What accessories have you bought that you believe have really improved the sound of your system?

[Anonymous]

My most impressive tweak was by chance. The Auralex Gramma platform (less than £40) is really for guitar amps (I am a guitarist) and prevents them from interacting with the floor e.g. a wooden stage.

I tried one under my sub-woofer (REL Strata II). WoW! Bass went further down, far less boom and bass notes were distinguishable as notes and music!!

For example, I watched the Matrix 2 chase on the Freeway and suddenly heard an electronic bass playing away quielty below the dialogue.

This stand is made using high density foam and carpeted MDF. I did not realise how much my room was contributing and muddying the sound of my system.

I have a huge number of other tweaks - expensive cabling/mains/cones/spikes/chopping boards/squash balls/shorties/fuses/acrylic supports etc. but this is number one by a mile.

You can buy them here in the UK (US company). They make a SubDude version (more for subwoofers) and they are very effective for anyone who has a wooden/ suspended floor and for appeasing the neighbours!!

 

[Thaiman]

Granite chpping board from tesco (under cd player on glass hifi rack).

Wooden Chopping board (butcher block, 7 inches thick) for amps/cd player case that ring like Musical Fidelity A308, A5 etc...

Spirit level

Warm olive oil to clean my ears!

 

[Anonymous]

No question here for me. The matching speakers stands from B&W for my 805s speakers. I was surprised by the difference they made.

 

[Anonymous]

Belkin Surgemaster 2.5m version - £25 (Gave massive improvements to the sound and reduced noise floor.)

Atlas Equator Mk.II instead of QED Qunex I - £60 (Clarity of sound improved, better soundstage, more detail, less harshness.)

Cork based coffee coasters for under CD player to give more ventilation to amplifier and level player and reduce vibrations - £4 for six.

Bluetack - 49p

Spirit Level (I'm with Mr.TM on this one!) - £2.99

Ortofon 2M Red (improved vinyl no end) - £60

Hughes Modified power lead on my JVC A-X5 (Best stuff I could buy at Maplin gave major improvements to sound) - £25/m + £27 for connectors.

Rewiring the whole house with QED Performance Coaxial cable from three huge aerials in the loft - £119 (Improved my FM performance and improved the reception of four TVs in the house.)

Watercooling system on my PC to keep it quiet - £79.

Installing a fan onto the heatsink of my JVC - £10 + £5 for high quality cable to transformer. (Cooled down the amp significantly and means I can run it flat out without worrying.)

 

[matengawhat]

shreddy:
My most impressive tweak was by chance. The Auralex Gramma platform (less than £40) is really for guitar amps (I am a guitarist) and prevents them from interacting with the floor e.g. a wooden stage.

I tried one under my sub-woofer (REL Strata II). WoW! Bass went further down, far less boom and bass notes were distinguishable as notes and music!!

For example, I watched the Matrix 2 chase on the Freeway and suddenly heard an electronic bass playing away quielty below the dialogue.

This stand is made using high density foam and carpeted MDF. I did not realise how much my room was contributing and muddying the sound of my system.

I have a huge number of other tweaks - expensive cabling/mains/cones/spikes/chopping boards/squash balls/shorties/fuses/acrylic supports etc. but this is number one by a mile.

You can buy them here in the UK (US company). They make a SubDude version (more for subwoofers) and they are very effective for anyone who has a wooden/ suspended floor and for appeasing the neighbours!!

cheers for that - i was after some wedges for my speakers which sit on top of my kitchen cupboards to angle my speakers down and seems Auralex do the perfect solution