Raul, My experience exactly parallels yours, but maybe in this one instance, I was there ahead of you. For many years now I have been eliminating as many slip-on or screw-in connectors as possible anywhere they occur, inside or outside the chassis'. These connectors are there for the convenience of the manufacturer, for both original assembly at the factory and for repair purposes. But hard soldering is always better. Upgrades to internal wiring are also always a more subtle but real improvement to typical stock wires. For mechanical connectors that cannot be eliminated without undue inconvenience, I had been using Cramolin, red and blue, as much as 25 years ago. These days I have been using the Caig de-oxit cleaner and then either pro-gold or Walker Audio SST Extreme silver paste. So, welcome to the club. IMO, these things are more effective than fancy expensive fuses in improving performance of any system. Actually, what good is a fancy fuse if it has a dirty contact surface and you stick into a fuseholder made of pot metal that is also dirty?
Magic on Cleanse Electrical Power " road ".
Dear friends: All of us know how critical and important are our cleaning " job " over each one audio link in the audio system chain.
We cleansed the cartridge stylus, the LPs, the IC and speaker cables input/output connectors, the cartridge tonearm headshell connectors, the cartridge pin connectors, the electrical power input connectors, etc, etc.
I have no doubt that all those " cleaning " excercise made " differences " for the better, at least is my experiences about: always an improve. That’s why I feel the necessity to share with all of you the next experiences I’m living in my home audio system and that for me are unique.
Well, days ago looking for a cartridge stylus replacement that I can't find it I found out a metal to metal connection enhancer fluid ( something like many of you own and that are using. ) name it Cramolin that was made by Caig Laboratories.
These are two bottles one containing a Red fluid and the other a Blue one. The Red is to clean in deep ( even oxidation. ) and the Blue one for “ enhance “ the connection.
Normally I could used it on the IC system connections but this time I did not but I take other “ road “: to clean all the fuses on my electronics , I did it in my amplifiers ( monoblocks ), in the phonolinepreamp and in the powered subwoofers, a total of 15 fuses and 15 fuse receptacles. Btw, I use HIFI tuning fuses overall.
These job take me several hours because the fuses normally are inside the audio items along with some outside. First thing that I noted through the job is that even that the fuse or receptacle looks at “ eye “ clean certainly was not clean.
I put the Red fluid ( cleansing. ) and leave it in the fuses and receptacles three-four minutes before dry with a clean cotton cloth ( lint free ). When I saw the cloth ( after dry it ) I saw “ dirt “ that comes from the fuse or the receptacle ( in these ones I use cotton sticks. ). Then I put the enhancer Blue fluid and ready to go.
Before I bring back the fuse in position I close by hand/fingers the receptacles a little for the fuse/receptacle connection be as tight as is possible, this single factor is very important we need a tight connection here. I not only did that but where I might I solder the fuse to the receptacle, I know this is a “ extreme “ option but really good and I’m thinking seriously on a lot more “ extreme “ alternative with fuses: no fuse at all, the best fuse is no-fuse.
I really have no big expectations with the cleaning job other that “ maybe “ a tiny improvement if any.
So I turn on the system and started to hear it. My God!!! I can’t believe what I was and am hearing. Nothing prepared me for this, it is just that was unimaginable this could happen.
Dear friends, the today quality performance of the system is the quality performance of a NEW system. Through the years I never found any audio item change that made this kind of “ differences “ a paramount differences level:
both frequency extremes were improved: the higher frequencies take solidity ( not that before does not had it. ), clarity, transparency, precision, definition, extension at a new level that in any system I never heard it . Oh! those cymbals, its fundamental and harmonics clarity is awesome: for the first time harmonics surrounded of NOTHING.
Many of the harmonics we are hearing and especially on HF are not harmonics but distortions that we are accustom to and we think are part of the “ music “ but you know why?: aren’t.
The low frequency range take a new meaning with: not only thightness “ feeling “ and lower overhang but with a definition note to note and a power that’s difficult to explain till you hear it.
The integration of both frequency extremes is just superb.
Transients system handling are nearest to what we heard in a live acoustic instruments event: extremely fast and energized!.
This put you not only nearest to the recording but nearest to a new music sound reproduction “ reality “ where the music has the POWER and ENERGIZE that you experienced in a live event.
All these made that the frequency range in between improve to a new level too, the piano “ voice “ and the voices ( male and especial female. ) and any single music instrument has the rightness that I never experienced through an audio home system.
The soundstage ( that is not one of my main priorities. ) is now a NEW soundstage with a granite/solid focus like the Everest/K2 mountains, this made that the music notes/harmonics “ comes to you “ with a palpability that’s hard to imagine could been possible in a home system.
