The I Love Dead Batteries Club

  

Most people wouldn't hesitate to toss out their dead batteries. After all, they're dead, right? They have no use any longer, right? Or is that right?....🤔

Well, at the home of The Advanced Audiophile, we believe in recycling. At least, if it can improve our sound. And uh... little known fact: dead batteries = better sound. So I like to keep mine in a little box, for future use. 

It seems I might have covered a tweak like this in one of these articles, many years ago. But if so, this method is a new one, with more recent thinking behind it. I'd be the first to say, it's far from perfected, but... it's a start. 

The photos below, show how the batteries would be oriented.n.b. Double or triple A's could be used here. I did not test to see which size sounds better. But I tested each by 'feel', and found the AAAs to have a better 'energy'. 

The Atomic Kiss Method:   

Tape two AAA batteries at both ends of an RCA interconnect patch cable. Like so: The batteries are to be placed on the cable, just before the connector. Both batteries are to have their + terminals facing toward the opposite end of the cable.  The batteries are to be located just before the plugs of the connectors. The wires are in between, sandwiched by the batteries, and held on to the wire with electrical tape. Repeat same orientation at the other end of the cable.   (n.b. The same method could be used on an AC cable as well).    

Correctly done, this produces a thick, slow, rich, luscious, smooth, dark-ish sort of sound. With a lowered tension energy signature, as a bonus. Some may not like their sound getting darker, though. Fortunately, at the offices of The Advanced Audiophile, we have solutions for everybody... 

 

The Atomic Kiss Method - With Cheese: 

There are several ways to counteract the 'darkies'. Here's one... same formula as above, but tie a reef knot in the centre of the cable. Of course, if you have snake hose cables, like some of my interconnects, this ain't gonna work. It's best for your garden variety audio or video interconnect cable. This sound may not be as large or luscious as the method above. But, it is still an overall improvement, and more balanced, between highs and lows. 

1) Start by forming a simple knot, then threading the cable twice, around the knot,  and then it goes under the loop. As pictured: 

 

 

2) Then the wire is threaded around the right side of the knot, and then it goes under the loop. As pictured:

 

Finally, the reef knot is made smaller, by pulling on the plug end of the cable, while gripping the top of the knot. As pictured:

 

 

 

The Earthward Method:

 

The "Atomic Kiss" method, if repeated numerous times, can easily create a too-heavy sound. You'll know it when you hear it. So, another variation to achieve a more balanced sound, is this one. Its sound might be described as a combination of the sound of the previous two methods.

Here, all four AAA batteries are taped to the centre of the cables. Since there are no reef knots here, any interconnect cables can be used. Whether they are attached, or separate. But the cables should be free to dangle (behind the equipment), with the batteries in the centre.

Two AAA batteries are to be taped on top of the two wires (in the centre of the cable), with their + (positive) end pointing toward the component's output jacks. Two more AAA batteries are to be taped on the bottom of the two wires (in the centre of the cable), with their - (negative) end pointing toward the component's input jacks. 

 

As pictured: