Tweaks, Cables, and Filtration: Essential for World-Class Stereo Performance?

Ted Denney III

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Feb 24, 2022
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What is the consensus on the importance of the following components to the overall performance of a world-class stereo?

Cables:
• AC
• Digital
• Interconnect
• Speaker

Tweaks:
• Cones and footers
• Cable elevators
• Specialty fuses

Filters:
• AC power filtration
• Ground filtration
• Electromagnetic platforms

Digital:
• Specialty Ethernet switches and routers
• Ethernet cables

Also, is it possible to achieve absolute world-class performance while taking these aforementioned items for granted? I’m primarily looking for opinions from those who have experimented with tweaks and what you found.
 
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In my own experience, you really need all of the above for the best results.
 
The above mentioned things are essential. But like everything else there are good products that help lower the noise floor and there are bad products that make the system worse.
 
What is the consensus on the importance of the following components to the overall performance of a world-class stereo?

Cables:
• AC
• Digital
• Interconnects
• Power

Tweaks:
• Cones and footers
• Cable elevators
• Specialty fuses

Filters:
• AC power filtration
• Ground filtration
• Electromagnetic platforms

Digital:
• Specialty Ethernet switches and routers
• Ethernet cables

Also, is it possible to achieve absolute world-class performance while taking these aforementioned items for granted? I’m primarily looking for opinions from those who have experimented with tweaks and what you found.
Since you make all of those tweaks shouldn't you be telling us?
 
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Since you make all of those tweaks shouldn't you be telling us?
I already know my opinion, but since you ask, no. I do not think it is possible to have a world-class system and neglect to pay close attention to the aforementioned points. In fact, I know it’s not possible. The increase in performance that you get from creating synergy in the system cannot be replicated in any other way. It’s not either/or or zero-sum. To be world-class, you must pay attention to all variables that affect performance.
 
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The above mentioned things are essential. But like everything else there are good products that help lower the noise floor and there are bad products that make the system worse.
Agreed, you need to gauge changes, ascertain their benefits, and then synthesize different changes and benefits to create a whole that is fundamentally qualitative in nature.
 
Cables:
• AC
• Digital
• Interconnects
• Power
Do you mean Speaker Cables instead of Power for the fourth bullet point?

In this cables category which of these types of cables do you feel has the greatest sonic impact on the overall sound of a system?
 
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Thanks, Ron, and you are correct. I will amend my original post to include the speaker cable designation. Honestly, I’m a huge proponent of the loom. Cables taken as a whole form a lens, with each cable being an independent element in that lens. I don’t know that you can mix and match Canon, Leica, and Nikon elements to create a functional lens; of course, you can’t. I feel the same thing happens with stereo cables. Cable stew is not a good practice in my experience. But when asked to recommend one cable to start, your most probable positive outcome would come from a power cord. We have a line of cables called Foundation—Foundation XL and Foundation SX—with XL being a third larger geometry than SX, plus other improvements. Both Foundation looms punch against cables 3 to 4 times their retail value and can be mixed and matched to create a cohesive loom.
 
I’m a huge proponent of the loom. Cables taken as a whole form a lens, with each cable being an independent element in that lens. I don’t know that you can mix and match Canon, Leica, and Nikon elements to create a functional lens; of course, you can’t. I feel the same thing happens with stereo cables. Cable stew is not a good practice in my experience. But when asked to recommend one cable to start, your most probable positive outcome would come from a power cord. We have a line of cables called Foundation—Foundation XL and Foundation SX—with XL being a third larger geometry than SX, plus other improvements. Both Foundation looms punch against cables 3 to 4 times their retail value and can be mixed and matched to create a cohesive loom.
Thank you.
 
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Cable stew is not a good practice in my experience. But when asked to recommend one cable to start, your most probable positive outcome would come from a power cord. We have a line of cables called Foundation—Foundation XL and Foundation SX—with XL being a third larger geometry than SX, plus other improvements. Both Foundation looms punch against cables 3 to 4 times their retail value and can be mixed and matched to create a cohesive loom.
Do you agree with the advice to put one's best power cord on the DAC (assuming there is mixing of various levels from the same cable manufacturer to manage costs)?
 
What is the consensus on the importance of the following components to the overall performance of a world-class stereo?

Cables:
• AC
• Digital
• Interconnect
• Speaker

Tweaks:
• Cones and footers
• Cable elevators
• Specialty fuses

Filters:
• AC power filtration
• Ground filtration
• Electromagnetic platforms

Digital:
• Specialty Ethernet switches and routers
• Ethernet cables

Also, is it possible to achieve absolute world-class performance while taking these aforementioned items for granted? I’m primarily looking for opinions from those who have experimented with tweaks and what you found.

