Are Your screws Loose ???

[rollo]

   Werd has had success with loosening screws on the enclosures of his gear.
    Maybe you can explain further more bot your findings related to tonality and harmonics gained or changed.
   I find this subject very interesting. Do we really need the enclosure ? Macho Alum face plates and vibrating top covers does not make sense.
  Removing the top cover always made an improvement to my ears. The sound became more open. Especially CDP or DAC. Power supplies as well. Werd give us the word.


charles

[DRN]

Now you're getting into Michael Green Theory stuff that eventually as far as I'm concerned goes way too far. Like pulling all your plug
assemblies from the wall. Ummmm no!

[tmazz]

If we didn't all have a few loose screws we wouldn't be in this hobby!  

[Werd]

Not just MGA but also Naim. They are building their IEC to accommodate a loose fit of the power plug. They have name for it can't recall it. Steve Nugent recommended the P3 dac be taken right out the enclosure to help demonstrate the upgrades to those Perpetual Technology dacs. When he did them years ago.

MGA has video of audio shows where entire system (every stage of every component) is sitting on a stand in no chassis. I too have the outlets hanging or not tighten.  I don't think you can take it too far. Only as far as you feel safe doing it. The chassis is the ground so it's not safe in my house to remove the chassis. Bad idea actually if you have kids.
What it adds is another dimension of soundstage tweaking. We have prat and resolution but the chassis also adds tension. By releasing transformer nuts and any pcb screws you have released the tension of the soundstage. MGA was mocked on AC and was called out after he claimed he can make any recording sound decent or fatigueleas by doing this. It's IMO he is correct. It does make for easier listening.

What you get with less tension is an over all sense of instrument tone. It's more power tone of cymbals that seems to get the air right around the instruments. Drums take on a more organic sensation.  You can hear the difference right away but it needs to sit for awhile like this to get the full benefit.

In my experience the gear with great resolution gets better than a Ht receiver. Which I've done but it's not as dramatic as my 2 channel system downstairs. Mind you I am using only ceiling speakers so it's not going to respond heavily to any major tweak anyways.

Don't know about TTs  but on digital sources it's gonzo. Do everything, the transformer nut, all PCBs, the iec screws, the rca screws, the xlr inputs. Everything taken out or released. Except grounds and anything attached to the heat sinks. Do not loosen those.  Take lids off.

Everything comes from the manufacturer tighten down way to much including speaker drivers. Good for shipping but bad for playback. Totally adjustable too. You can run the source loosened and the preamp with more tension.  Right now I got my streamer, my dac and my preamp loose and my amp factory set. I am actually afraid to go into my amp since it's too complicated and the first you see is a face full of caps on stand offs. It's requires too much taking apart to get to the transformers.

[Werd]

I remember the 1st thing I released. It was the outlet. There was a difference but I didn't like it. I thought it screwed with the prat. Slowed it down. Then the second thing I did were the tweeters on my AZs. That
was the game changer. It took the tension right off the cymbals and high energy signals. They sounded more like cymbals than a recorded hifi cymbal.  I was sold right there. At that point I knew there was more to this. From there I went in and did the transformer nuts including on my Torus. This made it more relaxed but without squashing dynamics. To get something without the cost of another is big upgrade.
Now with transformers and tweeters and mids loosen I went back and did the outlet. It didn't sound in contrast (like before) with the rest of the system.. it help take some tension off and still had the prat.

It's not modding and easily reversible.  Anyone can do this.

[etcarroll]

dammit! you beat me.

If we didn't all have a few loose screws we wouldn't be in this hobby!  

[rollo]

  Thanks for your findings Werd. Interesting that loosening screws affects tonality.
   I would be curious to know what resonance frequencies affect the audio signal. Can they be eliminated or tuned bt treatment ?
   Tonight I will try loosening the IEC screws and give a listen.


charles

[Werd]

Cymbals and drums become less hifi sounding. Especially if you adjust the drivers in your speakers. You don't want the driver bouncing around between the cabinet and screws but you don't want them tighten down to the last bit of torque either. Speakers tend to come shipped like that.

