Review: Vintage audio lab noisestopper Gold plated rca plug caps Tweak
Category: Accessories
Budget esoterica review magazine
May 2013
supplement issue
Twenty dancing magical caps
This is a special supplement to the may issue of budget esoterica review magazine. Today we will be reviewing a mysterious tweak that we discovered from a website on ebay that goes by the name of vintage audio lab. This store sells some very interesting products and the one we will be looking at today are called "noisestopper" gold plated copper rca plugs. The plugs are sold in a package of 20 for a price of $16. They are also available in different package sizes. Fit and finish are excellent and they belong in the "audio jewelry", category. These caps are installed on the rca jacks at the back of your amp and are specifically used for noise reduction properties. Make sure that you install them on all unused rca jacks and push them on as tight as they will go, so that a minimal amount of air will escape. Honestly, the budget esoterica team was not expecting much from such a simple utilitarian tweak , but we were very surprised by our findings.
Larry, my long-standing senior reviewer is a big fan of paul simon, and he asked me if I could use one of his favorite cd's as a reference disc. Graceland was one of his most famous cd's and we chose track number seven, "under African skies". On this sample we noticed a rounder bass, and sue, my secretary , commented that the vocals sounded a little sweeter. It was easier to notice the depth and air around instruments in the sound stage. The sound stage was also more open and overall had less noise. The tonal color seemed to be a little deeper and more saturated. Interesting findings to say the least!
I love live jazz recordings and shelly manne and his men at the black hawk volume 3 is an excellent place to start. This very nice recording was recorded in 1959, but it has the power to bring you back to a time when things were simpler and you only had to choose between 2 or 3 types of coffee. Track three on this cd lasts over eighteen minutes long and it is probably going to be the best eighteen minutes of your life. On this recording the highs seemed to be a bit silkier and the individual notes seemed cleaner. The sense of presence was improved and the highs seem a little more polished than usual. The background details are easier to hear. Larry commented that the drums were airy sounding and had a three dimensional quality. Sue surmised that the horns are slightly brassier sounding. You can almost notice a slight layering of the sound stage. The transients seem better controlled and more defined. Surprisingly, the sound seemed to be a little more liquid sounding also.
Fans of the rock group "the who", are probably familiar with the recording titled "endless wire". For some of you, however this might be an under-looked gem. Listening to track three, we noticed a purer sounding mid range. There was more air around the instruments. The drums sound tighter and more powerful with slightly more texture. The highs sound thick and slightly more polished.
Pros
slight noise reduction
clearer
purer
enhanced tonal color
smoother sound
reduced grain
highs seem to be more "lit up" and not as dark
instruments seem a little more accurate and less colored
details are easier to hear
more liquid sounding
reduced harshness
sweeter sound
warmer sound
silky highs
At the start of this review we were skeptical that the rca caps would provide anything more than a slight noise reduction in the sound, however we were pleasantly surprised that the results went above and beyond expectations. We strongly urge audiophiles and music lovers to try out this simple, inexpensive tweak on there beloved amplifier of choice and experience the results for themselves. Highly recommended!
Associated gear
Arcam 8r amp with aucharm fuse
tara labs prism power cord
sony playstation one with hirakawa power cord and marble/penn-elcom stand
madisound vifa studio kit speakers
WL moonshine speaker cable
virtue audio nirvana interconnect
Atacama stands
Budget esoterica review magazine
May 2013
supplement issue
Twenty dancing magical caps
This is a special supplement to the may issue of budget esoterica review magazine. Today we will be reviewing a mysterious tweak that we discovered from a website on ebay that goes by the name of vintage audio lab. This store sells some very interesting products and the one we will be looking at today are called "noisestopper" gold plated copper rca plugs. The plugs are sold in a package of 20 for a price of $16. They are also available in different package sizes. Fit and finish are excellent and they belong in the "audio jewelry", category. These caps are installed on the rca jacks at the back of your amp and are specifically used for noise reduction properties. Make sure that you install them on all unused rca jacks and push them on as tight as they will go, so that a minimal amount of air will escape. Honestly, the budget esoterica team was not expecting much from such a simple utilitarian tweak , but we were very surprised by our findings.
Larry, my long-standing senior reviewer is a big fan of paul simon, and he asked me if I could use one of his favorite cd's as a reference disc. Graceland was one of his most famous cd's and we chose track number seven, "under African skies". On this sample we noticed a rounder bass, and sue, my secretary , commented that the vocals sounded a little sweeter. It was easier to notice the depth and air around instruments in the sound stage. The sound stage was also more open and overall had less noise. The tonal color seemed to be a little deeper and more saturated. Interesting findings to say the least!
I love live jazz recordings and shelly manne and his men at the black hawk volume 3 is an excellent place to start. This very nice recording was recorded in 1959, but it has the power to bring you back to a time when things were simpler and you only had to choose between 2 or 3 types of coffee. Track three on this cd lasts over eighteen minutes long and it is probably going to be the best eighteen minutes of your life. On this recording the highs seemed to be a bit silkier and the individual notes seemed cleaner. The sense of presence was improved and the highs seem a little more polished than usual. The background details are easier to hear. Larry commented that the drums were airy sounding and had a three dimensional quality. Sue surmised that the horns are slightly brassier sounding. You can almost notice a slight layering of the sound stage. The transients seem better controlled and more defined. Surprisingly, the sound seemed to be a little more liquid sounding also.
Fans of the rock group "the who", are probably familiar with the recording titled "endless wire". For some of you, however this might be an under-looked gem. Listening to track three, we noticed a purer sounding mid range. There was more air around the instruments. The drums sound tighter and more powerful with slightly more texture. The highs sound thick and slightly more polished.
Pros
slight noise reduction
clearer
purer
enhanced tonal color
smoother sound
reduced grain
highs seem to be more "lit up" and not as dark
instruments seem a little more accurate and less colored
details are easier to hear
more liquid sounding
reduced harshness
sweeter sound
warmer sound
silky highs
At the start of this review we were skeptical that the rca caps would provide anything more than a slight noise reduction in the sound, however we were pleasantly surprised that the results went above and beyond expectations. We strongly urge audiophiles and music lovers to try out this simple, inexpensive tweak on there beloved amplifier of choice and experience the results for themselves. Highly recommended!
Associated gear
Arcam 8r amp with aucharm fuse
tara labs prism power cord
sony playstation one with hirakawa power cord and marble/penn-elcom stand
madisound vifa studio kit speakers
WL moonshine speaker cable
virtue audio nirvana interconnect
Atacama stands
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