Must try MOD - Foam inside the stamped steel baskets - YES!

Hansvelton

Gardenstater wrote: »

Well I'm glad you are not skeptical

As far as me *stumbling* onto something no one ever thought of and acted on before, I really don't know how we could know that is true (and I don't believe this) but I'll just say thanks for the compliment lol.

This is a GREAT song to test your mod. If it sounds bad, your mod is not really doing much good!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLm4xJaoJEc

gp4jesus

Hansvelton wrote: »

Gardenstater wrote: »

Well I'm glad you are not skeptical

As far as me *stumbling* onto something no one ever thought of and acted on before, I really don't know how we could know that is true (and I don't believe this) but I'll just say thanks for the compliment lol.

This is a GREAT song to test your mod. If it sounds bad, your mod is not really doing much good!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLm4xJaoJEc

Is that opinion limited to just this mod or could it apply to any mod? Try the mod and let us know.

Who better to say about the track than YOU!
So far, those that have dared to take the plunge, like the results regardless of their test means & methods

IME a bad recording or source* of same sounds worse on a better** system because it** usually resolves detail that the lessor system hides or masks.
*give me hard media over streaming especially YT😢

Gardenstater

Right Tony! He is still stuck at the 1st stage of truth

plastic_avatar

Gardenstater wrote: »

Jeezus.

Goatse coffee.

Yikes.

[goes on to read rest of thread to figure out what adhesive foam to order from where]

Gardenstater

Gardenstater

LOL Armacell/Armaflex Pipe Insulation foam tape TAP18230 works well (2" wide x 1/8" thick x 30ft roll). In USA available from Home Depot and other places although I haven't found it for as low of a price anywhere else yet.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Armacell-2-in-x-30-ft-R-1-Foam-Insulation-Tape-TAP18230/100539553

https://www.startpage.com/do/dsearch?query=Armacell+TAP18230+Foam+Insulation+Tape&cat=web&pl=opensearch&language=english

https://www.armacell.us/products/armaflexinsulationtape/

https://www.armacell.us/fileadmin/user_upload/Insulation_Submittals-English/AP_ArmaFlex_InsulationTape.Sub.EN.US.2020.pdf

https://www.armacell.us/fileadmin/user_upload/SDS-PDFs/SDS_Elastomeric_Insulation_Products.EN.US.2019.pdf

xschop

Great pontification skills ya got thar.

Hansvelton

Gardenstater wrote: »

Right Tony! He is still stuck at the 1st stage of truth

Do you realize you can "Quote" people, instead of simply putting a random comment, that you assume everyone will realize ........ Just giving you guys a hard time.

gp4jesus

Gardenstater wrote: »

LOL Armacell/Armaflex Pipe Insulation foam tape TAP18230 works well (2" wide x 1/8" thick x 30ft roll). In USA available from Home Depot* and other places although I haven't found it for as low of a price anywhere else yet.

*Lowe’s or similar/like store

Gardenstater

Hansvelton wrote: »

Do you realize you can "Quote" people, instead of simply putting a random comment, that you assume everyone will realize ........ Just giving you guys a hard time.

Hans you have already spent enough time giving a hard time here that you could've foamed the inside of the baskets on one of your speakers 🤣

No problem though. Pushback is welcome. Bring it on lol.

Gardenstater

[quote="Hansvelton;c-2

gp4jesus wrote: »

Gardenstater wrote: »

LOL Armacell/Armaflex Pipe Insulation foam tape TAP18230 works well (2" wide x 1/8" thick x 30ft roll). In USA available from Home Depot* and other places although I haven't found it for as low of a price anywhere else yet.

*Lowe’s or similar/like store

Tony I looked and I haven't found that exact material at Lowes. Have you found it there? I have no doubt that I haven't gotten the ultimate best material for this mod on my first try, although It could happen (Judy Tenuda voice....what happened to her?). Anyway, this is closed cell foam and they do not give the specs out but I did the best I could to calculate that it is 4.6 lb/cu. ft. density.

gp4jesus

Haven’t bought it in several years. I have a partial roll in my shop though, I’m sorry that’s not much help.

