We all tune up our cars. How often do we "tune up" our home A/V systems? Here's some tips on where to start - special thanks to Galen Carol Audio...
1) Be certain your speakers are precisely aligned. Without a doubt, the most commonly overlooked and/or under appreciated issue in audio is speaker alignment. Most everyone can realize further sonic gains by careful attention to placement and alignment. Millimeters matter, and it is critical that one take the time to insure locating and set-up have been fully optimized. It would be difficult to overstate the importance that a small change can make here.
2) Be sure your speakers are spiked correctly. The purpose of spikes is to tightly couple the speakers to the floor. This mechanical coupling is critical to achieving optimal performance. The spikes must fully pierce the carpet (and pad), coming into solid contact with the sub floor below. Should you have hardwood or tile floors, spikes should still be used, but with floor protectors to prevent damage. If the speaker wobbles when rocked, even a little bit, readjust the spikes so that each makes secure contact with the floor. Your speakers should feel absolutely rock solid, with zero movement front to back or side-to-side.
3) Clean/tighten all connections. There is likely no more forgotten tweak than this one. We need to do all we can to aid the little electrons on their circuitous path around our systems. The most treacherous part of their journey, without a doubt, are the temporary connections we make between components. Tight junctions between mating surfaces of the connectors improves conductivity by increasing termination pressure; clean contacts improve signal flow by reducing contaminants. Attention to both insures best performance.
I have written a very complete treatise on the matter, providing you with a step-by-step guide to walk you through the process. “How to Improve Your System For Free. Almost.” Read it and be clean! Repeat at least twice a year.
4) Keep cables away from one another. Surrounding each and every cable in your system is an electromagnetic field. When two cables lay in close proximity to one another these fields interact, resulting in sonic degradation. The intensity of the field and the particular type of cable used will determine the extent of contamination and amount of performance reduction.
Typically, digital cables, power cables and speaker cables are the worst offenders, as they generate the strongest electro-magnetic fields. Interconnects create somewhat weaker fields on their own, but due to the small voltages they carry, are sensitive to the fields created by others.
To avoid contamination, we must separate cables from one another. Though I’ve heard varying suggestions on the amount of separation required, four to six inches seems to be the average. I don’t know about your system, but that is a rather lofty goal for my setup! The number of wires, and the complexity of the paths necessary to connect even a modest system makes reaching the ideal a real battle, but do the best you can, paying special attention to getting interconnects away from AC and speaker cables. Where cables must intersect, cross them at right angles. Avoid parallel runs of signal cables and power cables at all costs.
You can use a non-contact voltage sensor to find which cables tend to be the biggest offenders. These devices are inexpensive, and available at home centers. The one we use is the Gardner Bender Livewire GB-505A. It sells for less than $15.00 at Lowe's. Just switch the unit on and place it on or near any cable to see what kind of electro-magnetic field is being generated.
5) Get the cables off the floor. There are a number of theories surrounding this tweak, but the most plausible focus on the areas of vibration and static electricity. Decoupling the cables from the floor reduces structure-borne vibrations that can reduce focus and cause audible “smearing.” Static charges present in carpet (and other flooring materials) couple to the cable, resulting in increased background noise and grain. Try this experiment: Cut an empty paper towel (or toilet paper) tube into 2 – 3” lengths. Use these to raise all cables off the floor, and as spacers to separate cables from one another. Better systems will often benefit from this tweak, realizing improved detail, air and transparency. If you like what you hear, you may want to replace the cardboard tubes with something a bit more attractive! There are a number of companies manufacturing specific products for the purpose. You can also build your own, but remember to use non-conductive materials, with wood and paper being common choices.
6) Condition AC power. The AC line conditioner has become an essential component in a modern audio or video system. The high-resolution performance of modern high-end gear, and the decreasing quality of the AC line, has made line conditioning a mandatory requirement for achieving optimum performance. There exist a vast array of excellent quality units to fit most every application and budget.
You may also want to consider adding a dedicated circuit or two to feed your system. If that is not possible, select a circuit unshared with major appliances, then unplug everything from the circuit except for the audio/video system.
7) Damp the first reflection points in your room. Reflections in the listening environment can play havoc with audio quality, especially imaging. Sound waves bounce off nearby surfaces, arriving at the listener after the direct sound from the speakers. The arrival time and the intensity of these reflections classify them as beneficial or detrimental. First reflection points are of particular interest as their proximity to the listener is close, thus the intensity of the reflected sound is high.
It is easy to find reflection points in the room utilizing the “mirror technique.” While seated in the listening position, have someone slide a small mirror along the wall, at about ear height. At various locations along the walls you’ll see an image of the speaker in the mirror represents. Each of these spots represents an acoustical reflection site; the points closest to the speaker are the first reflection points. Mark these positions and place absorption or diffusion material there to eradicate the reflection.
A comprehensive acoustical room treatment program will yield maximum results, treating the first reflection points will be beneficial and give you some insight to the process.
Great products to deal with these issues are available from Acoustic Sciences Corporation (Sound Panels) and RPG. You can find links to both here.
8) Tighten driver-mounting hardware. Here is an easy one that I bet you never thought of. In their role of making sound, speakers generate tremendous vibration. These vibrations not only excite the air to create the sound we hear, but are transmitted into the structure of the enclosure. Over time, the screws holding the drivers in place loosen due to the cabinet and driver vibrations. Once every six months or a year, it is a good idea to re-tighten the fasteners to insure tight coupling. We recommend sequentially tightening opposing fasteners in a progression – first at 12 o’clock, then 3, 6 and 9.
Notes: Be careful not to over-tighten, as many drivers are secured to Medium Density Fiberboard (a compressed wood fiber material) that can strip if too much force is used. Further, be cautious of using pointed metal objects (screwdrivers) close to drivers due to strong magnetic fields often present there.
