AWESOME HiFi Tweaks and Accessories that works for me !
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- Опубліковано 3 чер 2024
- Hi-Fi tweaks and accessories that is just AWESOME ! Record Doctor LP/Vinyl cleaning machines, Blutak, Isolation devices from isoacoustics, etc !
Blu-tack: amzn.to/3C1M53R
Isoacoustics devices: amzn.to/3j5FGvM
Record doctor: amzn.to/3leRRJf
Bubble level: amzn.to/3fhDtMJ
MoFi record sleeves: amzn.to/3j9ataW
Onzow Stylus cleaner: amzn.to/3zQGTxN
Speaker jumpers: amzn.to/2WtxZYv
Support on Patreon: / jaysoulsik
follow on Instagram: / jaysoulsik
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Follow soundstage take 2 reviews: • Jay's Soundstage! reviews
Speaker stands: amzn.to/3ssRhI3
Better speaker stands: solidsteel.it/my-product/ss-7...
acoustic panels I use: ua-acoustics.com/
acoustic curtain: amzn.to/31d1zAM
BDI Cabinet I use: bit.ly/2OJRwQQ
amzn.to/3chBuFZ
other BDI Cabinets: bit.ly/3ctxXV1
amzn.to/30bsUCH
This video is not sponsored
for more info on how we work:
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0:00 The Blue monster!
3:50 Turntable Accessories/tweaks
11:26 Speaker binding post tweaks!
14:35 Best HiFi Isolation that works for me
18:45 The Coin that saves your floors
#hifi #audiophile #tweaks - Розваги
Yo ! Hope this video was helpful to you and if it was let me know (by commenting and liking the video). I left some stuff out because the video was getting too long but can't wait to share more with you guys ! Have an awesome Saturday !
0:00 The Blue monster!
3:50 Turntable Accessories/tweaks
11:26 Speaker binding post tweaks!
14:35 Best HiFi Isolation that works for me
18:45 The Coin that saves your floors
What would you use under the speaker spikes on polished wooden floor? I assume the coins will slide.
Didn’t know you could still get Bluetack. Someone told me they stopped making it years ago. If you are going to add isoacoustic pucks under components do you remove the existing feet?
Tip for removing record from sleeve- put your hand in the sleeve, fingertips on label thumb on outer edge. My heart skipped beat when you grabbed it by the edge. lol Less chance of dropping it as well.
Yes that’s how I used to do it many years ago.
Yep, that is a definite 'No No' for sure. Funny how many 'Audiophile' UA-camrs grab their records that way. I think maybe in Jay's case, he just might not really listen to THAT much vinyl, so I'm guessing he's just out of practice : )
I get excellent isolation between my components and turntable by using squash balls 👍
Cool tips! I used bluetac on some posters a few years ago, and It slowly leaked oil into the posters. So I feel some caution should be taken with wood surfaces that will be visible in the future.
Was it genuine Blu Tack? There are a bunch of alternatives on the market that will definitely have the problem you encountered.
@@Carinae108 it was not blue, it was white/grey. So probably not the brand bluetac. It also took several years to leak the oils out. It may common among all of them, just be careful, many things can readily stain wood.
Hi Jay. The biggest single tweak i made was to bolt the top plate of the speaker stand to the base of the speaker so there is absolutely no front and back movement of the speaker. The speakers are sitting on 3 metal cones to further isolate them. The base of the speaker stand has 4 spikes which only make 4 tiny holes in the carpet. I have used the metal discs to prevent holes in the carpet but there is very slight movement . So i prefer spikes that penetrate the carpet where there is absolutely no movement. The final thing i did was to place 4 house bricks wrapped in black heavy duty cloth tape inside the stand at the bottom. This adds even more weight to the stand preventing even the slightest movement. The improvement in sound quality is amazing.
you can buy a pimply rubber doormat for as little as a pound, cut it into small squares and place under the feet of your components
hey, that works ! I used to do that too 👌
Cool! - An even better material I think is those washing machine/printer sound damping sheets.
Jeff Beck Truth, superb choice !
I haven’t messed with vinyl since the 90’s, don’t often think back to how much work it was…
I had an Okki Nokki and I covered the plater with a slip mat when not in use and brushed the plater off with a soft paint brush before use
Isolation stuff can be snake a while except with turntables. I use an acoustical ceiling tile beneath my speakers so I can slide it around. Cost about three dollars each. Works wonderfully.