This palpability is not another “ nice word “ but a meaning that the players and instruments are not only inside the soundstage layers but you can “ see it “, even you can’t close your eyes to hear the recording because the today new performance does not permit it: the recording performance sound is so vivid and real that oblige to you stay with your eyes open wide open indeed! seen the players/instruments in front of you: with you.
The soundstage layering has now not only more definition but better integration.
Inner detail?, does not exist any more: everything is not only in the right context but in the precise volume/SPL with out “ hide “ anything.
Now the “ silence “ handle is deeper: the music comes/surge/emerge from the stage like in a live event with nothing that disturb “ you or take your attention/distraction, the surface LP noise floor goes really down.
The system floor noise goes so low that I don’t have it any more, I can’t detect it: my speakers has 95db on sensitivity/efficiency, well with the Phonolinepreamp ( phono choice. ) attenuator set to a continuous SPL of 97db at seat position ( 2.80 m. ) with peaks on the 110dbs and my ear ( obviously with no music. ) at 1cm. from the tweeter I can’t heard any and I mean any single noise, just nothing, then I put the attenuator at full and guess what?: nothing at all!.
System own distortions coming from the electronics audio items now goes really low at levels that permit to hear this new kind of system quality performance level and the best of all is that the improvement is “ full system “: what means this?, that the improvement is with any source you choose: analog or digital!.
The day/night that I finished I was hearing music till four o’clock in the morning ( all night long! ) not only enjoying it but trying to understand what I was hearing and trying to find any drawbacks ( that does not exist or I can’t detect yet.).
Two days latter I remembered that when I had the Velodyne’s ( HGS-15s ) opened I saw “ many “ internal cables/wires and I wanted to investigate what’s was all about, so I opened the subwoofers again and taking a look saw that those cables are to bring the electrical power to the subwoofer amplifiers.
There are two cables that comes from the electrical power input connector and from here ( inside each subwoofer ) goes to the off/on unit switch and from the switch goes to the subwoofer amplifier circuit board.
So what I did about?:
I take out all the cables ( less than 10 cm. each one. ) and instead to use the “ zapatas “ connectors I solder directly with 4TC Kimber Kable at each connection/heavy-duty metal terminal step.
I close the sub’s and now time to hear the system. What was I waiting to hear? , I can’t say it but certainly and after that cleaning whole quality performance nothing spectacular.
But I was wrong: an already great bass/mid-bass frequency range management now goes to an unexpected great quality performance level where the only words I have about is: incredible and gorgeous system performance!
How is this? What change for the better again ?:
bass/mid-bass frequency range was “ cleaned “ and every time that you “ clean “/ lower the bass frequency range distortions every thing in your system improve for the better, not that sound only different but that improve for the BETTER, everything!
Many times and especially when a system has high bass frequency resolution and goes deep on that frequency range the bass/mid-bass fundamental/harmonics goes surrounded of a “ nice “ halo that we heard as “ organic “ with “ natural “ warm. Well that “ halo “ disappear and the music still “ organic “ but now with a REAL and NATURAL reproduction and with a lot lot less bass/mid-bass distortion:
Gentlemans, the distortions goes so lower that I have to change the subwoofer volume at least 2db higher to maintain a natural tonal balance system response.
I made several fast tests about and I found out that before the subwoofers cable/solder change the very low bass I heard it through my “ legs “, passing as a “ wind “/vibrations through my legs. Today the “ wind “ exist but comes along two pliers that grab around the lower part of my legs ( and other body parts. ), I never heard this kind of “ reality “ ever!!!!, just astonishing.
If you think that this kind of overall improvement was nothing less than spectacular or that maybe my system was ( before the fuse cleaning job and subs changes. ) not so good ( IMHO I can say that the quality performance of my system is at least at the same quality performance of any one out there including yours. ) that is a totally misunderstood.
The improvement even with the high quality performance I have is astounding and a “ holly “ experience and performance level, for say the least.
For some of you that already experienced with these kind of system “ tweaks “: congratulations and for the ones that does not I urge you to try it: is FREE, you don’t need to pay for it other that your time ( a few hours depend of your electronics. ),
I’m not promoting the Cramolin in anyway. I think that the differences comes from the whole job/cleaning/changes. I think you can use almost any cleanse and enhancer fluids to achieve good results or even by-pass those fuses!
Latter on I re-opened the ML amplifiers and where the signal pass I re-wired with KCAG by Kimber Kable cables soldering all directly to the “ source/board “ instead using connectors to and “ things “ improve again to a new performance level. My audio system is so resolving that each “ movement “ I made you can detect it very clear and till this moment IMHO I think I don’t arrive yet to its limits.