Cables: AC, interconnect and speaker cables are necessary to connect components. I have tried a host of different wires including looms of some top models. Yes, they can alter sonics and every audiophile manufacturer wants to distinquish their results from other brands. My conclusion is that these do not need to be audiophile wires to achieve top performance. I don't buy components that require tuning with wires.

Tweaks: You left out racks and platforms. Components need to sit on something besides the floor. Decent racks for front-end components and platforms for amps are necessary. Since they are necessary maybe they are not tweaks. I use SRA. I have tried a variety of footers over the years and yes they will alter sonics, but I prefer the native sound of my components. None of the items in your list are required to achieve top performance, imo.

Filters: Don't know what is an electromagnetic platform. I have owned top models of power-conditioning components. Yes they can alter sound. None of these are needed to achieve superior performance assuming you have decent electricity. Dedicated electrical lines with decent wire and their own panel can make a difference.

Digital: Cannot say as I don't do digital.

I do not think it is possible to have a world-class system and neglect to pay close attention to the aforementioned points. In fact, I know it’s not possible. The increase in performance that you get from creating synergy in the system cannot be replicated in any other way. It’s not either/or or zero-sum. To be world-class, you must pay attention to all variables that affect performanc

I dsagree. If there is not synergy between say my linestage and amplifiers, I have the wrong component. I don't believe the items in your list create synergy. Imo, they increase the difficulty of finding synergy. Pay attention to synergy when acquiring components rather than after the fact.
 
I have lived without all kind of the tweaks mentioned in the list. This in a system that was worth USD 130.000 and even more.
What`s important is acoustic treatments, not cable lifters, filters etc etc. You can buy all tweaks, filters etc but without proper acoustic treatment it is money wasted when buying a high performance system IMO.

I also find it somewhat "strange" that a manufacturer of these kind of products starts a thread like this, the reason is quite obvious isn`t it?
Or maybe it is just me....
 
I have lived without all kind of the tweaks mentioned in the list. This in a system that was worth USD 130.000 and even more.
What`s important is acoustic treatments, not cable lifters, filters etc etc. You can buy all tweaks, filters etc but without proper acoustic treatment it is money wasted when buying a high performance system IMO.

I also find it somewhat "strange" that a manufacturer of these kind of products starts a thread like this, the reason is quite obvious isn`t it?
Or maybe it is just me....
A moderately good setup could sound great in a room with good acoustics, and a great setup can sound downright awful in rooms with poor acoustical properties. no tweak (like the OP wrote) can do what good acoustics conditions can achieve.
 
Audio has two paths: 1) Make good sounding music and be integrated into a natural living space. 2) Maximize audio performance in an all out dedicated listening space.

I have crossed back and forth a couple of times. Currently, I am deep into the latter category. Since music is mechanical/acoustical vibrations, it would seem that the listening room is a vital part of any audio system. And that goes from floor to ceiling- not just walls. Dialing in the room to have the right amount of damping and diffusion has a large impact on the sound. Too much damping kills the music while too little damping muddies the sound like a band playing in a gym. Despite having a dedicated room, I have done my best to make the room look presentable and acceptable to my wife. Controls are absorbers and diffusers placed strategically in the room. I prefer a hardwood floor so that the floor is as stiff as possible. Then use wool rugs on the floor to control reflections.

In general, tweaks are additive. Room acoustics, mechanical isolation, EMI/RFI reduction when done right are sound neutral but clarifying and revealing.

I find mechanical isolation is effective and important. All electronics are susceptible to mechanical vibrations. The only exception I found is the SR Ethernet UEF switch. Either network switches are inherently immune to vibration or Ted did a great job isolating the switch internally. If I can tap on the floor or a shelf and measure any vibrations on the DAC, amp, preamp or turntable, then that component is being affected by vibrations. When I go into an audio store now, I can hear the difference that isolation makes. As a rule rubber dampens and springs isolate. Using elastomers for isolation are not as effective as springs and will color the sound. That‘s because elastomers are nonlinear. Their mechanical properties change with frequency input and load. A combination of springs and elastomers when done right can work quite well.

Electrical tweaks reduce noise which improves clarity and resolution. Better, cleaner power in means cleaner sound out. That means smoother highs and deeper lows. As I reduced electrical noise through dedicated power, a power conditioner and better power cords the soundstage illusion became more real. The soundstage is not just bigger but the images fill out more with body- 3 dimensionality. On the digital side, ethernet cables, the ethernet switch were crucial to getting digital sound closer to analog in terms of not just sound but soundstage.

These are things I now quickly notice are missing when I walk into an audio store. Not slighting the store, just that we have the ability in our homes to tune the room and our system for maximum performance. Listening in a store gives us a starting point.

I listed these things in the order of importance that I found but actually many of these tweaks work together and are greater than the sum of their parts. And many of these tweaks took me many months of effort to develop. I‘d say success rate is at best 50%. Probably not that high.
 