I assume you mean "snake oil"? After being skeptical for a while I changed the spikes on my Linn 242 speakers to Gaia 2 and the difference is quite unbelievable. Considering I was orignally thinking the price is extreme, for the improvement I've actually seen I honestly think they are worth the money. I assume these gains will differ across rooms and different hi fi setups. After trying them, the last thing I would describe the Gaia's would be snake oil.
Damping (a decrease in the amplitude of an oscillation) not dampening (make slightly wet). Love ya Jay.
+1
If you're one that knows the difference, you'll encounter this everywhere!
Even individuals that should truly know the difference, misuse the term. Hell I'd wager it's likely the most misused term in audio.
Granted, it's not a big deal, and many don't care, ... however it's 𝙙𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜... irregardless its not are problem, its there problem. Besides, it may not effect there grammar, accept it may be a blessing in the skys. Mute point, because its a doggy dog world.
;)
The tac , when used to connect speakers to a stand do the exact opposite of what you stated. These little pieces are sometimes called isolaters. They are used to decouple the speaker from the stand, resulting in a sound free of vibration. As usual great video!!
I also totally agree the IsoAcoustics products work. I was a big skeptic on cables and isolation products. IsoAcoustics are not inexpensive but I find I get good value in the amount of improvement vs. the cost. I have them on my CD deck, integrated amplifier, and phonostage. Have plans to try them on my turntable and perhaps speakers as well. You only need three devices on most gear. Look up the weight of your equipment and select the appropriate model.
Ah yes, good old blu-tack. Ripped the vinyl from the bottom of two pairs of loudspeakers, Mission 760i & Tannoy Mercury M1, when I went to remove them from the stands and that was with me being careful too. Just a warning to others when using this stuff between speakers and stands.
P.S. It also tends to leave stubborn marks on the bottom of the speakers too if they've been in situ for a long time. I'm not sure about white tack though.
You gave me an idea! I can use blue tack behind a few of my art work pictures on the wall to keep them from rattling with heavy bass tracks!
Thanks, Jay. I would think the blue/white tack actually helps damp vibrations as well...
Was thinking exactly the same.
I own an Okki Nokki RCM and I also noticed how there can be dust or build up on the platter while cleaning. A work around I have is simply using a lint roller on the platter before I put a clean side down and it seems to work pretty good. Loved the video.
I had a pair of Tannoy DMT 10's on stands, held down with blu tack. Works wonders!
+1 for Zero Dust. Love that little stylus cleaner
If you're going to stress over your speakers being level you will also need to keep your ears level at all times as well.
I use Isoacoustics Gaia III's with my Von Schweikert E3 Mark II's. It was a stupid ridiculous improvement in sound when I installed them. And it stopped a lot of resonance in the room as well. Also have their turntable platform - significant reduction in noise floor. Their products are great.
Are you sure you aren't just benefiting from raising speakers by the same amount? I make sure all my main drivers whether tweeters or subwoofer is about 2-6 inches above by ears and that alone made a nice difference. Rarely do speakers rely on ground reflection and among like the that I can think of are only passing resonance into the floor to msjd thing seem more powerful but ultimately wound worse. It's kinda similar to mono bridging a stereo Amp, 2 audiosource 20s sound way better just playing standard 2 channel mode than when bridge into mono blocks. Sure they had double ability to roar and screech much louder but they ended up sounding no better the class d.
cleaning cable connection specially speaker cable is a must
Thanks Jay for sharing some useful tips! I had the same IsoAcoustics Aperta 200 as yours for my active speakers, definitely considering the Orea for amplifier in the future. Cheers and keep the good contents coming in!
Good video as always Jay!
My record doctor did ruin many of my records with micro scratches and had uneven hand pressure & vacuum pressure when using.
I did have an older version than yours however. Yes my Okki Nokki blew it away & still does! I'm glad to see the new version is an upgrade. To avoid flipping the record onto a dirty surface, I simply use a silicone roller to prep it for the other side. You covered a great variety of tweaks for different topics in our hobby. I too used the audio hacks shown here at my past audio stores. A well thought out and perfectly done video as always.
😉👌🎼✨✅🏆
Love your Solidsteel stands too... I have two sets myself.
That bubble level looks pretty sweet. I mainly have been using a cheap level and balancing it on my measurement mics when doing room correction/measurements but that looks like it would be a lot easier!
love the Shoji screen
oh boy. Before you’ll optimize your terminal jumpers you should take a look at the inside wiring of your speaker 🤓
LOL. What should we look for, anything in particular?
