Author Topic: Gary’s DIY and Tweaks  (Read 27991 times)

Offline gander

  • Seeking Help
  • **
  • Posts: 77
  • Insanity is doing the same Audio thing over & over
Re: Gary’s DIY and Tweaks
« Reply #30 on: February 26, 2018, 09:39:03 PM »
I don’t use anything except the rollers now. But whatever works. Unless your hardwood floor lists it shouldn’t be a big issue.

And on to my recent thing, cutting-edge carbon fiber and graphene cables. Even better than my liquid metal* cables. I’m demo’ing my brand-new CF wires tomorrow to a couple of audiophile friends, along with my diy speakers.

Gary


* Liquid metal? Yes! Galinstan - Gallium, Indium and Tin, liquid at room temperature. Literally, think Terminator Two. Warning: Galinstan is a hazmat and will eat copper like PacMan, but anything for Audio, right?
Oppo 103, SSD drive
DIY ultra low capacitance power cords, ICs and speaker cables
Audio Note 2.1B DAC
Tortuga LDR passive pre
Primaluna Dialogue4 tube, Hegel H90 int amp
DIY speakers w/8” Rullit field coil FR drivers

Offline rollo

  • Industry Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 6982
  • Rollo Audio - Home demo the only way to know
Re: Gary’s DIY and Tweaks
« Reply #31 on: March 09, 2018, 11:03:45 AM »
  Gary did you make your own graphene IC ?


charles
contact me  at rollo14@verizon.net or visit us on Facebook
Lamm Industries - Aqua Acoustic, Formula & La Scala DAC- INNUOS  - Rethm - Kuzma - QLN - Audio Hungary Qualiton - Fritz speakers -Gigawatt -Vinnie Rossi,TWL, Swiss Cables, Merason DAC.

Offline gander

  • Seeking Help
  • **
  • Posts: 77
  • Insanity is doing the same Audio thing over & over
Re: Gary’s DIY and Tweaks
« Reply #32 on: March 09, 2018, 01:11:56 PM »
  Gary did you make your own graphene IC ?


charles

 Hi Charles,

I do use graphene contact enhancer in my carbon fiber interconnects and speaker cables.  I find that it definitely enhances the sound of my system with my cables, versus not using graphene.  Graphene is not used throughout my current cables.
I have spread graphene along the entire length of carbon fiber and those did sound even better.  But the graphene is expensive and I try to use it sparingly.

Theoretically, graphene is a single sheet of one atom thick graphite, and in that form theoretically forms a superconductor at room temperature. On the surface this does not seem like it would lend itself to audio, but I have found that it does seem to work with carbon fiber. Perhaps because the fibers are so small and the graphene can form a thin layer on the fibers.

Basically, no matter how crazy something sounds, unless it is prohibitively expensive, why not try it and see how it works?  I can’t tell you how many “audiophiles” I have met that are preaching their Audio religion with Stereophile magazine as their Bible, but they haven’t really tried anything original for themselves and only regurgitate part of what somebody else wrote in some article.

To me it is so much more fun just to try stuff to say how it actually does work, and then to be pleasantly surprised when things get better and better.

Gary



Oppo 103, SSD drive
DIY ultra low capacitance power cords, ICs and speaker cables
Audio Note 2.1B DAC
Tortuga LDR passive pre
Primaluna Dialogue4 tube, Hegel H90 int amp
DIY speakers w/8” Rullit field coil FR drivers

Offline P.I.

  • Industry Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 1922
  • Silence is that blackness beneath the music
    • P.I. audio group, LLC
Re: Gary’s DIY and Tweaks
« Reply #33 on: March 10, 2018, 09:43:35 PM »
 :thumb:
  Gary did you make your own graphene IC ?


charles

 Hi Charles,

I do use graphene contact enhancer in my carbon fiber interconnects and speaker cables.  I find that it definitely enhances the sound of my system with my cables, versus not using graphene.  Graphene is not used throughout my current cables.
I have spread graphene along the entire length of carbon fiber and those did sound even better.  But the graphene is expensive and I try to use it sparingly.

