Is this obsessive?

[Phelonious Ponk]

If he's got a complex system, and good, quiet components, he might be right that the plugs and sockets are causing more loss and noise than anything else in the signal chain. But he'd probably get the same effect from unplugging every cable, cleaning all the contact points and plugging them back in giving them a twist or two in the process, Did somebody say had had Conrad Johnson pre and amps? Tubes? Is he going to solder them into their sockets? How about the fuses?

Simpler system might be a simpler solution. I've got 4 cables in the entire system. I must be in signal heaven .

Tim

 

[DaveyF]

If he's got a complex system, and good, quiet components, he might be right that the plugs and sockets are causing more loss and noise than anything else in the signal chain. But he'd probably get the same effect from unplugging every cable, cleaning all the contact points and plugging them back in giving them a twist or two in the process, Did somebody say had had Conrad Johnson pre and amps? Tubes? Is he going to solder them into their sockets? How about the fuses?

Simpler system might be a simpler solution. I've got 4 cables in the entire system. I must be in signal heaven .

Tim

Funny you say that, Tim. This guy changes his tubes every few months, LOL. BTW, I think he is skilled enough to do this job in a professional manner. Next time I have the opportunity to talk to him, I will ask him if he is concerned about hum and the type of solder he is using....although that might be a bit cruel, as he clearly already has a bad case of audio nervosa . BTW,as mep reminded us, in the old days most (all?) amp manufacturer's hardwired the power cord....what changed that, except for the current trend to buy into 'component' power cables.

 

[microstrip]

Audiophiles complain about everything. If you sent them all to heaven they would complain the angels sing off key and everyone is too nice.

IMHO most audiophiles do not complain about items - most of the time we are just a little too enthusiast about our own beliefs and sometimes consider others beliefs as obsessions.

 

[mep]

IMHO most audiophiles do not complain about items - most of the time we are just a little too enthusiast about our own beliefs and sometimes consider others beliefs as obsessions.

Maybe I should have substituted "neurose" for "complain."

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Funny you say that, Tim. This guy changes his tubes every few months, LOL. BTW, I think he is skilled enough to do this job in a professional manner. Next time I have the opportunity to talk to him, I will ask him if he is concerned about hum and the type of solder he is using....although that might be a bit cruel, as he clearly already has a bad case of audio nervosa . BTW,as mep reminded us, in the old days most (all?) amp manufacturer's hardwired the power cord....what changed that, except for the current trend to buy into 'component' power cables.

Not sure it has anything to do with audiophile cable swapping. Most pro components come with removable cords too, and most pros don't believe in audiophile cable. Makes component-swapping in studios and set-up/tear down in performance a lot easier, though.

Tim

 

[Robh3606]

This guy changes his tubes every few months, LOL.

Is he going to hard wire them in to?? If he is worried about iffy connections he's missing the boat on tube sockets. They actually see some heat and can oxidize a bit more than gold plated RCA's or balanced connectors.

Rob

 

[DaveyF]

Is he going to hard wire them in to?? If he is worried about iffy connections he's missing the boat on tube sockets. They actually see some heat and can oxidize a bit more than gold plated RCA's or balanced connectors.

Rob

Rob, I do not think he is going to hardwire the tubes. At least he never discussed that with me. Just all of the cables and connections between the amps/preamps/ front end and the speakers. Plus, all of the power cords. I would think that the breakdown would be a bear though.
My friend is pretty certain that he will get a bigger bank for the buck by doing this than anything he could do with swapping out cables or other gear. We shall see.

 

[puroagave]

Davey your friend reminds me of someone in the SD audio guild from way back that didn't own a piece of kit that couldn't be 'improved.' all of his gear received similar treatment and showed all kinds of non-factory mods sloppily executed* for which he always used the same excuse "its the sound that matters" and that he would "never sell" it anyway. most of the work wasn't easily reversible and even if possible it would never look like or have the integrity of stock.

eventually most or all of it ended up for sale within a few years and he was lucky to unload it for pennies on the dollar.

*he'd recite his resume of 'engineering' credentials to all and anyone who would listen

 

[DaveyF]

Rob, I know who you are talking about However, this guy has a lot more experience and I think he has real credentials. Like I said earlier, this a'phile has some pretty decent gear already.