Jeff Beck group with Rod Stewart. I use to listen to that album at least 3 times a week since 19xx.LOL 👍
Yeah, I use Blu Tac for my speakers also!! 🎼🎶🎵
I have used a similar method to the 5c between spike and carpet; I used a number of 2 pence copper coins (UK) which are about 1 inch in diameter, I bonded each coin to the other with a blutac interface and used 4 coins per speaker foot. I drilled a small countersunk indentation in the center surface of the top coin in order to locate the spike and used iso acoustics carpet spikes under the 2p coins. The isoacoustics spikes go right through the carpet with a stack of copper/blutac 'isolators' to the speaker spikes. I have noticed an all round improvement and a tighter and more controlled bass.
Two tweaks to add to two of yours; KAB GLIDING PLATTER PLUS roller bearing assisted replacement platter kit for the Disc Doctor. Keeps the record stable while rotating it. Furniture glides on wooden floors to replace the spikes on speaker and equipment racks. I use the large threaded ones from Shephard (#9444 ) made from a phenolic resin, kind of like Bakelite on equipment racks and speaker stands with large diameter stems (5/16" )threads and smaller ( #9450 ) 1/4" stem metal ones. Trying to move the speaker stands, then having to realign the cups, pennies, etc. is a pain in the a**! Not to mention 175 lb. racks of equipment.
Thanks for the video. Which size Isoacoustics did you use between your Holo May power supply and DAC? And did you notice any difference in sound quality aside from the benefits of heat dissipation?
1) Get the weight of your gear from its specifications. 2) Go to the IsoAcoustics website to check the sizing chart. Note: You only need 3 isolation devices per chassis. I hear an improvement in sound quality. It's subtle but it's there. The pucks are available on a returnable basis from most sellers.
I currently use Audioquest SorboGel feet or pad underneath my bookshelf speakers.
What would you recon for decoupling amps and preamps: spikes or gaia sistems? i have gaia under some of mine but they still resonate when i put my hands on them when the musing is loud !
Like these options !
Thoughts on record clamp/weights? Getting Blu-tach.
I have a pair of vintage cornwall's. I have a terrible room. I'm trying to find speaker isolation stands that would fit them. I also want to elevate them 5 in to get the Tweeter just above my ear. Can you recommend something for me please? Thanks so much for the great information
I agree that isoacoustics stands can make a big difference. Especially on my desk where everything is coupled by the table, iso stands are quite useful and bring the speakers on ear level.
They're are quite expensive and I would probably get different isolation pucks than those Gaia but the stands are worth the 110€ imo since there aren't any good alternatives afaik.
Won’t using sorbothane discs work the same?
Hello. Just wondering wich product is better underneath an Avr ? Orea or Zazen II ? What is your opinion?
I highly rate the Mobile Fidelity sleeves, all my fave L.P.'s have them & many are still waiting to get them. Taking your vinyl in & out of thin cardboard or paper sleeves charges them with static & then your vinyl becomes a veritable magnet for airborn or other dust & partucles, i once saw a tiny (1 x 2 ml) fleck of paper jump over a foot from a shelf & onto a vinyl record i had just taken out of a paper sleeve, that was my turning point to buy into antistatic sleeves. Mo Fi are the best i found that are easily available. One day, all my vinyl shall be encased by them
I’m using earthquake rubber matt from 1-2 dollar store like Da!so. For the isolation, I cut half of rubber ball or tennis ball depends on the size or need of your equipments and cover it with tube containers or bowl. The container need to be larger and shorter than the half cut ball.
Good ideas here. Looking forward to trying some. I would have been helpful if you elaborated a bit more on what the acoustic isolation pads/pucks do - how it makes the sound better. For speakers, I can see floor standers might benefit from decoupling from the floor to clean up the sound. Likewise, without isolation the turntable could pick up the vibration in your home from your rocking speakers, or even an appliance like washing machine, and convey that to the amplification. We are talking about small things here, but it all adds up. Thanks for all the tips and reviews.
I use a small 1.5 or 2 horsepower wet dry vac to clean my records ( the first time). Spray the entire records with cleaner ( I use Phoenix) , put a lint free blue rag ( bought in bag of fifty) at Cosco. Food it once and place over the vacuum tube end and work from center out. Then I run a felt brush with distilled water over the surface and done. It sounds clunky but it’s fast and the suction is powerful.
