How To (Potentially) Save £1500+ In One Evening!

[ESP2009]

scene:ESP2009:

scene:ESP2009:I reckon we got ourselves a new TV series...

The "What Hi*Fi Show", coming soon to Channel 5

That or Bravo or maybe Dave.

or YouTube

Hey, you get what you can...

 

[wireman]

ESP2009:...out came the Brasso (and some Deox-it) and the plug connections received a thorough clean; and then he replaced the 13amp Atlas fuses (discarded with contempt) with some very clean and shiny 10 amp equivalents (SEM?) The system was switched back on and - hey presto! - it was as though a veil had been lifted that, again, I had not previously noticed. The whole sound was somehow lifted and clearer.
Just imagine what it'd sound like if you got rid of the plugs and fuses altogether and just hard-wired everything directly into the mains supply...

 

[Craig M.]

blimey, every time i've bought new speakers i've tried just about every possible position/toe-in/distance from rear wall, including rearranging the entire room, so i know i can't get any better sound from them in my room. doesn't everyone do this? am i the weird one?

my g/f is very happy i've settled on the best place, she was getting quite tired of coming home to find the room completely rearranged.

 

[plastic penguin]

Craig M.:

blimey, every time i've bought new speakers i've tried just about every possible position/toe-in/distance from rear wall, including rearranging the entire room, so i know i can't get any better sound from them in my room. doesn't everyone do this? am i the weird one?

my g/f is very happy i've settled on the best place, she was getting quite tired of coming home to find the room completely rearranged.

Likewise, I've positioned the speakers just about every conceivable way, with the exception of suspending them from the ceiling....

((Where did I put the hammock?))

 

[newaudio]

hi all

forgive my lack of plug knowledge... iam using a russ andrews classic powerkord with watt gate attached to CD player... would changing the 13amp fuse to 10amp fuse on amp lead be of benefit? if so... what is the difference between 13-10 amp fuse?

chat soon

eamo

 

[Big Chris]

john1000000boy:

scene:Very interesting and just goes to show how pretty simple tweaks can improve a system's experience. I must admit, I've never thought of actually cleaning my mains plugs - but now I'll have to add it to the list - it makes sense.
Also +1 on idc's comments. Of course, 2 - volume control, is quite often a bit of a non-starter for most of us. But the rest are relatively easy, though I would put 4 - vibration control, before replacing the speakers.
In these straitened times, what my grandmother used to say rings particularly true, make the most of what you've got. And if simply toeing in your speakers and cleaning some plugs can improve the quality of your music, and your enjoyment, it's a no-brainer.
I remember commenting on this before on the forums and saying that I'd find it interesting to have WHF to have a piece on "tweaking a reader" - where they send people out to a reader's house and see how they can improve the sound (and vision) performance of said reader's existing system without replacing it - the sort of thing that ESP2009 has just had done. I think it would help us understand and appreciate our systems more.

I'll volunteer. They can do a 'twofer'. One on my Hi-Fi, one on my A/V.

 

[JamesOK]

Very interesting thread. I have just been messing about with the positioning of my speakers, and it really does make a large difference.

 

[Gusboll]

newaudio:

hi all

forgive my lack of plug knowledge... iam using a russ andrews classic powerkord with watt gate attached to CD player... would changing the 13amp fuse to 10amp fuse on amp lead be of benefit? if so... what is the difference between 13-10 amp fuse?

chat soon

eamo

More importantly, is it not potentially rather dangerous?

 

[AEJim]

Nah, going the other way (putting higher amp fuse in) could be risky but I don't think putting a lower rated one in will do any harm - aside from potentially blowing more easily.

 

[Anonymous]

The plug fuses function is to protect the lead from the plug to the equipment. Providing it's rating is below the wiring used it is safe.
A smaller than necessary fuse will reduce the flow of current which is not good.

 

[Anonymous]

ive had my rx6's about 700mm from the wall behind them for ages now, with my tv and rx centre, centred about 300mm behind them, my rx6's are about 7ft apart. this setup was optimised for home cinema sound..

but, earlier today i moved my tv and centre right back against said wall, and then moved my rx6's back to about 200mm from the wall, i played a cd and straight away noticed that the bass was more defined and the high frequencies took more of a back seat, it just sounded much better..

ok the speaker configuration may not be perfect for movies, but its still damm good, and easily worth the trade off given the improvement in stereo music, i guess the fact that my room is quite bare, it doesnt have too many soft furnishings, meant that having the rx6's so far away from the wall was killing the bass..

anyways, i havn't saved £1500 but ive gained much better sound just from better positioning

 

[eternaloptimist]

Just curious... do all UK plugs have in-built fuses? Typically don't here in Oz...

 

[hammill]

eternaloptimist:Just curious... do all UK plugs have in-built fuses? Typically don't here in Oz...
Yes they do. That is because we have ring mains which typically carry 30 amps and have multiple sockets, so the cable and sometimes the connected device need individual protection ( hifi equipment such as amplifiers would normally have an internal fuse). In much of the rest of the world, sockets are connected in a star configuration to the consumer unit so the breaker in the unit provides protection for cables. The advantage of a ring is that it is much easier to add extra sockets and less cable is required.

 

[RobinKidderminster]

Hya AEJim - any advice on position of my AEs?

