Cable elevators


My Saturday hifi tweaking involved digging out the family’s box of wooden building blocks and using them to elevate my speaker cables off the floor. Previously under an area carpet on a wood floor. Mc 601s to SF Amati with Wireworld speaker cables (to be replaced with Cardas). 
 

The result—mind you the system is playing really well right now thanks to my new Cardas interconnects—is greater clarity (I think), sound stage, and texture. This is definitely about wringing out the last ounce of the system and maybe I’m imagining the improvement. I don’t think I’d spend any money on buying risers, but what the hell why not use the old building block. Looks dopey and the family laughs at me, but dang does the system sound amazing.

Anyone else play with risers/elevators?

w123ale

A few years back I ran across a hundred plus glass/ceramic high voltage insulators being tossed out, most with a cradle in them that reminded me of 50' - 60's kitchen stoneware.  I realized they can work as cable risers and looked smart but on my wood/stone floors, they didn't make a difference.  I had other people try them and they either weren't sure or didn't notice a change but one neighbor liked the stoneware brown cream color appearance of them.  I can't seem to attach a photo but on eBay, see them going for forty bucks a piece.  https://www.ebay.com/itm 311597925883 

@vitussl101 , I have about 40 of them on an old clothesline holder out back. $40 a piece? *whistles*

And to think, I was going to cut down the clothesline holder and throw it out, lol.

FWIW
I've got G E Triton Refs. Along with the speaker cables, I have a LFE cable, and power cable connected.  With all those cables, I thought some separation might be a good thing.  I had some homemade risers made out of 2x4 cut offs for a while.  I thought about making something nice looking out of oak or walnut, but for the time and effort involved, I decided to go with the AQ Fog Lifters that I got on sale.  It's a really simple design.  I like the way they look.  They make my homemade speaker cables look better, too   I've never taken the time to see if if they really improve the sound, but hey, maybe :)

I actually made some out of a crepe myrtle tree that my son wanted cut down. I took the trunk and cut about 1" cookies. Sanded them, let them dry and used them to get my Canare cables off the carpet. Did they make a difference? I have no idea, but my family and friends are impressed with my handiness, creativity and frugality.

 

The natural notches in the woof hold the cables. BTW I drive Harbeth 30.1 speakers with a Luxman L-505 Uxii integrated amp. Not much compared to what many of you run, but they are a good match for my room, my ears, my music and my budget.

 

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I tried using some unused, inexpensive 3 layer sound insulating blocks from Ama-Bay in my primary system and could hear a small difference in clarity as well. My floor is thin carpet over plywood in an apartment.

Who’d have thought?