Thank you so very much. All of this has been super-helpful.
a Well Tempered Lab turntable and one of the new Charisma Eco cartridges, good choice
Speaker decoupling works better for my simple setup I also have the Isoacoustics feets and very happy buying it quite expansive though, nice information thanks for sharing
Very interesting tweaks. If you only have a limited number of Isoacoustic devices, which hifi component should be the priority : the source (CD player or stremer), the DAC or the amp ?
With my Okki Nokki after I clean one side of the record I turn on the vacuum and clean the platter before putting the clean side down on the platter
yeap... I even add liquid sometimes to clean is thoroughly... I think the added step of needing to clean the platter is not so bad but record doctor at half the price does a better job imho
I have Vibrapods (under my Thorens TD 160) Makes a huge difference.
Bluetack is the best
Ifi ac purifiers are great
The most comprehensive book of tweeks I have seen (though, it's not a book about tweeks, as such) is Jim Smith's "Get Better Sound".
What are your thoughts on ultrasonic record cleaners?
Very good. Those isolation devices look good, great idea using them on your hifi separates. When the septates have better heat dissipation, they run cooler, and this takes stress off of various components inside. This longer life without repairs.
I like the binding post connectors, may well try that myself.
Thanks!
My small tip (as from a DJ as well): Mr Proper Magic Eraser is a good cheap way to clean your stylus
yoooo, I've done that for so long. And it does work really well, but I've just moved away from that since I just get the onzow once and can keep re-using it, I've had this for like 3 plus years !
@@Jayiyagi Yes, the Onzow is definitely the best I’ve ever had for pulling gunk off of a stylus. It was $40 but I don’t regret spending the money at all, and it lasts forever.
Hey Jay did you find they held the Focal Utopia Evo’s well?
Will the Gaia2 make a big improvement on Kef Blade2?
Hey Jay, would you mind to share your opinions regarding to the HIFI Racks ? I have heared many things about them, but what's the point of spending a lot on a rack
Any recommendation for forte IV on carpet (not rug over wood floor)? For me, they need to be 3-5 inches higher. Looking to use isolation to kill two birds with one stone but they don’t lend themselves to popping in pucks or spikes.
Great speakers, I bought those myself to review before and fell in love with em. You can just slide in the Bordeaux Orea pucks underneath it instead of screwing in the Gaia. I think that would work for the fote iv ! I think the forte iv would definitely benefit from it
@@Jayiyagi Cool. Thanks. Was thinking you might have an opinion on those 😉 Kinda odd there isn’t a baked in option to address that, but I suppose Delgado had a plan 🤷♂️
Jay, When will we get your impressions on the Serene pre?.....
Good stuff. I use or have used most these same things to great effect!
Great video! I just learned about the quality of the bridge clips on the speaker binding posts from Brian at Cardas when I asked him why you would want to bi wire speakers (I get bi amping and do for my towers). He said, like you, because of the quality (or lack thereof) of the connectors being typically brass, steel, aluminum etc... thereby reducing detail and dynamics. Made sense and glad to see you reinforce this point as well!
I do have one question pertaining to iso acoustic usage, aside from heat dissapation, what benefit would you hear using on components like integrated amps and cd transports?
Great vid Jay! Never tried the Isoacoustic products,been having great results with Townshend stuff for years. Black Ravioli feet under anything with a transformer works wonders too. Cheers from Sunny Scotland.
I used to use townshend for my turntable platform for years ! they work great !
Jay you should try the AudioDesk Systeme vinyl cleaner. Fully auto wash and dry with fluid and ultrasonics. Not cheap but has amazing results. German engineering too.
yeap. Tried ultrasonic stuff too. They are technically the best but just not practical for my use !
I always learn something!
Nitty Gritty designed almost same except nice wooden chassis.
Love it!
It would be interesting to see a comparison review on e.g. the quite expensive products from Gaia Isoacustics and Townshend Seismic Podiums, and then some cheaper stuff, and also to see a dive into the theories behind, as the importance of the resonance frequency of the support materialsand what that means in real life. (I picked up other places that rubber and the likes (sorbothane etc.) should not be used in hifi setups due to this matter).
I use washing machine feet dampeners. I figure if they can isolate a shaking and spinning washing machine they are good enough for my components. They cost about $2 each. I have my turntable and stand on them. I can jump on my hardwood floors and nothing gets transmitted through the stylus. Same if I knock on the cabinet surface.
