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+---- Thread: HI-FI SCAMS AND REALITY (/Thread-HI-FI-SCAMS-AND-REALITY)
HI-FI SCAMS AND REALITY - Chello - 04-13-2026
HI-FI SCAMS AND REALITY
As a lifelong HiFi enthusiast, I have seen many "amazing" products that are said to dramatically improve sound.
These have usually had 2 things in common:
They were expensive - and without any audible effect..!
I mentioned earlier that I have replaced all my audio cables and speaker cables with silver-plated ones - these would have cost about 2000 US Dollars in a regular store, but I imported them myself from China, and only paid a tenth, which is still a lot to pay for most people.
But how do I KNOW that the cables are silver-plated..?
I can't hear any difference, other than that all the noise is gone.
And there is absolutely no corrosion after long-term use.
This was also my only goal with the purchase - zero corrosion and zero noise.
I have bought expensive capacitors that sound awful.
Fortunately, I have a certain understanding of electronics and how it works, and have had many "weird" experiences.
Many years ago I made a capacitor from two fishing rods (!), aluminum tape and tallow from a candle - I cut off the ends of the rods, and wound the tape in a figure of 8, and melted the tallow over this until it became a stable shape.
The number of windings and sizes should give a value of about 2 µF, which in turn would give a crossover frequency of about 10kHz on my used tweeter.
BIG was the surprise - the sound was absolutely fantastic, with a 3D sound that I had never heard before..!
No purchased capacitor has been able to repeat this experience, and I have bought many EXPENSIVE capacitors over the years.
I have bought expensive speaker units that sound terrible regardless of the crossover or amplifier.
I have also built tweeters from old units taken out of old TVs, to which I have glued a balloon, attached a bicycle valve, and inflated it to the appropriate size - the sound changes constantly depending on the amount of air.
The perspective of these balloons was absolutely fantastic !
I have also built a bass unit from scratch - I made the coil from a tea light (the aluminum form), and wound varnished copper wire around this until the desired resistance was achieved. The membrane was made of thick paper, and it worked quite well.
I also made a turntable, which was a larger project - I used a tube from a radio antenna as an arm, and various parts from an old telephone for the system for balancing the arm.
I used this turntable for many years, and it worked very well.
The subwoofer I use today I have also designed and built myself, just like the horn speakers.
I have listened to many very expensive speakers, but mine are BETTER..!
So why spend a fortune on equipment (and cables..!), when you can build something much cheaper and better yourself ?
All you need is a basic understanding of electronics, ingenuity, and good hands and ears.
Of course, it helps to have experience in metal and woodworking as well.