DO YOU TWEAK YOUR CD'S?

[edstrelow]

I am curious as to how many people apply tweaks to their cd's. Things like special polishes, pastes, rings, covers, weights, trimming edges, sanding, painting, de-staticing, demagnetizing or whatever. I assume that everyone must at least occasionaly clean their discs.

I personally am a disc tweaker and not a believer of the "all bits are the same" school of thought that claims that cd reproduction is essentially as good as it gets as long as the bits get through.

Most of the tweaks I have tried are pretty subtle, if they work at all, although some, like weighting cd's with various rings applied to the disc are comparable to an investment in some new equipment. Most tweaks are also pretty cheap, certainly compared to multi-hundred dollar cables and the like. So there is very little to lose in trying some of these. And if you find one which works, it will add that last touch of quality to your system, which no matter how much you otherwise spend, you will never achieve.

 

[Singapura]

The only thing I do sometimes is freeze a CD when it's unreadable. This is not done for audio CD's but only for data CD's.

 

[rb67]

Pretty much just polish them if they are scratched.

(From the as-long-as-the-bits get read school of thought)

 

[eyeteeth]

Twice I purchased and used a cream/lotion/potion, Auric Illuminator and Vivid by Walker Audio. Based upon sonic improvements, I wasted my money. Live and learn. I would highly recommend them to an individual who is easily susceptible to placebo though.

 

[watchluvr4ever]

I've always wondered about the Audioprism CD Stoplight green pens. Anyone have experience with these?

 

[Todd R]

I clean mine with ShineOla, which is a good cleaner regardless if you think it improves the sound or not.
I then treat them with the Auric Illuminator. Sometimes I use Herbies' Grungebuster mat (very inexpensive).

Contratry to what eyeteeth experenced I find the Auric works well. I bring 2 identical disks to Head-Fi meets, one is treated, one isn't.
I play one disk, then the other, never telling them which is which.

Most people hear the improvement on the treated disc, but some don't.

 

[soundboy]

The only tweak I've used was a metal disc that was made by Monster Cable called "The Discus" (I think). You basically lay it on top of the CD to be played. The was some improvements but I worried about the added wear and tear on the motor of the CD player. Otherwise, nothing touches my CDs.

 

[edstrelow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by soundboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif The only tweak I've used was a metal disc that was made by Monster Cable called "The Discus" (I think). You basically lay it on top of the CD to be played. The was some improvements but I worried about the added wear and tear on the motor of the CD player. Otherwise, nothing touches my CDs.

As regards weighting discs, I have been using either old Audioquest(?) rings which fit on the top of discs, or Allsop sorbethane rings, which fit around the edges, and quite like them. I find them useful even with my belt drive CEC player, which already comes with a heavy metal puck to place on the discs. I think they do more than any of the other tweaks I have tried. However, while I still have a small stock of unused Allsops, I don't know if I will be able get anything like them when this lot is gone.

I also like Herbies Grungebuster. You have to keep it washed so that it doesn't lose its stickiness. Also it has some tendency to get lost in a conventional cd drawer mechanism.

Auric illuminator seems to be a good polish. Interestingly it comes with a black marking pen, with the advice to paint edges and non-playing surfaces. So it's 2 tweaks in one. The polishing cloths it comes with are worth the price of the stuff on their own. These are the best, non-scratching cloths I have encountered, and you get a fair number of them.

I see in your profile that you remove your glasses when listening to speakers for improved imaging. Is this because the glasses interupt the sound to your ears? If so, I am impressed that you can hear such an effect. I know with my main speakers that I do want as clear a path to the speakers as I can get.

 

[rb67]

What does weighing the disk do?

 

[doomride]

LOL
this thread is hilarious, i'm sorry.
Freezing and weighing and polishing cds?
haha

 

[soundboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by edstrelow /img/forum/go_quote.gif I see in your profile that you remove your glasses when listening to speakers for improved imaging. Is this because the glasses interupt the sound to your ears? If so, I am impressed that you can hear such an effect. I know with my main speakers that I do want as clear a path to the speakers as I can get.

I just put that there as my poor attempt at humor. I seriously doubt I can tell the difference with/without glasses. However, as a wannabe audiophile, I will try any tweak. My theory for removing the glasses is to eliminate another reflective surface for the sound before it gets to my ear. Sort of the same idea of putting a blanket over the TV if it's situated between the speakers. I am also working on the tweak of listening unclothed....on the other hand, clothes can also be considered as acoustic treatments IMHO.

The 2 possible tweaks mentioned above will not work if you listen via headphones.

 

[soundboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by doomride /img/forum/go_quote.gif LOL this thread is hilarious, i'm sorry. Freezing and weighing and polishing cds? haha

On the same level as belt drive CD players or Pioneer's Stable Platter transport.

 

[berat23]

tootpaste is most easy and cheap solution to remove scratch

 

[Vul Kuolun]

So what's the difference between "111100010100" from a tweaked disk and "111100010100" from a untweaked one? Anyone awake here?

 

[JaZZ]

I used to paint the edges black -- and thought it made a (subtle) difference in the direction of better focus.

A major (though still subtle) difference results from washing the disks wish a dishwasher solution before each listen (rinsing it from the disk with water makes drying obsolete). This tweak makes the sound more airy and clear to my ears. Anyway, nowadays I renounce it just for convenience's sake. Maybe I should apply it more often again -- the improved transparency and increased atmosphere is a real pleasure.
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