The true experimental tweak thread

[Cornan]

6 hours ago, mozes said:

Check their Gaia feet, made for speakers. I auditioned them in a show and they work very well. Tighter bass, cleaner vocals and focused image.

you may only need the smallest Gaia 3

 

Thanks Moussa! I have seen them. They would be an option instead of the Soundcare Superspikes, but a bit too expensive. If I spot them for a bargain price I might grab them though! ?

[tapatrick]

Here is a pic of my oak beam stands as promised Micael. There are 3 pieces/legs making up each stand bolted and glued together. Foot plate and top plate are IKEA boards. I added spikes form eBay...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4pcs-M8-60-Copper-Speaker-Floor-Stand-Spike-Base-Cone-Loudspeaker-Spikes/192152255040?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

The stands are very heavy and solid and much better than metal ones I looked at as I could'nt find any that were solid without costing a fortune or were the exact height I wanted.. they still need a painted finish to complete the job and match the other furniture in room.. (I have a granite slab on top which really tightens and focuses the sound too)  Cost was in region of £120 for 2 stands.

[tapatrick]

2 minutes ago, tapatrick said:

 

 

[Cornan]

10 minutes ago, tapatrick said:

Here is a pic of my oak beam stands as promised Micael. There are 3 pieces/legs making up each stand bolted and glued together. Foot plate and top plate are IKEA boards. I added spikes form eBay...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4pcs-M8-60-Copper-Speaker-Floor-Stand-Spike-Base-Cone-Loudspeaker-Spikes/192152255040?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

The stands are very heavy and solid and much better than metal ones I looked at as I could'nt find any that were solid without costing a fortune or were the exact height I wanted.. they still need a painted finish to complete the job and match the other furniture in room.. (I have a granite slab on top which really tightens and focuses the sound too)  Cost was in region of £120 for 2 stands.

 

Nice work Patrick! ???

Not sure I could do it myself though. I have been looking at these wooden stands from Hifi Racks lately http://www.analogueseduction.net/category-375/hi-fi-racks-x50-large-speaker-stands.html

 

 

Not too expensive! ?

 

 

 

[tapatrick]

8 hours ago, Cornan said:

 

Nice work Patrick! ???

Not sure I could do it myself though. I have been looking at these wooden stands from Hifi Racks lately http://www.analogueseduction.net/category-375/hi-fi-racks-x50-large-speaker-stands.html

 

 

Not too expensive! ?

 

 

 

Nice!  The Atacama brand on there is a good range too. If you get metal ones make sure to fill all the spaces/tubes with sand or filler.

[tapatrick]

If you are thinking of feet and isolation make sure to check out the Symposium products

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2012/12/14/symposium-acoustics-rollerblock-junior-and-series-2-svelte-shelf-point-pods-and-more/

 

They are easy to DIY, and although seems a strange idea at first I found the ball & cup plus inner tube and board a great solution to vibration/isolation.. There is a long thread by Yashn that discussed them a while back and also a new one here:

 

[Cornan]

15 hours ago, tapatrick said:

If you are thinking of feet and isolation make sure to check out the Symposium products

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2012/12/14/symposium-acoustics-rollerblock-junior-and-series-2-svelte-shelf-point-pods-and-more/

 

They are easy to DIY, and although seems a strange idea at first I found the ball & cup plus inner tube and board a great solution to vibration/isolation.. There is a long thread by Yashn that discussed them a while back and also a new one here:

 

 

Thanks Patrick!  

I am well aware about YashNs thread (posted there myself) and have done my own roller-bearing trials a number of times. Not that successful though.

 

 

It is not that easy to DIY (or rather to find the right cup and the right ball-bearring) that one might think though, since the cup should have a quite flat cup shape to get the optimal low resistance without being unsecure and the both the ball and the cup must be in a very hard and highly polished material. It is a bit scary when it comes to speakers. I rather buy something ready made, so the Symposium was a welcomed tip. I will surely consider it.

 

The Atacama is still on my highest wish list, but since I am not ordering until I move to my new place in February I will have plenty of time to look for other options as well. I want to be 100% sure where the speakers will be positioned in my new flat before deciding the optimal one to use. The looks and colour matching to the Gibson´s is not unimportant either!  

 

 

[Cornan]

16 hours ago, tapatrick said:

Nice!  The Atacama brand on there is a good range too. If you get metal ones make sure to fill all the spaces/tubes with sand or filler.

 

My last speaker floor stands was the Atacama Nexus 6. I filled those with Actamama´s own filling material which was a lot better than normal sand. I also used the Soundcare Superspikes which was a geat addition on wooden floor.

