Stabilant 22

[Hifi_swlon]

On the general subject of keeping contacts clean I thought that the following link might be of interest:

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread...ight-Stuff 

But note the section on "What does not work well" Tweek (aka Stabalint 22) does not get a favourable mention!

David

Having read this thread, and others referencing tweek, I decided to try one of the other suggestions in the link - the 'Caig deoxit Gold GH5'.  I noticed the guy writing the article didn't like the higher concentrate formulas as they left more residue, but I couldn't find both the ones he did recommend easily available in the uk. So I got the closest, the GH5.

I'll say now I'm a total sceptic here, but I have a science background so also like to keep an open mind and experiment. My thinkng is, anything that makes a better connection could make a difference.

I'm using Air Ethernet, so did the Ethernet patch cables between devialet, mac, switch, patch panel, and wall sockets. I did this primarily because I haven't got any other sources hooked up right now, so there's not much else I can try. I'm most sceptical of 'audiophile' things Ethernet, as I don't believe networking could really benefit from this sort of tweek, but did it anyway. Just sprayed a very small amount on, waited to dry, wiped excess from areas that aren't the contacts, and then reconnected. My Ethernet patch cables are all 'bog standard' cat 5e or cat 6 from proper networking suppliers.

I then did the gold bananas at the amp end of my speaker cables.

That was that. After a bit of drying time I played, and I felt the sound was 'brighter'. This could be bias as I'd read other comments, but that's what I heard.
Later that night I felt there was more detail and ease to the music, still slight brightness.

The following couple of days I kind of forgot I'd done it, and didnt really think about it, but I have found myself tapping my feet and thinking that the music just seems more enjoyable to listen to, and that has persisted. I also think there's better detail resolution. I don't think of anything as brighter than it used to be, and I faff with the treble tone control less (in my brighter than I'd like system)

Of course this could be total BS and imagined/expectation bias, but that's what I've ascertained so far even as a sceptic I think it's been positive. Of course, there's absolutely no way of even ABing or going back, so it's not worth worrying about trying to reflect on the change.

At some point I will do the other end of the speaker cables too, and the linking wires.

The can cost me £20 inc postage, and I could probably treat half of Londons connections with that single can. So at worst it's cleaned my connections (well I suppose at worst it could have coated them with something bad that I won't find out about for years but I'll assume this isn't the case), and at best it's made a positive difference. Seemed worth trying.

I have read that provided you allow adequate drying time - to be safe like a night or couple days even - it's ok to use on mains (isolating first obviously) but I didn't go there. I also use a bog standard power lead that came off something else - no idea how clean /dirty the connections are or how well shielded, I may try cleaning the pins with something.

Even if nothing's actually changing, it's fun trying to second guess what your brain's doing - keeps it on its toes.....