hi-fi sound (lots of detail - no meat on the bones) and musicality (no listening fatigue, ample detail, engaging) is something I've been playing around with for some months within the context of very low cost upgrades. Read under $200.
I've done some tube swapping in my CJ ET5 preamp (very enlightening) and most recently, changing the devices under my MBL's. Started with some reasonable quality cones made by oregondv placed on BDR pucks. Decided to ditch the pucks and was surprised by the additional detail and speed. FYI, I have relatively live room. Wood floor, lots of glass behind the speakers. Have an area rug between the speakers and my listening chairs. Large windows behind the speakers where I have numerous plants and (after experimentation) four 2' X 2' drywall panels on the window sills, which replaced same size ATS panels. Decided on this material after remembering how MBL typically demos their speakers at audio shows. Listen in near field. Speakers about 7' from my chairs.
I lived with this for a couple of months. Loved the detail, space, and speed but felt that it crossed that magic line. A touch too much detail versus musicality.
I then tried something I did with a previous pair on Martin Logans. I installed Mapleshade brass footers on my 116's. And there it was. Plenty of detail with the requisite sense of warmth and body. Great dimensionality and coherence. Improved intelligibility on vocals. Improved imaging.
Any inexpensive actions (relative term of course) you've taken that made an audible improvement to your system?
I've done some tube swapping in my CJ ET5 preamp (very enlightening) and most recently, changing the devices under my MBL's. Started with some reasonable quality cones made by oregondv placed on BDR pucks. Decided to ditch the pucks and was surprised by the additional detail and speed. FYI, I have relatively live room. Wood floor, lots of glass behind the speakers. Have an area rug between the speakers and my listening chairs. Large windows behind the speakers where I have numerous plants and (after experimentation) four 2' X 2' drywall panels on the window sills, which replaced same size ATS panels. Decided on this material after remembering how MBL typically demos their speakers at audio shows. Listen in near field. Speakers about 7' from my chairs.
I lived with this for a couple of months. Loved the detail, space, and speed but felt that it crossed that magic line. A touch too much detail versus musicality.
I then tried something I did with a previous pair on Martin Logans. I installed Mapleshade brass footers on my 116's. And there it was. Plenty of detail with the requisite sense of warmth and body. Great dimensionality and coherence. Improved intelligibility on vocals. Improved imaging.
Any inexpensive actions (relative term of course) you've taken that made an audible improvement to your system?