|
|
Post by mattspl on Feb 27, 2023 16:33:28 GMT
Hi Martin,
I found the Mad Scientist Graphene to make an immediately noticeable improvement, but found on the 2nd day the music was even more alive. Could have just been my imagination.
|
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Feb 27, 2023 17:28:44 GMT
I found the Mad Scientist Graphene to make an immediately noticeable improvement, but found on the 2nd day the music was even more alive. Could have just been my imagination. Snap! I was listening last night and thought the same thing. I think the stuff spreads to fill every nick and crevasse in the contact surfaces over time. Definitely improved and I think it's helped with the slight edge on some material that John and I played on Saturday. |
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Feb 28, 2023 9:31:39 GMT
This morning I treated all the grounding boxes with the graphene. Hopefully, I'll hear the difference in tonight's listening.
|
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Mar 2, 2023 19:30:09 GMT
Reporting on changes to the system, the things I did while John was still here - some mild dressing of cables and removing every last bit of shielding - gave me a good baseline.
Since then I have treated every contact throughout the system - power, interconnects and grounding boxes - with Mad Scientist graphene contact treatment. I had never treated the I2S, USB and clock cables before. I also took the chance where I could to dress the cables a bit more.
The result is somewhat surprising as the effect is to have increased resolution. I had expected the better contact quality with the grounding boxes to further expand ambience/decay but that remains at an already excellent level, so clearly the signal contacts have taken centre stage here. Fine detail is superb, probably the best resolution I've yet heard.
I was playing the Mahler 9 recorded by John Barbirolli in 1964 and now on Qobuz in 24/192 hi-res. It's remarkable how tape hiss is well reproduced and also all manner of studio sounds from that performance all those years ago.
So, not what I expected but I'll take it.
|
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Mar 4, 2023 11:37:49 GMT
A couple of days of the Tara Labs burn-in signal has restored system balance - I had forgotten this needs doing with any system changes and disconnecting every connection and treating it counts as 'disturbance'.
I've ended up with greater resolution, that ability to hear right into the recording and pick up subtle cues, but no more forward than before. It's the system balance that works best for me.
Meanwhile, I'm expecting the Zero Zone PSU for my first clock to arrive soon and I'm going to prepare another run of Supra power cable in parallel with the existing one to feed this PSU separately from the Coherent QP-2 rather than use the Y adapter.
|
|
|
|
Post by MikeMusic on Mar 4, 2023 20:05:25 GMT
Aah
Forgot Tara needs updating
|
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Mar 7, 2023 19:57:12 GMT
Tweaks #1
I've received a 4m Supra LoRad 1.5 power cable, the same as the existing one going to my remote pre-processing components in the corner, plus two HiFi Tuning Supreme 3 Copper 4A fuses.
The cable has received a spare SR Orange fuse in the plug, together with full graphene treatment. It now runs parallel with the other one. The awful IEC Y adapter, which I always intended to be temporary, has been confined to a darkened corner. Each cable powers a PSU, the Coherent QP-2 for the TP-Link router and EtherREGEN, and the Weiliang for the 1st AD clock. Each now goes to a different zone in the P10 regenerator.
One of the HiFi Tuning fuses has gone inside the Zero Zone PSU powering my 2nd AD clock, replacing an SR Red 4A fuse. It, too, received the graphene treatment. I still sense that HiFi Tuning are best for DC circuits while SR are excellent with AC.
I wasn't expecting to hear much at this point so I'm pleasantly surprised at an improvement in bass heft and a very slight uplift in transparency.
The second set of tweaks will finish the job when my 2nd Zero Zone PSU arrives, together with four Black Ravioli Pads, to replace the Weiliang so that both clocks are ZZ powered. It will receive the other HiFi Tuning fuse.
|
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Mar 9, 2023 7:57:59 GMT
No-one picked me up on "spare SR Orange fuse". Yes, I really did have one!
