Snake oil and tweaks that work!

Gee, it’s almost like folks around these parts haven’t quite figured out how the internet works. When it comes to Audio Forums and those pesky little naysayer scamps, everything always starts with the very best of intentions, very idealistic like, but pretty soon the General Rule is, Build it and they will Come. 😀 Once they get a foothold in your house it’s almost impossible to get rid of them. 😛

hifiman5

To me, at least, "snake oil" is a pejorative for tweaking.

I am inclined to agree.  There are a few posters here that seem poised to pounce on subjective evaluations, chiming in with demands for level-matched double blind testing, for example. When contributors here decline, they are taunted with claims of "snake oil" or the other canard: "Confirmation bias."

@cleeds   "Confirmation Bias" is indeed the other attack.  I had a neat experience the other evening.  I decided to spin Elgar's Enigma Variations on reissued RCA Living Presence LP.  I bought the album years ago when a great sale was being run, having read numerous times that it, as a composition, is considered to be a part of what should be in any orchestral music lover's collection.

I remember playing it and not enjoying it at all.  Playing lots of vinyl lately as I just got a new phono stage.  Played it the other night and put down my laptop.    It really caught my attention.  I was liking the music this time. In fact, I was so surprised by my new reaction to this piece that I played both sides twice.  Liked it both times.

My "confirmation bias" would work against me liking that LP.  If "confirmation bias" played such a great role in my perceptions as some here claim then I should not have enjoyed the Elgar piece.

Snake oil is a perjorative term. Wow! I’m glad we got that out of the way.

Two controversial (at least to those who’ve never tried them) tweaks that have made substantial improvements in my system are:

Synergistic Research Quantum Blue Fuses (Yes, they are directional.)

Bybee iQSEs (internal Quantum Signal Enhancers)

On the less controversial side, the GutWire Ultimate Ground Cable may be the single best tweak I've tried, so far.

My favs over the past 25 years or so, including ones I never actually tried. Is that wrong? Selected for their perception as Oil of the Snake 🐍 by newbies they’re listed in no particular order, 

The Icons of Snake Oil

Shun Mook Mpingo disc
Schumann frequency generator
Green Pen
Brian Kyle’s Quicksilver Gold
Nordost Anti Static spray for CDs, LPs and interconnects
Original Intelligent Chip
Franck Tchang’s tiny little bowl resonators
Brian Kyle’s Liquid Resolution CD treatment
Tice Clock
PWB Red X Pen
PWB Silver Rainbow Foil
Pavane Crystal bracelet for CD player
Brian Kyle’s Tourmaline Gun
WA Quantum Chips
Low Fequency High Permeability Mu Metal for big transformers

@tommylion 

Do you find the Bybees and Gutwire to have similar effects? I am using the Gutwire now.

jaybe,

Yes, I would say the effects are similar. They both lower the noise floor, and work well together. I found the iQSEs work best when placed close to a power transformer. Inside the chassis, if possible/practical, but they still work well placed on the outside. I currently have 6 in my system. I added them one by one, and heard further improvements each time, so be prepared, if you go down that road 😉

I have a tweak no one else uses..
Back years ago in Stereophile a fellow mentioned trying antistatic foam inside digital components.
I first used it in a DAC and it helped. I transferred the stuff to another DAC I still use.
I bought Radio Shack 6" sheets of black antistatic foam.
Later I bought large sheets from a manufacturer.
The foam has to be insulated from the circuit board.. And best if the foam is grounded to the chassis. I use little baggies and inserted the foam into them. And used a wire to ground the foam. Just stuck the bare end into the foam poked through the baggie.

I have mentioned this tweak for YEARS.. no one has tried it (or at least reported back on it?)

Another tweak, (and also mentioned in Stereophile some time back) but requires a special device. Is to raise the incoming AC frequency going into the components.
This works too. I use a PS Audio P-600 with the optional board to change the frequency. I run it at 110Hz instead of 60Hz and just use it on my digital equipment.

@elizabeth - Am interested in knowing more about this antistatic tweak. Specifically, how large a piece do use and what sonic benefits did you realize?  Thanks

The basic idea is to fully stuff the innards of the case with the foam, and make certain to ground the foam to the case.
Alternatives would be to cover the circuit board..
I used small baggies and cut up the foam the most fully conform to the topology of the interior, using more than one baggie if needed.
Particularly trying to get foam on top of any chips on the boards, layering the foam kind of inverted pyramid style in the baggies, filling up the space, And then connecting all the baggies with thin wire to ground to the chassis.
The idea is to soak up the stray RFI EMF emanating from the chips so it cannot affect the other parts of the electronics.
On the first DAC I took the board off and placed a thin layer of carboard (the wires sticking under poking the baggies would short, so I used a paper card stock and put antistatic foam under. The second DAC the circuits were too much to lift, so i skipped that part, and it did not much matter anyway. So do just the top side and it works fine.

I have used this in both DAC and CD player. the CD player was not so effective.
The DAC well worth the time to do.
The player does not seem any hotter for it either.
I have some even in my SP-15 preamp around, and I tried a bit in a VAC Standard. Does not do a lot there. So mainly DACs.

If you find blue foam or the pink stuff, that is not good. (lots of white stuff around now, I have no idea if it will work well) Use the dark grey or black antistatic foam Originally I used Radio Shack 6" squares 1/4" thick. Then I found an industrial supply and bought 3 sheets 36" by 24" 1/4" thick. From fooling around I used that all up! (sadly to not much good. So I say stick to the DAC as the most effective use)
But for one project i would go with Amazon or eBay. Best to Google the words "black antistatic foam" at Google site to find a seller, Amazon search engine sucks.. So use Google.

Thanks, for the explanation E. I get the picture. Had wondered what the impact on temperature might be (which you addressed). Found some sheets of the black stuff on Amazon. Not very expensive, either.

In addition to your usages, I am wondering about using it to help with static buildup on LPs.  Fix a small piece to the turntable plinth and have this in light contact with the side of the turntable platter itself.  Stick a drain wire in it connected to TT ground.

Thanks again.

Im  always skeptical about tweeks, but the Sub Dude isolation platforms by Gramma are a huge improvement .   Especially if you have hardwood floors....   it totally eliminated any rattle and boom and bass is tight .  

not sure if this is a tweak,but I recently bought a couple folding bar
stools at Walmart for 11 bucks each and using for speaker stands
for my bookshelf B&Ws .......24" to seat and with Cassandra Wilson
Glamoured glamouring as we speak I have to pat myself on the back ...if I could reach.  Crazy.