This weekend I will try to re-wire the ML amplifiers internal electrical power cables, this is a very hard task with these kind of amplifiers and maybe I will need more than a day of work with each one but my take is that be worth to do it.
I have to say that all the ML amplifier internal wiring is very good and not stock wire/cables but even that a silver KK is better and the best is that the amplifier shows it, so the amplifiers are better that I was thinking in the same manner that many of your audio electronics are better that what any one of you could think. This could means that in your each one home audio system you couldhave a very important improvements with out change any audio link but only tweaking what you already have!.
This is something that I write before and that needs a full explanation especially on digital source:
“: what means this?, that the improvement is with any source you choose: analog or digital!. “ +++++:
normally I don’t heard/hear music through a digital source ( I do maybe two times at week. ) and certainly when I did I don’t do it for more than an hour because my ears suffer of “ digititis “ and can’t go on. Well after all those changes things definitively change: yesterday I was hearing for 4-5 hours in a row CDs and can’t stop till was bed time! For the very first time I was really enjoying the CD ( not DVDA or SACD, latter on this subject. ) experience with out almost any real complaint: the “ digital signature “ almost gone and let to flow the music. If through analog source I achieve a great/big improvements through the digital source the quality improvements goes higher at a higher level! and this is really a very good news because I “ love “ the almost don’t care set-up on digital against the painful set up take care on analog.
Dear friends, from these experiences IMHO I think that the digital CD source is a lot better that what we analog lovers could think, seems to me that all those audio system distortions that exist in all home audio systems affect in a very especial/heavy way the digital for the worst than the analog source . Why? I can’t say it, what I can say is that lowering audio system distortions to a deep level makes a great great difference in the digital medium and let me to tell you that my digital player is a humble 250.00 Denon unit!.
That was with CDs but how about DVDA or SACD where we have a higher digital resolution?: just awesome, is so good that even you could almost “ forget “ the analog experience. No, I’m not “ crazy I’m hearing what I’m hearing with an unexpected new and high quality performance and IMHO as better your system as higher the improvements.
Now, how is or why can we/I achieve those great quality performance improvements when I was/am “ touching “ only a pretty smaller/minor part inside the system electronics: fuses and less than 0.50m of cable/wires?, why all these major quality performance changes with almost no “ important “ tweaks?, I can’t say it for sure.
What I can say it for sure is that is worth to take the effort to do it because the REWARDS are just exiting and incredible for say the least.
Many of you already read it what I posted several times: “ to be nearest to the recording we have to lose the less and add the less to the audio signal “, “ add the less “ main meaning is “ less distortions “ at any single audio system link and now I have to add: “ lowering own/intrinsic audio items design distortions “.
I appreciate that share any of your experiences about and for the ones that try it for first time your feedback will be appreciate too.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.
We cleansed the cartridge stylus, the LPs, the IC and speaker cables input/output connectors, the cartridge tonearm headshell connectors, the cartridge pin connectors, the electrical power input connectors, etc, etc.
I have no doubt that all those " cleaning " excercise made " differences " for the better, at least is my experiences about: always an improve. That’s why I feel the necessity to share with all of you the next experiences I’m living in my home audio system and that for me are unique.
Well, days ago looking for a cartridge stylus replacement that I can't find it I found out a metal to metal connection enhancer fluid ( something like many of you own and that are using. ) name it Cramolin that was made by Caig Laboratories.
These are two bottles one containing a Red fluid and the other a Blue one. The Red is to clean in deep ( even oxidation. ) and the Blue one for “ enhance “ the connection.
Normally I could used it on the IC system connections but this time I did not but I take other “ road “: to clean all the fuses on my electronics , I did it in my amplifiers ( monoblocks ), in the phonolinepreamp and in the powered subwoofers, a total of 15 fuses and 15 fuse receptacles. Btw, I use HIFI tuning fuses overall.
These job take me several hours because the fuses normally are inside the audio items along with some outside. First thing that I noted through the job is that even that the fuse or receptacle looks at “ eye “ clean certainly was not clean.
I put the Red fluid ( cleansing. ) and leave it in the fuses and receptacles three-four minutes before dry with a clean cotton cloth ( lint free ). When I saw the cloth ( after dry it ) I saw “ dirt “ that comes from the fuse or the receptacle ( in these ones I use cotton sticks. ). Then I put the enhancer Blue fluid and ready to go.
Before I bring back the fuse in position I close by hand/fingers the receptacles a little for the fuse/receptacle connection be as tight as is possible, this single factor is very important we need a tight connection here. I not only did that but where I might I solder the fuse to the receptacle, I know this is a “ extreme “ option but really good and I’m thinking seriously on a lot more “ extreme “ alternative with fuses: no fuse at all, the best fuse is no-fuse.
