Hi-Fi Projects You Can Do Over a Long Weekend

A long weekend is a rare gift, for anyone, but definitely for us, steeped in the world of audio. When I see a long weekend on the calendar, hmmmm, the entire Floyd catalog, or am I diving into the many lives of Bowie? Life happens, and we get these weekends all panned out before they ever occur.

But many of us who are into this hobby tend to be the kind that can't sit still without thinking of how something could be better, or even doing something about it.

Here are some great ways to work in and work out the kinks in your system over a long weekend. 

1. Reset Your Speaker Placement For Better Sound

Especially if you're having people over! (There are many one-seat-only listening spaces out there.)

Speaker placement is something that we leave alone once we get it right. And we do this by listening to a few tracks over and over, breaking out the measuring tape, the whole bit. But if it's been a while, it's good to revisit. After all, you have had hundreds of hours of listening at this point, and adjustment based on a more informed decision is what we are really talking about doing here.

Rebuild The Basics

• Re-measure the listening triangle
• Confirm toe-in
• Re-check rake angle (if applicable)
• Move your chair back to the center
• Clear first reflection points
• Restore the symmetry your room lost three living-room rearrangements ago
  

It’s shocking how often a quick placement tune-up outperforms an expensive upgrade. And if you want to try something different, check out [Breaking the Rules in Audio: A Speaker Placement Trick That Actually Works], which has helped a lot of listeners rethink their room.

2. Rebuild your Subwoofer Setup From Scratch For Cleaner, Deeper Bass

Like with speakers, this is something we tend to set up and forget once it's set up correctly. But again, like with speaker placement, if you haven't done this in a while, now's the time. You have so much more listening time with your subs and speakers than you did when you first set them up. Personally, I take the subs all the way back to zero and recalibrate once a year, and any time I move my speakers….so perfect timing if you took the advice of step one. 

Don’t tweak your sub—restart your sub.

Start fresh:

• Reset crossover.
• Reset phase.
• Reset gain.
• Experiment with new placement options, including corners, mid-wall positions, and the “crawl” method.

Most subs end up sitting where they fit, not where they sound best. A complete redo can take your system from “Yep, there’s the sub” to “Wow, the bass is coming from everywhere and nowhere.”

If you haven’t re-baselined your low end in a year or more, you’re overdue. If you want a deeper exploration of why integration matters so much, [REL Subwoofers: Finishing the Work Your Speakers Started] is a great resource.

3. Clean Up Your Cabling For Lower Noise and Better Performance

It's like Christmas when cables arrive. I get the package, I open it, drool a little, and then put them in the system. Unless I'm directly testing or A/B reviewing, these will likely stay in place for a while. You should reevaluate, maybe once a year or when you make major changes to your audio cables. Making sure there are no unnecessary interferences, cables are actually plugged in snugly, and not falling out, and for audio-sake, dust! Dust is the enemy of electronics.

Behind every great system is a terrifying mess of wires somehow held together by tension and hope. Let’s fix that.

Start with Cable Cleanup

• Unplug and re-seat every connector.
• Separate power and signal paths (seriously, keep ’em separated)
• Replace fraying or chaotic zip-ties
• Label everything — your future self will thank you
• Remove adapters or splitters you don’t need
• Dust the disaster zone behind your rack
• Bonus points: Lift the speaker and power cables off the carpet to reduce interference

Small changes here can lower noise, reduce hum, improve airflow, and restore your sense of audiophile dignity. If you want to dive into cable materials, shielding, and myths, check out [2025 Guide to Understanding Audio Cables: Myths, Materials & Choosing the Right Ones].

Then, Do a Quick Power Check-In

It doesn’t need its own project, just a few smart adjustments while you’re already behind the rack.

• Reseat all IEC connectors
• Confirm nothing is halfway out of the wall
• Remove daisy-chained power strips
• Vacuum the vents and heat sinks
• Make sure amps have real airflow
• Check for loose or worn wall outlets
• Keep wall warts away from sensitive gear
  

Your sound is limited—or elevated—by the quality and organization of the power feeding it. Cable dressing lowers noise, reduces hum, improves airflow, and makes you look like a functional human being instead of an electrician who quit mid-project.

If you want the full breakdown of conditioners, regenerators, strips, and the wall, [Hi-Fi Power Guide: Wall Outlet vs. Power Strip vs. Conditioner vs. Regenerator] goes deep into what matters.

