Tweaks you got rid of because they were not effective (enough)?


There are some audiophiles for whom cost is no object; they buy what they wish and every single tweak and gadget which promises to improve the sound. And the industry is all too happy to produce such tweaks -- often made of expensive materials with elaborate engineering explanations. Those who question the value of these tweaks are frequently accused of being "naysayers" who are either too ignorant or insensate to realize that "everything matters."

Of course, money spent one place cannot be spent elsewhere; expenditures on tweaks take the place of other more central factors affecting the sound. In some cases, those tweaks are worth it; you can hear the difference, and that $400 (or whatever) really could not have improved your speakers or sub or amp, etc.

So, the question here is simple: Which tweak have you tried which, after some experience and reflection, you realized was either *not* effective or not the most effective way to improve your system? 
128x128hilde45

Showing 3 responses by duckworp

I have many tweaks that worked but these ones that did not:
- expensive feet under amps, CD players and DACs (Unlike under speakers where they have had a big effect, and under the Hi-Fi rack, again a positive effect).
- external clocks
- crystals, anywhere
- raising cables above floor
- gutwire grounding cable (other grounding systems have worked)
- Bass traps
- power conditioners


@hilde45...

@duckworp, for the feet under the speakers, what worked for you? I have some spikes but have not tried them out, yet. Came with the speaker stands.

Spikes were OK but the big improvement happened by placing cheap granite kitchen chopping boards under the speakers and then Isoacoustic Gaia feet under the speakers, resting on the granite. This made a massive improvement to bass and the overall sound image. 
@hilde45 Re below: I am talking floor standing speakers. So it’s speaker, Gaia feet, granite.
@duckworp -- thanks. If I’m understanding, from the top down it’s:

  • speaker
  • granite chopping boards
  • Gaia feet
  • top of the speaker stand
then....what underneath the speaker stand?
Spikes, feet?
Or perhaps it doesn’t matter much given how effective the above things were?