One of the most recent tweaks I've done on my system was to clean the contacts on the power cables, interconnects, and speaker cables. This cheap and easy-to-do tweak rendered audible improvements as far as clarity, stability, and authority of the reproduced sound.
That positive result got me thinking: obviously, contacts between the electrical outlet and the components, as well as between the components etc. seem to be important for the quality of sound. Ideally, the best quality would be achieved if there were no discontinuities, no contacts, just one long wire running through all the electrical and electronic components. Since that's not possible, the next best thing would be to ensure that the points of contact are as solid and as sturdy as they can be. Examining some of the AC plugs in my system, I've noticed that they seem a bit wobbly and when flicking the prongs with my index finger, I could hear a slight metallic ringing. That means that there are some unwanted acoustic vibrations that must affect the electrical signal. Did a bit more research on that topic and found out that there is a solution -- teflon tape! Basically, wrap the tape around the base of each prong, plug it in, and at that point the physical contact becomes much tighter. If you then unplug the AC and flick the prongs again, the metallic ringing should be dampened. OK, makes sense from the theoretical perspective -- time to give it a good old sit down and listen. I didn't have much time last night, so I wrapped teflon tape only around the prongs on the plug for my power conditioner. Before I did that, I listened to the Beatles "I'm Only Sleeping" from "Revolver" (1966). Then I wrapped the teflon around the prongs on the AC plug for my power conditioner, plugged it back into the wall socket, and listened to "I'm Only Sleeping" once again. Holly excrement! Talk about self-hypnosis. The bloody song now sounds different. I can hear Lennon's jangling Jumbo Gibson acoustic with such presence, that it took my breath away. McCartney's bass is now easier to follow, and I can now hear with greater ease how he weaves all those melodies and rhythmical punches. Ringo's drumming is absolutely brilliant on that song, and now his cymbals sizzle like never before. And Lennon's peerless 'fuck you' attitude is fully present in his sneering vocals. I know I'm easily excitable and prone to exaggerations, but man, it cost me $1.29 for this teflon tape, and I can't believe the difference it makes. Tonight I'm going to teflon all of my other AC plugs, see if I get even more improvements. This tweak is definitely worth trying; it's ultra cheap, takes just a few minutes, and may revitalize your hi fi! -- magiccarpetride ------------------------------------------------------------------------ magiccarpetride's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=37863 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=89174 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
