What Hi-Fi’s audio improvement tricks

[AJM1981]

Speaking about promoting mythology

9 hi-fi tricks you might not believe affect sound quality (but they do)

Validating some top (if odd) hi-fi tips and tricks

www.whathifi.com

I might go with that listening music in darkness is a little plus if it has been researched (no visuals might amplify the other senses slightly). And some things hypothetically can be a thing when having noise to start with. But for general improvement they seem to be pulled straight out of the thin foil 101 playbook.

 

[JDL]

For years and years, I've noticed that rock music for me sounds better at night. I listen to Classical in the day and rock at night. As far sitting in the dark. No not really, I don't like sitting in the dark.
My house is built on solid bed-rock, concrete floors, stone walls about .75 metres thick. No need to raise the cables. Excellent acoustics no vibrations of any sort. Just good vibes of the other kind man.

 

[12th Monkey]

It's the kind of piece that does make you want to ask for proof. If your speakers are near to your setup (as one of mine is) I'm a believer in isolating kit from vibration, but I cannot for the life of me see how raising cables off the floor affects what must be pretty negligible levels of vibration being transmitted by then. Kick drum from Smells Like Teen Spirit at high volumes 18" away, yes*. Pets walking around, no.

*My previous MAs would occasionally make the CD skip when I was at truly antisocial levels (during weekday when no-one was around to disturb I might add). The Spendors don't do this, it seems.

 

[JDL]

It's the kind of piece that does make you want to ask for proof. If your speakers are near to your setup (as one of mine is) I'm a believer in isolating kit from vibration, but I cannot for the life of me see how raising cables off the floor affects what must be pretty negligible levels of vibration being transmitted by then. Kick drum from Smells Like Teen Spirit at high volumes 18" away, yes*. Pets walking around, no.

*My previous MAs would occasionally make the CD skip when I was at truly antisocial levels (during weekday when no-one was around to disturb I might add). The Spendors don't do this, it seems

Half of this advice at least, from the venerable and highly esteemed audio experts ("experts" don't you just love that word?) at the aforementioned Hi Fi magazine, is sliding down the slippery slope into magic, not science. Most amusing.

 

[Dom]

So What Hifi thinks an audio CD sounds better, if you stop it and then play it rather than pause it and then play it.

 

[JDL]

I have some expert advice, that's at least as good as any of these tips and tricks. That is, cleaning one's ear canals out regularly.

 

[Friesiansam]

Speaking about promoting mythology

9 hi-fi tricks you might not believe affect sound quality (but they do)

Validating some top (if odd) hi-fi tips and tricks

www.whathifi.com

I might go with that listening music in darkness is a little plus if it has been researched (no visuals might amplify the other senses slightly). And some things hypothetically can be a thing when having noise to start with. But for general improvement they seem to be pulled straight out of the thin foil 101 playbook.

Based on my own experience, of closing my eyes when listening, being in the dark does work.

 

[Deleted member 201267]

"Helps tie instruments together"...

Home review

Best analogue interconnect, Awards 2016. This Chord interconnect is a no-brainer if you want to give your hi-fi system a lift...

www.whathifi.com

 

[Gray]

"Helps tie instruments together"...

Home review

Best analogue interconnect, Awards 2016. This Chord interconnect is a no-brainer if you want to give your hi-fi system a lift...

www.whathifi.com

🤨
On a different day, instrument separation is regarded as a plus point.

Best to disregard most of what they say when describing the sound of components and all of it when it comes to cables.

 

[Friesiansam]

"Helps tie instruments together"...

Home review

Best analogue interconnect, Awards 2016. This Chord interconnect is a no-brainer if you want to give your hi-fi system a lift...

www.whathifi.com

A cheap ball of string will do that...

 

[jjbomber]

The main audio improvement is to take a pinch of salt when reading the WhatHiFi reviews!

 

[AJM1981]

It's the kind of piece that does make you want to ask for proof. If your speakers are near to your setup (as one of mine is) I'm a believer in isolating kit from vibration, but I cannot for the life of me see how raising cables off the floor affects what must be pretty negligible levels of vibration being transmitted by then. Kick drum from Smells Like Teen Spirit at high volumes 18" away, yes*. Pets walking around, no.

*My previous MAs would occasionally make the CD skip when I was at truly antisocial levels (during weekday when no-one was around to disturb I might add). The Spendors don't do this, it seems.

