Cost effective recent upgrades

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Mr_Sukebe

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I'm presently trying to save some pennies up for what is likely to be the last hi-fi equipment upgrade for a long time, i.e. a replacement pre-amp. At the moment, I'm working on an 82, but that's not likely to be until later in the year.

In the meantime there have been some room upgrades which have proved rather effective:

1. Speaker positioning

mgjk0000-kabers.JPG


As can be seen, no TV or other gear anywhere near the speakers. Really does make a massive difference to the sound. Just need to finish tidying the cables up (do that in a min I think).

2. Move the stereo electronics:

mgjk0000-mana.JPG


It's now all around the back of the sofa. I can't imagine it makes a lot of difference to the sound, and does mean I've no idea what track I'm playing, but aesthetically it's a winner. A definite improvement that even the wife approves of.

3. New listening chair:

mgjk0000-chair.JPG


Yes it's cheap and from Ikea (for which read poor quality finishing), but it's seriously comfortable and brilliant for listening to music in.

So, time to relax with some more brilliant music, after all, this game is about enjoying music, not just twiddling with bits of kit.
 
I've also been playing with room positioning. It has had very satisfying results.

In addition, my new granite speaker plinths:

speakplat2.jpg


With alu cone feet

speakplat3.jpg


These have had a significant effect in reducing problems with the floor. Total cost, £21.
 
You're both lucky to be able to do that. I have a small room so there isn't much I can do improve this

hifiapril.jpg


I've tried but getting a bed, tv, books, records, tools and magazines in a small bedroom is very hard.

I suppose better speaker stands would not hurt, but I don't use them enough to make it worth while. My headphones are the main output medium.

The most cost effective recent upgrade was buying my DAC and discovering the MM switch on the Rotel preamp as a result its now used as the preamp for my turntbale and sounds exellent.
 
My room also doubles as study, living room, bedroom, electronics lab, etc. It's a fairly big room, but has two beds, clothes, 3 desks, computers, hifi, a sofa, shelves, etc all in it as well (and a bathroom that acts as a resonator... 6ftx6ft)
 
Originally posted by Isaac Sibson
I've also been playing with room positioning. It has had very satisfying results.

In addition, my new granite speaker plinths:

With alu cone feet

These have had a significant effect in reducing problems with the floor. Total cost, £21.
Click to expand...
Hi
Where did you get the cone feet from?
I'm concerned about sound being transmitted to the flat below.
My speakers are already on a stone plinth so will the cone feet help?
 
AT, for probably a very low cost, you could try making the top plates of your speaker stands smaller so the speakers are flush with the edges, or at least move your speakers forward a little.

A "step" like you have between speakers and stand gives a small-band colouration, probably somewhere in the upper mids/lower treble in your case. It's a diffraction effect.
 
Isaac, where did u get those lovely plinths from,they look cool and 21pounds all in inc alu cones sounds like a bargain to me:D

Ultra

:D

P.S: not sure about the pink carpet tho...;)
 
The pink carpet is hideous. As much as possible of it is hidden under rugs. The walls used to be same colour, with stencilled honeysuckles on them. :chunder: I want a paprika orange carpet to contrast with the purple walls, but will probably be moving out soon.

The bits of granite I bought were random bits from a local place that does granite kitchen tops. They have to cut out the blocks where the sinks go, and have little use for them. Since I was just turning up and taking away (not asking them to do any polishing, etc), they don't cost much at all, and came to £15 for two pieces, 500mm x 400mm x 30mm. If I had them neaten and polish and so on, they'd be more like £100 each, as it is a labour and tool intensive process.

The cones were off ebay, £3 for three, twice over. Clean off the underside of the granite (get as much dust etc as possible out) and a little adhesive, and done.
 
Isaac what were these "floor problems" you had & what positive changes did the plinths give you?

Last year I bought a couple of marble slabs from... urr Wickes I think it was, just to try under my old Monitor Audio silver 5i's, but found it changed moved balance up too much - bass became a bit too lean and made the treble a bit too sharp.

I've yet to try em under the gold refs in the new house, but I suspect I'd find a similar result.
 
The floor is large area and is made (under the carpet) of chipboard. It has quite a lot of resonant modes. Some bass notes were swallowed completely by the floor, others amplified. All of the bass was muddied up by this. With the plinths, it's tighter, clearer and more even, with no loss of depth.
 
Originally posted by michaelab
Does your wife mind you collecting stuffed toy cats? :D Don't know why but they look distinctly Japanese to me.
Click to expand...

I don't really collect anything (apart from CDs and DVDs, plenty of those), so she's a little unsure of what to make of them as it's somewhat out of character.

As it happens, they were pretty bored when I took the photo, just waiting for the next Grand Prix.
 

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