Are tweaks a necessity?

[Neil McCauley]

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.

[Pharos]

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?

[jandl100]

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 :eyebrows:)

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?

[YNWaN]

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.

[struth]

I guess i wonder why many feel the need to rubbish them, when they make others happy.

[YNWaN]

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?

[Macca]

tell me more about the little bells on the window...

[walpurgis]

tell me more about the little bells on the window...

They resonate through mid frequencies, enhancing music enjoyment! And keep the cat amused. :D

[Pharos]

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?

[Macca]

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.

[YNWaN]

tell me more about the little bells on the window...

Synergy Acoustics 'Acoustic Art'

http://www.amthanhvang.com/files/product/867/content/1376/art-basik-image.jpg

They are actually really well know in the ultra tweaks world.

It's a whole range of little bowl things (about the size of a stamp) on wooden brackets that you are supposed to put all over your room, on the walls, the windows etc - as usual with such ideas the more the better. You sometimes see rooms at shows using them - they are supposed to improve the acoustics/environment in some way.

[Ammonite Audio]

I guess i wonder why many feel the need to rubbish them, when they make others happy.

Quite :rolleyes:

[Arkless Electronics]

I guess i wonder why many feel the need to rubbish them, when they make others happy.

The same reasons people want to expose quack doctors, "mystics" conning people into thinking they're talking to dead loved ones, the "Uri Gellers" of this world, false scientific theory, "fake news" etc etc. Long may they be rubbished!

[struth]

The same reasons people want to expose quack doctors, "mystics" conning people into thinking they're talking to dead loved ones, the "Uri Gellers" of this world, false scientific theory, "fake news" etc etc. Long may they be rubbished!

Where we differ. If folk want to spend their dough on these things then fine. Better than pissing it up against a wall

[Macca]

Better than pissing it up against a wall

No, I'd say it's about on a par.

[Macca]

Synergy Acoustics 'Acoustic Art'

http://www.amthanhvang.com/files/product/867/content/1376/art-basik-image.jpg

They are actually really well know in the ultra tweaks world.

It's a whole range of little bowl things (about the size of a stamp) on wooden brackets that you are supposed to put all over your room, on the walls, the windows etc - as usual with such ideas the more the better. You sometimes see rooms at shows using them - they are supposed to improve the acoustics/environment in some way.

Three and a half thousand dollars for the set.

Okay.

[alphaGT]

I'm not much on tweaks, and on the few that have caught my interests, I've been able to experiment on my own well enough to know if they make a difference worth noting. I've always felt that if there was anything to these tweaks, the engineers making equipment would be including them in their designs. If cryogenically freezing equipment really made it sound better, wouldn't every hi end company have a freezer?


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[Joe]

Where we differ. If folk want to spend their dough on these things then fine. Better than pissing it up against a wall

Why? Both are either a complete waste of money or something that gives the consumer a sense of well-being, depending on one's perspective.

I've done the tweakery stuff, albeit nothing too wacky or expensive. I can't remember the last time I pissed up against the wall.

[Joe]

I'm not much on tweaks, and on the few that have caught my interests, I've been able to experiment on my own well enough to know if they make a difference worth noting. I've always felt that if there was anything to these tweaks, the engineers making equipment would be including them in their designs. If cryogenically freezing equipment really made it sound better, wouldn't every hi end company have a freezer?


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Also, wouldn't the burn-in counteract the freezing? You'd have melting electrons all over the place.

[narabdela]

Where we differ. If folk want to spend their dough on these things then fine. Better than pissing it up against a wall

This is a common response, but I have a fundamental problem with it. If folk want to spend their dough having been made aware of the pros and cons of doing so, then that's fine.

Unfortunately this isn't always the case, so I think it's imperative that all views are presented in order that an informed decision can be made.

[alphaGT]

Also, wouldn't the burn-in counteract the freezing? You'd have melting electrons all over the place.

I've thought about that too. Almost all hi end makers today claim their products sound better after a certain number of hours of break-in. So, let's say I'm at the salon. Trying to decide between to very expensive pieces of gear. If a break-in really did make one sound better, wouldn't you do it at the factory before it shipped out? To give it the edge over the competition? But as far as I know, no one pre- burns in their gear. Apparently that break-in effect is very minor if not important enough for a $30,000 amp maker to bother.


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