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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? 
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Showing 2 responses by nonoise

nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,540 posts
 
As for cable lifters, there are some who've taken measurements and reported it. Roger Skoff explains it here: 
https://positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/bunking-cable-lifters/

He noted that the measured capacitance changed every time a speaker cable was lifted, foot by foot, until the entire cable was off the floor. He goes onto explaining why a floor becomes part of the capacitance equation and needs to be addressed.

All the best,
Nonoise
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,540 posts
 
Once I got my Audioquest Niagara 1200, I had no more need for the Gutwire grounding wires that connect to an unused RCA and a AC outlet.

On one component, a hum was introduced so I had to remove it. On the other, there was no hum so I kept it in for awhile. It was when I removed it to see how sounded was when I heard how it hindered the overall sound.

All the best,
Nonoise
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