Theoretically, graphene is a single sheet of one atom thick graphite, and in that form theoretically forms a superconductor at room temperature. On the surface this does not seem like it would lend itself to audio, but I have found that it does seem to work with carbon fiber. Perhaps because the fibers are so small and the graphene can form a thin layer on the fibers.

Basically, no matter how crazy something sounds, unless it is prohibitively expensive, why not try it and see how it works?  I can’t tell you how many “audiophiles” I have met that are preaching their Audio religion with Stereophile magazine as their Bible, but they haven’t really tried anything original for themselves and only regurgitate part of what somebody else wrote in some article.

To me it is so much more fun just to try stuff to say how it actually does work, and then to be pleasantly surprised when things get better and better.

Gary
"A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument." - Hilmar von Campe

Offline gander

  • Seeking Help
  • **
  • Posts: 77
  • Insanity is doing the same Audio thing over & over
Re: Gary’s DIY and Tweaks
« Reply #34 on: March 11, 2018, 08:26:31 AM »
Hi P.I.,  was there a question or a comment or something?
Oppo 103, SSD drive
DIY ultra low capacitance power cords, ICs and speaker cables
Audio Note 2.1B DAC
Tortuga LDR passive pre
Primaluna Dialogue4 tube, Hegel H90 int amp
DIY speakers w/8” Rullit field coil FR drivers

Offline gander

  • Seeking Help
  • **
  • Posts: 77
  • Insanity is doing the same Audio thing over & over
Re: Gary’s DIY and Tweaks - opinions
« Reply #35 on: March 12, 2018, 07:48:22 AM »
Let me clarify this please. I’m not putting down audiophiles in general and I consider myself an audiophile. And I’m not talking about anybody on this site at all, Nick and you guys are great. But I guess I just want to make a general statement about differences of opinion in the Audio world and how people deal with it when there is a difference of opinion.

I (and I think everyone) don’t appreciate it when I try to share my experiences with someone, and I am invalidated just because of someone else’s previous beliefs. For example, last month I went to a meeting of the Los Angeles and Orange county audio club and I started a conversation with a fellow. At first the conversation started out well enough, but soon he was saying that there was only one kind of speaker that was any good, the older Tannoy speakers.  I didn’t disagree, because I have not heard them. But then he started telling me how it was when a concert violinist virtuoso played and how it was when a conductor is really into the music, and what he was saying was completely wrong. How would I know that?  I have a degree in violin and viola performance and pedagogy, I have a degree in education, I have been an orchestra conductor and founded chamber orchestras, and I have solo’d on violin with orchestras.  I studied conducting under the winner of the International Mozart Award, after Bruno Walter and Herbert von Karajan won it. So I know a little bit about violin solos and orchestra directing. I know exactly what that stuff is about and this guy basically was very misinformed. Trying to be respectful, every time I tried to tell this gentleman of my experiences and what it is really like from an expert perspective, I was shouted down as if he was the great expert.  I finally just walked away from the guy.  To be clear, there are a lot of nice people in that club and he certainly didn’t reflect the general population.

The reason I can speak on things with some authority is that I have actually done the things of which I speak, and have experimented with many, many different things and seen many common believes just not be true.  I also have a bachelor of science degree in computer science and I’ve been a professional programmer for about 20 years, and I know that either something works or doesn’t work, and why it works. And I try to apply that to most things in my life.  I have also had a few patents awarded to me having to do with improving sound and vibration. If I really don’t know about something, I make it very clear that I may have a believe about it but I really don’t know about it.

I think all we can do is share our own experiences and possibly what someone else has said, and be clear about the difference in our conversation.

Unfortunately, I think that some people substitute what they have been told and what they have read with actual experience and think that the words of other people somehow  makes them an expert. And I think a lot of this comes from the media, with people just blindly believing what they are told.

