By now some of us have been home for a couple of weeks, some a couple of months… but we all have at least a couple things in common: we all have some extra time on our hands and are looking for ways to make our life at home more enjoyable. That is why we have put together a list of 5 easy practices and/or products that will get your system sounding great for little to no cost!
1. Level Your Components
Make sure that your electrical components and loudspeakers are as level as possible. Be precise. In the case of loudspeakers, they should be leveled both horizontally and vertically. Ensuring that the tweeter, mid-range and woofers are vertically aligned, so that the cone and tweeter disbursement is coming from the center vertical line, makes a big difference! And don’t forget to check that your speakers are stable and not rocking on their stands or feet.
For more details about leveling your speakers, as well as other speaker placement tips, please download our Speaker Set-Up Guide.
2. Get Your Speakers Tight
Hours, months, and years of intense listening sessions, constant vibrations in the speaker cabinet, and even dry air will cause a screw or two to become loose. Make sure to check that binding post connections, and the bolts that hold each driver to their baffle aren’t loose, and tighten any screws that need it. Just be careful not to overtighten, as this could lead to a stripped thread!
For more affordable speaker upgrades, please see this blog.
3. Reduce Static Electric Charge
Static charge build-up on components, cables, carpets, and speakers can do everything from flatten perspectives to inhibit the dynamics of a sound system. In order for your system’s performance to be at its best, use an anti-static treatment to eliminate those static charges. Simply spray a small amount of Eco 3X onto a cloth and wipe down the jacket of your cables and the area around speaker drivers to reveal a more relaxed and natural soundstage.
For more information on other ways to clean your cables, read this blog.
4. Try An At-Home Demo
Many hifi dealers may have been forced to temporarily close their store locations. However that doesn’t mean that you can’t still try our products in the comfort, and safety of your own home! While you might not be able to bring in heavy loudspeakers for a trial, there are plenty of lighter, more manageable audio components that are perfectly suited for easy transport and home auditions. We may be biased, but we know for a fact that all of Nordost products are perfect for at-home demonstrations. Call your local hifi retailer to see what you can demo today!
For a step-by-step guide to successfully audition hifi cables in your own home, read this blog.
5. Upgrade Your Streamer
When we aren’t enjoying our music, many of us are spending a lot of our time streaming television and movies. For those of you that use an Apple TV media streamer, or any other streaming device powered by a figure 8 power cord, there is an easy, inexpensive upgrade that is sure to take your streaming to the next level! Nordost’s entry level Purple Flare Figure 8 Power Cord is the perfect solution for your Apple TV. The Purple Flare Power Cord uses Nordost’s technology to construct a high-speed, low-loss power cord that will allow your streamer to produce a picture worthy of your system.
For more information on the Purple Flare Power Cord, read this review.
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What is burn in on cables and do nordost cables need to be burnt in often. Does the sound loose its zing after a while?
I think that it would be helpful for you to read one of our previous blogs on cable burn-in. In general, we recommend that you try to burn in your cables once a year, if possible. Like you will read in the recommended bog, this helps charges with-in the cable to neutralize, especially if the cable goes unused for periods of time. Additionally, when you use a burn-in machine (like Nordost’s Vidar) you are introducing frequencies that while not audible, do have an effect when listening to audible frequencies encountered in music.
Hello Nordost,
For bigger rooms with a 7.1-channel setup, you can always get another pair of speakers for the rear wall.
Best regards
James Longman
1. Thanks for tightening up drivers screws tip. Took off grilles and found a screw was missing from one bass driver of $15K pair!
2. If grilles are rigid, not tightened to speaker box, they may come loose as well. Mine did and distorted awfully one day. Occasionally tap them in or otherwise tighten!
3. VPI Bricks do dampen equipment and speaker vibrations. Secret: weights used in strength training of 2.5-5-10 pounds with rubberized edges also dampen vibrations. Costs relatively little to experiment with a few singly or spread out if unit top allows. Move them a fraction of an inch occasionally so they do not self-adhere.