Fine Tunes

Fine Tunes #48

Jonathan Scull Jun 13, 2002 First Published: Jun 13, 2002

In his first e-mail to "Fine Tunes," Rafael Teodoro (RBT@wolfenet.com) addressed a subject that Mark Gdovin, that faithful frequenter of the Stereophile soapbox, had already brought up. Mark had gone so far as to give readers sage advice from his brother, a materials engineer, regarding the dangers of applying Armor All to speaker cones and surrounds.

Fine Tunes

Fine Tunes #47

Jonathan Scull May 19, 2002 First Published: May 19, 2002

Sometimes tweaks take on a life of their own. Take the one of using Armor All to keep speaker surrounds from drying out, which you can read all about in the November 2001 "Fine Tunes No.41" I recently got another e-mail on the subject from Dan Mazza at Arizona Hi-Fi, who agrees with Mark Gdovin's objections to using Armor All. (Read Mark's comments on the entire issue in the readers' letters linked to "Fine Tunes No.41.").)

Fine Tunes

Fine Tunes #46

Jonathan Scull Apr 14, 2002 First Published: Apr 14, 2002

"Hi, Jonathan," Bob Matthews began his e-mail to "Fine Tunes" (matthewsr@hqamc-exchg.army.mil). "I enjoy reading your column every month, and enjoy hearing from other people about some of their cheap tweaks!"

Fine Tunes

Fine Tunes #45

Jonathan Scull Mar 17, 2002 First Published: Mar 17, 2002

Leisure duds on? Bathrobe 'n' pipe, Ol' Yaller at yer feet and slobberin' all over your ankles? All's well with the world? Then it's time for "Fine Tunes"! May audio mayhem ensue...

Fine Tunes

Fine Tunes #44

Jonathan Scull Feb 17, 2002 First Published: Feb 17, 2002

I hereby award, by the powers invested in me, the first Tweaker from Hell award to (drum roll, please)...me.

Fine Tunes

Fine Tunes #43

Jonathan Scull Jan 13, 2002 First Published: Jan 13, 2002

Checked my e-mail and a message from one Thomas J. Zukowski (tjzhighendaudio@snet.net) caught my eye. I sensed something...friendly. The subject line was "Re: August & September Fine Tunes." A reader, great, and on my birthday no less.

Fine Tunes

Fine Tunes #42

Jonathan Scull Dec 16, 2001 First Published: Dec 16, 2001

"Hey, J-10!" John Atkinson called from the hallway outside my office. "I liked your October 'Fine Tunes'!"

Fine Tunes

Fine Tunes #41

Jonathan Scull Nov 18, 2001 First Published: Nov 18, 2001

This episode of "Fine Tunes" is mainly about the care and feeding of speaker drivers. Before I launch into some of the tweaks—a few fairly wild and wacky—sent in by readers, here are two from my own experience.

Fine Tunes

Fine Tunes #40

Jonathan Scull Oct 21, 2001 First Published: Oct 21, 2001

Kathleen and I went to France for a week to visit her brother.

Fine Tunes

Fine Tunes #39

Jonathan Scull Sep 23, 2001 First Published: Sep 23, 2001

Last month I wrote about lasers of various pedigrees, so useful in marking walls to the sides and behind the listening position to ensure that your loudspeakers are toed-in, level, and equidistant from the sweet spot for best soundstage, imaging and focus. Using small Avery stick-'em labels makes this a snap. I've converged the tweeter axes of my JMlab Utopias somewhere about a foot into the wall behind the rearmost of our two listening chairs, and use two Studio Traps and a single Argent RoomLens between the speakers to cancel and damp the near-rear-wall reflections. With just a jiggle of the chair back or forward, suddenly I'm there.