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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? 
hilde45
duckworp's avatar
duckworp
262 posts
 
@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?

unsound
7,424 posts
 
A few years ago I bought a half dozen Black Diamond Racing Cones for my fairly big power amp. I didn’t notice any change in sound. I might have kept them as nice audio jewelry, but
I did notice that height raise was accumulating more heat underneath the shelf above the amp. Sold them.  
douglas_schroeder
3,362 posts
 
Tweaks are how you do not build a great audio system. 


hilde45's avatar
hilde45 OP
6,032 posts
 
@douglas_schroeder 

Tweaks are how you do not build a great audio system.

Who asserted that?
mahgister's avatar
mahgister
15,055 posts
 
Tweaks are how you do not build a great audio system.
If disparate "tweaks" are not the way, ,money is NOT the only way to build a great audio system....I apologize to reviewers...

:)

I know i have one at cheap cost but great, not with a singular "tweak" or 2 but very great with listening experiments and cheap materials that i use to create a connected GRID of devices embeddings controls...Calling that "tweaks" is inappropriate....Tweaks are not connected by cables.... :)

It is the ears and brain that matters most.... Money is not mandatory...I will not write a review of a million dollars amplifier, off course it will be better than mine, embeddings controls or not....But who cares about a half million dollars amplifiers? Or even a 100,000 dollars one? or even a 10,000 dollars one ? We, most of us want a good amplifier and we dont care about the best amplifier in the world because we cannot afford it anyway....

I prefer to make my 150 dollars vintage one sound near a 10,000 dollars one with the adequate cheap embeddings controls....

I dont read reviews anymore guess why? I dont buy "tweaks" guess why ?


I sell nothing except the faith in your own creativity....The only price you will pay is reading my posts....

Perhaps it is too much to pay....

You decide.....

My best to all....


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