@easystreamer and @dynacohum your comments are very helpful, as in fact are all comments in this thread. I miss the Dynaco components I assembled as a teen. Despite my respect for McIntosh engineers, may try a pair of RCA cables before venturing to explore the silver rod idea that would, at least, match my aged hair. |
Boutique Parts' are primarily associated with their cost, as a result of low-volume production, hence, a notable markup is charged as the sale price. Other components, which are the common selection, will be from a much increased production volume; hence, the cost per unit is much lower. My experience is that a change to a component's value will create a notable change in the end sound being assessed. Whereas swapping out like-for-like component values has proved to me to offer very little in end sound change as a result. |
Anything you think you hear would be a placebo effect. Think of it this way, those jumpers are quite a large gauge of metal, connecting the preamp and the amp boards inside. They are much larger than the traces on the circuit boards they are connecting. Essentially, the 2 small traces on those boards were moved outside the chassis and severed. Then those large u-shaped jumpers were installed to connect them. Those jumpers are also much, much larger than a RCA jumper that you could install there. The wire gauge inside most all RCA's is tiny. Possibly smaller than the traces on the boards. |
If you do change them, before doing so tag them, L-R channel, jumper placement and direction of flow, generally perceiceived left to right should it be needed, that way, when you put them back they sound right. A 125mm cable should be enough to know if an improvement is available, I found a pair on Aliexpress for $10, which would do the job |
Interesting topic, I would have thought not. However different cables between my individual preamp and power amp do make a difference in the sound quality. Out of 4 or 5 cables I have tried there is a clear winner among them that gives the best sound. |
