Are you tinkering or tweaking your HiFi to achieve the best setting?

[Jasonovich]

If you have an issue with your HiFi, here's a tissue!
Better still, just tinker with it for the best results.

Visually my bedroom HiFi wasn't doing it for me, it was stacked up on top of each other, separated by solid chopping wood placed on absorption pads.
It was a little painful for the eyes.




I purchased a printer trolley with the perfect dimensions. I took the wheels off, I was able to fit the amp under the lowest shelf but it left very little space for the amp to breath, not ideal because this potentially can cause the amp to over heat.
I was thinking of placing carbon fibre absorption pads under the leg, but that only increase the height by another 20mm, not much.
I came across table or bed extender 'shoes', full metal, where the legs sit, it has a very firm absorption material, which nullified unwanted vibrations. The diameter was crazy wide (designed for beds and tables!), still, it increased the gap between the lower shelf and amp. More importantly, its done the job at small costs.

If you've done any tinkering on your HiFi, please I like to hear from you

 

[Gray]

I'm not the right person to be commenting on visuals Jason (as I've got silver, black and gold components in a converted Ikea double wardrobe - and prior to that a kitchen larder unit, both used for their depth).

But I still think your speakers look a bit too likely to end up hitting the deck.
They must be more secured than they look 🤔

 

[Jasonovich]

I'm not the right person to be commenting on visuals Jason (as I've got silver, black and gold components in a converted Ikea double wardrobe - and prior to that a kitchen larder unit, both used for their depth).

But I still think your speakers look a bit too likely to end up hitting the deck.
They must be more secured than they look 🤔

I'm not the right person to be commenting on visuals Jason (as I've got silver, black and gold components in a converted Ikea double wardrobe - and prior to that a kitchen larder unit, both used for their depth). Ha ha ha fair enough

The speakers are absolutely stable Gray, that is because the set of drawers they're resting on, is solid wood. When you walk past it, there's no vibration from the drawers, dead weight. I'm surprised it hasn't gone through the the floor board. I would never trust putting them on flimsy furniture but these timbers from Oakland is like lump of rock.

 

[Gray]

I'm not the right person to be commenting on visuals Jason (as I've got silver, black and gold components in a converted Ikea double wardrobe - and prior to that a kitchen larder unit, both used for their depth). Ha ha ha fair enough

The speakers are absolutely stable Gray, that is because the set of drawers they're resting on, is solid wood. When you walk past it, there's no vibration from the drawers, dead weight. I'm surprised it hasn't gone through the the floor board. I would never trust putting them on flimsy furniture but these timbers from Oakland is like lump of rock.

I'd be more concerned about a flying cat knocking them off - don't forget the trouble I had with mine:

 

[Stuart83]

I did start tinkering with an old favourite amp of mine via the dreaded by some EQ route.
Being no stranger to EQing music etc usually when djaying I thought I'd try the belleri 570 on the a400 and QA 3050 I's.

It started with heavy bass making my legs itch with certain music when wearing jeans along side the mirror vibrating into a harmonic symphony 😁
But after a play around I came to the usual choice of preferring my music raw and just placed rubber pads behind the mirror salvaged from ones overflowing junk box of many things, I think they were isolation pads/feet off some past gizmo 😆

Now I'm back to the original tinnitus inspiring sound I've always loved the amp for.

I've got 🤬 Dirac 🤬 to set up in the other room suffice to say I loath the thing hence I've got as far as connecting the microphone to the amp and the laptop set up ready and left it at that on top of the system deck iix.
It's been there for about 3 months 😮
The thought of being a contortionist with a mic followed with a full on consultation with the laptop for hrs as the following result nearly always needs a further tinkering with far beyond satisfaction means the last attempt had me playing command and conquer on the laptop instead.

I've since started acoustic room treatments via acoustic foam on the walls behind the listening position aka the bed and speakers and will be treating the corners.

I say started what I really mean is I've got the materials in ready.

Tbh with me being sick for awhile now I've been enjoying my other much older hifi too much to even contemplate starting things anymore convincingly than setting things up ready and a minor muck around with the Bellari EQ

 

[nopiano]

Our living room looks like a bankrupt Hifi shop this week! I bought some 40 year old speakers on a whim a fortnight ago, and last week began a long overdue resurrection of my Nakamichi cassette deck, plus another Nak I acquired from the speaker seller (who was disposing of his later father’s cherished gear).

Look at this fabulous thing…

 

[Friesiansam]

After watching a useful video, posted by our old headphone expert, Anort3, I tweaked the EQ a little in Foobar2000. That's it, job done, no more tweaking needed.

Headphones make life easy!

 

[jetblack9090]

Not anymore, I learned a few years ago that tweaking Hi-Fi and optimizing or whatever people want to call it, is the fun killer.

Listening to music and by extension Hi-Fi audio should be fun and for me personally going around and worrying myself to death and spending all types of time and money to try to potentially get a 2% incremental gain from my system is honestly not worth my time.

What I do now is I simply get my system set up correctly in the room it's going to be in and get it to where there is a minimum of fuss and it sounds good and I leave it alone. At the end of the day this is what I recommend everybody do and remember the old saying " ignorance is bliss".

 

[twinkletoes]

Beyond listening I’ve pretty much lost interest in the electronic side of things/tweeking. My hifi is where it’s at and will probably stay that way for years to come or until it breaks. I have other hobbies that keep me pretty occupied these days

 

[Jasonovich]

If you have an issue with your HiFi, here's a tissue!
Better still, just tinker with it for the best results.

