Cleaned my contacts

BobM · March 24, 2016, 03:58:38 PM

Was sitting on the couch listening to the system saying to myself, I can't read any more of this book, it's too cold and windy to play golf, I don't want to turn on the TV ... why not get the cotton balls and alcohol and ! tips and clean my contacts.

I've been remiss this past year, I usually do this in the winter. So ... 2 hours later and they are all clean. But wait, there's nothing coming from the right speaker. So on the hunt I go, testing continuity in the interconnects - all fine. The amp and is OK too. I chase it down to the sub crossover I use between the amp and preamp. There's a high-pass signal pass-through from the preamp to the amp.

Opening it up I find a broken solder join. Must have bumped something when I was cleaning it, so out comes the soldering iron and all is well again.

Now I turn everything on again and sit down to listen. Crapola, this is sharp and forward. Transparent as hell but hard on the ears. It's going to take a few days to settle in I suppose.

dflee · March 24, 2016, 04:11:24 PM

Kinda reminds me of the saying "No good deed goes unpunished"
Hope it mellows out quickly.

Don

BobM · March 25, 2016, 07:29:27 AM

I'll just switch over to my Mullard 6922s in my preamp for a while. That should fix the problem.

tmazz · March 25, 2016, 08:11:26 AM

Hence why we should all be more vigilant about cleaning. The sound changes as the contacts oxidize and then we make choices based on how the system sounds at the time we are making an evaluation. If the contacts are dirty when we make that choice it might not be the same one we would have make if everything was clean.

We should all be cleaning on a regular basis before the sound gets effected so that the performance of the system is always on the same plane. Great idea in theory, but we usually tend to leave things alone until it starts to sound dull and then we fix it by doing a through cleaning.

Bottom line, if the sound changes significantly when you clean, you are waiting too long in between cleanings. But of course inertia usually takes over and we leave things alone... or sunny days and tee times get in the way. Been there and guilty as charged.

BobM · March 25, 2016, 08:48:30 AM

Hey, you clean your balls often, and your pits, to help you with your socialization efforts. (sorry, I must be channeling Mikey Fruit-Loops this morning)

You're right Tom, though it is a big effort.

rollo · March 25, 2016, 08:58:17 AM

Bob give the system 3 full days to settle in again. Once one moves cables around they need time to settle the dielectric again.
After three days if still not happy it is your system that needs attention.

charles

tmazz · March 25, 2016, 09:36:08 AM

Quote from: BobM on March 25, 2016, 08:48:30 AM

You're right Tom, though it is a big effort.

Of course it is. That's why we always put it off.

BobM · March 25, 2016, 04:21:07 PM

I posted this on a music board, in a supposed Audiophile thread. I really thought that cleaning connections was as basic as it could get. I mean isn't it pretty obvious that metals oxidize over time? Isn't it obvious that clean connections are better than dirty ones for the flow of electricity?

Nope, people there are equating it to marking CD's with a green pen. Really? It's free, relatively easy, and the improvement is pretty obvious when it is all said and done. Even the engineers are saying there is no reason to clean a contact. Holy cow, that takes the cake.

Stupid is as stupid does, I guess.

Nick B · March 25, 2016, 04:29:25 PM

Bob,
Remember their basic premise, if you can't measure it, it doesn't exist

Nick

jimbones · March 25, 2016, 06:23:29 PM

Quote from: BobM on March 25, 2016, 04:21:07 PM
I posted this on a music board, in a supposed Audiophile thread. I really thought that cleaning connections was as basic as it could get. I mean isn't it pretty obvious that metals oxidize over time? Isn't it obvious that clean connections are better than dirty ones for the flow of electricity?

Nope, people there are equating it to marking CD's with a green pen. Really? It's free, relatively easy, and the improvement is pretty obvious when it is all said and done. Even the engineers are saying there is no reason to clean a contact. Holy cow, that takes the cake.

Stupid is as stupid does, I guess.

Then I guess to those "engineers" that a dirty potentiometer is not an issue. after all the static that you hear is all in your mind

dflee · March 25, 2016, 06:58:04 PM

No, that's in your ears. Heaven is in your mind.

rpf · March 26, 2016, 02:01:57 PM

Unfortunately, if you have un-plated copper contacts in your system, as I do (Cardas Tellurium Cu on speaker cable spades and speaker binding posts), they require cleaning every season unless a very light coating of Silchem Silicone Grease is applied - as per the advice of Jennifer Crock.

I recently bought Jennifer's Electrical Contact Enhancement Fluid which is supposed to have the same effect. I'll try it the next time I clean my contacts

Triode Pete · March 27, 2016, 08:50:01 AM

Quote from: rpf on March 26, 2016, 02:01:57 PM
Unfortunately, if you have un-plated copper contacts in your system, as I do (Cardas Tellurium Cu on speaker cable spades and speaker binding posts), they require cleaning every season unless a very light coating of Silchem Silicone Grease is applied - as per the advice of Jennifer Crock.

I recently bought Jennifer's Electrical Contact Enhancement Fluid which is supposed to have the same effect. I'll try it the next time I clean my contacts

Hey Rob,
FYI - your copper speaker cable spades are shipped "coated" with Jena Electrical Contact Enhancement Fluid...

Happy Easter,
Pete