Going there tomorrow. I’ll check for it

plastic_avatar

Have you lot wrapped your wires in something similar before?

Or boxed your crossovers behind something like this?

Gardenstater

I don't want to sidetrack this thread too much ha ha. Gives further ammunition for the skeptics LOL.

But seriously, I have noticed that my 2 Martin Logan subs both have the wiring wrapped with open cell foam. I'm not sure if they are going for something other than pure dressing up of the wire or if they think it will keep the wires from being vibrated as much by the intense pressure waves inside the sealed cabinet.

xschop

It could be efficacious...or pontificacious.

plastic_avatar

Ima gonna foam wrap wires when I go in to foam coat baskets.

I like adhesives, sheets of soft materials, and moonlit walks daydreaming about rebellious pontifications.

Might as well go for broke.

VR3

It is a good idea to make sure your wires are not vibrating against stuff, if this is not an option than the foam dampening helps

gp4jesus

Gardenstater wrote: »

But seriously, I have noticed that my 2 Martin Logan subs both have the wiring wrapped with open cell foam. I'm not sure if they are going for something other than pure dressing up of the wire or if they think it will keep the wires from being vibrated as much by the intense pressure waves inside the sealed cabinet.

Well… why not!

Right along w/that I think one should consider some sort of “acoustic shielding*” for any internal wiring and/or XO components exposed to frequencies above 500hz(?) - they’re shiny and/or reflective.
*shielding to allow air to circulate because the components can heat up w/“enthusiastic” V settings

Gardenstater

What I see on my wires in my subwoofers isn't just open cell foam it is super open cell. I think that is because if they used a foam or material that had a better STC (sound transmission class) rating, it would also retain heat too much.

But I'd rather keep this about the use of materials inside the basket of the drivers for the purpose of reducing the reflection of sound back at the cone.

benjaminlea

I completed this mod yesterday and can confirm my results are inline with the positive results of others who have completed it.

There has been a dramatic improvement in vocal and instrument separation. I don’t have the audio bs vocabulary to accurately describe what I’m hearing, though I’ll do my best.

Vocals are most definitely more present, clearer even. There is tighter delivery when I listen to acoustic tracts, moments of pauses are noticed in greater detail, when an artist takes a breath etc.

Vocals seem to come at me quicker and are speedier to drop off which for me, in my room, presents a soundstage like never before. Artists appear as if they are in front of me performing live and I didn’t have such detail prior to this mod.

Strings and other instruments are on another level. Again, a realness is presented to me that I didn’t hear previously but it’s the definitive separation in vocal and instruments that’s blown my mind.

I’ve done all mods except BH5 and to me this was the greatest mod I’ve done so far and very likley the easiest.

Armacell, scalpel and 30 minutes of your time.. insane return on investment.

I found the Armacell to be sticky but easily removable for those who might be worried about the finality of this mod. I assume if you didn’t like it, removing the foam would be just as easy as installing it.

But I doubt you’ll be removing it. Haha.

🙏🏻

Clipdat

Looks like you also added a world-class DAC and a big boy integrated to your setup, I'm sure those made a pretty big difference as well.

xschop

benjaminlea wrote: »

I completed this mod yesterday and can confirm my results are inline with the positive results of others who have completed it.

There has been a dramatic improvement in vocal and instrument separation. I don’t have the audio bs vocabulary to accurately describe what I’m hearing, though I’ll do my best.

Vocals are most definitely more present, clearer even. There is tighter delivery when I listen to acoustic tracts, moments of pauses are noticed in greater detail, when an artist takes a breath etc.

Vocals seem to come at me quicker and are speedier to drop off which for me, in my room, presents a soundstage like never before. Artists appear as if they are in front of me performing live and I didn’t have such detail prior to this mod.

