Just had a look at the CD lathe a device that QUOTE you put an optical disc in it, fasten well the knurl, give it a 9000 RPM spin and then manually move a swing arm onto the edge of the disc. The tungsten carbide blade will trim the disc edge so that it is as round as possible, at the same time beveling it to a 36-degree angle, supposedly destined to eliminate the laser scatter. Even more, after the disc is precisely cut, you get a felt pen to “seal” it off, applying a layer of black ink on the freshly cut edge UNQUOTE
But many people rave (or are raving) about it. I wonder if Dremel have an attachment.
*No - you can measure the difference. DSP definitely does something. Whether you like what it does is another matter.
However, some tweaks there is no readily available evidence that they do anything. They might. They might not. These are ones for this thread.
With mains cables I’d love to see measurement showing a difference. For instance a listening panel who can consistently identify which mains cable is in use, at least within statistical significance. We hardly ever see such things, though we often see them for other hifi products. Strange. So I would rank mains cables and Ethernet cables in this class.
Of course, if you find tying a deep purple ribbon around the radiator improves your enjoyment of music then why not. Nice thing is it costs almost nothing to try. The boutique cables can seriously affect your pocket money.
Jimmy Michael Hughes did wonders for the sales of the Pioneer A400 amplifier. An excellent piece of kit at a relatively low price. JMH claimed its power amplifier section was as good as anything on the market at any price. A bit like claiming a NAIT as a power amp at least matched if not surpassed a NAP500. Great news for consumers if true. Though you may derive as much enjoyment from an entry level Naim system as from any system at any price: it will vary for different listeners. Of course, it is only true if you use cryogenically treated DIN shielding plugs on your NAIT.
@AndyP I feel the beginnings of a DIY project here!
In principle the concept seems sound, reduce manufacturing variations and keep the disc spinning true and without any unwanted wobbling!
I’m sure you could modify a bicycle to similar effect
You could clamp it on a Black & Decker sanding attachment on an electric drill, and apply a file to the spinning disk . . . however ripping the disk obviates the need…
Wasn’t there something about the Ittok arm? I think there was a special black one? The paint being the only difference. Sorry is my Hi-Fi memory is not correct.
On the other place this morning was an advert for a bespoke crossover for SBLs. It was claimed that in the past Naim “hobbled” these speakers in order to encourage sales of the Snaxo. I hope that there is a better explanation!
The big difference between then and now is that most of the early ideas were cheap but hardly ever worked.
Now power cables and isolation feet improve sound quality but at an astronomical price.
Bell wire and felt tipped pens must have worked because we’re all still listening.
I wish people would stop criticising my speaker wire - the orange sleeve gives a more lively sound.
Quad did it with £20 Black & Decker hedge cutter extension power cables to demonstrate their ESL 989s at a Heathrow hi-fi show. The demonstrator hadn’t packed the normal wire so nipped over to B&Q. Quad had lots of enquiries about how much they were charging for their superb new speaker wire.
I remember buying some green rubber thingies to put around the periphery of a cd to improve the sound…still have them somewhere…couldn’t hear any difference but looked nice
turning off any room light with a dimmer dial. Just turn it off rather than low. Puts noise not just in the mains but also in the room such a device is mounted within. We used to have one that buzzed like a buzztard. The one we have now we cant hear it, but the frequency upsets the spiders, so it’s still there.
When I was using just vinyl and cd, I found unplugging the internet router modem and phone line gave an increase in resolution and that inkyness.
Whether from reducing noise on the mains, or from what I read about the negative effects of hypersensitivity to wifi ?
Using my Unitiserve settings, if I select off ‘Auto connection’, ‘Stay connected’ and of course ‘Rip mode’ whilst listening to playback I can hear a smidge more micro resolution.
Don’t think I ever read this tip anywhere, but found out by myself, taking that display off’ logic.
A hifi magazine of the time gave a free Peter Belt item as a sample. It was a safety pin with an iron collar on one of the arms. It needed to be attached to an item of furnishing, say the listening room curtains. I tried a blind listening test when I would attach (or not) the safety pin to the curtains - my brother didn’t know whether it was attached, but every time it was he said the sound “improved”.
The better carpenters always did that (or rather, so that the slot lined up with the grain of the wood) - though it was for the appearance, not for any audible benefits.
It just goes to show how susceptible we humans are.
All screws heads aligned top to bottom throughout the house;
Filing lines into the pins of power plugs;
A sheet of paper under one of the 4 spikes of a speaker stand.
Not that I noticed any difference!
Although I have to say that I still align the screw heads even after all these years … force of habit I guess and occasionally I come across an old 13amp plug with scratch marks on it!
