Tweaks and upgrades that aren't gimmicks

Pedrillo, man you love lists!

Room treatment cannot really be argued, a "naked" room will sound like crud, everyone has at least some form of dampening be it sofas, chairs, or floor coverings, but going above and beyond this is a huge difference. I have found outlets and dedicated lines to be beneficial and cost effective. I would also add some type of vibration control, doesn't have to be expensive but something like Vibrapods or Isol Pads (I have used both) can make a noticeable and positive change to any system. Cables are a tough one, because the wrong ones can make performance go the wrong way.

Yearly removal of earwax but don't try this yourself as the eardrum is a delicate instrument. Ok, if you are a do it yourselfer approach with extreme caution using a 12 volt drill and a Q-tip.

Room treatments, room treatments, room treatments. Great bang for your buck. Until you do this don't waste money on anything else in your system. This way you'll know what it should actually sound like. The difference can be and often is huge.

More music, whether lp's, cd's, sacd's, whatever, will make any system better.