What Tweaks Work For You?

[jls001]

Another evening. Another system trying out the BGTs. The observations were quite similar to what was observed in post #19.

BGT on CDP + amp helped lower noise floor and bring out lower level details which were hitherto hidden at regular listening SPLs.

Adding analog BGTs to each speakers reinforced the effect, but using the SPDIF version on the speakers made it too bright. For example, high hats got unnaturally spotlighted and took on a metallic tinge in the tone.

Again, the SPDIF worked brilliantly on my friend's Sony Blu-ray player, but not so much on his high end CD player (we used SPDIF output from both, using the same external DAC for the test). My assumption here is that the CD player already has good ground plane in the circuit board, whereas the budget Blu-ray player must have some corners cut in design.

Repeating a caveat for those thinking of trying the BGT: the overall sound stage becomes more forward. This may or may not be to your liking. It felt more apparent if the soundstage was already shallow (as was the case last night). If you have a decently deep soundstage you may not feel it much, though you will hear a reduction. In general, if speakers are placed close to the front wall (the wall behind the speakers), soundstage will be shallower. And vice versa. By close, I mean 6 to 18 inches.

 

[keith_correa]

I wonder what this will do for digital out via USB. I guess I will have to maul a cable to find out.

 

[jls001]

No way for me to find out as I don't use USB anywhere in my chain.

So treat the USB cable gently while mauling

 

[regeHA]

I wonder what this will do for digital out via USB. I guess I will have to maul a cable to find out.

You can spend a little more on the Regen. Lots of good reviews.

Like jls001 I don't use USB either. Its all wireless and S/PDIF (mostly Toslink) and its a huge improvement over USB - better noise floor, dynamic range, etc.

 

[prem]

Yesterday jls001 and Rikhav were at my place. We were keen to try out the bgt at my place. Jls001 went out of his way to configure one with 6v also. Thanks jls001.

We first tried on the speakers on the negative terminal. This was the 9v version. There was a clear suck out. We then tried on the positive terminal of the speakers. Here the suck out did not happen. But the stage became smaller. Also the immediacy was lost. We also tried the 6 v version. The centre of gravity of the sound moved a bit down. But the suck out was still there. Then we tried on the turntable. Again negative. Finally the amp. Here it made absolutely no difference.

So I guess the bgt is very system dependent

Thanks jls001 once again for getting the BGT over.

 

[rikhav]

Hi
Yes, no version of BGT worked in Prems setup. It did change something but it was not making the sound better

In contrast to that I tried thes spidif bgt with my cdp, digital out from cdp to dac
What a change in sound, its very hard for me to describe but it was as good as upgrading to a high end transport
There was no suck out in sound as it happened with prems setup
So yeah it's surely system dependent

 

[jls001]

Prem's current setup is a tough nut to crack

His turntable's inbuilt phono stage output is balanced so no scope for using the BGT there.

We didn't hear any effect whatsoever when using BGT on the binding posts of the amp.

As already reported by Prem, all combinations of BGTs on the speaker binding posts degraded the sound. What is interesting is he had tried his other regular tweaks like sugar cubes, resonators, hifi tuning fuses, etc and unlike his earlier amp, all of these tweaks failed to produce positive results.

My only conclusion is the EMT and the Berning amp are already perfect

 

[prem]

Not just Hifi tweaks. Fancy cables also seem to degrade the sound. Only simple unshielded run of the mill power cords seem to work

 

[jls001]

Only simple unshielded run of the mill power cords

Haha

That's very unlike your usual setup, but I guess it simplifies lots of things. Sell them fancy cords and buy even more records

 

[malvai]

I find the same thing as Prem in some of my components. The designer of these components says that most well-engineered products would not be affected by changes in power cords...

