Do Any Audio Accessories Actually Work?

[Purité Audio]

Can’t they tell what’s playing by what’s playing?
Keith

 

[stringer]

Can’t they tell what’s playing by what’s playing?
Keith

True hipsters cannot tell without a "Now Playing" display. It is like the opposite of sighted bias. /s

 

[stringer]

On a more serious note. I like to have some cable accessories around. I have a mixture of vintage and new, high end and bargain basement, etc. And I am always swapping things around between my office and living room setup. And finding new old stuff at flea markets and the Goodwill. So I like to have a nice set of wire strippers, wire cutters, crimping pliers, and an assortment of random terminal connectors like banana plugs and spades.

 

[Angsty]

I can think of two “accessories” for specific electrical problems:

The EbTech HumX can help if you identify a ground loop that can be solved with safe, permanent ground lift.

The KAB RF-1 can be of real benefit if your phono lacks a subsonic filter and you have issues with woofer pumping.

 

[Angsty]

Can’t they tell what’s playing by what’s playing?
Keith

It’s often about the photo posted online.

 

[Ron Texas]

A calibrated microphone is the single most important thing you can buy. It's a rare system that can't benefit from EQ either for room effects or loudspeaker design flaws.

 

[egellings]

Hello Fellow Spendthrifts,

Once we have spent all our hard earned on fabulous equipment.

Are there any audio accessories that are actually worth spending time investigating that can be proven to influence the sound we hear?

Looking through reviews here they all seem to get slaughtered, but surely there must be some 'science' behind Jitterbugs, USB Purifiers, Mains Conditioners et al that relates to HiFi equipment.

Or are they all really just trying to scare us into solving a problem that does not exist with well made products?

Possibly room treatments.

 

[Speedskater]

The EbTech HumX can help if you identify a ground loop that can be solved with safe, permanent ground lift.

Bill Whitlock has a very different view of the HumX.

 

[Doodski]

I don't own a Kill-a-Watt power meter but they are handy for audio systems power consumption metering.

 

[DVDdoug]

I suppose I was thinking more along the line of any after market gadget

Be aware that MOST of the audiophile community is "nuts"! And it's not just people trying to sell you stuff. This is one of the VERY FEW rational and scientific audio-related websites. Most "audiophiles" don't believe in measurements or blind listening tests, etc. ...And most audiophiles seem to be older guys so they've probably got the usual age-related hearing loss. (I'm not young myself.)

If you're into vinyl then it's essential you have some sort of "Now Playing" display accessory

Like a lot of people, the art is the ONLY thing I miss about vinyl. The smaller CD artwork just wasn't the same.

When I bought my 1st viny (probably in 1968) I had it ALL displayed on high-shelves in my bedroom. I maxed-out around 100 albums before CDs were introduced and by that time I was no longer displaying them all. But I never had any kind of display stand for whatever was currently on the turntable.

Of course with digital it can be automatically displayed, on your big-screen TV it you want!