[Neruda]

at least one person found it funny! I hope I didn't send Jude into pouting

 

[jude]

LOL! I'm laughing while I put ProGold on the prongs on the AC plugs on my audio components. I kid you not.

Hey, what're you rolling your eyes at?!

 

[thomas]

i wonder what'll happen if jude suddenly "discovers" that the head-fi servers are adding emi noise to his powerlines, masking the benefits of his RCA caps

Anyways, i can see how cleaning the plugs would improve the sound, especially if they are really that dirty. As for the rest, well, um, yeah

Quote:

Call me crazy, but don't you think that even a truck driving by would likely be "felt" by the read/error-correction mechanism to some degree?

well, error correction "corrects the errors"

unless there are more than approx. 250 read errors/second, the played back stream will be "perfect". If you're scared of playback errors, look at your computer CD-ROM drive. The lasers on new drives read data 50X faster than an audio player, and shakes like crazy in the process (my whole computer/floor shakes whenever it's reading). Data CDs have *a little* more error correction, but you *never* get read errors with data cd's. About external vibration, yes, it will affect the lasers, but the data is stored in a small buffer before it leaves the transport mechanism. Since the cd is spinning, if a vibration causes the CD to tilt off axis, the data will be read faster in one half of the cd's rotation, and slower in the other half. Since everything is buffered, the data always leaves at the correct speed....

ah well, have fun with your tweeeks, just don't take it too far!

 

[Duncan]

lol @ this thread

I'm a half believer, in as far that I have bought sorbothane based products (Cyrus Isoplats)... and I make sure that my connections shine like new... but, that is just for my own piece of mind, rather than for major audio gratification / alteration

Jude... A question from my sceptical dark side (Ooer!!

) What would you do to stop the vibrations going through a portable CDP whilst on the move??

 

[jude]

Quote:

Originally posted by Duncan Jude... A question from my sceptical dark side (Ooer!! ) What would you do to stop the vibrations going through a portable CDP whilst on the move??

Dunc,

I just realized I never replied to your question here (even though I think you're being tongue-in-cheek).

The answer? Sorbothane insoles.

 

[Tim D]

I get huge improvements when I take out my amp, disconnect everything, open it up and blow out some dust and apply some cleaners and progold here and there like the pots. But I account it more to the placebo effect. Maybe I don't trust my own mind...or perhaps I don't care enough to rationalize it. Still doesn't mean that I'm not going to do the same thing and clean it up now and then.

I can also play music at night with low EMI/RFI interference and think it sounds great...but can stick an air filtration device near my system (HUGE EMI/RFI inteference), and still have a hard time noticing much difference besides the sound the air filtration makes. Course that doesn't mean I'm not going to make sure they're shut off when I listen to music either.

 

[DanG]

Hi everyone, thought I'd just jump in here with a bit of chemistry. If what this ProGold does is "remove" oxidation, what it's really doing is removing the top layer of metal. Oxidation is a simple and common chemical reaction which cannot be reversed. When you polish varnished silver, you're doing the same thing -- removing the top layer.

 

[mbriant]

Jude: Good answer.

I think there's an added bonus to tweaking that kicks in even if there is no measurable (read "actual") sonic benefit.

I've spent lots of money over the years on things like air dams, mag wheels, expensive tires, window tinting, etc. on various cars I've owned. Some ( like tires ) did make a noticable improvement in the performance of the car, but for the most part they were decorative options which I liked and which to me, increased my enjoyment of owning and driving that car.

Was it worth it? To me it was.

I imagine the same scenerio plays out with some audio "aftermarket options".

Bottom line....If it feels good. Do it.