Cheap tweak - better sound!

[stantheman2]

Want a cheap tweak that can really improve the sound in your overall system? Buy some aerosol contact cleaner at Fry's or some other electronics store and use it to clean all your connections and connectors - speakers, pre-pro/receiver, amp, DVD or CD player, etc. I do this every 4 to six months and I am always surprised and pleased at how much the overall sound improves after the cleaning. At less than $10 and an hour or so of your time, it's one of the best bangs for the audiophile buck out there.

[Chris D]

Huh??

[bigburner]

Huh??

Better contact, better SQ and PQ.

Now if it were $10,000 and not just a paltry $10 we might get some real interest!

[riceaterslc]

Now if it were $10,000 and not just a paltry $10 we might get some real interest!

i may have to outsource this procedure, sounds complicated :W :B

[bigburner]

I just happen to have a wonderful contact cleaner that I'm prepared to offer members at the bargain price of $1000 per aerosol. This is an audiophile approved product manufactured in an ISO9002 certified plant. It's guaranteed to include no less than 0.00003% pure silver to enhance the listening experience.

riceaterslc, for your outsourcing business, I'm prepared to supply it at $750 per per aerosol, assuming a minimum order of 100 units of course.

Roll up, roll up HTGuide Forum members. riceaterslc is just a PM away.

[pbarach]

I just happen to have a wonderful contact cleaner that I'm prepared to offer members at the bargain price of $1000 per aerosol. This is an audiophile approved product manufactured in an ISO9002 certified plant. It's guaranteed to include no less than 0.00003% pure silver to enhance the listening experience.

No, no , you're not explaining the whole tweak. You have to stand on maple blocks that have spikes underneath them, then use an Audioquest remote trigger release cable ($8000) to spray the contacts. Then you have to demagnetize your shoelaces using a device that is especially built for this purpose in a Japanese fishing village by master craftsmen.

[H.Donald]

You guys are joking...$1000,750 for per aerosol????...shucks I just got 2 for $500 off of AudioGon!

[Karma]

HI All,
Contact cleaning is good. Cosmic Law number 7.

However, there is only one contact cleaner that is excellent. It's made by Caig Industries. It's called Deoxit D5. I'm surprsed it has not been mentioned.

When I ran my high end repair shop I considered Deoxit my secret weapon. At the time it was not well known. Now, it has been discovered and the word is out. I see it frequently mentioned on the Audio Asylum and Audio Karma forums. It's not cheap but worth every penny. It does go a long way. I use the spray can version but other types are available. Each has their uses. Deoxit is the unmentioned part of Cosmic Law number 7.

Don't argue. Ignore the price. Just buy it, use it, trust it. :T

You can find it at MCM Electronics and probably many other places. It's really good stuff as are all of the other Caig products.

Sparky

[riceaterslc]

in all seriousness, i have a question.

is there one type of cleaner that will "last" longer than another? i do not know if there are additives in the solution that prevent dust/corrosion build up...

[Karma]

HI Rice,
Well, I did a complete tube replacement on my ARC D250 amp (32 tubes!) in 1995. When I did so I cleaned all the tube socket pins and cleaned the new tube pins with Deoxit D5.

Just last week I did another complete tube replacement. The pins and sockets were as clean as when I cleaned them in 1995. Is that long enough for you?

However, I cleaned them again and also the new tube pins. It never hurts to be thorough, right? I should note that tubes present one of the most difficult challenges for contact cleaners because of dust and HEAT. If the cleaner can last over 10 years in that environment, it is a great product and one you can rely on.

Look, most contact cleaners are not worth spit, period. I know that from a professional viewpoint. But using Deoxit on thousands of contacts in my repair shop I never had a return for a failed contact. Not one. That, my friend, is an impressive record. And, no I don't have an affiliation with Caig. I just like their products.

Sparky

[JudyLou]

Talking about cheap tweaks.
Have you tried a set of vibrapods at about $25 a set of 4 - a must - unbelievable! Really worth a try.

[bigburner]

Hi Lourens,

What is a vibrapod?

Nigel.

[Thelonious Funk]

I know what a vibrapod is, but I don't think it's proper to discuss it in a public forum.

You people are sick.

ops:

[Alloroc]

Was that this thing Woody Allen got 'caught up with himself' in the movie Sleeper?

[Brandon B]

Nah, that was the Orgasmatron.

The vibrapod is a competitor to Apple's product.

