What are the best tweaks in your experience?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Thank you for sharing your opinion. I never said I haven’t addressed those other areas, I just changed my approach as my values changed. If you need to see them in a photograph from the listening seat, I can’t help you there.

Yes, exactly. What he misses is the possibility that one can change what one values in reproduction characteristics. @Cellcbern, believing you know someone else's motivation is risky; pls don't think de-tweaking reflects on you. We each can have our own way.
 
You may. It didn't.

The more recent edition (6th) presents a revolutionary view in our concepts of interference, due to the much higher frequency of signals being used and their intrinsic noise. What was classically assumed as correct sometimes is not anymore. Noise can enter analog systems in unexpected ways and interfere with systems that were not prepared for these higher bandwidths. Go through the preface and introduction of Grounding and Shielding: Circuits and Interference", 6th Edition (2015) if you are curious on the subject.

Also do not forget looking for the excellent old posts in WBF of Emile of Taiko Audio about "bits are not bits" in the Taiko server thread.
 
The more recent edition (6th) presents a revolutionary view in our concepts of interference, due to the much higher frequency of signals being used and their intrinsic noise. What was classically assumed as correct sometimes is not anymore. Noise can enter analog systems in unexpected ways and interfere with systems that were not prepared for these higher bandwidths. Go through the preface and introduction of Grounding and Shielding: Circuits and Interference", 6th Edition (2015) if you are curious on the subject.

Also do not forget looking for the excellent old posts in WBF of Emile of Taiko Audio about "bits are not bits" in the Taiko server thread.
A router is not an analog system.

In Ethernet a source device encodes an error check number with each frame of data that is sent. The receiving device validates that frame's data using the error check number, and if there's even one bit that's wrong, that data isn't used. The receiving device will then ask the source device to resend the frame. That's why noise is not an issue for data that's transmitted via Ethernet unless it's bad enough to result in dropped frames.

I'll try to find the "bits are not bits" info, but probably not tonight. Thanks.
 
Well, you are probably using the "standard" tweak that come with the speaker - the Wilson solid spike system. I also never tried anything else in Wilson Audio speakers.

I went from the spikes that came with my Alexias to the Ultra 5s then back to the spikes. I did not think of the spikes that came with them as a tweak.


But you replaced them with other wires. Isn't choosing any wires a tweak, independently of price? Vintage wire surely has a characteristic sound, due to chemical reactions with the out-gassing of old plastics and age that create layers with semiconductor properties in the surface of conductors.

The replacement wires are all non-audiophile contemporary except for a particular model of Ching-Chang power cord which is no longer made.
We should not use them with Lamm electronics - they can adversely react with the Lamm chosen power conditioners included in their equipment.

I had the power distributor/conditioner when I was using the ARC Ref 10 and Ref Phono 10, actually before that. Never put my M1.2 amps on it. I do agree with assessment.

Did you also take out the extremely powerful feedback responsible for the high stability of your turntable? We can consider it a factory tweak ... :)
Yes, funny. If it comes from the factory and is required for operation it is not a tweak.
 
I have had some assistance from my local dealer (bought 90% of my gear from) and he did not charge a dime. Paying some one to run room correction software is a bit daft from my point of view. But I will consider that some can not and may be willing to pay someone. I did not need Valentino Rossi to take my Ducati Panigale V4 R for a ride to know it will do 200 mph on the back straight at COTA. Nope did it myself.
Honestly, If I was going to take my Porsche Cayman S out to the track to drive it to its full potential, I sure as heck would pay a professional to teach me what its all about and how to handle it. Its pretty easy to die at 167mph.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mjosef
Also do not forget looking for the excellent old posts in WBF of Emile of Taiko Audio about "bits are not bits" in the Taiko server thread.
I tried searching for the phrase "bits are not bits" posted by Taiko Audio, but nothing came up. If you can point me in the right direction, I'd be happy to look that over. Thanks.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sbnx
I changed the nature of the reflections in the room by removing absorption panels and re-orienting my speakers they have zero toe-in.

How does a tweak increase dynamics? I have tried tweaks that enhance leading edges and accentuate high frequencies for a more exciting detailed sound, but ultimately I thought it just sounded like distortion.
How about by eliminating frequency cancellation? Reorienting your speakers would change dispersion and reflection patterns. Which doesn't mean that trying different acoustical tweaks in different places wouldn't enhance what you have already achieved.
 
