an interconnect. They would also be the most confident of their choice. Perhaps it would help if you think of it this way. It is not how many electrons you can carry, buy how well you carry them. But you are correct that the price, or the brand name may not tell you much about how well it will perform. Trust only your ears. If you hear no difference, than for you there is no difference and you may buy the least expensive option. Then go directly to item 14 and enjoy music in your life.
Always wondered if compact flourescent bulbs interacted with wall sockets the way dimmers do? I sort of assumed the ballast was doing something to the circut, as in between songs, I swear I can hear a buzz from even the 9w lamp I have to leave on. Mind, I can also hear the sound of most infrared remotes (when the buttons are pushed) in a quiet setting...
your suggestions are good,many thanks.
The first six tips are pretty basic and make physical sense, the rest, well they are a bit out there. Believing in some of these tips may actually cause some to work better.
Suggestion # 5: Does this apply to Bose speakers?
Utter NONSENSE.
I realize many of us are looking for the "holy grail" for equipment tweaks. And that some of us have spent hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on that elusive quest. However, the most pronounce improvement I found for both audio and video was from a power line conditioner. I propose that you purchase the conditioner of your choice and plug in your components, if you see and hear a difference keep it, if not return it.
Putting things in perspective, of course the general quality of the source and equipment (source, preamp, amps, speakers, etc) is the main thing, of course. Room accoustics (speaker placement, correction equipment like bass traps -- and/or EQ) come in a close second, because we are listening in and to our room. After that, things get more subtle. Not everyone is interested in the subtle stuff and that's OK. The general aim in this subtle realm seems to be to reduce the noise floor so you can hear more micro dynamics/details. I agree with one poster - a power conditioner makes a big difference in reducing the noise floor. Other tweaks get increasingly subtle. Some I've tried and said "WOW!" and others, I don't hear.
For the doubters, I don't blame you - it's counter intuitive. Plus, we don't have scientific measurements for some of the subtle stuff we can hear yet. For example, how do you measure how big a soundfield is in a given room/system? Yet, there certainly is one and even minor adjustments in speaker placement or room correction affect it drastically. LIkewise, we can't measure whether the female voice comes off as soft and full bodies, or thin, but we certainly can hear the difference. So, not having a measurement does not mean it's not real. It just means we can't measure it yet. On the other hand, you have to be discerning as to what makes a difference and what doesn't.
The key, if your open minded about it is, try stuff out and see if you can hear an improvement or not. As to the items that cost real money, always buy from vendors who will let you return them. Send back anything that doesn't give you sonic pleasure.
Putting things in perspective, of course the general quality of the source and equipment (source, preamp, amps, speakers, etc) is the main thing, of course. Room accoustics (speaker placement, correction equipment like bass traps -- and/or EQ) come in a close second, because we are listening in and to our room. After that, things get more subtle. Not everyone is interested in the subtle stuff and that's OK. The general aim in this subtle realm seems to be to reduce the noise floor so you can hear more micro dynamics/details. I agree with one poster - a power conditioner makes a big difference in reducing the noise floor. Other tweaks get increasingly subtle. Some I've tried and said "WOW!" and others, I don't hear.
For the doubters, I don't blame you - it's counter intuitive. Plus, we don't have scientific measurements for some of the subtle stuff we can hear yet. For example, how do you measure how big a soundfield is in a given room/system? Yet, there certainly is one and even minor adjustments in speaker placement or room correction affect it drastically. LIkewise, we can't measure whether the female voice comes off as soft and full bodies, or thin, but we certainly can hear the difference. So, not having a measurement does not mean it's not real. It just means we can't measure it yet. On the other hand, you have to be discerning as to what makes a difference and what doesn't.
The key, if your open minded about it is, try stuff out and see if you can hear an improvement or not. As to the items that cost real money, always buy from vendors who will let you return them. Send back anything that doesn't give you sonic pleasure.
PS: sorry for the double post!
PPS: ON #5. I think bass traps in corners would be the first step in room acoustics correction, before dealing with excess side reflections. Bass traps have the most unsubtle positive affect of almost anything else. I imagine the rugs were suggested due to the lower cost and the emphasis of the article on low cost tweaks. It'd be nice to have an article on DIY bass traps!
I agree #14 is the best. We get too wrapped up in tweaking and being analytical. Enjoy the music.
Thanks KF for your info!
I never knew about that and mistakenly presumed that just putting up a thin cloth flag would end up miraculously improving my sound. I now realize that that would only attenuate the high frequencies and give me an unbalanced sound!
Thanks again for the great info....cheers
You're welcome, but don't thank me, thanks should be directed to Dr Floyd Toole!
Oh please. Claiming to hear an IR remote is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. There is no sound emitted. That's like sayingyou can hear the sunlight. I remember being able to hear the old ultrasonic remote controls since they emitted a HF sound that was received by the TV.
Since all light is part of the EM spectrum,it is possible to have EMI.The problem may also result from the processing of the IR signal which is transmitted as a pulse.I have noticed the same issue and heard it more if you are holding the button to turn the volume up or down rather than pressing it individually for each degree you manipulate the volume.
Peace and safety
I have also "heard" the "light".Some don't think it possible but all you have to do is point a remote at a video camera and you can see both the pulsing of the coded signal and see the artifacts and "noise" that are produced by the device in an attempt to decode the input.
Peace and safety
Imagination.
comment #9 suggests unbalanced interconnects are better than balanced?
along with moving your speakers, try moving your seating position. when i moved to a new place, i found that in my new music room, the sound quality benefited from near field listening. cost: free. unless you count the lawyer fees for the divorce!