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How to upgrade your Hi-Fi system for free (or almost)

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You don't always have to dig into yourwallet to improve the performance of your Hi-Fi system. Sometimes, in fact, just by having electronics of good, even if not excellent, workmanship, it is possible to make them express a notable performance. How? By limiting yourself to a few general measures or by making precious, but not expensive, daily practices a routine. We invite you to follow the advice we give by rehearsing with a record that you know for sure has a good recording, but above all is not recorded in a studio. The best recordings are live or direct recordings, giving preference to orchestral music, choirs or even jazz sessions. This is as long as you know the reference tracks well.

Ordered cables and Hi-Fi

The first precaution we can take for our Hi-Fi system, especially if it is gradually being enriched with more components, is to keep the wiring tidy (using cable ties) and clean. Wiring that, we take for granted, is of a level directly proportional to the system in our possession. Otherwise, an even more urgent intervention is to immediately replace the cables, which may still be those supplied with the electronics. You should try, as much as possible, to separate at least power supply and signal, especially if you don't use balanced cables for the latter and/or quality power cables.... that offer good shielding. It would be a good idea to avoid cables Speaker of different lengths, as well as buying cables of the shortest possible length, both to reduce costs and for better performance. The latter, however, is more of an academic argument, as it is difficult for the human ear to distinguish the difference in sound emitted by cables two metres long instead of three, especially if the quality of the latter is high.

Ban on interference

The second 'rule' is not to place (other) interference where it is not needed. Especially nowadays, when smartphones and tablets sometimes become part of the system itself, it is best to avoid having a mobile phone charger constantly connected together with the other power cables of the system. It is better to connect it to separate sockets or multi-sockets if we really need to charge our device.

Speaker Position in the Hi-Fi System

The third and perhaps most important measure we can take to improve your Hi-Fi system is to position the speakers correctly - given that we all have our own personal tastes and preferences. We will go into this in a separate article. For now, let's just imagine a hypothetical equilateral triangle whose points are formed by the two speakers and the listener's head (not the sofa!). Also to be taken into account is the height above the floor of the mid-high drivers, as this determines the height of the soundstage. Other tricks are to remove reflective surfaces between you and the speakers (just use a blanket) and not to place the Hi-Fi cabinet between the speakers, but to the side.

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Jumpers are key to improving sound performance

A fourth measure is related to bi-wiring jumpers. This type of connection is useless in products that are not Hi-End, so in most systems opting for jumpers is the best choice. A 100 euro cable, above all, is better than two 50 euro cables. But investing your budget in good speakers and cables and then running the signal through a piece of brass used as a jumper will not help the final performance. In case the speakers are fitted with dual plugs, One of the first things to do is to replace the brass jumpers with a piece of wire equal to or better than the one you used between the amplifier and the speakers..

Managing the electronics of the Hi-Fi system

Number five: levelling (i.e. leveling) and separating the electronics. As far as the first action is concerned, it is a discourse that mainly concerns analogue sources, but it can also be extended to digital ones. This article was created to highlight all those measures that, with zero budget, can refine what we listen to. And such a measure costs nothing at all. More or less the same applies to the separation of electronics. An amplifier vibrates because of its transformer, just as a CD player vibrates because of its transport or a turntable because of its motor. Separating each individual component reduces the disturbance that each of these vibrations brings to the other electronics.

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The polarity of schuko sockets

Last but not least, it is important to pay attention to the polarity of the Schuko sockets. However, polarity is almost always not indicated, even if we are talking about products designed for Hi-Fi. The phase search is to be done by ear, therefore, or by using a phase finder. There are also very cheap ones. Invert the plug of the source and see if there is a change to see if this last piece of advice to improve the system can also bring benefits.

Well, these are six small steps towards improving your Hi-Fi system. But of course it is impossible to exhaust in one article all the cases that can occur in the audiophile field. Just think of all the variables that can be obtained by crossing different electronics, rooms and cables. For this reason, do not hesitate to contact us for personalised support by clicking the button below. Chat on the website, telephone, Facebook or a visit to our premises... you choose the means you prefer!

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