Does "everything" REALLY matter? (A No-Arguing Thread...)

[PeterA]

Have found to make an improvement:
1. Mass loading equipment rack
2. Controlling pressure in room by door opening
3. Replacing belt with thread on turntable
4. Getting thread tension correct
5. Finding correct volume for each recording

Have not found to make an improvement:
1. Pneumatic isolation platforms
2. Fancy powercords
3. Fancy wires
4. Removing eye glasses for listening
5. Latest and greatest gear

 

[ssfas]

Make an improvement:
1. New dedicated power installation
2. Fibre optic cabling
3. Rigid welded steel hifi stand with slate top
4. Loricraft wet record cleaner
5. R2R DAC architecture

No improvement:
1. Audiophile switch
2. Any product deploying the words "graphene" and/or "quantum" - general snake oil indicators
3. Fuses
4. Tubes
5. Brand names

 

[hopkins]

Little to no improvement:
1. Schumann resonators
2. Power cables and power plugs
3. Digital cables (Ethernet, USB, Optical...)
4. Music servers (as opposed to players) and server applications (as long as they are bit-perfect)
5. Digital equipment vibration platforms/feet
6. Ethernet switches

 

[Rensselaer]

Makes an improvement:

Limiting degree of complication, number of components in signal path.
SUTs into MM phono (over MC phono)
Valves over transistors, SETs over Pentodes, NOS valves over current production valves.
AlNiCo magnets (driving paper/rag cones) over ferrite or neodymium
Mass to the platter and plinth
Limiting antiskid, perferably with linear tracking
Finding “that” version of a recording
Providing just one single ground path (from tonearm to right SUT, from right SUT to left SUT, from left SUT to phono stage, from phono stage to ground lug of its power cord. (The amplifier should have its ground to the phono and that on power cord lifted, but mine dealing with >1000 volts so power cord grounded to its own isolated socket).
Low capacitance cables, (possibly beneficial is a bit of gold mixed in)
Ultrasound record cleaning

No improvement (or detrimental):

Any digital-master-to-vinyl records, as: (Musicians playing their part of a recording into different locations being recording into digital computer language and sent by internet to the mastering studio, Over-editing on mastering console, adding clicks and pops to make it sound like analogue, adding fake reverb, converting the massively edited digital construct into an analogue simile that is used to press vinyl records).
Outrageously Expensive cables /power cords
Speaker cones made of exotic materials or having diamonds glued onto surface to justify outrageous prices.

 

[Lee]

Improvement
1. Ethernet switch and better ethernet cable.
2. Better cables…speaker, interconnect, clock, power cords, the whole shebang.
3. Line conditioner on the router and grounding devices on everything.
4. Footers, especially Wilson Audio Pedestals and Iso-Acoustics.
5. Speaker placement and acoustic treatments.

No Improvement
1. Cable risers, except SR due to HFT.
2. String instruments in the room like a hanging violin.
3. AC power regenerators like PS Audio.
4. Ceiling clouds that are not at the first reflection points or diffusers that dominate a room killing the liveliness.
5. Bass traps in the front corners.

 

[Lee]

Make an improvement:
1. New dedicated power installation
2. Fibre optic cabling
3. Rigid welded steel hifi stand with slate top
4. Loricraft wet record cleaner
5. R2R DAC architecture

No improvement:
1. Audiophile switch
2. Any product deploying the words "graphene" and/or "quantum" - general snake oil indicators
3. Fuses
4. Tubes
5. Brand names

You spelled Ring DAC wrong.

 

[PLF]

Improvements in my experience

1. Power cables and distributor
2. Playback/streaming software
3. Speaker cables
4. Ethernet cables
5. Audiophile switch

No or deleterious improvement in my experience

1. Carbon vs regular shelves in racks
2. Cable risers
3. Power purifiers (e.g. Nordost QX)
4. Power conditioners (e.g. Isotek Titan)
5. Too much acoustic treatment

 

[jeromelang]