[Monge]

I need help. I have a set of 2x3 m QED XT40 speakercable with QED airlock bananas In both ends and I need to make them a little longer. 

I don’t want to cut the Airlock bananas so I was wondering if I could get a adapter of some kind for the bananas and buy some ekstra XT40 speakercable?

I know It’s NOT optimal., but I just want to try it before buying new speakercables.

Thanks In advance.

Regards Monge

[BigGuy]

13 minutes ago, Monge said:

I need help. I have a set of 2x3 m QED XT40 speakercable with QED airlock bananas In both ends and I need to make them a little longer. 

I don’t want to cut the Airlock bananas so I was wondering if I could get a adapter of some kind for the bananas and buy some ekstra XT40 speakercable?

I know It’s NOT optimal., but I just want to try it before buying new speakercables.

Thanks In advance.

Regards Monge

This what you're looking for..both female and male

 

https://www.amazon.com/EZ-Solder-Female-Banana-Plugs/dp/B00NBAVOFQ

[Monge]

10 minutes ago, BigGuy said:

This what you're looking for..both female and male

 

https://www.amazon.com/EZ-Solder-Female-Banana-Plugs/dp/B00NBAVOFQ

@BigGuy Thanks 

 

[Cornan]

35 minutes ago, Monge said:

I need help. I have a set of 2x3 m QED XT40 speakercable with QED airlock bananas In both ends and I need to make them a little longer. 

I don’t want to cut the Airlock bananas so I was wondering if I could get a adapter of some kind for the bananas and buy some ekstra XT40 speakercable?

I know It’s NOT optimal., but I just want to try it before buying new speakercables.

Thanks In advance.

Regards Monge

 

If not the suggestion from @BigGuy you can also buy four of these plus speaker bananas (ex. Supra CombiCon) for the extension cable https://www.amazon.com/Female-Banana-Plug-Adapter/dp/B0

 

Make sure it is 4mm banana plugs though.

 

 

 

[Monge]

@Cornan Thanks 

The Acatama Moseco XL500 stands you found look very nice 

Regards Monge

[Cornan]

2 minutes ago, Monge said:

@Cornan Thanks 

The Acatama Moseco XL500 stands you found look very nice 

Regards Monge

 

I found them thanks to you! ? They are still my no 1 option, especially after reading the great review of the MOSECO 6 https://www.whathifi.com/atacama/moseco-6/review 

[BigGuy]

26 minutes ago, Cornan said:

 

If not the suggestion from @BigGuy you can also buy four of these plus speaker bananas (ex. Supra CombiCon) for the extension cable https://www.amazon.com/Female-Banana-Plug-Adapter/dp/B0

 

Make sure it is 4mm banana plugs though.

 

 

 

Using the couplers suggested  by Cornan, you could make something a bit better and potentially usable elsewhere with these to terminate your extension cable...

https://www.amazon.com/Efreecity®-Nakamichi-Speaker-Banana-Connector/dp/B00WJMQTX4/ref=sr_1_9?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1515524260&sr=1-9&keywords=nakamichi+banana+plugs

 

I bought some to terminate one end of a DIY DC cable.  Nice quality at reasonable price...and easily reusable.

[BigGuy]

30 minutes ago, Monge said:

@Cornan Thanks 

The Acatama Moseco XL500 stands you found look very nice 

Regards Monge

Interestingly, based on Acatama's use of bamboo plywood in their audio racks and what they and others had to say about it, I went on a "mission quest" to find a source for bamboo plywood to make replacements for the MDF shelves in my Salamander Designs rack.  Need to complete finishing process and install them.  Good Winter project.

[Cornan]

4 minutes ago, BigGuy said:

Interestingly, based on Acatama's use of bamboo plywood in their audio racks and what they and others had to say about it, I went on a "mission quest" to find a source for bamboo plywood to make replacements for the MDF shelves in my Salamander Designs rack.  Need to complete finishing process and install them.  Good Winter project.

 

Nice project! ? I am not that handy with wood works, but I just found an interesting cable project for the winter. To turn this wire into a starquad DC cable with 4 individual JSSG. Should be fun! ?

 

https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/hook-up-wires/shielded-wiring-cable-silver-plated-ofc-4n-copper-05mm-o23mm-p-12441.html

 

 

 

[Monge]

27 minutes ago, BigGuy said:

Using the couplers suggested  by Cornan, you could make something a bit better and potentially usable elsewhere with these to terminate your extension cable...

https://www.amazon.com/Efreecity®-Nakamichi-Speaker-Banana-Connector/dp/B00WJMQTX4/ref=sr_1_9?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1515524260&sr=1-9&keywords=nakamichi+banana+plugs

 

I bought some to terminate one end of a DIY DC cable.  Nice quality at reasonable price...and easily reusable.

