does polishing mains plug pins improve hifi?
17 July 2002, 10:50 PM
#2
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You wanna try loosening and retightening the screws that retain the wires on the pins inside the plug. Do it every 3mths or so, and you'll kepp thinking you've bought a new hi-fi
Top tip...
Top tip...
17 July 2002, 11:02 PM
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I have changed my electrical supplier to "South east Electro" as they said they could guarantee a "Cleaner" supply. Makes my stereo sound better in the Mid-band.
17 July 2002, 11:18 PM
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Black plastic-coated wires sound far nicer than common white ones.
I've also had all my wall sockets rotated 180 degrees so the plugs go in upside down. Makes for a much cleaner power signal as the current is heading away from Earth.
I've also had all my wall sockets rotated 180 degrees so the plugs go in upside down. Makes for a much cleaner power signal as the current is heading away from Earth.
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18 July 2002, 09:17 AM
#9
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**** taking apart, there is truth in what Sebastian says and this is well known in the hifi world.
You do, however, have to have decent hifi in the first place - can't polish a turd, etc
You do, however, have to have decent hifi in the first place - can't polish a turd, etc
18 July 2002, 09:40 AM
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What doesn't work is "contact enhancer" that you use on interconnects, etc. I blagged some ProGold at a show once, used it, bugger all difference.
One of the best tweaks I ever did to my modest budget system was to use gold spade terminals for the amp and speaker ends of the speaker cables. Crimped on with a blob of silver solder, the overall sound and particularly the bass was much better than with the banana plugs I was using previously. I reckon it's because you can use a spanner to really nip the binding post screws onto the spades, so you get a firmer connection.
The spades were £6 for a set of 8 from Tandy.
One of the best tweaks I ever did to my modest budget system was to use gold spade terminals for the amp and speaker ends of the speaker cables. Crimped on with a blob of silver solder, the overall sound and particularly the bass was much better than with the banana plugs I was using previously. I reckon it's because you can use a spanner to really nip the binding post screws onto the spades, so you get a firmer connection.
The spades were £6 for a set of 8 from Tandy.
18 July 2002, 11:04 AM
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I have Inca Tech gold-plated mains plugs, so don't have to polish them. Adjacent mains cable sheaths are attached to each other via crocodile clips, with a reef knot inbetween. There are little black triangles in the corner of all my equipment....
Of course, with the rest of the electricity supply system not being gold, you do get that nasty interaction-between-different-metals effect (I'm sure a Chemist could tell me what that is).
Ratman
Elite Rock
Audiolab
MC2s
P.S. The drinking and listening method sounds best and have you tried a pair of Prince Charles' ears?
Of course, with the rest of the electricity supply system not being gold, you do get that nasty interaction-between-different-metals effect (I'm sure a Chemist could tell me what that is).
Ratman
Elite Rock
Audiolab
MC2s
P.S. The drinking and listening method sounds best and have you tried a pair of Prince Charles' ears?
18 July 2002, 11:38 AM
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Dave,
What, this is well known in the Hi Fi world 
LOL
D
[Edited by Diablo - 7/18/2002 11:40:18 AM]
**** taking apart, there is truth in what Sebastian says and this is well known in the hifi world
I might add that polishing my **** has an intersting effect.
[Edited by sebastian - 7/18/2002 7:23:57 AM]
[Edited by sebastian - 7/18/2002 7:23:57 AM]
LOL
D
[Edited by Diablo - 7/18/2002 11:40:18 AM]
18 July 2002, 11:45 AM
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So you polish the plugs ? - Do you take your MCB apart and polish that ?, pop down the local sub-station and give it the once over with pledge ?
pfffffff
IMHO its also well known that there's a lot of bollox talked in the Hi-Fi world
We could start the discussion as to whether different digital fibre optic inter-connects can affect "the tone" again......
[Edited by dsmith - 7/18/2002 11:45:46 AM]
pfffffff
IMHO its also well known that there's a lot of bollox talked in the Hi-Fi world
We could start the discussion as to whether different digital fibre optic inter-connects can affect "the tone" again......
[Edited by dsmith - 7/18/2002 11:45:46 AM]
18 July 2002, 11:52 AM
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Location: Leeds - It was 562.4bhp@28psi on Optimax, How much closer to 600 with race fuel and a bigger turbo?
