Tweaks That Don't Work

I had the ELCO Static 10 or 15 or something or other power cord. It was as thick as a boa constrictor. It had no effect on my system either positive or negative. I have plenty to say about tweaks that DID work if anyone is interested in a thread like that. For instance, I've yet to hear a Blackgate cap or Tantalum resistor I didn't like. I also can't explain why CD's polished on the Nitty Gritty CD cleaner always sound a bit more open and natural?

All: "snake oil" was a terrible choice of words on my part. I was going in the direction of the subsequent language in my post about tweaks that didn't work in your system, or only worked under certain conditions. You guys are absolutely right - just because something didn't work in your system doesn't make it "snake oil".

My assumption was most of the tweaks mentioned would, over a series of posts, show a pattern of conditions where the tweak has or has not worked. That would make for a great guide for others considering which tweaks to try down the road.

I posed the question but didn't add my own list! Mine aren't so much "tweaks" as "accessories". Here's the list:

Basic Powercords - tried it for both amp and preamp, and heard no difference in my system.

LAT International AC-2 PCs: I currently run these to my amp and preamp. I'm not sure I've heard any difference at all, because I made too many changes in my system in a short period of time, but I remain a skeptic that power cords make any difference sonically.

LAT International SS-1000D speaker cable: I hear *very* little, if any difference between these and my Kimber 4PR speaker cables. This surprised me, since the LAT cable is much thicket gauge than the Kimber. I thought treble would be more laid back and the bass tighter and stronger, but that doesn't seem to be the case at all. So I'm still looking for speaker cable to tame the highs on my nOrh mini 9.0's (which use the Vifa Scanspeak 9700 tweeter). I'm thinking of trying the 8TC next, since by all accounts it does what I expected the LAT to do.

Fine tuning shelves: My component racks have wood shelves that sit on four brass cones which attach to screws that come from the frame. I have spent hours trying to ensure each shelf is a perfect plane with no wobbling, and on the rare occasion I actually achieve my goal, I hear no sonic difference. This makes me a skeptic of isolation devices like cones and pods, but since they're cheap and I'm a sucker I'll try them anyway. :)

I've tried several tweaks that I thought worked, which I'll post later in the thread someone else started about cheap tweaks that work well. That thread, I believe, started in 2001 and is still getting new posts! Good stuff. :)

AudioPrism AC purifier (yes, that square box that plugs in the AC outlet mains) - no change to these ears.

Fernando

Like several other posters, I've had a variety of PC's that didn't do anything or even worse, had a negative affect. I have some now that I like but only after doing the DIY thing for a few years.

The other tweak that at first I thought made a huge improvement was the audiophile price tag tweak. At first I thought the difference was huge but it turned out to be just something in my head.

Maybe I didn't give it enough time to completely break in & of course when I replaced some gear, I didn't modify the tag to reflect the change.

hockey pucks for $1 - tryed them under all components and speakers. dulled the images and shrunk the soundstage made my hifi a no fi system. but i only wasted a few dollars.

the best system tweaking for cheep is my jon risch diy acoustic panels and bass traps. he is on the diy/tweeker asylum.