Squash balls!

[admin_exported]

After listening to music through cheapish one-box systems for years, I finally wised up a month ago and bought a Rotel RA-04 amp, Marantz CD6002 CD player, B&W685 speakers, QED Silver Anniversary XT speaker cable, Cambridge Azur Reference interconnect, and Partington Ansa 60 speaker stands (much of this equipment on the strength of What Hi-Fi reviews). WOW - what a difference - it's rejuvenated my entire CD collection! I'm even enjoying those CDs I previously thought I wasn't that fussed about.

Anyway, I bought some squash balls yesterday, halved them, and put the halves under the feet of my CD player and amp (based on a tip I picked up somewhere on this forum - been lurking for a while but don't really know enough yet to make a worthwhile contribution...!). Now, I could be fooling myself, but I honestly believe this has made a genuine difference to sound quality - the music seems more 'taut' and clear. So, for any fellow junior hi-fi owners reading this, I can definitely recommend trying this as a cheap and easy way to improve your sound.

Cheers

Brendan

 

[Andrew Everard]

For a nasty moment I thought your thread was going to be a radical feminist call to arms, but yes you're right - with some, but not all, CD players and amps, they really make a difference.

And if they don't do it for you, how much money have you wasted?

 

[Anonymous]

Obviously the process of halving a squashball is a rather inexact science. How crucial is it that the CD player be 100% level once it's on the squashy balls? Is it necessary to get the spirit level out, or will "it looks alright to me" be good enough?

 

[JoelSim]

If you have the yellow or blue spots, you could always upgrade them to red spots later on too for an even more precise sound.

Actually Russ Andrews has probably already thought of this, yours for just £49.99 a set, filled with atabites and mains shielded rubber.

 

[Anonymous]

It took me a deeply furrowed brow, a stuck-out tongue, a lot of time, some cursing, and two more-or-less halved squash balls to eventually accept that halving a squashball is indeed a rather inexact science no matter how carefully you try to cut the ball. In contrast, the halving process for the remaining two balls took about 5 seconds.

I was also worried about the amp and CD player not being perfectly level, but found that the squashiness of the balls compensated for any small halving variances, such that the units are level (as far as I can tell with the naked eye anyway). Didn't get the spirit level out now, but I reckon I'm happy enough with things as they are....

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="JoelSim"]If you have the yellow or blue spots, you could always upgrade them to red spots later on too for an even more precise sound.
Actually Russ Andrews has probably already thought of this, yours for just £49.99 a set, filled with atabites and mains shielded rubber.

[/quote]

Ha - you joke, but when I was buying the balls yesterday, it did fleetingly cross my mind that I should consider the rubber qualities of the various ball options. I pulled myself together pretty quickly though.

I wonder, do tendencies of that sort give me the makings of a complete hi-fi geek? Will I be wading confidently into thorny mains cables debates to describe the most subtle shades of difference between one cable and the next in the near future? Time will tell....

 

[JoelSim]

You have already joined the hifi nerd fraternity. That happened when you went into JD Sports looking to upgrade your hifi.

 

[Anonymous]

Just out of interest Aubisque, what did you use to cut them? I only ask because I had a sudden premonition of myself at A & E with a Stanley knife buried in my palm.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="JoelSim"]If you have the yellow or blue spots, you could always upgrade them to red spots later on too for an even more precise sound.

Actually Russ Andrews has probably already thought of this, yours for just £49.99 a set, filled with atabites and mains shielded rubber.
[/quote]

ROFL

 

[Anonymous]

I might try that under my PS3. How much are said squash balls? Are there any specific brand which anyone can recommend? Perhaps that last question is going too far....

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="richardjlarby"]I might try that under my PS3. How much are said squash balls? Are there any specific brand which anyone can recommend? Perhaps that last question is going too far....[/quote]
Just make sure you bang them really hard against a brick wall for a few minutes before you use them to warm them up properly. They never really work right until you've done that.

 

[John Duncan]

I find that a chocolate hob *** (milk only), under each of the three feet of my turntable........

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="JohnDuncan"]I find that a chocolate hob *** (milk only), under each of the three feet of my turntable........[/quote]
What do you mean, three feet?? Everyone knows that record players should have five feet...

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="tractorboy"]Just out of interest Aubisque, what did you use to cut them? I only ask because I had a sudden premonition of myself at A & E with a Stanley knife buried in my palm.[/quote]

Sabatier Classic Chef Knife (8")

http://www.shop.sabatier.com/gb/catalogue/fiche.cfm?reference=451OCU20A91

 

[Anonymous]

Mmm, very nice piece of equipment. Somewhat costly, but then how can you put a price on sound quality? As a bonus, even my other half might appreciate this type of upgrade.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="Aubisque"]
[quote user="tractorboy"]Just out of interest Aubisque, what did you use to cut them? I only ask because I had a sudden premonition of myself at A & E with a Stanley knife buried in my palm.[/quote]

Sabatier Classic Chef Knife (8")

http://www.shop.sabatier.com/gb/catalogue/fiche.cfm?reference=451OCU20A91

[/quote]

Nice but expensive. Would the sound be too badly affected if I just use a hack-saw?

 

[JoelSim]

I've reckon that shuttlecocks would work better actually, but I've been trying to cut them with a tablespoon and unfortunately my patent has run out during the process.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="JoelSim"]I've reckon that shuttlecocks would work better actually, but I've been trying to cut them with a tablespoon and unfortunately my patent has run out during the process.[/quote]
I'll nick the idea then. Broo-Ha-Ha-Haaaaaaaaaa. At least once I've completed work on my own half-beach-ball system.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="jimwall"][quote user="richardjlarby"]I might try that under my PS3. How much are said squash balls? Are there any specific brand which anyone can recommend? Perhaps that last question is going too far....[/quote]
Just make sure you bang them really hard against a brick wall for a few minutes before you use them to warm them up properly. They never really work right until you've done that.[/quote]

I told the wench that in pre-sex amble and got a slap in the face!

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="simonkee"][quote user="jimwall"][quote user="richardjlarby"]I might try that under my PS3. How much are said squash balls? Are there any specific brand which anyone can recommend? Perhaps that last question is going too far....[/quote]
Just make sure you bang them really hard against a brick wall for a few minutes before you use them to warm them up properly. They never really work right until you've done that.[/quote]

I told the wench that in pre-sex amble and got a slap in the face![/quote]

That at least explains the picture

 

[Andrew Everard]

[quote user="simonkee"]in pre-sex amble[/quote]

Do you always go for a stroll beforehand?

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not telling you all on public forum my technique otherwise there'll be thousands of Adonis's, like me, out there!

 

[Andrew Everard]

I think the maxim [quote user="simonkee"]If in doubt, take it out...[/quote] tells us all we need to know...

 

[JoelSim]

I think we've all had a few nights like that, usually when the drink's wearing off...