 

[ESP2009]

scene:the_lhc:scene:Very interesting and just goes to show how pretty simple tweaks can improve a system's experience. I must admit, I've never thought of actually cleaning my mains plugs - but now I'll have to add it to the list - it makes sense.
But he also replaced the fuses (with lower power ones!), so there's no way of telling which actually made the most difference. Good point.
Maybe our furry friend would be prepared to don the latex gloves and restore the 13A fuses, to see what impact they have?

Ooooh, interesting!

I started the evening with the system as I last left it - speakers toed-in to cross in front of where I listen, amp plugged into wall socket and CDP into Tacima, clean Bussmann 10amp fuses in both plugs, and Atlas Titan i/c reinstalled. Sounds very good - better than before Alan came and adjusted me!

I then replaced the fuses with some tatty 13amp versions I keep in my toolbox. Now it could be my imagination, but I think the sound lost something. It sounded more closed in than previously. Dynamism was reduced - the sound lost sparkle. I am not saying it was something you would just walk in and notice, but in the space of five minutes something leaked away.

So, out with the Brasso and kitchen towel. A few minutes later the 13amp fuses were nice and clean and shiny...as was the music. Again a perceptible change took place, this time for the better. The sound regained something of its open quality and sparkle.

Now back to the 10amp jobbies and I think these do make a further difference. I don't know how or why and I probably wouldn't pass the ABX test relaibly, but I think yet another small step is achieved with these. The whole soundstage gets clearer and larger. In truth I can't be bothered to keep switching to and fro just to 'prove' the point, but suffice it to say that for now I will leave the 10amp fuses in. The clean and shiny 13amp fuses will be sealed away somewhere.

Now, where did I put those pebbles...

 

[the record spot]

...with the other ones on the beach...

 

[Anonymous]

speaking of pebbles, or rather the pebble thread, as im guessing theres a connection, i see mathewpiano has decided to take a break from the forums, its in his sig..

dont stay away too long mp, your posts are always worth reading

 

[the record spot]

Yep, a lot of the older hands have headed off this year. Not surprising and while I think he'll be back when he's ready, I've sympathy with anyone who's sick to the back teeth of some of the treatment that gets passed round here.

The latest being the whole "no comments unless you've heard an item" that's flavour of the minute. Boneheaded pile of baloney; better Matthewpiano and the others who've left come back and this stultifying line of reasoning takes a hike instead.

 

[Anonymous]

if someone starts a thread asking for advice only from people that have owned, demoed, seen, heard, etc a certain product then fair enough. but otherwise i cant see the harm in people giving an opinion based on what they've read, been told or just feel about said product or question based on their own logic and experience with related products or the topic in general..

after all, a forum is about interaction, discussion and exchanging views and information with people that share the same hobbies, etc, nobody is forced to take anything as gospel, and its up to an individual to decide what he/she believes is useful advice or not. with something as subjective as hifi, nobody knows for sure whats right anyway. as for the pebbles? ill give them a miss thanks, if anyone else wants to try them, have fun

 

[Anonymous]

Hi All

I have spent a lot of time reading threads on all manner of topics on this forum, and enjoy reading peoples opinions and interactions, only ever posting asking for a bit of advice here and there, i am relatively new to this stuff and it can be quite daunting. However after reading at the start of this thread about toeing-in the speakers just decided to give it a try and OH WOW! the difference is amazing i felt compelled to to tell you what a revelation this was (whether you like it or not ) I was trying out my new Diana Krall cd which i received today, it sounded 'nice' changed the speaker position and suddenly there is a grand piano in my living room. I have read a lot on here about 3D soundstage etc and just assumed my kit wasn't good enough for this, but it now sounds fabulous (at least to my ears) Now instead of constantly looking for the next bit of kit to achieve the sound i was looking for i can just relax and enjoy what i have.

 

[Tonestar1]

trevor79:A smaller than necessary fuse will reduce the flow of current which is not good.

I don't understand this, could you expand please? I would think a smaller fuse would limit the top end amount of current to the device ie 10amps, not restrict anything below this. Surely if the source demanded more current than the rated fuse could handle it
would blow? To use an example (possibly a bad one) A fuse wire is like a hole in a wall, it will freely allow anything up to the size of the hole through, if something bigger tries to get through the wall will collapse.

 

[ESP2009]

Bedemir:

Hi All

I have spent a lot of time reading threads on all manner of topics on this forum, and enjoy reading peoples opinions and interactions, only ever posting asking for a bit of advice here and there, i am relatively new to this stuff and it can be quite daunting. However after reading at the start of this thread about toeing-in the speakers just decided to give it a try and OH WOW! the difference is amazing i felt compelled to to tell you what a revelation this was (whether you like it or not

) I was trying out my new Diana Krall cd which i received today, it sounded 'nice' changed the speaker position and suddenly there is a grand piano in my living room. I have read a lot on here about 3D soundstage etc and just assumed my kit wasn't good enough for this, but it now sounds fabulous (at least to my ears) Now instead of constantly looking for the next bit of kit to achieve the sound i was looking for i can just relax and enjoy what i have.

I am glad this thread has done at least someone some good! Great to see your report.

As for the fuse thing? Well, I am not saying the changes were major and I am happy to accept that I may even have been imagining things, but changing between 10amp and 13amp rated fuses of different makes is cheap and not what I would deem hazardous to anyone with an ounce of common (OK, so some might think I don't have that, given what I am describing!). However, I like to think that removing the tarnish on those connections did have an effect.