A moderately good setup could sound great in a room with good acoustics, and a great setup can sound downright awful in rooms with poor acoustical properties. no tweak (like the OP wrote) can do what good acoustics conditions can achieve.

All true, but I said “world-class.” At the end of the day, when you have your speakers perfectly placed, when you have the right electronics driving your speakers, when you’ve got the right cables for your system, when everything is dialed in, when you’ve got your acoustics just so, adding the right tweaks makes an absolutely massive difference that can’t be achieved through any other means. This is my experience.

 
In my own experience, you really need all of the above for the best results.
What do we learn from saying “all of the above”?

I have heard someone with more experience of high end than I say that the right speaker cables (which would those be?) will help more than any other cable, power cables next, then interconnects and no difference with ethernet cables. I personally heard no improvement with custom power cords. I’m not saying that one can’t hear a difference, but is a difference the same as an improvement?

What about expensive fuses? What is the audible improvement and which is guaranteed to provide that? Worth the expense of a new turntable?

How many of you have tried using a green marker around the edge of your CDs to prevent stray laser scatter from affecting the sound? Did it make the improvement in SQ that you expected? Wish you stuck with vinyl records?

Considering the parable of “the Emperor’s New Clothes”, I am no-doubt risking the wrath of many (including the OP), but (IMHO) this website is for enthusiasts to find out “what’s best” (in audio replay), not “what’s best” for someone’s bottom line.
 
no tweak (like the OP wrote) can do what good acoustics conditions can achieve.
I completely agree, while the inverse is also true—acoustics cannot do what good tweaks do. It’s not an either-or situation, nor does one negate the need for the other. Acoustics, speaker placement, proper system setup—including impedance matching, matched electronics, proper power for speakers, and proper subjective balance of electronics for speakers in the room—alone will not achieve what tweaks do. Tweaks enable everything else to work that much better.

The relationship between acoustics and tweaks in audio systems is synergistic rather than mutually exclusive. Both play crucial roles in optimizing sound quality, and their combined effect is often greater than the sum of their individual contributions.
 
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What do we learn from saying “all of the above”?

I have heard someone with more experience of high end than I say that the right speaker cables (which would those be?) will help more than any other cable, power cables next, then interconnects and no difference with ethernet cables. I personally heard no improvement with custom power cords. I’m not saying that one can’t hear a difference, but is a difference the same as an improvement?

What about expensive fuses? What is the audible improvement and which is guaranteed to provide that? Worth the expense of a new turntable?

How many of you have tried using a green marker around the edge of your CDs to prevent stray laser scatter from affecting the sound? Did it make the improvement in SQ that you expected? Wish you stuck with vinyl records?

Considering the parable of “the Emperor’s New Clothes”, I am no-doubt risking the wrath of many (including the OP), but (IMHO) this website is for enthusiasts to find out “what’s best” (in audio replay), not “what’s best” for someone’s bottom line.
I tried the green marker on CDs in the 90s. Didn‘t hear much of a difference. But using a bulk tape eraser on my CDs make a significant difference. I bought the bulk tape eraser back in the early 90s from Radio Shack to try for $20. Amazing difference. I had a buddy come over when some of his CDs so we could compare my treated version to his untreated version. The difference in sound to me was like the difference with a poorly tracking cartridge vs a good tracking cartridge.

I have never found an explanation for how or why treating CDs with a bulk tape eraser works. My personal theory is that the laser reader is recreating the square wave from the CD track. At that point the square wave may be susceptible to EMI perhaps. The bulk tape eraser eliminates any stray magnetic fields generated by the spinning CD- metallic inks in the labels perhaps?
 
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Do you agree with the advice to put one's best power cord on the DAC (assuming there is mixing of various levels from the same cable manufacturer to manage costs)?
Frankly, I’ve not heard a component where a power cord did not make a significant difference to the overall sound of the system. But yes, the DAC is indeed one of the better places to start. This is absolutely true.

Actually, I misread your question. I’m going to leave the above response because it’s good advice. However, I do not necessarily believe it is automatically true that you should put your “best” power cord on your DAC. If I were shooting for the moon with what I had, I would try various power cords that I have (if I’m not using a full loom of a single model) on the DAC first. I’d see which cable best complements the signature of the DAC in the context of the system. This is an excellent idea for a future video.
 
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Frankly, I’ve not heard a component where a power cord did not make a significant difference to the overall sound of the system. But yes, the DAC is indeed one of the better places to start. This is absolutely true.
I found medium cost power cords not that effective. Higher cost power cords are effective- unfortunately they cost a lot.
Remember, the amp is taking the power from the wall and modulating that voltage to recreate the music signal into the speakers. Yes, amps have big inductors and capacitors but still, garbage in, garbage out.
 
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