What to do with small, leftover, bits of silver wire?

The answer, use them to replace the leads on your favourite MC cartridge.

The leads are held in place with heat-shrink tubing, and the fit is very good once the tube has shrunk around the wire and pin.

The results are were a pleasant surprise. Initial impressions are that there is a slight improvement in detail, with improved clarity in the highs. The obvious down side of this mod is that once in place, it is not possible to change the cartridge position in the head-shell. Also, if you are a believer in the skin effect, then these leads are going to tarnish and reduce this potential effect.

Despite the negatives mentioned, this has been a very successful upgrade and will stay in place for the foreseeable future.