BB

[Thelonious Funk]

That was hilarious.

[Glen B]

Hi Lourens,

What is a vibrapod?

Nigel.

You're joking, right ? :W

http://www.vibrapod.com/Reviews/tas.htm

[LikeCoiledSteel]

I use MAAS, you can get it at Wal Mart for $3 tube. There was a write up about this tweak/maintenance in Home Theater Magazine a few years ago. A nice difference can be heard.
Steel

[JudyLou]

Hi Lourens,

What is a vibrapod?

Nigel.

Hi Nigel

Glen B gave the link to a review on them - amazing. Even better when you add a vibracone on top of a vibrapod.
I experimented extensively with them the past 30 days – I must say it’s the most effective amazing value for money system upgrade you can ever do – unless someone comes up with something new for this price.
It’s like placing better tires and shock absorbers on your car – road holding ability is much better and the ride more smooth and pleasurable.
The height with a vibrapod and cone is not always practical depending on ones system stand. But if you can fit it in – do it!
Put some pods with cones under my cheaper Marantz demo system – then added some under the amp – sounded amazing. I didn’t have more so I took the ones from the amp and place them under the sub – that made even more of a difference than under the amp. So I left them there – I going to buy more and put them under the amp again.
All I can say is that the focus, air and soundstage increased dramatically.
The difference in upgrading the overall sound quality on this system placing the pods/cones only under the dvd player was better than upgrading to the next (double the price dvd player – not joking!
Lourens

[bigburner]

You're joking, right ? :W

http://www.vibrapod.com/Reviews/tas.htm

No I'm not joking, but I've read the review and I think this must be an April Fool's joke, right? Putting a physical device under a piece of electronic equipment and expecting the sound to change doesn't make sense. Next I'll be wearing a copper bracelet to cure my arthritis. It's 1 April for sure...

Nigel.

[bigburner]

Hi Nigel

Glen B gave the link to a review on them - amazing. Even better when you add a vibracone on top of a vibrapod.
I experimented extensively with them the past 30 days – I must say it’s the most effective amazing value for money system upgrade you can ever do – unless someone comes up with something new for this price.
It’s like placing better tires and shock absorbers on your car – road holding ability is much better and the ride more smooth and pleasurable.
The height with a vibrapod and cone is not always practical depending on ones system stand. But if you can fit it in – do it!
Put some pods with cones under my cheaper Marantz demo system – then added some under the amp – sounded amazing. I didn’t have more so I took the ones from the amp and place them under the sub – that made even more of a difference than under the amp. So I left them there – I going to buy more and put them under the amp again.
All I can say is that the focus, air and soundstage increased dramatically.
The difference in upgrading the overall sound quality on this system placing the pods/cones only under the dvd player was better than upgrading to the next (double the price dvd player – not joking!
Lourens

Gee, you guys are serious. I'm amazed. I will try that copper bracelet!!

[JudyLou]

Gee, you guys are serious. I'm amazed. I will try that copper bracelet!!

Hehehe - some people swear by it - the bracelet I mean.
Lourens

[Shonver]

Want a cheap tweak that can really improve the sound in your overall system? Buy some aerosol contact cleaner at Fry's or some other electronics store and use it to clean all your connections and connectors - speakers, pre-pro/receiver, amp, DVD or CD player, etc. I do this every 4 to six months and I am always surprised and pleased at how much the overall sound improves after the cleaning. At less than $10 and an hour or so of your time, it's one of the best bangs for the audiophile buck out there.

There is another, more popular, way of achieving this that will get you more respect from the audiophile community, and it is "right priced": exotic cables.

I agree with you totally on this tweak. Unfortunately, most people reviewing new cables unknowingly also clean the electrical contacts by virtue of the wiping action of the metallic parts passing over each other. If only they would reverse the change. So, instead of doing a before/after only test, they should do a before/after/remind-me-again test.

After observing a major improvement with the upgraded cable, is the same amount of degradation achieved when switching back to the "lesser" cable?

[chinets]

April Fool's Day right?? All this sounds like a 1001 nights stories!!
Cheers, and Happy Fool's Day everyone!! Ha Ha !!!

[JudyLou]

April Fool's Day right?? All this sounds like a 1001 nights stories!!
Cheers, and Happy Fool's Day everyone!! Ha Ha !!!

Hi Chinets
The problem is the April Fool falls on the one that doesn't try the Vibrapods.

Lourens