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theres one thing thats talked about in my house... and thats most of the above is utter b0llocks... Lol at DSmith..
Your going to tell me that you all have home hifi's running on there own spurs.. with no fuses, and running a 6mm TE cable to reduce losses... oh and you've got your own metal rod banged in the garden for a better earth... F00k me am I going to laugh when you discover what PME is!
Complete and Utter B0llocks you wont even hear the difference... your telling yourself you will.... I bet you switch everything else off in the house and unplug everything as well when listening to music...
not a dig at anyone!!
David
Your going to tell me that you all have home hifi's running on there own spurs.. with no fuses, and running a 6mm TE cable to reduce losses... oh and you've got your own metal rod banged in the garden for a better earth... F00k me am I going to laugh when you discover what PME is!
Complete and Utter B0llocks you wont even hear the difference... your telling yourself you will.... I bet you switch everything else off in the house and unplug everything as well when listening to music...
not a dig at anyone!!
David
18 July 2002, 12:40 PM
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I used to work for a major audiophile (hi-end hi-fi) manufacturer and we got this sort of question coming through to our support team all the time (along with many other daft questions)
theres some gullible people out there, thats for sure.....! :0
theres some gullible people out there, thats for sure.....! :0
18 July 2002, 01:55 PM
#20
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David
What do you know about Hifi?
You would build your own instead of buy it, and it would likely be made out of recycled car wiring loom, a couple of old transistor radio internals, and saucepan lids for speaker cones with handbrake cable interconnects
What do you know about Hifi?
You would build your own instead of buy it, and it would likely be made out of recycled car wiring loom, a couple of old transistor radio internals, and saucepan lids for speaker cones with handbrake cable interconnects
18 July 2002, 02:17 PM
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Lots of HiFi gear is more expensive than the actual equipment used to create the music in the first place (I don't think many studios would go around polishing the plugs of their mixing desks). Discussions about polishing fuses adds to the mystique created by companies trying to sell thousand pound pieces of HiFi, but really...
Most people would be better off moving the speakers / getting rid of a sofa / putting more cushions in the room, or just going down the pub and stop being so sad. It's the concourse show of the HiFi world - don't try to convince anyone who doesn't do it that it will add value to their life / music enjoyment. I reckon it is a result of an overzealous potty training experience
I knew someone who drew around the edge of his CD's with a purple pen and stored them in a fridge. FFS...
Most people would be better off moving the speakers / getting rid of a sofa / putting more cushions in the room, or just going down the pub and stop being so sad. It's the concourse show of the HiFi world - don't try to convince anyone who doesn't do it that it will add value to their life / music enjoyment. I reckon it is a result of an overzealous potty training experience
I knew someone who drew around the edge of his CD's with a purple pen and stored them in a fridge. FFS...
18 July 2002, 02:19 PM
#22
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I knew someone who drew around the edge of his CD's with a purple pen and stored them in a fridge. FFS...
BTW, I would like to add I have NOT tried this, or polishing my plug pins
18 July 2002, 02:47 PM
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I must say after reading the posts in here that i fell off my chair laughing. I've never heard something so proposterous in all my life. Pfft polishing the pins on the plugs bah, i cant believe you lot are actually doing these things when you should be spending more time outside with your toys!
lol mental the lot of you.
lol mental the lot of you.
18 July 2002, 02:59 PM
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lol at Dave...
What would i know... f%6 all.. I hate the reputation Ive brought upon myself....
Im Quite Happy with my mission 731's and sony amp and cd player...
Ive got the amp upside down as it sounds better
But Car audio... Nakamichi MB100 Nuff Said.
David
What would i know... f%6 all.. I hate the reputation Ive brought upon myself....
Im Quite Happy with my mission 731's and sony amp and cd player...
Ive got the amp upside down as it sounds better
But Car audio... Nakamichi MB100 Nuff Said.
David
18 July 2002, 03:37 PM
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Well, sad to say, i've tried them all;
Green pens round the edge of CDs
Freezing CD's for 24 hours
Cleaning contacts with Brasso
Then treating them with ProGold
Changing my sockets for un-switched ones
Changing all the leads to high current leads
Buying special distribution boxes
Having separate earth leads from these boxes
Banging an earth spike into the ground outside
Using a CD cleaner
Using an anti-static agent on top of CDs
Buying anti-resonation platforms for equipment
and probably lots of other stuff too.
