Here are a number of things that can really improve the quality of sound you get out of your Axioms:

http://www.bybeetech.com/index.html

Put one of these over each speaker cable close to the speaker:

http://www.zcable.com/z-sleeves.cfm

Put one of these on your CD player over the disc transport, one on top of your amp/receiver over the transformer and one on top of each speaker - oh yeah, and one under your satellite tv box:

http://www.gutwire.com/notepad.htm

This yields huge benefits: put Vibrapods under all speakers and Vibrapods/Vibracones under your amp and disc spinner.

http://www.vibrapod.com/

doh! I almost forgot one:

http://www.ayre.com/products/ibe.htm

"The main tool is a five minute glide tone, that when played through your system at a moderately low listening volume, will improve its sound. While we don't have conclusive proof of the mechanism involved, we suspect that it functions by demagnetizing residual fields that build up in your components over time."

One of the cheapest tweaks - put a mostly deflated bicycle innertube under your CD/dvd player. It does a great job of insulating it from vibrations and only costs about $4 bucks.

Well, I still haven't a clue whether you're serious or not, but it might be a good idea to check those links before posting... They all link straight to http:// Which is really not where you wanted them to go, I don't think... The format should be [ url ]http://www.blahdeblah.com/blahblah/blahblah.html[ /url ]

How 'bout now?

http://www.bybeetech.com/index.html

http://www.zcable.com/z-sleeves.cfm

http://www.gutwire.com/notepad.htm

http://www.vibrapod.com/

http://www.ayre.com/products/ibe.htm

http://www.ayre.com/products/ibe.htm

Ha! Please don't tell me you're (and they're) seriously suggesting that playing some test tone somehow "[demagnetizes] residual fields that build up in your components over time" and makes your system sound better. What a load of crap. They even state they don't have proof of the mechanism involved.

Hey, I've got this doohicky, that if you keep it pinned between your elbows behind your back while listening, will lower the noise floor, increase the soundstage, and demagnetize the negative auras surrounding your equipment, transporting you into a mystical field of musical nirvana. I can't prove it or tell you why it works, but I'm sure if you pay for it you'll understand what I mean.

i agree adam.. some of those looked like 'snake-oil' type products. it baffles me that people are willing to pay these outrageous prices for gadgets and nick-nacks that will give them little to no significient improvement over their current sound performance. i chalk it up to the 'monster cable phenomenon'..

bigjohn

It's as ridiculous as cryogenically treating your speaker cable.

Guys,

Don't jump on me for this but I do use a set of Vibrapods under a 15 - 17 year old Sony CD Player I own as it helps to eliminate the CD's skipping. I do not claim to hear more bass or better detail or any of the other claims...they just play without skipping...

Works for me in that capacity...

WhatFurrer

Bacon - You go ahead and spend your money if you'd like to. I just can't seem to wrap my head around "cord conditioners" costing over a $1100 when my mains cost $300 less! These guys who are touting the effect that it has on their system either (1) suffer from severe placebo effect, or (2) had crap systems to start that desparately required something to reign in the aweful side effects of crappy componentry or wiring. Somehow, I don't believe the latter to be the case. Anybody willing to drop $1100 on cable conditioners (see the like to the AUdio circle forum in the Z-cable link) is very likely to also have great (overpriced) cables shouldn't suffer from any of these problems that he claims that the Z-cables fix.

Psycho-acoustics - they're psycho man.

["Don't jump on me for this but I do use a set of Vibrapods under a 15 - 17 year old Sony CD Player I own as it helps to eliminate the CD's skipping. I do not claim to hear more bass or better detail or any of the other claims...they just play without skipping..."]

Sounds like they were designed for turntables... or really old CD players, evidently =P

THIS is insanity -->

http://www.transparentcable.com/products/prodoverview.html

Their top of the line stuff can easily cost you $10,000+

Apparently, they make Monster Cable look like stock... but at those prices, I'll stick with Monster ;D

I can see why a person would use Vibrapods for the reason you mentioned.

Absolutely. That was the only one of the bunch that had some validity. 30 years ago, I had an AR turntable, and believe me, I wish I'd had a set of those back then. I could walk across the room and make the arm skid across the record. (and YES, I had the arm and stylus set to the proper weight).

I have an older Technics linear tracking turntable. They were the stuff in the 80's. I still like it. I remember buying expensive feet for it then.
It reminds me of the Atari 2600 days.

I upgraded the capacitors to Jensen paper/oils and the resistors to Mills or Caddocks in my M22 like speakers, damped them with acoustic foam, and enjoy the improved sound quality.

I swapped the drivers in my Axiom made Merak MC6H and MC634 center speakers for Axiom 6.5" aluminum drivers, and as to the latter, swapped the capacitor for a Solen Chatearoux and the resistor for a Mills, damped the cabinet, upgraded the internal wiring on the latter to silver, and enjoy the result.

Upgraded the OPamp in an Ah! Njoe Tjoeb 4000 CDP, upgraded the tubes in the output section and enjoy the result.

Tweaking can be good.

I agree, If it's a proven upgrade or tweak then thats fine.

On the other hand if someone thinks that cable stands (have you seen these?) will reduce interference or whatever. Then I think it's a waste of money.

The bottom line is that I need data backing up the "latest tweak" to prove that it does what it claims.

The only tweaking I have done is to replace the spikes of my M80's.I did so to make them more stable not for any improvment in sound.

Have you see those caps that go over unused RCA jacks?
There supposed to reduce interference. At $50 for a set of 8. Seems like a silver-plated RCA dust cover to me. If it works then that's different.

Crossover upgrades are the best. I actually like doing this.
It makes a huge difference if the original components are low quality.