Do you have a link to the feet you use?
i just had an idea about using the gaia along with the solid steel can it worth to use a wood block and using the supply nut so the gaia would syand flat on the floor and the angled leg of stand would rest on that block ???? or perhap use one supplied bolt cut it to keep that 8 mm section and using a center punch to mark it the drill a like 1/8 drill bit drill a 1/8 inch deep hole scew it back into the gaia the the spike would have a nesting place as if it was on the floor
perhap ?????
I've observed that if you plug your speakers cables into the tweeter set of binding posts and let the woofer drive off the jumper plate, the high end sounds better than letting the high end signals go through the coupling plate.
yea ! partially due to how some speakers are wired/made but sometimes it's just those shitty plates !
try plugging the + in the tweeter set and the - in the bass driver set or vice versa and using high quality wire instead of the plates
Either one will suffer, either the tweeters or the woofer. Best is to get a good jumper cable (if your stock plates suck to begin with) and - goes into woofer and + into the tweeter.
I noticed that with my JBL Studio 530s. They have a much more lively tweeter with a top post connection. I'm awaiting some WBC jumper cables right now.
Good job man. Fun video. And you look relaxed.
Love your stuff man, keep it up!
What are those red speakers you attached the Gaia to? They look great
Looked like Dan Wiggins' Starke Sound 5" 3way
@@FOH3663 thanks! Cool company - just looked them up. I hadn’t heard of them before.
@@gregoryeiding5395
Yeah, I hope they do well
Great tips!
another cheap idea to keep speakers on the stand is using velcro . i used it years ago and it was very secure ..
On hard floors with spikes , put dyna mat on the floor side of the nickels.
Where to buy those isolation feet?
Basic mathematics from elementary school: a plane is defined by three points. And you put 6 under the record player?
Bluetack will eliminate "mechanical vibrations" on the speaker terminals? How will you eliminate the vibration of the wires inside the box? Or the vibration of the fuse on the device?
The more expensive the equipment, the stupider the tweaks.
Furstus! And thanks for the hacks
Very good and well thought out video.
great idea's thanks
great stuff
Bluetac King forever
Love you, love your channel!!!! I do however have a weird pet peeve. I'm also a car guy so I get it twofold, its DAMPING, not DAMPENING. We're not trying to get anything wet here lol other than that, great video as usual!
TRUEEEE
Two things that really annoy me about speaker manufacturers.
1) Why do they insist on putting twin binding posts on (entry level) speakers. They should spend the money on things that really matter. Not things that, at best, do nothing and at worst deteriorate sound quality.
2) If they can't help themselves then at least use a decent wire jumper instead of those ridiculous brass bars.
How much can a 3'' piece of speaker wire cost?
Video on the Well Tempered!!! ✌️😁✌️
really cool stuff. what about soeaker crossover up grade would be great HIVI 3.1
I have a degritter rcm it's awesome
on a more serious note Moon gel for speakers, it's made for drums but it'll work wonders for speakers
A bit of blu tack between cartridge and arm.
My Man... you talk and tell about the Penny under Stands. If you
Ever did that you would start to see the Spike pussing
Into & through as you would say. The """
1 Yen coin ""
But keep up the fine work. And you can buy all these products at your workplace. Right !!
What about the Darko Audiophile plants ? Don't forget about those.
😆😜
Those are gorgeous speaker stands. What brand are those?
I remember you reviewed a floorstander that comes with an nice isolation feet other than Gaia. I've dug deep into your channel and cant find the video😅 cant get it out of my head
I always enjoy your enthusiasm for hifi. I would add that the Nagaoka record sleeves are easier to take in and out of the record jackets than mofi. Also why not just bi-wire instead of using a jumper? You can get them with locking banana plugs for less than $160 a pair. It seems peculiar that nearly all reviewers are so adamant about not bi-wiring.
I never experienced a massive difference when bi-wiring... only bi-amping. I don't like the idea of running two pair of speaker cables for something I don't appreciate. haha again, this is what works for me ! cheers
That’s cool, it probably makes less difference than moving speakers a half inch. The only review I’ve seen of my speakers, the Canton Vento Reference 7, the dude thought it made a small difference eight years ago. So I’m just going to go with that, haha. I do like locking interconnects and banana plugs but probably a pain if you’re switching out equipment all the time.
Bi-wiring is only useful when you want to use different cables for your tweeter and woofer to compliment their characteristics
Ortofon do not recommend the use of the Onzow Zerodust stylus cleaner.
Would you kindly attach a link to the Italian speaker stands?
Solidsteel.it
it is in the descriptions
You got so many solutions. Now all you need is to find problems.