Moved from another thread!
Generally speaking Marc when there's an industrial version I'll go for it and when industrial isn't available and something is touted as a fundamental then I research it. Unfortunately that's also when we run into audio snake oil. There are varying qualities among industrial products too, so some research and experimentation is necessary. Dedicated lines, panels extra are basics and when done right will help with sound, mostly with lowering of line noise. Please note that this is different from audio products I object to that mask the line noise with the introduction of a stronger noise or coloration and they call it filtering, cat litter boxes among them. Do you know how many failed electronics go back every year because of the so call audiophile fuses because they fail?
Other things you mention like room tuning of course can help when applied correctly but hinder when done randomly. Plenty of crap quality products in this category that need to be avoided, hence my wall tampon comments.
I don't like Ikea products for foundation purposes and a good foundation is definitely not a tweak. IMO it shouldn't impart any character to the sound either which many do and plenty of them have a degrading effect on sound as mentioned in various posts above. Ching Cheng is a do nothing product, doesn't add or detract from the sound and it doesn't have any negative qualities so if your equipment is up to it you'll hear the differences of each recording and even differences in pressings of the same recording, none of the high priced audiophile power cords I've tested are neutral and in fact are the opposite, they introduce a strong character to the overall sound because they're designed to do something. Ching Cheng is something I came across looking for a do nothing cord I'm sure there are others you just have to do your own research because some of these industrial cords are nasty and harsh. De-tweaking involves removing all the products I mentioned from the system and starting with a basic setup and building up on that to bring the maximum potential of good equipment. Where experience matters is the knowledge of knowing what each component, tweak or materials are doing and what do with it or it's place. A lot of it is common sense! The people I work with know that they're not pushed into anything and everything I do is easily reversible, like peeling an onion I take them on a step by step journey so they understand the process and then can continue on their own where I leave off, including the mythical VTA settings. 30 odd years of experience is compressed down to the essentials and delivered on a plate and once the logic of a subject is understood one can easily deal with the variables as part of a process; this is the crux of it. No one is beyond mistakes but with the process in place the mistakes can be reversed. Rely on common sense and science than stories, as in the case of panzerholz that started all this. I'm not taking pot shots at Emile just disagree with what him in this matter, many of us including him know that panzerholz has a negative effect on sound. He claims that a simple fibonacci pattern carved into the material transforms it from a net negative to a positive. Leaving personal experience aside basic science and common sense tell you that it's not possible to change the basic nature of materials by carving patterns into them. This is the two sides of the argument. YMMV doesn't mean that panzerholz behaves differently in different systems, all it means is that depending on the state of the system one will hear more or less of it's nastiness.
david
Dave, I would truly like to know how far do you take yr philosophy.
I'm assuming at a very minimum, we need a good room. If one doesn't have that, do you approve of acoustic panels? Or do you say make do w that room, or find a better room?
Dedicated lines ok? Radial main? If so, does one go pricey Oyaides lines eg, or bog standard stuff you'd find in a commercial electrical outlet?
Furutech sockets? Or again industrial/commercial bog standard?
Why go Ching Cheng pwr cords? Can find pwr cords under $5 off Amazon.
Fine to just stack amps, dacs, servers, phonos staight on the floor or a simple Ikea bookshelf?
Fuses? Stick w stock? All specialist fuses a racket?
Etc etc.
How far is the de-tweaking gonna go to be consistent w yr worldview?
Generally speaking Marc when there's an industrial version I'll go for it and when industrial isn't available and something is touted as a fundamental then I research it. Unfortunately that's also when we run into audio snake oil. There are varying qualities among industrial products too, so some research and experimentation is necessary. Dedicated lines, panels extra are basics and when done right will help with sound, mostly with lowering of line noise. Please note that this is different from audio products I object to that mask the line noise with the introduction of a stronger noise or coloration and they call it filtering, cat litter boxes among them. Do you know how many failed electronics go back every year because of the so call audiophile fuses because they fail?
Other things you mention like room tuning of course can help when applied correctly but hinder when done randomly. Plenty of crap quality products in this category that need to be avoided, hence my wall tampon comments.
I don't like Ikea products for foundation purposes and a good foundation is definitely not a tweak. IMO it shouldn't impart any character to the sound either which many do and plenty of them have a degrading effect on sound as mentioned in various posts above. Ching Cheng is a do nothing product, doesn't add or detract from the sound and it doesn't have any negative qualities so if your equipment is up to it you'll hear the differences of each recording and even differences in pressings of the same recording, none of the high priced audiophile power cords I've tested are neutral and in fact are the opposite, they introduce a strong character to the overall sound because they're designed to do something. Ching Cheng is something I came across looking for a do nothing cord I'm sure there are others you just have to do your own research because some of these industrial cords are nasty and harsh. De-tweaking involves removing all the products I mentioned from the system and starting with a basic setup and building up on that to bring the maximum potential of good equipment. Where experience matters is the knowledge of knowing what each component, tweak or materials are doing and what do with it or it's place. A lot of it is common sense! The people I work with know that they're not pushed into anything and everything I do is easily reversible, like peeling an onion I take them on a step by step journey so they understand the process and then can continue on their own where I leave off, including the mythical VTA settings. 30 odd years of experience is compressed down to the essentials and delivered on a plate and once the logic of a subject is understood one can easily deal with the variables as part of a process; this is the crux of it. No one is beyond mistakes but with the process in place the mistakes can be reversed. Rely on common sense and science than stories, as in the case of panzerholz that started all this. I'm not taking pot shots at Emile just disagree with what him in this matter, many of us including him know that panzerholz has a negative effect on sound. He claims that a simple fibonacci pattern carved into the material transforms it from a net negative to a positive. Leaving personal experience aside basic science and common sense tell you that it's not possible to change the basic nature of materials by carving patterns into them. This is the two sides of the argument. YMMV doesn't mean that panzerholz behaves differently in different systems, all it means is that depending on the state of the system one will hear more or less of it's nastiness.
david