The 3 big ones are - all transformer nuts out, the mids and tweeter screws loosened and PCBs screws on source gear. You will hear a difference but leave it for a week and if you don't like take 2 minutes (literally) and retighten. Or adjust to your preferred tension. 

Outside chassis screw downs are helpful but not the defining signature. For me anyways.

Prat, resolution and tension.

This is why I like SS gear because lots of it comes to you totally sterile and void of any colour. You can relax the gear by doing this and you get best of both worlds IMO. Lots of SS resolution with a relaxed signature that comes with only primo hi- end SS gear.

Chassis fricks with everything. Hate the chassis for anything other than grounds.

[BobM]

Here's another one for transformers. Get some sorbothane or other somewhat dense squishy vibration absorbing stuff. Loosen the screws on the transformer and slip some of this between the feet of the transformer and the case, then tighten the screws down until snug but not over tight. Enough to hold it and let the sorbothane do its thing as a vibration absorber.

I guess you could do this for a tweeter or any other substantial part of a componenet too - like adding a shock absorber between it and the cabinet.

[Werd]

By detaching from the chassis you are un-dampening. The idea behind dampening IMO is to bandaid the effects of tightening down internal components to the chassis. You then have to dampen and try to neutralize the bad side effects of attaching to the chassis.  This is the complete opposite of un-dampening.  The signal is vibration, music is vibration the last thing you want is to dampen the vibration.

That was the entire gist of the "mother of tone" article. Do not dampen but release.

[Werd]

  Thanks for your findings Werd. Interesting that loosening screws affects tonality.
   I would be curious to know what resonance frequencies affect the audio signal. Can they be eliminated or tuned bt treatment ?
   Tonight I will try loosening the IEC screws and give a listen.


charles

Let me know what you think in a couple days or so. 

[rollo]

  OK loosened the screws of the circuit board in the preamp. The stock set up of the board is a alum. post with viscoelastic washers top and bottom. The board is elevated from the chassis with the alum. studs and held by the alum screws.
   At first it appeared a tad more open with additional weight. After some listening now I'm thinking distortion rather then weight. tightening the screws again better focus was had however lost the weight. A trade off so far. Loosening the speaker drivers and then re-tightening them to snug then a half turn was a Huge improvement. clarity, openness, focus all improved. Wonder if there is a torque that is ideal for this ?
   The biggest improvement was removing a clamp in the amp [ Alum.] that holds the huge Duelund CAST cap in place. I was never found of that securing method as I thought the Alum would have an affect on the desired resonance of the cap.
   Well, well, well, I was right the removal of the clamp just allowed more music to come through. F'n amazing that a clamp removed made that happen.
   Trannies, IEC's, next up. Loosen those drivers men.


charles
   

[Werd]

It's less distortion you will see. That exactly how I felt with my first component. Not sure since it wasn't enough. Transformer nuts are the big one and you are only in the preamp. Wait to you go in the dac.

 

[Werd]

Rollo

I am really hoping you are using the Pipedreams. I can see them responding very nicely to this. Once you got all the components turned go to the back of the Pipedreams and loosen the binding posts plate. Then go and really loosen the drivers. Spend a night at lower volume. Good listening but not loud with really loosen drivers. It will be beyond sublime with those speakers. Probably some of the best audio you will ever hear at any cost. 

 

[rollo]

  Werd the Pipedream drivers have been adjusted many moons ago. Loosened them then snugged them a quarter turn. Much better tonality and presence.
   Interesting bout the outlets since awhile back the quad outlet was just loose as one screw for a duplex was stripped and not used. I went through hell getting the broken screw out and replaced with new. Ok it is finnally tight and now I should hear an improvement. Not so. I then forgot the outlet tightening. After awhile I wasnot happy with the tonality. Could not determine why since everything was the same no tweaks since nada.
    So last night I loosened both duplex outlets screws to the box. Well, well, well. I'M BACH. F'n crazy. Screws ???? to an outlet box.
    I know that Furutech has designed an outlet to better control resonance. Now I know why. What I really would like to do is remove the plugs and outlets all together and use wire nuts and bare wire in a junction box [ plastic]. Some day I will experiment with that.
    In the mean time the IEC screws will be done today for a listen.
     Having fun doing so as this tweak costs nothing.  Reversible as well, oh my !!


charles