Topic: tweaks

[Brian Skalinder]

order some silclear contact enhancer

The secret is microscopically thin silver platelets (a millionth inch thin; 8 square feet of surface per gram!) to enhance beneficial skin effect. The unique binder for these platelets is an ultra-pure, low dielectric absorption, food-grade grease to minimize signal loss/smearing.

Break outthe Crisco, everyone!  Mmmmmm...food grade...taaastyyyy...

On a more serious note, D - seems like you're constantly trying different tweaks and swapping out gear.  How do you keep straight what component or tweak or combination of components / tweaks provides improvement?  What doesn't?  How long do you allow yourself to become accustomed to your new baseline post-mod before trying a new one?  Do you perform blind tests?  Have you ever performed a tweak or swapped out a component and not noticed an improvement or preferred the baseline pre-mod or component-swap?

[BobW]

what are the pros and cons of leaving a cd player on 24/7..?

tia

You waste electricity and the laser fails early ?   

[macdaddy]

what are the pros and cons of leaving a cd player on 24/7..?

tia

You waste electricity and the laser fails early ?   

the laser can really fail early..? good to know...

[Daryan]

On a more serious note, D - seems like you're constantly trying different tweaks and swapping out gear.  How do you keep straight what component or tweak or combination of components / tweaks provides improvement?  What doesn't?  How long do you allow yourself to become accustomed to your new baseline post-mod before trying a new one?  Do you perform blind tests?  Have you ever performed a tweak or swapped out a component and not noticed an improvement or preferred the baseline pre-mod or component-swap?

Kind of early, but I wil give all of this a shot.  To keep everything straight, I write it all down.  Combination of compnents and signal path, and then all of my observations, because I would surely forget otherwise. 

I will be honest, most of the tweaks I have tried have provided some level of improvement, but, that said, some are pure bullshit too.  They work to one degree or another, but often have negatives to them as well.  Bybee's for instance are overhyped.  They work, producing a blacker background, slightly warmer tone etc, but not nearly to the extent some people believe they do.  Maybe that will change now that I have changed speakers, who knows.

As far as modded components, the mods to the panasonic were night and day.  Not even comparable when listening to the stock unit.  The stock unit was bright, overly clinical, and slightly fatiguing over an hour long listening session.  Not any more. 

The modded 4960 took at least 100 hours to burn in.  At first I was initially disappointed, but after that 100 hour mark, whoa, very comparable to some of the >1000 cd players I have heard for a fraction of the cost.  I have no interest in even hearing 10k dollar players, so who knows.

Tweaks that work:

isolation pads under critical components and speakers
contact enhancer (progold, silclear, several others)
bybees
power conditioning
better power cables

Tweaks that are possibly good

bike tire isolation, honestly couldn't hear much of a difference on this one
getting cables off the floor, not so much here
rfi/emi black things, didn't work at all and limited dynamics'

Tweaks that are worldly, new speakers

[scervin]

Think you could send the modded 4960 up for our gathering?  I'd like to put it up against the SP1000 since everyone is really touting this player as a giant killer.  We will perform BLIND tests!

sc

[Daryan]

If I can get the new one done by then sure.  When is this gathering and where do I send it?  I should have all of the parts relitively soon.  Blackgate was bought by rubycon, so I think I am going to use mostly rubycon parts in this one, which should be a giant leap forward from the panasonic caps the mod suggests.  While the panny mod unit was good, I expect this one to be great.  I plan on further implementing a superclock 3 in it when and if I feel the 200 bucks is warranted once hearing the new one.