How to prevent audio equipment from aging and make the sound better

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How to prevent audio equipment from aging and make the sound better [Copy link]

In the process of using audio equipment, due to factors such as oxygen, water, light, and heat in the air, the equipment will inevitably age. After the audio equipment ages, it will affect the reproduction of sound, and the originally clear and natural sound will be covered with a layer of gauze. So, how can we prevent the aging of audio equipment and make the sound more beautiful? Method 1: Clean the contacts thoroughly every six months As we all know, the surface of metal will oxidize, lose its luster, and become dull after being exposed to the air for a short time. Even if the surface of the signal cable plug is gold-plated and is not easy to oxidize, and it has close contact with the body plug, it will still be oxidized to a certain extent over time, resulting in poor contact, so it should be cleaned at most every six months. Just use cotton dipped in alcohol to smear the contacts. After this hard work, the contacts can be restored to the best contact, and the sound will be clearer and more transparent. Method 2: Cleaning the CD player laser pickup Obviously, the laser pickup has only a small area, but it is entirely dependent on it to read the marks on the CD disc. Therefore, even a small amount of dust on the pickup is enough to affect the accuracy of reading the signal. Although most CD players have sealed bodies, don't forget that there are gaps for dust to enter during the frequent loading and unloading of discs. After a period of time, there will definitely be more or less dust on the surface of the pickup. At this time, you need to unscrew the cover screws, open the cover and directly use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to clean it. Although there are various CD cleaning tools on the market, you spend tens of dollars on them. Those so-called CD cleaning tools may just use a row of brushes to sweep away dust or use velvet to remove dust by rotating. The effect is not as thorough as using a cotton swab. When your CD player that has not been cleaned for a long time is cleaned, it will feel like a layer of gauze is lifted when you listen to it again, and the high frequencies will return to their former clarity, and the details will be much more beautiful. This step of cleaning the cartridge should be done about once a year. Even if you use Pioneer's reverse turntable system (the laser head is facing downward instead of upward), dust will still be attracted by the static electricity on the cartridge and stick to it, so this effort cannot be saved. Method 3: Avoid stacking machines as much as possible Stacking equipment is inevitable due to environmental issues. When conditions permit, the most important CD source and amplification parts should be placed separately, because overlapping will cause harmonic vibration and affect the machine. When the speaker plays music, the vibrating air causes the equipment to vibrate. When two machines are stacked, they will transmit harmonic vibration to each other, making the subtle information in the music unclear and interfering with the transmission of each frequency band, causing a kind of sound pollution. For example, if one of the machines is a CD player, the motor will rotate continuously when it plays the disc, which will increase the harmonic amplitude and have a greater impact. Therefore, the equipment should be placed independently on a stable rack. Method 4: Keep the split power supply away from the host and the monophonic power amplifier Nowadays, even many mid-priced preamplifiers have a split power supply the size of a box. Simply separating the power adapter and the host into two parts can naturally isolate the interference that may be caused by the internal parts and the power adapter. If the split power supply is placed next to the preamplifier, it will be a bit meaningless. Move it away from the preamplifier quickly, such as placing it on another layer of the rack. You can immediately hear that the overall separation has been improved, and the audio and video will be more accurate. The same is true for the monophonic power amplifier. If conditions permit, place the two pieces of equipment a little apart to ensure that there is no harm. Method 5: The less interference, the better the sound Household appliances and computers in the room should not share a power supply with the speakers. Even if they are placed together, they should get power from elsewhere. Secondly, letting the wiring entangled together will also cause the wires to absorb noise from each other and damage the sound quality. Both the equipment and the connecting wires should be kept free from interference from other electrical appliances or power cords. Method 6: Speaker placement The placement of the speakers is an important part of the use of the speakers. If they are not placed well, the playback effect will inevitably be greatly reduced. Finding the best placement in the room requires a lot of effort. In addition to listening carefully to the effects of different placements, you can also ask relevant experts for guidance. Method 7: A dim environment helps with listening Turning off the lights to listen to music is a habit. It has nothing to do with playback. It's just that in a dark environment, the ears will be particularly sensitive, and the visual obstacles will be reduced. The sense of the reorganization of the sound picture and the position of the musical instruments will be particularly clear, and the atmosphere will be far better than when the lights are on. You can also use other darker lights to create a listening atmosphere. Method 8: Sound absorption In a general family environment, furniture and sundries are already excellent sound-absorbing materials. There is no need to make the sound absorption too complicated. Laying a carpet can basically enhance the sound absorption effect. The advantage of adding a carpet is that it can reduce the reflected sound from the floor and avoid mixing with the sound from the front to cause turbidity. If you want to know whether your room needs a carpet, you can test the sound changes by laying it on the floor. When the speaker is too close to the back wall, you can also consider adding a tapestry to increase the sound absorption effect, but be careful not to use too large a piece, otherwise it may absorb even the ultra-high frequency. In addition, the glass and mirrors in the room will have a strong sound reflection effect, and curtains are needed to block them to solve the problem. Friends with high requirements may wish to do more sound absorption in the corners and sound reflection points in the room, but be careful not to absorb too much sound. A moderate amount of reflected sound helps the sound to be lively and vivid.