Digital Drive Upsamplers, DACs, jitter, shakes and analogue withdrawals, this is it.

---

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] Thread: [ Display  All  Email ] [ Digital Drive ]

---

[ Alert Moderator ]

---

Modding (aka "tweaking") - an analogy...

Posted by DevillEars (A) on April 9, 2007 at 03:12:04

In Reply to: Still researching, but it seems nearly all benefit from modding - but one company spurns clock upgrades! posted by John C. - Aussie on April 7, 2007 at 19:20:08:

I've long considered "audio" and "cars" to be very similar pursuits - with the real difference lying in the area of "allied collectibles".

Both pursuits are:

- largely male-dominated
- subject to the "Law of Diminishing Returns"
- prone to "what's new & what's coming" exhibitions/expos
- cluttered with magazines containing "road tests" & opinions
- dominated by high-end aspirational brand names
- characterised by an acquisition process fraught with nervous tension

So, it seemed eminently logical to look to the world of automobiles when searching for an analogy to illustrate some aspects of audio "modding"...

How does one "tweak" a car?

- add a turbo-charger for more torque / power
- fit better brakes to handle stopping from higher speeds
- tighten up the suspension
- fit high-speed rated tyres on low-mass alloy wheels
- paint orange flames down the sides
- fit a plastic orange to the aerial

The underpinning challenge with auto-modding lies in the original design - it just was not intended to perform at that level.

So, the analogy? Well, compare tweaking an audio device to the following (albeit somewhat exaggerated) auto scenario:

1) Buy a second-hand Toyota Corolla 1.8 litre
2) Bore-out the cylinder head & fit new pistons (now 2.3 litre)
3) Fit an after-market turbo-charger
4) Fit a straight-through exhaust system
5) Fit 19" alloy wheels and 235/35-profile V-rated radial tyres
6) Replace original brakes with Brembo ceramic disk brakes
7) Fit Porsche-style "whale-tail" spoiler to the rear
8) Uprate all springs and dampers
9) Fit Recaro racing seats
etc, etc...

Total investment (in time & money): About what it would have cost to buy a new Honda S2000 sports car.

The end result?

A vehicle that probably goes like a bat-out-of-hell in a straight line but handles like a dog through any tight, twisty back roads; looks like a Toyota; smells like a Toyota; sounds like a lawnmower on steroids; tastes like a Toyota; and - worst of all - is still just a Toyota!

The choice? For the same money:

a) Do the modded-Toyota "thing"
b) Buy the Honda S2000 instead

For my money? No brainer! The S2000 every time!

Having said the above - by way of hyperbole - the odd tweak can still be acceptible, provided the benefit outweighs the cost.

I, too, fitted the Trichord Clock 2 upgrade to a Rotel RCD965-BX back in the mid-1990's and - for the money - it was a viable and worthwhile exercise.

The message? All things in moderation! :-)

DevillEars

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Amplified Parts

---

[ Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]

---

[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]

---