My conclusion? Well, some of this stuff DOES work - i reckon ProGold is a great product - it works well on Scoob electrical connections too. They all do make some difference, but you usually have to be stone cold sober, and really just listening for the differences, rather than to the music itself.
End of the day, no regrets trying it all, but i'd never do it again. But then, if i took away all these gizmos i've added over the years, it might sound absolutely awful - you get "used" to a certain quality of sound and don't realise it till it's gone...
Terry
Green pens round the edge of CDs
Freezing CD's for 24 hours
Cleaning contacts with Brasso
Then treating them with ProGold
Changing my sockets for un-switched ones
Changing all the leads to high current leads
Buying special distribution boxes
Having separate earth leads from these boxes
Banging an earth spike into the ground outside
Using a CD cleaner
Using an anti-static agent on top of CDs
Buying anti-resonation platforms for equipment
and probably lots of other stuff too.
My conclusion? Well, some of this stuff DOES work - i reckon ProGold is a great product - it works well on Scoob electrical connections too. They all do make some difference, but you usually have to be stone cold sober, and really just listening for the differences, rather than to the music itself.
End of the day, no regrets trying it all, but i'd never do it again. But then, if i took away all these gizmos i've added over the years, it might sound absolutely awful - you get "used" to a certain quality of sound and don't realise it till it's gone...
Terry
18 July 2002, 04:27 PM
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maybe its worthwhile remebering that if the quality of the source is crap (ie CD/Vinyl) then the reproduced sound will be crap even if its played on the the best systems. At the end of the day its all subjective anyway.
18 July 2002, 07:07 PM
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A certain "Russ Give me your money Andrews" and many others have made loads out of this stuff..........
I have the pleasure of listening to a £53.000 (Yes) system as and when I want. The owner has had the room all decked out for just him to listen. Just one seat in the "Sweat spot" Thousands on cables etc. He has spent loads on some "adio freaks" studff.. little bits of wood on thin stands.. placed around the room to help the sound!!He listens with no lights on. He bought it to show off... it was sold to him... If you get what I mean. The dealer is one of the "Top dealers in London".................... Yet the stuff is housed in cabinet taht must resonate etc.... The dealer lent him a selection of cables to try.... He sat there changing them every 20 mins!!! and none of them had "signal Direction" marked on them... I believe this is important.
Last year before I sold my good system... I invited him to a blind test...
Quad 57's fully working and with upgraded crossovers etc..On special stands
Audionote valve DAC
AudioNote Valve pre
Leak stereo 20 running in "Tri mode"
Miromega T drive (VERY GOOD>> I reccomend this transport.
Cord rumour speaker cable..
He couldnt believe I had bought it all for less than £2k . It sounded so much better than his. But he likes the sound of spending £53K more... and the sound of sales staff!!!!!!
God Bless em!!
[Edited by Luke - 7/18/2002 7:17:14 PM]
I have the pleasure of listening to a £53.000 (Yes) system as and when I want. The owner has had the room all decked out for just him to listen. Just one seat in the "Sweat spot" Thousands on cables etc. He has spent loads on some "adio freaks" studff.. little bits of wood on thin stands.. placed around the room to help the sound!!He listens with no lights on. He bought it to show off... it was sold to him... If you get what I mean. The dealer is one of the "Top dealers in London".................... Yet the stuff is housed in cabinet taht must resonate etc.... The dealer lent him a selection of cables to try.... He sat there changing them every 20 mins!!! and none of them had "signal Direction" marked on them... I believe this is important.
Last year before I sold my good system... I invited him to a blind test...
Quad 57's fully working and with upgraded crossovers etc..On special stands
Audionote valve DAC
AudioNote Valve pre
Leak stereo 20 running in "Tri mode"
Miromega T drive (VERY GOOD>> I reccomend this transport.
Cord rumour speaker cable..
He couldnt believe I had bought it all for less than £2k . It sounded so much better than his. But he likes the sound of spending £53K more... and the sound of sales staff!!!!!!
God Bless em!!
[Edited by Luke - 7/18/2002 7:17:14 PM]