Accessories
Buyer beware!
There are whole rafts of accessories for sale with a great many ‘claimed’ benefits for your system some good and some not so good. With the current trend of internet retailing, in an attempt bolster sales, you can purchase a widget to improve the performance of just about any aspect of your system. I would suggest you speak to your local Hi Fi store prior to parting with your hard earned cash.
I have heard systems where so many ‘enhancements’ had been made that the performance went in reverse. We stripped out the components and placed back the original cables and leads and it started to sing again. This customer would have had far greater value in upgrading his CD player or speakers.
Although the list is almost endless I would suggest some of the following accessories are of merit:
Record cleaning kits Invaluable if you are an avid vinyl collector and a record cleaning machine such as the excellent Okki Nokki is a must if you wish to get the best out of your black discs.
Hi Fi Racks
Not so much an accessory but an integral part of your system. A good solid, vibration free stand will help your system give of its best reducing any unwanted noise finding its way into your system. Speaker stands are equally important in helping your speaker give of their best.
Mains conditioners
Although I would not normally recommend one unless you have problems with your mains supply they can assist in overcoming problems with mains borne interference and in extreme cases too high or low voltage supply which is common in the islands.
Headphones
Not really an accessory but a true hi fi component. There are a number of reasons why you would wish to use headphones