Yes, it definitely asks for proof. Also the conditions demand context.

Sound is vibration. Resonance at anti-social levels is always something to eliminate. But in those cases I am more worried about my ear drums. Not that much about the enclosure of my loudspeakers nor cables and would probably need to glue everything around the kit to its place (cups, glasses etc).

Once I read that “frying the drivers” or even just a tweeter might be a risk. I wonder at what decibel levels that is. Are there any people who drag their hi-if into stadiums to try just that?

 

[AJM1981]

"Helps tie instruments together"...

Home review

Best analogue interconnect, Awards 2016. This Chord interconnect is a no-brainer if you want to give your hi-fi system a lift...

www.whathifi.com

Haha, a user once mentioned somewhere online that a thicker speaker cable could carry the frequencies better. This is just as bad.

Also a disclaimer that some comments might somehow touch non-audible territory and hint to some theory they have once come across but usually it is not intended that way as they practically fall apart.

 

[nopiano]

So What Hifi thinks an audio CD sounds better, if you stop it and then play it rather than pause it and then play it.

That was a new one on me too. Have been trying think if there might be a explanation, like some sort of cache being cleared when Stop is pressed, but I admit I’m struggling.

Has anyone tried this yet?

 

[Oxfordian]

Speaking about promoting mythology

9 hi-fi tricks you might not believe affect sound quality (but they do)

Validating some top (if odd) hi-fi tips and tricks

www.whathifi.com

I might go with that listening music in darkness is a little plus if it has been researched (no visuals might amplify the other senses slightly). And some things hypothetically can be a thing when having noise to start with. But for general improvement they seem to be pulled straight out of the thin foil 101 playbook.

I'll run with listening in the dark, I have to say that I am less distracted when listening in the dark which means I concentrate on the music and enjoy the whole experience.

 

[AJM1981]

That was a new one on me too. Have been trying think if there might be a explanation, like some sort of cache being cleared when Stop is pressed, but I admit I’m struggling.

Has anyone tried this yet?

Maybe here somewhere below. Two threads about the same article with one user questioning if the writer was drunk and had to catch a deadline.

Nine easy ways to optimize audio quality

Ways to make my HiFi sound better...hmmmm... I did not know that! Listening in the dark? Listening late at night? Stopping playback of CD and then...

forums.stevehoffman.tv

CDs sound better when you play from beginning, versus playing from pause

Hmm ... this is a new one to me. What Hi-Fi says a CD sounds better if you play it from the beginning (or stop it then press play), versus playing it...

forums.stevehoffman.tv

I must admit that a heavy Rotel was the last I've used as a "decent" cd player, it was one of the first mass produced ones from the time the CD became the popular standard. It must have been focused around stabilization. But I remember it as a problematic player up to a degree that I preferred the simplest ones over it later on.

Now I rarely play any physical medium, I sporadically use a playstation 3 for super audio and blu ray.

I don't believe it will improve audio in any way. Maybe some players fiddle with the fan rotation speed doing that resulting in a quieter play back, otherwise I can not really make any sense out of it. It is also like the article is literally the only source.

 

[davidf]

Based on my own experience, of closing my eyes when listening, being in the dark does work.

Agreed. It’s not just closing your eyes though. The whole trick when closing your eyes is to not only forget that the speakers are there in order to focus on where the instruments are placed and where sounds emanate from, but also to not be drawn to the boundaries of your room. Psychologically, if you see your walls, the sound will generally fall within those walls - if you can forget you’re in your room and forget the walls exist, it’s surprising just how much bigger the soundstage can be. Only problem is, one little noise in the room and you’re pulled out of that zone - complete silence is required (other than the music).

 

[12th Monkey]

Once I read that “frying the drivers” or even just a tweeter might be a risk. I wonder at what decibel levels that is.

Did that twice when I was young, with basic separates. Too little power to drive the speakers properly.

 

[Cricketbat70]

Half of this advice at least, from the venerable and highly esteemed audio experts ("experts" don't you just love that word?) at the aforementioned Hi Fi magazine, is sliding down the slippery slope into magic, not science. Most amusing.

You know what my father in law used to say about experts...... EX is a has-been and SPERT is a drip under pressure.

 

[podknocker]

I read this article and again looked down at my PC clock to see if it was the 1st of April.

What a load of squash balls.

Keeping cables off the floor is the best.