Visually my bedroom HiFi wasn't doing it for me, it was stacked up on top of each other, separated by solid chopping wood placed on absorption pads.
It was a little painful for the eyes.


View attachment 7369

I purchased a printer trolley with the perfect dimensions. I took the wheels off, I was able to fit the amp under the lowest shelf but it left very little space for the amp to breath, not ideal because this potentially can cause the amp to over heat.
I was thinking of placing carbon fibre absorption pads under the leg, but that only increase the height by another 20mm, not much.
I came across table or bed extender 'shoes', full metal, where the legs sit, it has a very firm absorption material, which nullified unwanted vibrations. The diameter was crazy wide (designed for beds and tables!), still, it increased the gap between the lower shelf and amp. More importantly, its done the job at small costs.

If you've done any tinkering on your HiFi, please I like to hear from you

View attachment 7366
View attachment 7367View attachment 7368

Update
Tube head amp, tube rolling and finally, eureka!

 

[Noddy]

I put my speakers on cork mats and steel speaker stands. I use an equaliser to compensate for age related hearing changes. I was quite neurotic until I got a system that I liked, and which measures well. I would like white Kef speaker stands, but £320 is a lot of readies for some basic made in China steel stands.

 

[jetblack9090]

I put my speakers on cork mats and steel speaker stands. I use an equaliser to compensate for age related hearing changes. I was quite neurotic until I got a system that I liked, and which measures well. I would like white Kef speaker stands, but £320 is a lot of readies for some basic made in China steel stands.

Well remember certain stands like the ones focal make and other brands specifically for their speakers, bolt to the speakers directly or have some sort of coupling intermediary in the design of the stand/speaker interface so as to make a more perfect union and of course better sound.

All that means that while you're paying more money, you're getting better sound, potentially.

 

[AJM1981]

Nothing wrong with tinkering around with audio. I liked to do it. Especially with a bedroom system I owned (now quite settled) Like trying some things with two sets of smaller stereo bookshelf loudspeakers and having one pair facing the back wall to pick up some reflections. That ‘did’ surprisingly sound quite well. I only think bi-amping and be able to alter the “reflecting pair” slightly in controlling the treble or equalising could have made the sense of realism even better. But I felt that would have gone slightly too far for something others have already explored better resulting in more tailored bi-directional speaker systems.

The gear in the living room is not a result of tinkering but some experience with audio and reading a lot about design philosophy behind loudspeaker models. Ended up with the Wharfedale Evo 4.2 three way system that I will keep till I am old.

I know three way is not per definition or by any means better than two-way, but the vertical imagining of this stand mount system is slightly better in interaction with the dimensions of the room, and it has semi-open baffle qualities. Works well for any living as I suppose. The other gear was kind of brought in to serve this loudspeaker best.

 

[Noddy]

Well remember certain stands like the ones focal make and other brands specifically for their speakers, bolt to the speakers directly or have some sort of coupling intermediary in the design of the stand/speaker interface so as to make a more perfect union and of course better sound.

All that means that while you're paying more money, you're getting better sound, potentially.

You are right of course, the Kef stands will bolt onto the speakers. They’re still a lot of money.

 

[nopiano]

You are right of course, the Kef stands will bolt onto the speakers. They’re still a lot of money.

It’s the type of product you might find at a dealer willing to do a deal. Stands often get shoved into corners or the boxes lost, but it will require you patiently making a few phone calls. You’ll never know if you don’t try! 🙂

 

[Al ears]

Our living room looks like a bankrupt Hifi shop this week! I bought some 40 year old speakers on a whim a fortnight ago, and last week began a long overdue resurrection of my Nakamichi cassette deck, plus another Nak I acquired from the speaker seller (who was disposing of his later father’s cherished gear).

Look at this fabulous thing…


View attachment 7372

Great piece of equipment assuming it works, potential money-pit if it doesn't

 

[Navanski]

I like messing with headphones.
I've got a pair of Grado SR80e which I currently have in bits. As well as trying a number of different pads including the bright yellow Sennheiser HD414 pads. Changing the pads has quite an effect on the sound as you'd expect.
I'm working on replacing the driver enclosure with possibly an epoxy resin reinforced with wire.
While I'm at they'll be changed to a single sided cable entry instead of the current Y cable.
I've also got a piece of leather, some foam and a silicone gel strip for the headband.
Wish me luck!
I also built a pad adapter for my Monoprice M560s. The pads for these attach magnetically so they're pretty much bespoke. Using a dense foam board from an arts and craft store I cut a ring to fit the inside of some standard 90mm pads. I then half drilled the board to accommodate a couple of small strong magnets. Voila, interchangeable pads made possible.

 

[Noddy]

It’s the type of product you might find at a dealer willing to do a deal. Stands often get shoved into corners or the boxes lost, but it will require you patiently making a few phone calls. You’ll never know if you don’t try! 🙂

Even £200 is a lot of money, and used ones go for more than that on FleaBay. Now if Mr Putin, Pootie to his friends, were to develop a more emollient countenance, the markets would rise, and I’d jump on a pair of new Kef stands.

 

[ultraminiature]

I had a Uher mini system in my bedroom for sometime. Powered JR 149 speakers. Before that I had a Transcriptor Skeleton turntable and Cambridge P80 and T55 tuner. Now it is a pair of Beosound Emerge speakers. I had gone out to tweak when I had the first system got a ten times the price upgrade and gave my system to my brother in law. A decade later he returned the system to me as the "family" wanted a remote and a hi-fi stack. The remote was broke in six months!