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In Reply to: RE: Teflon Tape on Tube Bakelite posted by Dryginger2 on November 02, 2014 at 22:47:08
"So often the use of Teflon tape around AC alters sound by eliminating certain frequencies"
What specific frequencies are you referring to and how does tape eliminate them?
Follow Ups:
Ubiquitous Biscuit,
A roll of yellow Teflon Tape for Gas costs $4.39 + sales tax here today in The U.S. and perhaps a little more more in Canada. Rather than wasting both our time on your continued attempt at stalking, why not invest in a roll, put some on the base of the prongs of your amplifier and answer the question with your own ears? That's a rhetorical question of course. The ill-intent of stalkers repels the natural human instinct to help in others and leaves self-help as the only way forward. Good luck!
DG
of constrained layer damping is well known. 3M makes a variety.of products, as well as Marigo. Wrapping teflon tape works similarly.
defining the exact effect is difficult as it is dependent on layers applied and tension used. It is also dependent on tube used
(make). If you ever disassemble a tube, grid windings and gauges can vary considerably. Couple that with.mica sheet configuration, and huge variables abound.
While Dupont mentions a larger mass molded Teflon device, perhaps for larger scale non-audiophile applications, the Dupont Teflon PTFE Properties Handbook includes Teflon as an effective vibration control material with excellent vibration dampening properties both at sonic and ultrasonic frequencies (see PDF file download link below):
-snip-
Miscellaneous
Molded TeflonŽ PTFE fluoropolymer resins have excellent vibration dampening properties both at sonic and ultrasonic frequencies. Installations for this purpose have been very successful. The thickness of material required must be sufficient to absorb the energy produced and is usually determined experimentally.
-snip-
Duster,
Had previously installed a Marigo Audio White VTS Tuning Dot on each removable RAM chip of the computer that plays ripped tracks from an external drive and they caused a nice increase in musical detail.
Today I inserted a narrow single strip of Teflon tape between the side edge and the retaining clip of each chip and heard a 300% greater improvement. For those of us playing music out of our computers this is a most rewarding application.
DG
Just saw this post. Do you really mean to say that the sound was 3-fold better because of a piece of teflon tape? When I see statements like that, I have to think that the sound was fairly poor or mediocre to start with, with noticeable deficits in frequency response and obvious distortion. Was that the case?
Lew,
The threefold improvement was in relation to the initial audible, but small, improvement contributed by a Marigo Audio White VTS Tuning Dot on each RAM chip.
DG
many plastics have excellent damping properties. 3M manufectures.many as does Du Pont.
The 3M tube dampeners i mentioned was left over from some aerospace project which got canned. As such, it was unfortunately a limited availibility product. In examining other 3M products, the closest i can find (limited resources) is the substrate used in their VHB tapes, clear substrate, red backing tape. Very sticky, though, and definitely heat sensitive, as was.original tube dampers. It worked fine on small signal tubes, though i would avoid using them on power tubes (they melt).
I believe they are a polyurethane construction, FWIW. They have a phenonenal ability to stretch and then recover, probably an explanation for their damping abilities.
FWIW and YMMV
Try wrapping teflon tape on your volume control and selector switch knob. I prefer the old 3M clear urethane tube dampeners set so they barely touch the faceplate. They add a degree of clarity which can be surprising.
O rings work but not as well.
Uncle Stu,
Applying your suggestion, I substituted a wrapping of yellow Gas Teflon Tape (a dozen times each) around the spindles of the amplifier selector and volume controls for the manufacturer's foam left against the front face-plate and re-attached the three knobs. The increase in clarity was indeed most unexpected. Thank you.
Substituting that tape for the cork between the interior of the amplifier case and the Interconnect input unit brought another comparable improvement in revealed fine detail definition.
I continue to be indebted to your OLD tweak of 10-1-14 re. substituting brass for ferrous screws on speakers since that led me into further substantial sound improvements from substituting nylon for stainless-steel screws on the amplifier, DAC, its external power supply, and tube buffer.
DG
so i tried some wraps i had on hand on my output transformers on my st-70. weird how this stuff works. i just step back and am surprised each time.
sometimes nothing happens like when I moved these shungite pyramids around on top of different things. then i just put three of them on top of an outboard power supply for a mofo v-lps phono pre and bing - and at first i thought i wasted a whole $10 on them. lol.
i tried this as well, substituting screws on transformers on my Hagerman preamp and phono preamp for an increase in holographic presence. whew - sounds impressive. lol.replaced the thick screw/nut on the ttorroidal transformer in my LittleDot headphone amp with a brass screw /w cork top & bottom. payoff was a more colorful sound and could follow music threads better - or at least it was more fun to follow them.
All for ~$6.oo
Thanks, Stu
Edits: 11/05/14
no thanks needed, but i do appreciate it.
just glad at least you and DG are using the few tweaks i've noticed over the years.
tuff as hell to get those screws of the cornet's transformer - but i did. what did you use to secure 'em? and the screws were hacked on the slots. where there is a will there is a way. got the brass screws on there. not complaining, just a good feeling of accomplishment. ;-) also a picture of the copper tape/damper on the rectifier.
Uncle Stu + Ringwear,
Shame for the false 'Stainless Steel' that lingers in its hole while 'Brass' of 'Audiophilia' is on the march for Tone:-)
(..."Shame for the false Etruscan who lingers in his home while Porsena of Clusium is on the march for Rome.")
DG
Must it be yellow tape? Does it matter which direction it is wound, CW or CCW?
Peace,
Damp Garlic
Since heat is an issue inside many components, I use yellow Gas Teflon Tape on the assumption that it has the highest temperature rating and have done so in lengths, not circles. Direction is an issue with signal over wire rather than damping material.
I'm not questioning the tweak, I am interested in the missing frequencies. It's a relevant question and I thought it would interest the community if you could shed some light.
Thanks
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