I don't have another for the new ZZ when it arrives (rear panel), so that'll be getting a Red until I have saved more pennies.
|
|
|
|
Post by John on Mar 9, 2023 8:07:40 GMT
I missed it as like the tonal quality of the orange brings to the mix
|
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Mar 9, 2023 9:00:33 GMT
I missed it as like the tonal quality of the orange brings to the mix I will get an Orange for the ZZ, mustn't delay as stocks are dwindling. |
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Mar 9, 2023 19:17:18 GMT
Tara has done her job on the Tweaks #1 with a very noticeable calming and enhancement of fine detail - helping timbre - after 48 hours. In the opening to Melissa Tallon's Worthy Love, the cymbal has a lovely metallic finish to its trailing edges that I hadn't noticed before. Nils Frahm's percussion in #2 is better delineated than I can remember, really enhancing this already great piece. The overall system balance is even better than before, too.
Small changes, but pleasing since these tweaks were merely preparatory to the second Zero Zone arriving on the scene soon.
|
|
|
|
Post by MikeMusic on Mar 9, 2023 20:59:15 GMT
Then run Tara again ?
|
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Mar 9, 2023 21:03:54 GMT
Oh yes, Tara is now standard after any mods I perform, it's that effective. |
|
|
|
Post by orange55 on Mar 16, 2023 16:56:36 GMT
MartinT I recall seeing a post from you which was about an album you were listening to and it was old and you could hear the noises in the studio, I think it has a blue cover. I have looked in this thread and the playing now thread but I cannot seem to track it down. Are you able to remember which album it was?
|
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Mar 16, 2023 17:10:15 GMT
Tweaks #2
My second Zero Zone 01-A arrived and I set about preparing it for work. I first got the lid off and inserted a HiFi Tuning Supreme Copper 20mm 4A slow blow fuse into the PCB socket. I then put an SR Orange 20mm 2A fuse into the rear fuseholder, taking care to get its direction correct. I took the chance to set the output voltage correctly - the display is not as accurate as my meter and reads 12.3V when the output is 12.0V. Finally, I turned the PSU over and attached 4 Black Ravioli Pads to the underside, removing the screwed feet as they are too tall.
This Zero Zone replaces a Weiliang, powering the first AfterDark clock feeding an EtherREGEN (sending the reclocked feed optically to the Rendu).
On first listen, it was obvious to me that this PSU is as low noise as my first Zero Zone. From the first song, there is an enhanced smoothness to the music while resolution is actually up. I've heard this magic trick performed a few times in my life and it's usually a sign that I've got things nearly right. My impressions continued with calmness and serenity in the presentation. Bass is a touch more potent again. Dynamics are the same as before.
I don't need a great deal more verbiage: it sounds smooth and detailed without any sharpness, brightness or edginess.
|
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Mar 16, 2023 17:17:27 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Mar 16, 2023 19:05:19 GMT
MartinT I recall seeing a post from you which was about an album you were listening to and it was old and you could hear the noises in the studio, I think it has a blue cover. Was it Undiscovered First by Feist? Lots of noises in the opening, it's bluish but not hugely old. To be honest, I hear lots of noises captured in recordings these days and I don't recall individual ones so much any more. Piano pedals creaking are a popular one. |
|
|
|
Post by orange55 on Mar 16, 2023 20:05:45 GMT
Thanks. No not that one. I guess I’ll have to keep looking. Thank you.
|
|
|
|
Post by mattspl on Mar 16, 2023 20:10:27 GMT
The new Zero zone lps sounds like it’s doing a nice job already Martin. I must try the upgrade fuses in mine at some point.
|
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Mar 16, 2023 20:54:12 GMT
Thanks. No not that one. I guess I’ll have to keep looking. I'll keep thinking. If I get a light bulb moment, I'll let you know. EDIT: Roy Harper: Hallucinating Light? Loads of studio noise & chatter at the start. |
|
