Home » Audio » General » A Really Inexpensive Tweak
A Really Inexpensive Tweak [message #941] Thu, 07 October 2004 16:27 Go to next message
FredT is currently offline  FredT
Messages: 704
Registered: May 2009
Illuminati (1st Degree)
Line the underside and inside the top cover of your CD player or other component with $1.50 vinyl floor tiles from Home Depot. They damp the resonances just as well as the $10 sheets you can buy from the audio parts houses. Be careful not to cover any ventilation holes.

What problem does that fix? [message #942 is a reply to message #941] Thu, 07 October 2004 16:46 Go to previous messageGo to next message
wunhuanglo is currently offline  wunhuanglo
Messages: 912
Registered: May 2009
Illuminati (2nd Degree)
nt

Re: What problem does that fix? [message #943 is a reply to message #942] Thu, 07 October 2004 19:20 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Manualblock is currently offline  Manualblock
Messages: 4973
Registered: May 2009
Illuminati (13th Degree)
Boredom?

Re: What problem does that fix? [message #945 is a reply to message #942] Fri, 08 October 2004 06:06 Go to previous messageGo to next message
FredT is currently offline  FredT
Messages: 704
Registered: May 2009
Illuminati (1st Degree)
Reduced panel resonances.

Re: What problem does that fix? [message #947 is a reply to message #945] Tue, 12 October 2004 11:29 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Dean Kukral is currently offline  Dean Kukral
Messages: 177
Registered: May 2009
Master
Are the cover screws working loose or something? If there isn't a screw loose somewhere, then I don't see why anyone would care about panel resonances on a cd player.

Re: What problem does that fix? [message #948 is a reply to message #947] Tue, 12 October 2004 13:59 Go to previous messageGo to next message
FredT is currently offline  FredT
Messages: 704
Registered: May 2009
Illuminati (1st Degree)
Some believe panel resonances translate to vibration, which could compromise the player's ability to accurately reproduce low-level detail. For example, Marantz used to offer the standard CD67 player and an upgrade version, the CD67-SE. In additon to better quality caps in the audio section, the CD67-SE had a double bottom chassis plus a cross brace over the top for vibration control. But you may be correct, in which case I am the one with a loose screw, having frittered away three whole dollars of my hard earned money.

Re: What problem does that fix? [message #949 is a reply to message #947] Tue, 12 October 2004 15:21 Go to previous messageGo to next message
GarMan is currently offline  GarMan
Messages: 960
Registered: May 2009
Illuminati (2nd Degree)
I'm on Fred's side that damping can improve the performance of a CD player. Especially when you consider how a laser in a CDP reads information off a CD.

I'd also though that CD being a digital media would have its content read digitally (ie. reading 1's and 0's off the disk). But that's not true at all. The track on a CD consists of pits of various lengths and the laser reads the distance between the lips of each pit, which then is converted into a digital signal. To repeat, it does not COUNT and READ a series of 1's and 0's, but rather a physical distance between markers on a disk.

Considering how cheap the laser and plastic lens are in a typical CDP, it makes you question how accurate CDP reads content on a CD. Any unnecessary vibration has the potential to mess up this reading process to create a playback that is even lower in resolution.

Gar.

Re: What problem does that fix? [message #950 is a reply to message #949] Tue, 12 October 2004 15:49 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Dean Kukral is currently offline  Dean Kukral
Messages: 177
Registered: May 2009
Master
I don't know how serious miniscule resonant vibrations of the side panels might be as far introducing tracking errors to a spinning disk. I suppose that somebody has researched vibration vis-a-vis tracking errors, because it is important for portable cd players that joggers and others wear.

I suspect, however, that it is pretty minor. "Tweak" would be the appropriate term.

I do know that over 40% (it may be more - I forget) of the data on a cd is sophisticated error correction code (of various levels). So, there is quite a bit of room for correctable errors.

Re: What problem does that fix? [message #951 is a reply to message #948] Tue, 12 October 2004 15:54 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Dean Kukral is currently offline  Dean Kukral
Messages: 177
Registered: May 2009
Master
Join the club. I hate to think how much money I have wasted trying to improve my sound!! At least it was only three bucks, not three thousand bucks for silver cables! :)

Loose screws? [message #952 is a reply to message #948] Tue, 12 October 2004 16:18 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
colinhester is currently offline  colinhester
Messages: 1349
Registered: May 2009
Location: NE Arkansas
Illuminati (3rd Degree)
I've seen tweeks go so far as to change out the screws on the components in order to improve sound (no kidding.) The debate, if I recall correctly, was which screw material (various metal, nylon, etc....) sounded better. You can't make this stuff up.

As for your inital post on dampening, I think it's a great idea. Almost as cheap as my 100# slate isolation table top (free from counter top mfg. dumpster) and my 1.5" wooded balls ($1/4 at craft store) that hold up my CDP.....Colin

Previous Topic: A Semi-Audio-Related Question
Next Topic: Rocky Mountain Audio Fest. Next Week in Denver
Goto Forum:
  


Current Time: Wed Nov 06 23:53:27 CST 2024

Sponsoring Organizations

DIY Audio Projects
DIY Audio Projects
OddWatt Audio
OddWatt Audio
Pi Speakers
Pi Speakers
Prosound Shootout
Prosound Shootout
Miller Audio
Miller Audio
Tubes For Amps
TubesForAmps.com

Lone Star Audiofest