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Post by MikeMusic on Sept 2, 2014 10:24:56 GMT
Way back when, and I was around, there was this argument as to whether speaker cables made a difference.
Some said no way, not possible
Then along came Sound Organisation and later Mana with supports for hifi.
Then mains stuff with cables, dedicated hifi outlets
Interconnects around the same time I assume
Now supports to go onto the stands we already have fighting vibration and other damping, vibration items.
Is there something else left ?
Bet someone is working on something that we don't think makes any difference, 'cept I cannot think what it might be
Edit
I'm thinking of the kit direct. I know there is the room to take into account
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2014 12:48:04 GMT
The discovery that proper sideboards like what my mum had, with a nice heavy lid sounds better than all the little tweaks yet tried to date. I may allow you to have the speakers separate.  |
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Post by dvh on Sept 2, 2014 13:05:07 GMT
What I find amusing about the hifi press's treatment of accessories like cables and such is that their (current) highest degree of praise is that the cables (or whatever) 'let more of the music through' or 'simply allow the system to sound more like itself', as if there was a Platonic ideal system that sounded exactly 'right' and that the best way to reach this ideal was to tweak the peripherals.
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Post by danielquinn on Sept 2, 2014 13:13:17 GMT
Next big thing in hifi will be materials with nano technology .
Mr Toy and his advocacy of peek is but the tip of the ice berg i predict .
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Post by MikeMusic on Sept 2, 2014 14:45:36 GMT
Radiogram. Mono I thought of one Anti vibration pads. They are already available from a few places. 'Course some cables and accessories don't work. Naff kit isn't likely to be improved by peripherals, unless my Tivo is naff ! That was certainly improved by supports. Putting a few grands worth of extras on top of my NAD CD player is unlikely to make it better than my Isis |
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Post by yomanze on Sept 2, 2014 16:12:08 GMT
A lot of people are investing in mains from a "foo free" perspective, so the likes of balanced mains and well sorted mains blocks, as well as regenerators, are on the rise as evidenced by forum chatter over the last couple of years.
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Post by John on Sept 2, 2014 17:03:41 GMT
Its interesting I remember when moving to Balanced mains or mains improvement used to be considered Foo for quite a few folks
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Post by MikeMusic on Sept 2, 2014 20:26:27 GMT
I'm thinking more the leading edge, which could be cobblers of course If I'd been told this is what I'd be doing with kit when I first started I might have backed away not wanting to be committed to the funny farm |
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Post by MartinT on Sept 2, 2014 20:37:31 GMT
There's still a lot to do with digital and getting it right. Years down the line, and DACs are sounding more natural with every generation. It all helps.
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Post by MikeMusic on Sept 3, 2014 7:10:48 GMT
and then there's the point where everyone realises all the black kit sounds best |
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Post by brian2957 on Sept 3, 2014 7:27:11 GMT
Agreed Martin . I think we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg as far as computer / file based audio ,and all the accessories associated with it , goes . I've been mucking around for the last few days with USB cables and they all sound different . ( We need a 'hiding behind the sofa' emoticon)  |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2014 8:00:08 GMT
I would agree with Martin on this point So much more to digital you can shake a well rounded hippo at. Have been building digital transports for many years, only in the last six months has the real true potential been revealed. Far more to PC audio than Pang/sotm cards, separate power supplies, server 2012 shells, quad i7 cores and usb Recent thinking has now changed back to my original method of data transmission I used six years ago, oh how fickle we are  Exciting times and fast changing times to. Though where next, how about a proper sort out of your cables, running signal and power lines separate and keeping speaker cables well out of the way. next correct speaker position, this will pay dividends and costs nothing but time bit can bring quality rewards. |
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Post by brian2957 on Sept 3, 2014 8:08:14 GMT
I paid a visit to Maplins yesterday and bought 4 x 1 metres if minature coax cable and some USB plugs . After a bit of faffing around I managed to build a USB cable with seperate feeds for all four connections . I'm listening to it now and it sounds excellent . Well pleased |
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Post by MikeMusic on Sept 3, 2014 8:44:23 GMT
There's still a lot to do with digital and getting it right. Years down the line, and DACs are sounding more natural with every generation. It all helps. And digital possibly where we are all going I like my LPs and CDs but if files sound as good, or, shock horror, better !!!, it pains me to say it, why bother with the physical (ouch) |
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Post by MikeMusic on Sept 3, 2014 8:46:25 GMT
Agreed Martin . I think we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg as far as computer / file based audio ,and all the accessories associated with it , goes . I've been mucking around for the last few days with USB cables and they all sound different . ( We need a 'hiding behind the sofa' emoticon) Quite. Still early days for good quality and high end improvements. I wonder if I might build a shrine for my LPs and CDs that never get touched ..... |
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Post by MikeMusic on Sept 3, 2014 8:51:46 GMT
I would agree with Martin on this point So much more to digital you can shake a well rounded hippo at. Have been building digital transports for many years, only in the last six months has the real true potential been revealed. Far more to PC audio than Pang/sotm cards, separate power supplies, server 2012 shells, quad i7 cores and usb Recent thinking has now changed back to my original method of data transmission I used six years ago, oh how fickle we are Exciting times and fast changing times to. Though where next, how about a proper sort out of your cables, running signal and power lines separate and keeping speaker cables well out of the way. next correct speaker position, this will pay dividends and costs nothing but time bit can bring quality rewards. I'm hanging back on the digital for now. Plenty else going on. The pace of change getting faster, like so much. Cables eh ? Have you snuck into my place when I was out ? I've gone from awful rats nest to not optimal. As the kit is now more or less settled I will continue the tidy up but there are places where I have signal and mains crossing. Can tweak some but others will have to stay. Speakers I have little room to manoeuvre. Isobariks sound rubbish unless against the wall. Room treatment not started yet |
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Post by MikeMusic on Sept 3, 2014 8:52:49 GMT
I paid a visit to Maplins yesterday and bought 4 x 1 metres if minature coax cable and some USB plugs . After a bit of faffing around I managed to build a USB cable with seperate feeds for all four connections . I'm listening to it now and it sounds excellent . Well pleased The improvements are great If cheap they are wonderful ! Could even be some bur in to improve further |
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Post by brian2957 on Sept 3, 2014 9:06:20 GMT
Total cost a tenner plus some heatshrink Mike . Cables don't burn in do they ?  |
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Post by zippy on Sept 3, 2014 9:11:16 GMT
The discovery that proper sideboards like what my mum had, with a nice heavy lid sounds better than all the little tweaks yet tried to date. I may allow you to have the speakers separate. Interesting - there's loads of discussion in various places regarding isolation devices which go UNDER your equipment to stop vibration etc. I can't however remember ever seeing any form of device which actually covers the equipment totally in order to prevent airborne vibration. Maybe it isn't a problem anyway, although I'm sure you can affect the sound if you put your speakers too close to your amp/etc. |
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Post by dvh on Sept 3, 2014 9:18:59 GMT
I have to laugh when I read people banging on about 'protection from vibration' and 'keeping cables away from walls' when pictures of their kit shows the electronics sat right in the middle of the space between the speakers!
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