I really have no big expectations with the cleaning job other that “ maybe “ a tiny improvement if any.
So I turn on the system and started to hear it. My God!!! I can’t believe what I was and am hearing. Nothing prepared me for this, it is just that was unimaginable this could happen.
Dear friends, the today quality performance of the system is the quality performance of a NEW system. Through the years I never found any audio item change that made this kind of “ differences “ a paramount differences level:
both frequency extremes were improved: the higher frequencies take solidity ( not that before does not had it. ), clarity, transparency, precision, definition, extension at a new level that in any system I never heard it . Oh! those cymbals, its fundamental and harmonics clarity is awesome: for the first time harmonics surrounded of NOTHING.
Many of the harmonics we are hearing and especially on HF are not harmonics but distortions that we are accustom to and we think are part of the “ music “ but you know why?: aren’t.
The low frequency range take a new meaning with: not only thightness “ feeling “ and lower overhang but with a definition note to note and a power that’s difficult to explain till you hear it.
The integration of both frequency extremes is just superb.
Transients system handling are nearest to what we heard in a live acoustic instruments event: extremely fast and energized!.
This put you not only nearest to the recording but nearest to a new music sound reproduction “ reality “ where the music has the POWER and ENERGIZE that you experienced in a live event.
All these made that the frequency range in between improve to a new level too, the piano “ voice “ and the voices ( male and especial female. ) and any single music instrument has the rightness that I never experienced through an audio home system.
The soundstage ( that is not one of my main priorities. ) is now a NEW soundstage with a granite/solid focus like the Everest/K2 mountains, this made that the music notes/harmonics “ comes to you “ with a palpability that’s hard to imagine could been possible in a home system.
This palpability is not another “ nice word “ but a meaning that the players and instruments are not only inside the soundstage layers but you can “ see it “, even you can’t close your eyes to hear the recording because the today new performance does not permit it: the recording performance sound is so vivid and real that oblige to you stay with your eyes open wide open indeed! seen the players/instruments in front of you: with you.
The soundstage layering has now not only more definition but better integration.
Inner detail?, does not exist any more: everything is not only in the right context but in the precise volume/SPL with out “ hide “ anything.
Now the “ silence “ handle is deeper: the music comes/surge/emerge from the stage like in a live event with nothing that disturb “ you or take your attention/distraction, the surface LP noise floor goes really down.
The system floor noise goes so low that I don’t have it any more, I can’t detect it: my speakers has 95db on sensitivity/efficiency, well with the Phonolinepreamp ( phono choice. ) attenuator set to a continuous SPL of 97db at seat position ( 2.80 m. ) with peaks on the 110dbs and my ear ( obviously with no music. ) at 1cm. from the tweeter I can’t heard any and I mean any single noise, just nothing, then I put the attenuator at full and guess what?: nothing at all!.
System own distortions coming from the electronics audio items now goes really low at levels that permit to hear this new kind of system quality performance level and the best of all is that the improvement is “ full system “: what means this?, that the improvement is with any source you choose: analog or digital!.
The day/night that I finished I was hearing music till four o’clock in the morning ( all night long! ) not only enjoying it but trying to understand what I was hearing and trying to find any drawbacks ( that does not exist or I can’t detect yet.).
Two days latter I remembered that when I had the Velodyne’s ( HGS-15s ) opened I saw “ many “ internal cables/wires and I wanted to investigate what’s was all about, so I opened the subwoofers again and taking a look saw that those cables are to bring the electrical power to the subwoofer amplifiers.
There are two cables that comes from the electrical power input connector and from here ( inside each subwoofer ) goes to the off/on unit switch and from the switch goes to the subwoofer amplifier circuit board.
So what I did about?:
I take out all the cables ( less than 10 cm. each one. ) and instead to use the “ zapatas “ connectors I solder directly with 4TC Kimber Kable at each connection/heavy-duty metal terminal step.
I close the sub’s and now time to hear the system. What was I waiting to hear? , I can’t say it but certainly and after that cleaning whole quality performance nothing spectacular.
But I was wrong: an already great bass/mid-bass frequency range management now goes to an unexpected great quality performance level where the only words I have about is: incredible and gorgeous system performance!
How is this? What change for the better again ?:
bass/mid-bass frequency range was “ cleaned “ and every time that you “ clean “/ lower the bass frequency range distortions every thing in your system improve for the better, not that sound only different but that improve for the BETTER, everything!
