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The next best Tweak ???

There have been several postings at AA about a new tweak from the mind of a gent named unclestu that I would like to share with Audiogon members.

I really don’t know why it works or how it works.
This tweak will cost you about $10 bucks but hold on to your hats...

unclestu discovered that the Ground Control (that was designed by Bud Purvine and sold by AudioPrism)design could be improved on.

You will need to make two sets for your speakers.

What unclestu came up with is to take a 6V Lantern Battery, add a 1000uf Electrolytic capacitor across the top springs (+ to + and - to -) connect a wire to the negative side of the battery and then attach the other wire end to the negative post on your speaker.

I have also made a couple that I plug in to my Preamp and Amp. Those were made with RCA’s ground on the wire end and I used 9V batteries utilizing 9V battery clips.

I've got to say, big improvement across the board, Soundstage, bass, mids, treble. But the most dramatic change is in the dynamics.
128x128ozzy
jedinite24's avatar
jedinite24
1,502 posts
 
Finally I'm able to give an update. Over the long weekend I spent time listening to a system that had the capacitor battery tweak in place on the speakers. I too found an improvement in dynamics. On 1 of my favorite concert Blu Rays I was able to turn up the volume a couple of notches and not get any listener fatigue. Everything was loud and clear. I got a small improvement in bass.

On another system where I installed this tweak on the speaker end I believe I got the same performance as an Enacom Harmonix speaker filter. I'm contemplating now if I should just part with the Enacoms. I'll do more comparisons before I sell the Enacoms.

I may now try this capacitor battery tweak on the amplifier side and put Elizabeth's pigtail wire tweak on the speaker end.
ozzy's avatar
ozzy OP
3,650 posts
 
So, I just soldered in the 10K Caps...
It seems these are better than the 1K caps. There is a tighter center image with a wide left to right soundstage.
Seems to work great with my CD Player/Dac, Squeezebox Touch and Preamp. On my Amp, it didnt sound like an improvement so I did not use one there.
Also, different voltages change the sound somewhat. A 9V battery brings the image up a liitle higher with a little more upper midrange. The 6V Lantern batteries have more of a neutral sound.
I have found most of the front end equipment sounds best using 9V batteries.
However, my speakers sound best with the 6V lantern batterty.
ozzy's avatar
ozzy OP
3,650 posts
 
I sure hope that some of you have given this tweak a try. It really is quite impressive.
Costs about $10 bucks.
Deep, wide soundstage with a center image to die for.
If any of you do try it, go with the 10K Capacitors
pixelphoto
70 posts
 
Well it's been two weeks since I've installed this fantastic tweak. The best way for me to express the effects of it is to yell YOWEE! For just about $35. I've installed 4 6V lantern batteries with 1000uf 50V electrolytic caps. One at each speaker, one each at the AVR and CDP via RCA plugs. The result is more dynamic sound across the frequency range (at least the freqs I can hear). The sound is cleaner/clearer, more detailed, decay is more extended and natural. I can now better hear instruments such as the triangle and brushes on cymbals. Staging is wider and more upfront. Instruments are more defined with more space round them, especially from my jazz cd's.

My system may be lo-fi but I'm grateful for it. With the thoughtful implementation of about 12 tweaks I've been able to squeeze out more good sound with each one. The 2 most dramatic tweaks have been the use of crystals and this battery-cap tweak. Give it a try; it just may breath new life into you system.
jedinite24's avatar
jedinite24
1,502 posts
 
I'm getting very good dynamics along with clean/clear details with the 6V battery/capacitor tweak on the amp side and Elizabeth's ferrite core wire tweak on the speaker side in my secondary system. This was a fun and inexpensive tweak to put in place. I may try the 10K caps at a later date.
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