 

[JackD201]

I think the move away from captive power cords has more to do with global distribution than anything else having so many different types of wall receptacles all over the world.

 

[microstrip]

I think the move away from captive power cords has more to do with global distribution than anything else having so many different types of wall receptacles all over the world.

Surely it helped. In the good old days you could export equipment with the wrong plugs or bare wires, and the distributor would change them if needed. Nowadays, in many countries, customs will seize the equipment with inappropriate or non certified power connections, as they consider it as dangerous as a lethal weapon ...

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Didn't want to start a new thread, but I wanted to ask how often you guys clean the connections on your gear and cables? I'll admit I've never done this as I've never seen any physical evidence of oxidation.

 

[treitz3]

Good morning, John. I clean them as often as possible, which ends up being once or if I am lucky perhaps twice a year. From the outlet to the speaker terminals, they all are cleaned and I can say with complete certainty that oxidation need not be present to affect the sound in my experience.

Tom

 

[rbbert]

Although (as has been alluded to) if you're pulling the plugs to look for oxidation and then plugging them back in, that's a big part of the cleaning process right there.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Thanks guys. Is Deoxit the ticket to do so properly or most effectively? I'll order some if that's the case.

 

[PeterA]

Didn't want to start a new thread, but I wanted to ask how often you guys clean the connections on your gear and cables? I'll admit I've never done this as I've never seen any physical evidence of oxidation.

I do a complete break down and clean once or twice a year. I don't notice any oxidation. I clean each connection with alcohol and then treat it with a very thin layer of Walker SST Extreme silver contact paste. After about six hours of listening (break-in), there is an improvement in overall clarity and resolution. The whole process takes about three hours and is cumbersome, though I like the results.

Every three or four weeks I check my platter speed, degauss the system with the Cardas sweep LP and confirm that my three Vibraplanes and five Townshend sinks are level and properly inflated. This takes about 15 minutes.

I don't know if the above qualifies as obsessive, but it does result in better sound and some piece of mind. I think of it as routine system maintenance.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

I do a complete break down and clean once or twice a year. I don't notice any oxidation. I clean each connection with alcohol and then treat it with a very thin layer of Walker SST Extreme silver contact paste. After about six hours of listening (break-in), there is an improvement in overall clarity and resolution. The whole process takes about three hours and is cumbersome, though I like the results.

Every three or four weeks I check my platter speed, degauss the system with the Cardas sweep LP and confirm that my three Vibraplanes and five Townshend sinks are level and properly inflated. This takes about 15 minutes.

I don't know if the above qualifies as obsessive, but it does result in better sound and some piece of mind. I think of it as routine system maintenance.

I don't think it's obsessive at all. In fact, I need to do more of it. I do re-calibrate my TT twice a year and regularly check for level, but that's about it. I have found however that with my recent acquisition of some outstanding vinyl pressings that I've become more interested in trying to squeeze every ounce out of them...hence my question. The PF-DSOTM UK Harvest pressing is such a brilliant slab of vinyl that I want more! The NG RCM has improved the experience, so I'm finding that each little piece helps.

 

[DaveyF]

John, I treat all of my connections with Deoxit. I do believe that if you do this at least every few months that you will hear a nice improvement. I also use grounding plugs on all of my open connections. Lastly, I lift all cables off the floor...including the power cord. ( Yikes, maybe I am obsessive, LOL).

 

[Al M.]

John, I treat all of my connections with Deoxit. I do believe that if you do this at least every few months that you will hear a nice improvement. I also use grounding plugs on all of my open connections. Lastly, I lift all cables off the floor...including the power cord. ( Yikes, maybe I am obsessive, LOL).

Which Deoxit do you use? There are so many options:

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...vptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_9b0esdpjsu_e

 

[treitz3]

Hello, Al M. I personally use both DN5 and GN5. The DN5 cleans off the oxidation and oils. The GN5 enhances and protects the connections. There is an excellent read that you may be interested in, the link is provided below.

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?1652-Contact-Cleaning-The-Right-Stuff

Tom