So I really appreciate and respect it when people say they believe something is true or not true because they have actually experimented with it and found it to be true or not true, and that it isn’t based only on what somebody has read.  Or when someone knows that all that they know is what they have read, and they are open to at least hearing another perspective.

On the flipside, Nick and I have seen the opposite side of that, where somebody is an anti-audiophile, who does not believe that wires make a difference (Which is fine, we are all entitled to our opinions), but then puts you down as if you are a moron admiring the emperor’s new clothes, for thinking such heretical audiophile thoughts. We observed this first hand at an audio meeting at my house. Some people just cannot stand to hear a differing point of view and experience. And when someone’s beliefs turn into a quasi-religion and feel the need to put down the other person for not sharing their beliefs, I have an issue with that.

All of this has nothing to do with people I have seen on this website, but I thought I would just throw that out there to see what you thought about this.

Just my two cents worth.

Gary

« Last Edit: March 12, 2018, 08:22:53 AM by gander »
Oppo 103, SSD drive
DIY ultra low capacitance power cords, ICs and speaker cables
Audio Note 2.1B DAC
Tortuga LDR passive pre
Primaluna Dialogue4 tube, Hegel H90 int amp
DIY speakers w/8” Rullit field coil FR drivers

Offline rollo

  • Industry Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 6982
  • Rollo Audio - Home demo the only way to know
Re: Gary’s DIY and Tweaks
« Reply #36 on: March 12, 2018, 08:19:04 AM »
Gary WOW nice to know of your priceless experience with Violin. I bet the violin sounds right on your system. Open eyes are key to our interest. There is no best as our listening is subjective.
The result I look for in any trial of new stuff is: Timbre, tonality and harmonics. Did the new ??? bring me any closer to proper live tonality ?
Over the years have had numerous discussions with fellow audiophiles who just do not get it. Their systems show it as well. One must know tonality, tmibre to start with. Harmonics the emotion of it all will tell it all.
It is the end result of a system not its parts just like any component. You cannot hear a component by itself, everythingie matters.
For you Gary being a world class player of violin and cello. Many systems must drive you nuts, especially when a proud owner of such is bragging about sound.  :duh


charles

contact me  at rollo14@verizon.net or visit us on Facebook
Lamm Industries - Aqua Acoustic, Formula & La Scala DAC- INNUOS  - Rethm - Kuzma - QLN - Audio Hungary Qualiton - Fritz speakers -Gigawatt -Vinnie Rossi,TWL, Swiss Cables, Merason DAC.

Offline gander

  • Seeking Help
  • **
  • Posts: 77
  • Insanity is doing the same Audio thing over & over
Re: Gary’s DIY and Tweaks
« Reply #37 on: March 12, 2018, 08:35:07 AM »
 I’m certainly not world class and I don’t play the cello, but I do know how a stringed instrument is supposed to sound. And there are quite a few audio believes that stand in the way of that. The thing I patented can up to quadruple the dynamic range of a violin or viola, without sticking something funky on the instrument or modifying it. So I try to take that same approach with my audio gear.

 It’s walking a fine line analyzing the sound and allowing the sound to scoop you up and take you to a magical place. How do you be in the sound and outside of it at the same time? That is the trick. I think a lot of Audio people get caught up in the analysis and the paralysis, but not in the magic. They try to become the reviewer in the magazine who speaks all the audio buzzwords, but they really doesn’t know what music is supposed to do. 

My girlfriend is a great example of that. Music on my system can take her into the smoky lounge where that jazz player is actually playing. Recently she got caught up in trying to analyze it like I do, but in doing so she lost that ability to go to that Smokey lounge, at least for a while. I felt awful when I heard about that and I am encouraging her to forget about all the audio jargon and now she is going back to the smoky lounge. To me that is the ideal of what music is supposed to do.