How about by eliminating frequency cancellation? Reorienting your speakers would change dispersion and reflection patterns. Which doesn't mean that trying different acoustical tweaks in different places wouldn't enhance what you have already achieved.

I’m not going to re-orient my corner horn speakers. I am working on my room acoustics at the moment, but not with the type of acoustic treatment I had before.
 
I’m not going to re-orient my corner horn speakers. I am working on my room acoustics at the moment, but not with the type of acoustic treatment I had before.
Note that I was responding to you saying (above) that you "...reoriented your speakers to have zero toe-in...". I was not suggesting that you reorient them.
 
to quote Dirty Harry " a man's got to know his limitations" High End Audio participants seem to all think they know better. One wouldnt dream of tuning thier own Porsche ( unless you were trained in it) or a million other things that require experience and expertise but in audio its the feeking wild west :)
Or timing and cleaning their Swiss watch:)
 
A router is not an analog system.

In Ethernet a source device encodes an error check number with each frame of data that is sent. The receiving device validates that frame's data using the error check number, and if there's even one bit that's wrong, that data isn't used. The receiving device will then ask the source device to resend the frame. That's why noise is not an issue for data that's transmitted via Ethernet unless it's bad enough to result in dropped frames.

I'll try to find the "bits are not bits" info, but probably not tonight. Thanks.

Surely. But the but the router is connected to the DAC and injects noise it.
 
I tried searching for the phrase "bits are not bits" posted by Taiko Audio, but nothing came up. If you can point me in the right direction, I'd be happy to look that over. Thanks.

No, it was a debate about how the digital signals can transmit noise. I asked a few tricky questions to Emile and he answered them very effectively. Please start reading the thread at this point: https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/taiko-audio-sgm-extreme-the-crème-de-la-crème.27433/page-48
 
  • Like
Reactions: henrich3
Please don't make things up, Ron.

I have no intention of doing that. From your prior post I thought you removed tweaks as you moved away from the Alexias. If I have the facts wrong, then I am wrong.

Why don't you tell us what the facts are?
 
That is not true Ron. I de-tweaked my old Magico Pass SME system. I describe the whole process in my sublime sound system thread. By the time I bought my new system, I was already well aware of the effects and value of the things I removed from my old system.

Thank you for correcting my understanding of the timeline.
 
Surely. But the but the router is connected to the DAC and injects noise it.
The digital input in the DAC should regenerate the data perfectly. Noise should not be "injected". Again, if it receives a data frame via Ethernet it should have the error detection capability to either accept an error-free frame or reject a frame with errors & request retransmittal. If a DAC can't do that, I would have a low opinion of that DAC.
 
I have no intention of doing that. From your prior post I thought you removed tweaks as you moved away from the Alexias. If I have the facts wrong, then I am wrong.

Why don't you tell us what the facts are?

Unlike some here, I don't hide what is in my system but I don't talk about it very much or in an autobiograhical way. And that's too far afield from the intent of this thread. I already told you that what I value in reproduction changed over time; that started with the acquisition of my first pair of Lamm amplifiers and with my thoughts about the language used to describe reproduction.
 
Unlike some here, I don't hide what is in my system but I don't talk about it very much or in an autobiograhical way. And that's too far afield from the intent of this thread. I already told you that what I value in reproduction changed over time; that started with the acquisition of my first pair of Lamm amplifiers and with my thoughts about the language used to describe reproduction.

I asked: "What prompted you to abandon the tweaks?"

You replied: "That didn't happen all at once. Over time my values changed."

What, exactly, did I "make up" according to you?
 
I asked: "What prompted you to abandon the tweaks?"

You replied: "That didn't happen all at once. Over time my values changed."

What, exactly, did I "make up" according to you?

Your subsequent post to which I responded.

Peter and Tim de-tweaked when they went from contemporary loudspeakers to vintage loudspeakers.
 
My mistake. I did not realize that you began to de-tweak while you still had the Alexias.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

About us

  • What’s Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. Founded in 2010 What’s Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates.

Quick Navigation

User Menu

Steve Williams
Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator
Ron Resnick
Site Co-Owner | Administrator
Julian (The Fixer)
Website Build | Marketing Managersing