Strings and other instruments are on another level. Again, a realness is presented to me that I didn’t hear previously but it’s the definitive separation in vocal and instruments that’s blown my mind.

I’ve done all mods except BH5 and to me this was the greatest mod I’ve done so far and very likley the easiest.

Armacell, scalpel and 30 minutes of your time.. insane return on investment.

I found the Armacell to be sticky but easily removable for those who might be worried about the finality of this mod. I assume if you didn’t like it, removing the foam would be just as easy as installing it.

But I doubt you’ll be removing it. Haha.

🙏🏻

I hit the likey button.

Gardenstater

Nice job stepping up to the plate Benjamin and I'm glad your results are in line with others! Your apartment is too clean lol.

gp4jesus

@ benjaminlea: did you cover all the magnet surfaces? Either way glad you’re enjoying the fruits of your labors😊

Tony

VR3

I think you guys need to try two layers of foam

Gardenstater

VR3 wrote: »

I think you guys need to try two layers of foam

I can only speak for myself when I say that the results are so good with what I've got that I'm not in a hurry, at least not just yet, to experiment with different materials and different thicknesses but I'm sure I will at some point

The possibility of trying the Passive is still there but I'm not at all sure that they would stand to benefit nearly as much. That should probably be thicker if attempted, and perhaps definitely open cell. I don't know if a timed delayed reflection that may also be out of phase is nearly as damaging to SQ in those low frequencies with a passive. I do believe that I got improvement in bass though and so does Jazzhead. Actually the way to test this might be to try it in an active driver powered subwoofer first. My Martin Logan's are stamped steel baskets as a matter of fact. If that improves articulation and texture of bass notes then that would be a go ahead to try it on the Passives.

xschop

Chimerawoofs....hmmm

plastic_avatar

benjaminlea wrote: »

I completed this mod yesterday and can confirm my results are inline with the positive results of others who have completed it.

What a beautiful setup you have!

And very tidy on the application.

Did you pre-cut and apply, or apply and cut out?

benjaminlea

Clipdat wrote: »

Looks like you also added a world-class DAC and a big boy integrated to your setup, I'm sure those made a pretty big difference as well.

I think having a decent amp and DAC only reinforces the value of this mod. I’ve been running that amp + DAC combo for a couple of months and true, it’s a beautiful combo. I got a noticeable bump in performance and sound..

Everyone told me to start my mod journey with my crossovers so I dropped whatever I dropped on Sonic Caps, Mills resistors, Cardas binding posts, Cardas Litz.. I recall in the neighbourhood of $900 and then another $300 to have the parts installed and crossovers rebuilt.

I wasn’t going to tackle that myself haha.

This mod however has blown my mind. My amp / DAC were close to $4000 and this mod set me back $30 and they return on investment is absolutely greater and not just by a few cents.

This should be the mod you start with. Good audio and sound quality ARE accessible to everyone but sometimes.. places like this forum and the people who sit at home in their mothers basements being the keyboard warriors they are discourage you. They bark at cheap mods and and or don’t give things a try that could yield incredible results for those who might just be watching from the sideline, unable to spend a few thousand on this or that when maybe they never really had to and this type of mod might have sufficed them on their journey.

I had 2 wow moments today.. Have a listen to these two tracks by Norah Jones

- Thinking about you

I’ve heard this song so many times but I’ve never heard what I heard at about 1:30 into it. There is this static filter layered on top of the track that comes in and out. At first, I thought I had some electrical issue, noise etc but I played the track multiple times and realised I was hearing things I’ve simply not heard before.


- Until the end

Just a damn good track, the separation and instruments are sublime. Her vocal sit so clearly on top of everything else that’s going on..

Everything is sounding sublime!

benjaminlea

xschop wrote: »

I hit the likey button.

Of course you did. You supplied some of the parts! 😍