Gary
« Last Edit: March 12, 2018, 08:41:40 AM by gander »
Oppo 103, SSD drive
DIY ultra low capacitance power cords, ICs and speaker cables
Audio Note 2.1B DAC
Tortuga LDR passive pre
Primaluna Dialogue4 tube, Hegel H90 int amp
DIY speakers w/8” Rullit field coil FR drivers

Offline rollo

  • Industry Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 6982
  • Rollo Audio - Home demo the only way to know
Re: Gary’s DIY and Tweaks
« Reply #38 on: March 12, 2018, 09:09:46 AM »
  Emotional impact is the key to it all. Interesting tidbit about Girlfriends findings. makes sense. We need to enjoy our wares more than fool with them.


charles
contact me  at rollo14@verizon.net or visit us on Facebook
Lamm Industries - Aqua Acoustic, Formula & La Scala DAC- INNUOS  - Rethm - Kuzma - QLN - Audio Hungary Qualiton - Fritz speakers -Gigawatt -Vinnie Rossi,TWL, Swiss Cables, Merason DAC.

Offline gander

  • Seeking Help
  • **
  • Posts: 77
  • Insanity is doing the same Audio thing over & over
Re: Gary’s DIY and Tweaks
« Reply #39 on: March 12, 2018, 09:14:54 AM »
A couple of friends were over at my house and they commented that I never really just listen and enjoy the music, because I am always listening for something that can be better, and inventing something to make it sound better. What they don’t get is that I can do both things. I can enjoy it and think about the sound and what might make it better, and actually inventing things is enjoyable. So everybody has their own way of enjoying music.

Gary
Oppo 103, SSD drive
DIY ultra low capacitance power cords, ICs and speaker cables
Audio Note 2.1B DAC
Tortuga LDR passive pre
Primaluna Dialogue4 tube, Hegel H90 int amp
DIY speakers w/8” Rullit field coil FR drivers

Offline Nick B

  • Audio Neurotic
  • *****
  • Posts: 4093
Re: Gary’s DIY and Tweaks
« Reply #40 on: March 12, 2018, 10:13:06 AM »
I think it’s quite the advantage being a musician like Gary so that you can really judge and appreciate what an instrument truly sounds like. I can only make an educated guess regarding that, but it will have to do. I don’t go to live concerts as much of the music i dont care for or the acoustics are spoiled by audience members. Then there’s the balance that I sometimes struggle with between a live performance and the glam that some speakers produce and that I briefly get attracted to. I appreciate that some guys like to tinker and always improve the sound, but I’m too busy working on inside and outside home improvement projects.
Nick
Orchard Starkrimson Ultra amp
Supratek Chardonnay preamp
JMR Voce Grande speakers
Border Patrol SEi dac
Holo Red streamer
Hapa Aero digital coax
WyWires Silver cables
TWL Digital American II p cord
Audio Envy p cords
Roon, Tidal, Qobuz
PI Audio UberBUSS

Offline rollo

  • Industry Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 6982
  • Rollo Audio - Home demo the only way to know
Re: Gary’s DIY and Tweaks
« Reply #41 on: March 15, 2018, 11:16:34 AM »
I think it’s quite the advantage being a musician like Gary so that you can really judge and appreciate what an instrument truly sounds like. I can only make an educated guess regarding that, but it will have to do. I don’t go to live concerts as much of the music i dont care for or the acoustics are spoiled by audience members. Then there’s the balance that I sometimes struggle with between a live performance and the glam that some speakers produce and that I briefly get attracted to. I appreciate that some guys like to tinker and always improve the sound, but I’m too busy working on inside and outside home improvement projects.
Nick

    Nick really only one instrument to hear as a complete reference. That would be a Piano live maybe in someones home. Frequency range of 28HZ to past your hearing. DONE, reference had.

charles
contact me  at rollo14@verizon.net or visit us on Facebook
Lamm Industries - Aqua Acoustic, Formula & La Scala DAC- INNUOS  - Rethm - Kuzma - QLN - Audio Hungary Qualiton - Fritz speakers -Gigawatt -Vinnie Rossi,TWL, Swiss Cables, Merason DAC.