@BigGuy Very nice banana plugs. Thanks Again 

Actually I Think have enough banana plugs In a drawer. I only need an adapter.

Regards Monge

[BigGuy]

8 minutes ago, Cornan said:

 

Nice project! ? I am not that handy with wood works, but I just found an interesting cable project for the winter. To turn this wire into a starquad DC cable with 4 individual JSSG. Should be fun! ?

 

https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/hook-up-wires/shielded-wiring-cable-silver-plated-ofc-4n-copper-05mm-o23mm-p-12441.html

 

 

 

Nice wire!   Should make for a nice starquad.

[Cornan]

3 minutes ago, BigGuy said:

Nice wire!   Should make for a nice starquad.

 

I think so too! My plan is to run one thin drain wire per conductor. Easy since each wire have its own shield. However, I think I might check if I can buy something else from Audiophonics at the same time. Freight charge of €28.50 was almost as much as the 10 meter wire (€34 incl VAT). Put me off a bit! ?

[BigGuy]

19 minutes ago, Cornan said:

 

I think so too! My plan is to run one thin drain wire per conductor. Easy since each wire have its own shield. However, I think I might check if I can buy something else from Audiophonics at the same time. Freight charge of €28.50 was almost as much as the 10 meter wire (€34 incl VAT). Put me off a bit! ?

I have some two conductor, teflon insulated, silver-plated copper but the pair is shielded...not the individual conductors.

Rather than dis-assemble the wire, I thought about making a quasi-starquad by twisting two lengths of the 2-conductor wire together but not sure if that "undoes" what a true starquad construction accomplishes?!

 

+1 on the S/H!   I hate it when that department is treated as a profit center!

[Cornan]

1 minute ago, BigGuy said:

I have some two conductor, teflon insulated, silver-plated copper but the pair is shielded...not the individual conductors.

Rather than dis-assemble the wire, I thought about making a quasi-starquad by twisting two lengths of the 2-conductor wire together but not sure if that "undoes" what a true starquad construction accomplishes?!

 

+1 on the S/H!   I hate it when that department is treated as a profit center!

 

If will be OK as long as you ensure that the two 2-cunductor cables are carefully twisted along the lenght of the wire. Remember that the two cables should ideally have equal distance from each other as the two wires in the 2-conductor cable. Using for example a center core (a suitable size string) when twisting the cables will help to ensure an equal twisted distance in the middle. Ensure that all four wires are twisted in the same direction and that positive and negative runs side by side (+/-/+/-) in the twisted cable.

 

I don't know if they make a profit on freight charges, but quite annoying non-the-less! ?

[BigGuy]

2 hours ago, Cornan said:

 

If will be OK as long as you ensure that the two 2-cunductor cables are carefully twisted along the lenght of the wire. Remember that the two cables should ideally have equal distance from each other as the two wires in the 2-conductor cable. Using for example a center core (a suitable size string) when twisting the cables will help to ensure an equal twisted distance in the middle. Ensure that all four wires are twisted in the same direction and that positive and negative runs side by side (+/-/+/-) in the twisted cable.

 

I don't know if they make a profit on freight charges, but quite annoying non-the-less! ?

Thanks for the guidance as always.  Will give it a try.  GOTTA be better than the tiny zipcord!

[Cornan]

6 hours ago, BigGuy said:

Thanks for the guidance as always.  Will give it a try.  GOTTA be better than the tiny zipcord!

 

You're welcome BigGuy! ?

Without a doubt! You will never use the tiny zipcord ever again when you've heard your DIY one. 

Are you planning to do a JSSG with the shields on the two cables, ie. solder a thin drain wire that connects the four ends (two shields) and not connect them to the plugs?

[Monge]

21 hours ago, BigGuy said:

Interestingly, based on Acatama's use of bamboo plywood in their audio racks and what they and others had to say about it, I went on a "mission quest" to find a source for bamboo plywood to make replacements for the MDF shelves in my Salamander Designs rack.  Need to complete finishing process and install them.  Good Winter project.

Very Nice Winther project 

I didn’t know that bamboo had that effect on ressonances.

Acatama use carbonized bamboo In some of their racks whatever that is.

I Think I found an almost perfect decoupler.

https://www.futureshop.co.uk/high-quality-gd-4mm-banana-gold-plated-4mm-banana-plug-couplers-pair

Needs some electrical tape though.

Regards Monge