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Thread: Are tweaks a necessity?

  1. #1
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: Southern England

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    I'm Howard.

    Default Are tweaks a necessity?

    Paul McGowan writes:

    I love to tweak the system as much as anyone (perhaps more). It’s the instant gratification that attracts me. Like sweet syrup atop strawberries.

    But here’s the weird thing. With one or two exceptions, I haven’t any tweaks remaining: dots, bells, green pens, enhancers, felt mats, low-frequency resonators, hundred dollar fuses, potions, and cable lifts are all gone.

    I bring one in and listen to it and get excited. Some stay, most leave after a period of time. I wonder why that is?

    Part of me is so focused on purity that I don’t appreciate appendages that make the system feel “violated.”

    For the most part, I use tweaky improvements as guideposts. Once I know how far I can go for better sound, I find other ways of achieving it without violating the system’s pure simplicity. Other additions have a way of staying in the system. They are the rare keepers.

    I once considered room conditioning as a tweak. Systems should work in any room. That mentality turned out to be patently false, and thus, diffusers and other additions to the basics remain integral to the experience.

    If I were asked for advice, I would suggest you try everything of interest that comes along, then throw most of it out, keeping only what works over extended listening.

    I think you’ll find there’s not much that stays in the system.
    Well, hello.

  2. #2
    Join Date: Mar 2017

    Location: Seaford UK

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    I'm Dennis.

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    IMO tweeks appeal to the desire to have an autonomous ability to improve the sound, and fundamentally this is what an engineer does.

    But the big difference is that unlike the tweeker, who seeks an easy gratification, the engineer disciplines himself enough to put in the work and study required to grapple realistically with the physics and electronics involved.

    Tweeking appeals to the lazy child in us all.

    Jar of pebbles anyone?

  3. #3
    Join Date: Jan 2008

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    Tweaks come -- and usually go.

    Yes, that is my experience, too.

    Fancy feet, green pens, ferrite rings ... many more ... even mains cleaners / regenerators.
    Arrive, enjoyed --- then depart with no real sense of loss.
    Somehow more ephemeral than component changes (although they come and go as well )

    But as with Paul McGowan they often do point the way to achieving similar sonic improvements but better with major component changes.

    My current tweakery fad is with acoustic panels .... enjoying what they do, but will they pass the test of time?
    .

  4. #4
    Join Date: Jan 2009

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    Well, the difference is that acoustic panels definitely do something to the sound - easily audible and easily measured. This isn't really true of most 'tweaks' - or at least the effect can't be measured (very rarely at any rate). Thinking about it, I don't have many of what I would consider 'tweaks' in my system - though some may disagree.
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  5. #5
    Join Date: Feb 2013

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    I guess i wonder why many feel the need to rubbish them, when they make others happy.
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  6. #6
    Join Date: Jan 2009

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    I think the 'rubbishing' is quite dependant on the tweak in question. Many who believe in the benefit of interconnects will decry mains cables, or those who espouse the use of cones under equipment will treat as ludicrous the use of little bells attached to window etc..... .

    Edit: I'm not actually rubbishing any of the above - well, except for the bells on windows bit... see what I mean?
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  7. #7
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

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    I'm Martin.

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    tell me more about the little bells on the window...
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  8. #8
    Join Date: Apr 2012

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    I'm Geoff.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Macca View Post
    tell me more about the little bells on the window...
    They resonate through mid frequencies, enhancing music enjoyment! And keep the cat amused.
    It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!

  9. #9
    Join Date: Mar 2017

    Location: Seaford UK

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    I'm Dennis.

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    If a tweek is effective, like acoustic panels, which IMO are a treatment validatable with science, the only question remains then is; are they worth it in terms of cost/benefit and visual imposition?

  10. #10
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

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    I'm Martin.

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    I suppose it depends what we are calling tweaks. At one end of the scale something like experimenting with speaker position is tweaking, and at the other end putting safety pins in the curtains is also tweaking. At some point in between there is a nonsense threshold, where that is will be different for every individual. But it is all tweaking to me.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

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