Offline rollo

  • Industry Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 6982
  • Rollo Audio - Home demo the only way to know
Re: Gary’s DIY and Tweaks
« Reply #42 on: March 15, 2018, 11:20:45 AM »
A couple of friends were over at my house and they commented that I never really just listen and enjoy the music, because I am always listening for something that can be better, and inventing something to make it sound better. What they don’t get is that I can do both things. I can enjoy it and think about the sound and what might make it better, and actually inventing things is enjoyable. So everybody has their own way of enjoying music.

Gary

   The case or desire to better our sound is a journey I love as well. Like you I can do both, enjoy and create. It is fun for me to do so, the Hobby aspect I guess.
   I built car models and won several contests. Why ? Never followed anyones rules made up my own. Same for audio. Have fun Boys that is the whole idea. Not how much money you throw at it.

charles
contact me  at rollo14@verizon.net or visit us on Facebook
Lamm Industries - Aqua Acoustic, Formula & La Scala DAC- INNUOS  - Rethm - Kuzma - QLN - Audio Hungary Qualiton - Fritz speakers -Gigawatt -Vinnie Rossi,TWL, Swiss Cables, Merason DAC.

Offline Nick B

  • Audio Neurotic
  • *****
  • Posts: 4093
Re: Gary’s DIY and Tweaks
« Reply #43 on: March 15, 2018, 11:31:05 AM »
I think it’s quite the advantage being a musician like Gary so that you can really judge and appreciate what an instrument truly sounds like. I can only make an educated guess regarding that, but it will have to do. I don’t go to live concerts as much of the music i dont care for or the acoustics are spoiled by audience members. Then there’s the balance that I sometimes struggle with between a live performance and the glam that some speakers produce and that I briefly get attracted to. I appreciate that some guys like to tinker and always improve the sound, but I’m too busy working on inside and outside home improvement projects.
Nick

    Nick really only one instrument to hear as a complete reference. That would be a Piano live maybe in someones home. Frequency range of 28HZ to past your hearing. DONE, reference had.

charles

Charles,
OK, it’s the piano and I’ll take your word on that. It makes sense. But I really hesitate to say this, especially at the peril of what pianists might say, but I really don’t like the piano. I will say that among my favorite instruments are the saxophone, violin, flute, guitar, cello and harp.
Nick
Orchard Starkrimson Ultra amp
Supratek Chardonnay preamp
JMR Voce Grande speakers
Border Patrol SEi dac
Holo Red streamer
Hapa Aero digital coax
WyWires Silver cables
TWL Digital American II p cord
Audio Envy p cords
Roon, Tidal, Qobuz
PI Audio UberBUSS

Offline gander

  • Seeking Help
  • **
  • Posts: 77
  • Insanity is doing the same Audio thing over & over
Re: Gary’s DIY and Tweaks
« Reply #44 on: March 15, 2018, 11:32:41 AM »
True about the piano, if all the music you ever listen to is the piano. And piano is very hard to make sound “real” on an audio system. If a piano doesn’t really sound like a piano on a system, including speakers of course, then why go on?  So that is a good starting point. 
But of course the other side of that coin is, how good is the piano itself? If you listen to Bill Evans, and you are used to the full rich, full sound of a concert Steinway or a Bosendorfer (sp?) piano, I believe Bill played a Baldwin piano which really didn’t sound that great. So should we say that Bill Evans recordings are not good because his piano does not sound as good as a Steinway?
And what about everything else? Human voice? Male? Female? String instruments are very hard to make sound the way they should sound. 
The benchmark of many people is the male or female voice. We all have our own set of standards.
It’s kind of like Decware, “if the first watt sucks, why go on?“. And if the sound of a really good piano sucks, why go on?

Gary
« Last Edit: March 15, 2018, 11:42:28 AM by gander »
Oppo 103, SSD drive
DIY ultra low capacitance power cords, ICs and speaker cables
Audio Note 2.1B DAC
Tortuga LDR passive pre
Primaluna Dialogue4 tube, Hegel H90 int amp
DIY speakers w/8” Rullit field coil FR drivers