4. Clean Your Records for Quieter, Better Vinyl Playback

Clean your records, please. It's not a huge task; it's part of the ritual, and your ears and gear will thank you. Clean your records when you buy them new, before you play. Vinyl record factories are factories after all, not a clean room. Clean them after you play them, at least a quick wipe down.

Every spec of dust that's on your record is like an asteroid hurling towards your cartridge. 

Give your Vinyl a Proper Cleaning:

• Clean your records when you buy them — even brand-new LPs come from factories, not clean rooms
• Give every record a proper wet clean before its first play
• Wipe records after every listening session to remove dust and debris
• Use an ultrasonic or vacuum cleaner for deeper maintenance
• Replace old or paper sleeves with anti-static inner sleeves
• Reduce static buildup with a brush or anti-static tool before playback
• Inspect your stylus regularly — a clean stylus starts with clean records
  

So much noise in vinyl playback isn’t in the groove, it’s in the grime.  A clean, optimized streaming setup can reveal details and ease you didn’t realize were missing. If you want a deeper walkthrough of proper care, storage, and tools, [The Audiophile’s Guide to Record Care] is your next stop.

5. Refresh Your Digital Signal Chain For Better Streaming Quality

This is another one that we tend to set up and forget. That's the people who get their streamer, and as soon as it starts playing music, they are done, and the people who spend hours setting up in the beginning. It's worth revisiting your digital chain to make sure you're optimized for the best streaming you can get out of your gear. Have you updated the firmware? Are you using the correct path for upscaling, etc? 

Most people use the default streaming settings… and the defaults are almost always wrong.

Tighten Up Your Digital Chain:

• Enable bit-perfect playback
• Confirm your DAC is receiving the correct sample rate
• Turn off unnecessary DSP
• Clear cache and old app data
• Reboot your streamer and router cleanly
• Update firmware
• Remove unused devices from your network
• Reduce packet loss by hardwiring if possible
  

Refreshing your list is part of building better listening habits. For a more emotional reset, [Rediscovering the Joy of Music: How to Fall in Love with Listening Again] is a great read. 

6. Refresh Your Reference Playlist

Are you using the same old tracks? Good — you should. Familiar reference tracks are your baseline. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep adding to your list or organizing it for different purposes. I’m constantly updating mine. Sometimes I’ll hear a track and think, That’s a great soundstage test, or that bass line reveals everything. Other times, it’s something I catch in a review or a blog that makes me stop and add it to the rotation.

It’s always worth keeping your reference list fresh. Another big one: whether you’re streaming or spinning vinyl, make sure you’re using the same version every time. Don’t just say “Life on Mars”, consistently use the mastering or pressing, you know. For example, if your reference is the 1999 remaster from The Best of Bowie, stick to that, or whichever version you like. Consistency is everything when you’re listening for changes.

Every audiophile needs a handful of tracks they know inside and out. But reference playlists get stale over time, and systems change. This weekend, build a new one.

Add tracks that test:

• Bass integration
• Microdetail
• Imaging
• Dynamics
• Vocal clarity
• Tonal balance
• Emotional connection
  

Mix in old favorites with new discoveries. A refreshed reference playlist becomes your everyday calibration tool for the next year.

Where to Find New Reference Tracks

Check what other audiophiles are using.

Forums and community threads are gold mines — especially when you’re dialing in something specific like speaker placement, bass integration, or soundstage.

Look at what manufacturers recommend.

Many brands list their own test tracks in manuals or FAQs. If it’s what they used to voice the gear, it’s worth hearing. Check this example out on Rel’s site

Borrow from reviewers.

Reviewers often mention the tracks or albums they used to evaluate a component. I’ve discovered some of my best reference tracks this way.

Pay attention when a song grabs you.

When something hits you,  a vocal texture, a bass line, a sense of space, add it immediately. Your ears usually know before your notes do. (plus you want to be able to stand hearing it on repeat) 

Keep separate playlists for different tests.

Soundstage, bass, detail, and tonality all need different tracks. A little organization goes a long way.

Take the Weekend to Fall in Love With Your System Again

None of these projects cost anything.

None requires new gear.

And every one of them can help unlock a better, cleaner, more revealing version of the system you already own.

A long weekend is the perfect time to slow down, listen deeper, and make meaningful improvements that last well beyond Monday.