 

[prem]

Already sold jls001

 

[keith_correa]

So can someone please explain how a well made power cord would degrade the sound in a well engineered amp? Assuming we already have a power cord with good connectors that conduct well and fit receptacles well, we have good quality and adequately sized conductors, we have braiding, shielding etc that repel RFI and EMI. The job of the conductor (which is the power cord) is to conduct well from point A to B. Assuming that point B is the IEC socket or whatever, how can "good" electricity passing though the cord in a well engineered amp degrade the sound? Does it not want/expect "good electricity"? I can understand it not making a difference but degrading it? It defies the adage "Garbage in, garbage out".

 

[jls001]

This is way beyond my current scope of understanding

 

[prem]

Keith I said fancy cables

I dont think there was any mention of well engineered cables in my post

I am not against fancy cables. Have used a lot of them. They are all voiced and work extremely well in certain systems

All I am saying is in my current system I prefer simple off the shelf unshielded power cords. I even tried audiophile connectors on them. Did not work. Preferred the nickel plated brass Molded connectors that came with the power cable

What I realised over the last couple of months is the gauge matters. Most audiophile power cords are heavy gauge. Berning amp likes 18 AWG power cord. 14 AWG increases bass and messes up the balance. Ditto with my EMT. It prefers 16 AWG. If I use 18 AWG it sounds thin. 14 AWG makes it a bit bass heavy

Most audiophile cords also do a lot of filtering which Berning amp does not seem to like. Berning amp has five stages of power filtration designed into the amp including power factor correction. So that could be the reason

 

[keith_correa]

Keith I said fancy cables

Yes, and I assume that fancy would equate to well made/engineered.

I dont think there was any mention of well engineered cables in my post

Neither did I but then I guess it was implicit.

Berning amp has five stages of power filtration designed into the amp including power factor correction. So that could be the reason

Ah!!! Now you tell us this!!!! So it does expect "dirty" power so that it can do it's stuff.

 

[prem]

Keith, somethings are best kept untold

 

[oracle1974]

My personal experience with under speaker isolation and damping is to use both hard spike screwed to the base of speaker, and brass cones placed under the speaker, but not screwed on to the base. I've also tried ceramic ball based isolation footer. Also tried soft dampening footers.

My personal favourite is brass cones as I find the sound most balanced. The soft footer made the bass wooly. I have tried a variation of this where a large foam sheet the size of the speaker stand top plate was sandwiched between the stand's top plate and Baltic birch plywood. The presence of foam spoiled the bass here too.

Of course, YMMV.

Hello jls
Any recommendations from where I could buy good brass cones?
Thanks in anticipation!

 

[jls001]

Hello jls
Any recommendations from where I could buy good brass cones?
Thanks in anticipation!

Please check with Soundfoundation.

 

[heliumflight]

Ten Stereo System Upgrades to Improve Sound Quality

https://www.lifewire.com/stereo-system-upgrades-3134908

 

[jls001]

To resurrect an old thread: lately I have been revisiting an old tweak I had done in the past, namely, tweeter ring.

A picture will make it clear:


How it works:
When a tweeter radiates sound wave, it should ideally radiate to the front but some part of it will travel along the plane of the front baffle and get radiated at the edge of the baffle. So when the wavefront reaches our ears, we get both direct waves from the tweeter and delayed waves from the edge of the baffle. The idea behind this ring is to block the dispersion of the tweeter onto the front baffle, and confine the wavefront to mostly direct waves from the tweeter.

Effects:
Images become more focused and direct. If the size and shape is tuned correctly, it will also raise the SPL level of the presence region where most vocals are present. This makes the mids warmer.

Side effects:
If one uses incorrect ring size vocals get really shouty (the reason why I had abandoned it in the past). And the highs can get hot.

Material:
I use a fairly soft and porous rubber foam but the ideal material is felt. I haven't tried cork sheets.

This tweak doesn't work at all if the tweeter is concave type since a concave dome already focuses the wave emanating from it.

Like this tweeter:


It's a cheap and fun tweak that can raise the performance of a speaker substantially.