Have found to make an improvement:
1. Ethernet cable directionality
2. ST Optical cable directionality, optical gel, aftermarket optical cables from Aural Symphonics
4. The right receptacle on a UK type AC duplex sounds better
5. Directionality of grounding cable (for turntable-to-phono purpose)
6. Directionality of grounding cable (for internal or external grounding CD player, pre-amp, power-amp)
7. Tap water as the final rinse on CDs, SACDs, and Vinyl Records
8. Contact-less Cleaning and Drying for CDs, SACDs, and Vinyl Records
9. Unplugging the Fridge in the house (or at least make sure the fridge door was never open/close during listening sessions)
10. Powering off Optical Disc Players before playing any CDs to clear residue playback memories
11. Certain types of belt drive turntables need to be powered off and on before playing another vinyl side

Have found to make sound worse:
1. Shakti Stones (but I continue to use them to treat CDs and SACDs)
2. Cable risers
3. Cat's fur brushing against audio cables' dielectric jackets
4. Human hand/skin touching audio cables' dielectric jackets while the whole system is powered up
5. Audio Racks made of Metallic Materials
6. Turntables' plinths, platters, and clamps made of Metallic Materials
7. Using a record brush on a vinyl record
8. Using a record brush over the vinyl record while it is spinning prior to playing the record
9. Stress and tension on audio cables and powercords
10. MOFI SACDs and Vinyl Records
11. Flac files

BTW, i love cats

1 more that can make a difference:

When the cd player has been totally powered down, pressing the buttons on the front panel a few times.

 

[Rensselaer]

Improvements in my experience

1. Power cables and distributor
2. Playback/streaming software
3. Speaker cables
4. Ethernet cables
5. Audiophile switch

No or deleterious improvement in my experience

1. Carbon vs regular shelves in racks
2. Cable risers
3. Power purifiers (e.g. Nordost QX)
4. Power conditioners (e.g. Isotek Titan)
5. Too much acoustic treatment

What is an “Audiophile switch”?

 

[Ted Denney III]

‘Everything’ is a broad and nondescript brush, but yes, virtually everything affects the sound of the system. Even the humidity in the listening room.

 

[mtemur]

Even the humidity in the listening room.

Especially the humidity affects the sound. Actual sound speed I should say to be more precise.

 

[Ted Denney III]

Especially the humidity affects the sound. Actual sound speed I should say to be more precise.

The OP is painting with a broad brush. And yes, you are correct.

 

[wil]

Especially the humidity affects the sound. Actual sound speed I should say to be more precise.

What is thought to be a good level for humidity with regards to sound?

 

[Ted Denney III]

Specifically, I will now post videos that show audiophile tweaks, making a difference.

Cable risers:

Component fuses:

Active ground filtration:

 

[mtemur]

What is thought to be a good level for humidity with regards to sound?

AFAIK %60 humidity is considered as a good balance. There are other factors and it may change depending on the setup, location, air pressure, how damped the room is. Sound speed is the important factor cause humidity affects sound speed.

 

[Ted Denney III]

What is thought to be a good level for humidity with regards to sound?

We will be making a video documenting the difference in sound quality of the reference system at various ambient humidity levels. From this, we hope to post guidance for optimal humidity levels. Of course, the raw files will be available for download so you can compare the sound quality differences when the room has different ambient humidity levels.

 

[Rensselaer]

Specifically, I will now post videos that show audiophile tweaks, making a difference.

Cable risers:

Component fuses:

Active ground filtration:

Do you have to pay the owners of this website for each advertisement or do you get a bulk rate?

 

[TonyW]

I found years ago that 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit is the best temperature range for sound quality. Unfortunately, in Georgia that is available to me only a few months per year. And colder than 68 might be better sound quality but I will never know because by then I’m not thinking about music.

No affiliations. I’m just a guy, sitting in a room, listening to music.

 

[Lee]

Do you have to pay the owners of this website for each advertisement or do you get a bulk rate?

I don’t mind these videos as he is sharing sound from a decent recording system of an A/B comparison. The sound was definitely dull sounding when the cable elevators were removed.

 

[Rensselaer]

I don’t mind these videos as he is sharing sound from a decent recording system of an A/B comparison. The sound was definitely dull sounding when the cable elevators were removed.

I didn’t watch, but wonder if unaffiliated expert witnesses were on hand observing the process (with several sets of equipment for repeatability across a spectrum) for peer review?