Many times and especially when a system has high bass frequency resolution and goes deep on that frequency range the bass/mid-bass fundamental/harmonics goes surrounded of a “ nice “ halo that we heard as “ organic “ with “ natural “ warm. Well that “ halo “ disappear and the music still “ organic “ but now with a REAL and NATURAL reproduction and with a lot lot less bass/mid-bass distortion:
Gentlemans, the distortions goes so lower that I have to change the subwoofer volume at least 2db higher to maintain a natural tonal balance system response.
I made several fast tests about and I found out that before the subwoofers cable/solder change the very low bass I heard it through my “ legs “, passing as a “ wind “/vibrations through my legs. Today the “ wind “ exist but comes along two pliers that grab around the lower part of my legs ( and other body parts. ), I never heard this kind of “ reality “ ever!!!!, just astonishing.
If you think that this kind of overall improvement was nothing less than spectacular or that maybe my system was ( before the fuse cleaning job and subs changes. ) not so good ( IMHO I can say that the quality performance of my system is at least at the same quality performance of any one out there including yours. ) that is a totally misunderstood.
The improvement even with the high quality performance I have is astounding and a “ holly “ experience and performance level, for say the least.
For some of you that already experienced with these kind of system “ tweaks “: congratulations and for the ones that does not I urge you to try it: is FREE, you don’t need to pay for it other that your time ( a few hours depend of your electronics. ),
I’m not promoting the Cramolin in anyway. I think that the differences comes from the whole job/cleaning/changes. I think you can use almost any cleanse and enhancer fluids to achieve good results or even by-pass those fuses!
Latter on I re-opened the ML amplifiers and where the signal pass I re-wired with KCAG by Kimber Kable cables soldering all directly to the “ source/board “ instead using connectors to and “ things “ improve again to a new performance level. My audio system is so resolving that each “ movement “ I made you can detect it very clear and till this moment IMHO I think I don’t arrive yet to its limits.
This weekend I will try to re-wire the ML amplifiers internal electrical power cables, this is a very hard task with these kind of amplifiers and maybe I will need more than a day of work with each one but my take is that be worth to do it.
I have to say that all the ML amplifier internal wiring is very good and not stock wire/cables but even that a silver KK is better and the best is that the amplifier shows it, so the amplifiers are better that I was thinking in the same manner that many of your audio electronics are better that what any one of you could think. This could means that in your each one home audio system you couldhave a very important improvements with out change any audio link but only tweaking what you already have!.
This is something that I write before and that needs a full explanation especially on digital source:
“: what means this?, that the improvement is with any source you choose: analog or digital!. “ +++++:
normally I don’t heard/hear music through a digital source ( I do maybe two times at week. ) and certainly when I did I don’t do it for more than an hour because my ears suffer of “ digititis “ and can’t go on. Well after all those changes things definitively change: yesterday I was hearing for 4-5 hours in a row CDs and can’t stop till was bed time! For the very first time I was really enjoying the CD ( not DVDA or SACD, latter on this subject. ) experience with out almost any real complaint: the “ digital signature “ almost gone and let to flow the music. If through analog source I achieve a great/big improvements through the digital source the quality improvements goes higher at a higher level! and this is really a very good news because I “ love “ the almost don’t care set-up on digital against the painful set up take care on analog.
Dear friends, from these experiences IMHO I think that the digital CD source is a lot better that what we analog lovers could think, seems to me that all those audio system distortions that exist in all home audio systems affect in a very especial/heavy way the digital for the worst than the analog source . Why? I can’t say it, what I can say is that lowering audio system distortions to a deep level makes a great great difference in the digital medium and let me to tell you that my digital player is a humble 250.00 Denon unit!.
That was with CDs but how about DVDA or SACD where we have a higher digital resolution?: just awesome, is so good that even you could almost “ forget “ the analog experience. No, I’m not “ crazy I’m hearing what I’m hearing with an unexpected new and high quality performance and IMHO as better your system as higher the improvements.
Now, how is or why can we/I achieve those great quality performance improvements when I was/am “ touching “ only a pretty smaller/minor part inside the system electronics: fuses and less than 0.50m of cable/wires?, why all these major quality performance changes with almost no “ important “ tweaks?, I can’t say it for sure.
What I can say it for sure is that is worth to take the effort to do it because the REWARDS are just exiting and incredible for say the least.
Many of you already read it what I posted several times: “ to be nearest to the recording we have to lose the less and add the less to the audio signal “, “ add the less “ main meaning is “ less distortions “ at any single audio system link and now I have to add: “ lowering own/intrinsic audio items design distortions “.
I appreciate that share any of your experiences about and for the ones that try it for first time your feedback will be appreciate too.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.