Try to stop those pesky vibrations upsetting electrons, carrying charge at almost light speed.

How will they cope with all these vibrations?

Sadly, WHF et al still promote this nonsense and some people really should know better.

 

[Gray]

Keeping cables off the floor is the best.

It really is.
Even if you were stupid enough to believe the theory about the 'problem', why would raised cables vibrate any less than cables damped by a carpet? (and if you've got no carpet you've got genuine worries for your SQ).

The article seeks to back up the ludicrous theory by saying that Naim fit 'looser' power connectors because of it.
I wonder if Naim would admit to that (not that we'll be bothered to find out).

 

[JDL]

I read this article and again looked down at my PC clock to see if it was the 1st of April.

What a load of squash balls.

Keeping cables off the floor is the best.

Try to stop those pesky vibrations upsetting electrons, carrying charge at almost light speed.

How will they cope with all these vibrations?

Sadly, WHF et al still promote this nonsense and some people really should know better.

I was looking at these things on AliExpress trying to work out what they are. They're cable anti vibration things for lifting cables off the floor and they weren't cheap either. AliExpress is loaded up with HiFi essentials for the more discerning audio enthusiasts. Attractive power cables, speaker cables, purifiers, special feet for every purpose, lots and lots of stuff.

 

[Covenanter]

I'm old enough to have studied for my degree in electronics in the days when valves were still used in domestic appliances. Vibration could be a big issue because valves are to a certain extent "microphonic", i.e. they can convert vibrations into electrical signals, and when they are faulty this can get worse. Indeed one of the ways we tested valve based audio equipment was to gently tap the top of each valve with the handle of a small screwdriver and listen for any result.

Semiconductors, transistors and integrated circuits, are not microphonic in the same way so modern, non-valve, electronics will be much less likely to be susceptible to being affected by vibrations. But anything that is carrying a current which then moves generates an electromagnetic field so in principle there will always be some effect. However, these are effects are going to be vanishingly small.

Logically, if there were to be a noticeable effect it would likely to have its root at the source end of a system because it would then be amplified. So I'm afraid that I think speaker cables being noticeably affected by vibration is in the minds of the listeners not in their ears.

 

[AJM1981]

I'm old enough to have studied for my degree in electronics in the days when valves were still used in domestic appliances. Vibration could be a big issue because valves are to a certain extent "microphonic", i.e. they can convert vibrations into electrical signals, and when they are faulty this can get worse. Indeed one of the ways we tested valve based audio equipment was to gently tap the top of each valve with the handle of a small screwdriver and listen for any result.

Semiconductors, transistors and integrated circuits, are not microphonic in the same way so modern, non-valve, electronics will be much less likely to be susceptible to being affected by vibrations. But anything that is carrying a current which then moves generates an electromagnetic field so in principle there will always be some effect. However, these are effects are going to be vanishingly small.

Logically, if there were to be a noticeable effect it would likely to have its root at the source end of a system because it would then be amplified. So I'm afraid that I think speaker cables being noticeably affected by vibration is in the minds of the listeners not in their ears.

Interesting stuff! Thanks for sharing

The reviewer got the wrong end of the stick and perhaps the article serves for all these audio companies in need to get rid of some stuff.

I am afraid there are a lot of things that were once grounded in reality, but lost their functionality over time and became a hear-say myth in modern times.

 

[JDL]

I'm old enough to have studied for my degree in electronics in the days when valves were still used in domestic appliances. Vibration could be a big issue because valves are to a certain extent "microphonic", i.e. they can convert vibrations into electrical signals, and when they are faulty this can get worse. Indeed one of the ways we tested valve based audio equipment was to gently tap the top of each valve with the handle of a small screwdriver and listen for any result.

Semiconductors, transistors and integrated circuits, are not microphonic in the same way so modern, non-valve, electronics will be much less likely to be susceptible to being affected by vibrations. But anything that is carrying a current which then moves generates an electromagnetic field so in principle there will always be some effect. However, these are effects are going to be vanishingly small.

Logically, if there were to be a noticeable effect it would likely to have its root at the source end of a system because it would then be amplified. So I'm afraid that I think speaker cables being noticeably affected by vibration is in the minds of the listeners not in their ears.

Yes, me too. And since my house is built of stone, with concrete floors laid on top of bedrock, the only vibrations I'll get will be when we have an earthquake in which case any anti vibration measures I take won't make a scrap of difference.