Grade "A" Cable Elevators

[goodman]

Instead of $50 cable elevators, I decided to experiment with egg cartons. I placed an empty carton under the left speaker cable. There was a subtle but detectable decrease in the noise floor and a delicate yet distinct increase in "airiness" in the treble. I could have rested there, content with the improvement this simple tweak had provided, and simply applied the same "magic" to the right channel. However, with nirvana just over the horizon, I mused, "what if I leave the eggs in the carton?" With a carton of eggs under the right speaker cable, bass on some material gained solidity and definition, but the soundstage collapsed to the extent it no longer filled the width of my listening room. I quickly removed six eggs from the carton, thereby creating the first sextupled-decoupled cable elevator. Ahh. The soundstage returned to its former breadth and glory, whilst the bass retained its solidity. Never before had I heard such a glorious, golden perfection, particularly in the midrange, in this particular room, albeit with just a touch, perhaps, of enhanced hardness or edginess in the treble. Many happy hours were then whiled away auditioning old "chestnuts" in my collection, reveling in their newly discovered depth and snap in the bass and liquidity in the midrange. Only a tinge of hardness in the treble on some recordings has eluded my quest for perfection. Do you think soft-boiling the eggs will help?

 

[jaxvon]

Thanks for such a helpful post goodman...

 

[Audioholics]

Nice review. Some tips:

• try alternating hard-boiled eggs with fresh eggs
• be aware that you will lose some performance due to seepage of microfilament particles cause by the natural egg decay
• Grade A jumbo eggs perform infinitely better than medium eggs, however brown eggs are by far the most transparent
• paper egg cartons will provide a wider sound stage than styrofoam cartons

Hope this helps!

 

[miklorsmith]

The edge in the treble can be smoothed by placing a file inside the empty cells of the carton, FYI.

Kidding aside, if you have speaker cables on carpet, try lifting one up (I did try egg cartons). I'll bet that channel will sound louder. In my half-baked experiment, I forgot one was elevated and I actually thought something was wrong with the other channel!

I didn't do any level-equalized testing and I ended up just routing the cables a different way. So, can't say whether it was just "louder", or "better". Call me whatever condescending, snakeoil name you want. Just reporting my observations. Try it for yourself - cheapest and easiest tweak around. Remember, just one at a time.

 

[Audioholics]

How much louder, and what was your setup?

 

[Rob Babcock]

I'd use only egg cartons that held eggs from free range chickens. The use of antibiotics and steroids in raising them hurts the sound.

 

[Quig]

Not to sound like a rookie or anything but does this all mean that I should not have my speaker cables routed under the carpet? I'm a big fan of a very neat install and as such, I like to hide my cables/wires whenever possible. Now you guys have me thinking about going home and getting them out from under the carpet and suspending them or something...

Alright. Tell the truth... you guys setting a trap for rookies like me or is this all for real!?

 

[goodman]

...Alright. Tell the truth... you guys setting a trap for rookies like me or is this all for real!?

We're just egging you on.

 

[Quig]

We're just egging you on.

Twice?

 

[miklorsmith]

I have Gallo Ref. 3 speakers and good electronics. The speaker cables were Naim cables. In all, a pretty revealing setup.

Mine was only an uncontrolled experiment. Obviously, there are many variables. I don't know if the type of cables (shielded might matter) or carpet has any effect. How much run you have on the carpet might matter too. I have no idea about cables running under carpet, although what I've read indicates that it's cables ON carpets. Never heard any claims about UNDER carpets and I didn't try it.

I've read about this in maybe 4 or 5 places (all incidental observations).

I'm not kidding about this, but I have no idea whether others will have as obvious an effect as me. The best way to check it is lift one up. If you're used to a very balanced stereo effect and know exactly where the sweet spot is, you'll immediately notice imbalance.

May not work, but hey - it's free and fast. You can't lose!

 

[Quig]

May not work, but hey - it's free and fast. You can't lose!

That about sums it up right there... doesn't cost a penny to give it a try.

 

[Rob Babcock]

Yeah, plus the WAF of egg cartons strewn about the listening room is very high!

 

[mtrycrafts]

Just reporting my observations.

But was that reality? Or, just one of those human frailty of unreliable perception at times? Observations can be unreliable, right?

 

[miklorsmith]

Yes, observations can be unreliable. No question. With this one, I'm still doubting my observations, as it came out of nowhere and makes no sense to me. However, it was dramatic enough that I immediately felt the need to hunt down the problem with that channel. I have a spot in my listening chair about 3 inches wide that is perfectly balanced between the channels. Moving my head side-to-side any more than that moves the music-image (especially vocals) in that direction. It's pretty wierd.

When I sat down on this occasion, I immediately thought something was wrong with the left channel. Once I got the cable off the floor, balance was regained.

Observations can be unreliable and I make no claims about what others will experience. For the cost of $0 and 5 minutes of time, decide for yourself.

 

[Rip Van Woofer]

I have a spot in my listening chair about 3 inches wide that is perfectly balanced between the channels. Moving my head side-to-side any more than that moves the music-image (especially vocals) in that direction. It's pretty wierd.

It's also pretty -- make that usually -- common with 2 channel, though the side-to-side distance before the stereo image "collapses" to one side or the other will vary depending on your seating distance from the speakers, the polar response of the speakers, your room, etc. If I am correct it has to do mainly with the "precedence effect" in locating sound - the image will collapse toward the side from which the sound arrives first (not necessarily loudest!).

One of the oft claimed advantages of a center channel is that it widens that stereo "sweet spot". Instead of relying on an unstable phantom center image, you have a real one.

All of which brings up the possibility that your seating position might have had more to do with your experience than elevating the cable.

 

[goodman]

...I have a spot in my listening chair about 3 inches wide that is perfectly balanced between the channels. Moving my head side-to-side any more than that moves the music-image (especially vocals) in that direction. It's pretty wierd....

I wonder why your sweet spot is only 3" wide, especially considering the outstanding dispersion of your Gallo Ref3s.

 

[miklorsmith]

Sounds great all over the room, but not perfectly stereo-balanced. Once outside that area, I wouldn't describe it as a "collapse", more as a "drift" in that direction.

I do have them widely spaced in a nearly equilateral triangle, which has a tremendous role in this. Move them closer together and the effect is diminished. Also soundstage is diminished, thus the wide spacing.

 

[mustang_steve]

I found using yorkshire terriers as cable elevators gives a very smooth and warm sound which is quite nice with R&B/Jazz music.

oh, and using south american treefrogs as vibration dampers for your equipment has to be the greatest thing since sex!

 

[WorkerBee]

3000 comedians out of work and here I am cracking jokes

 

[toquemon]

Well, i think i read somewhere that light, energy in general, is a compound of quantums that have mass, therefore, they are affected by gravity. But for the speed of light, the distances between the amp and the speakers, and the gravity of the Earth i think this effect is minimal. It sounds weird to me that the electrons that carry the audio signals are afected by some difference of a dozen feet in vertical distance. The only thing that is capable of noticeably change the vector of light is the blackhole