[Mapleshade Audio tips for better audio]

Easy Ways To Improve Generic Wires and High End Cables

• Lift all speaker, power, and interconnect wires 8" off any carpet or plastic tile. Use string, wood, cardboard, or 20 ounce Styrofoam cups for temporary props. You’ll think you’ve pulled horse blankets off your speakers. For a more civilized-looking solution, click here.

• For generic speaker wire, AC cords, and wall wart umbilicals, always split their two-conductor wires and separate by at least 6" for a satisfying upgrade. Don't forget to keep all your system wire—IC, speaker and power--off artificial fiber rugs and de-static them regularly.

• NEVER use speaker cables shorter than 8'. Amazingly, 4' sounds much worse than 8'. Contrary to common belief, shorter interconnects (2 m or less) and longer speaker cables always sound WAY BETTER than the opposite—based on extensive head-to-head tests.

• Bi-wiring helps quite a bit, but only for cables with quite limited bass and treble. The better the cable, the less the benefit. By the time you get to the performance level of our Double Helix speaker cables, there is zero benefit in bi-wiring.

• To audibly improve any cheap interconnect, use a razor to carefully peel the thin plastic insulation off the braided metal you'll find underneath. Split 2-channel interconnects and separate the two by several inches. Cut heat shrink and plastic strain reliefs off the back of RCA plugs and remove their metal barrels (if possible). Among generic wires, choose the skinniest for best sound.

• To improve high end cables, remove any outer nylon mesh: the bad dielectric only adds grunge. Remove any metal barrels on RCA plugs—you lose the locking feature and gain transparency.

• Any cable with a molded-in ferrite (the small plastic-covered cylinder at one or both ends) sounds way better with the ferrite removed. Just carve away the plastic covering, then crack the exposed ceramic-like ferrite with a hammer. Don’t worry; you won’t harm the wire.

• Never bundle any of your system’s wires: bundling looks neat and sounds nasty

Fact or fiction?

[Pair of Klipsch "Korner Horns" South Florida]

No affiliation http://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/ele/4022471408.html

[Biggest audio regret?]

Here is my story. My biggest audio regret is deciding to purchase a stereo(yamaha cr1020 receiver, Yamaha turntable and large Advent

speakers) instead of buying a property in Maine which included a large acreage and hunting cabin(same price). Great stereo but

short sited investment. Ah to be young and stupid again...

[Sweet Thrift Store Finds]

Here is my find last weekend at a yard sale. Yamaha R9 stereo receiver 125 watts per and class A switch

plus a pair of Boston HD7. all works in great condition $8.00 for the set. Rick

[Show off your 2ch system]

Take two

[Show off your 2ch system]

here are my Klipschorns.

[Reel to reel tape decks]

Here is another idea. As reel tape is almost extinct and expensive try a DAT recorder. I

have one i use as it produces a digital quality recording on analog tape with hours of recording

time and the tapes(i use long length computer data type) which one can commonly

find at a reasonable price.

4 hours of recording time in long mode(with a 120 tape) with no noticible loss. In this mode highs are limited

to 17,000 hz which is all my Khorns can cover . In regular mode 20-20,000hz with two hours

of recording time.

[What Jazz Are You Listening Right At This Moment.]

Listening to Coltrane Giant Steps. LP to CD transfer

[Improvements for my Khorn system]

thanks for all the input. i will leave the speakers be and enjoy them as is.

[Improvements for my Khorn system]

thank you.

[Improvements for my Khorn system]

I recently had the good fortune of finding the Klipsch speakers i remember from my college days in the 70's, heard and lusted for. I was finally able to afford a pair and had the space for them. i first found a pair of Cornwalls from the late 70's advertised in the local paper(south florida) a few years back, i loved them especially after changing out the caps(thanks Bob Crites)then stumbled across a mint pair of Khorns in walnut recently from the 80's for $200. for the pair. it was a distress sale at a house being being closed up that evening when i showed up with my friend and his truck. i was told this pair was installed by an authorized dealer back in the 80's and had never been moved before(its condition and the dust behind it proved it). i had the usual wife trouble when i showed up with them but after replacing the Cornwalls with them she settled down and they grew on her. unfortunately they have AK-2 crossovers which are supposed to be substandard. i have replaced the caps in the upper cabinet and nothing more and love the sound. i ask your advise on what next to improve my system. shoud i do more changes to the crossover?, get better amplification?, etc. i would like to hear your advise. thank you.