I've been performing experiments lately on my directional interconnects. I'd read that hanging them vertically for a few weeks and brushing them in a downwards direction for an hour or so a day helps align the crystal lattice and reduce listening fatigue.
I thought I'd try using magnetism, by running a horseshoe magnet along their length while they were hanging. While it worked very well to align the crystal lattice, the polarisation due to having both poles of the magnet in close proximity has had a deleterious effect on soundstage and stereo imaging. I'm left with cables that, while they aren't as fatiguing as new ones out of the box, are significantly less dynamic and have muddy field.
Rather than abandoning the idea of magnetism, I instead came up with using a toroidal transformer, making use of the balanced nature of the fields through the center of the core. By running that down the cable while it hung from a hook, I was able to increase the soundstage significantly, while also reducing the fatiguing effect due to the crystal lattice discontinuities. Hooking the transformer to a DC power supply in constant current mode was the final "ahah!" moment - suddenly I've got reduced distortion, increased soundstage, and a huge drop in inter-stage mistiness. I swear I can hear Gilmour fart three minutes and eleven seconds into wish you were here!
I thought I'd try using magnetism, by running a horseshoe magnet along their length while they were hanging. While it worked very well to align the crystal lattice, the polarisation due to having both poles of the magnet in close proximity has had a deleterious effect on soundstage and stereo imaging. I'm left with cables that, while they aren't as fatiguing as new ones out of the box, are significantly less dynamic and have muddy field.
Rather than abandoning the idea of magnetism, I instead came up with using a toroidal transformer, making use of the balanced nature of the fields through the center of the core. By running that down the cable while it hung from a hook, I was able to increase the soundstage significantly, while also reducing the fatiguing effect due to the crystal lattice discontinuities. Hooking the transformer to a DC power supply in constant current mode was the final "ahah!" moment - suddenly I've got reduced distortion, increased soundstage, and a huge drop in inter-stage mistiness. I swear I can hear Gilmour fart three minutes and eleven seconds into wish you were here!
What about suppleness added to the bass equation? I don't know why so many damn audiophile Luddites ignore this soul-lifting quality, including in this thread. Supple bass quality. Once you hear an amp and speaker that add suppleness to the bass equation, other equations are false.
Without supple bass, you and your species are doomed.
On a more (or less, both apply equally) serious note: I found this report thoroughly "revealing" of Stereophile's value or lack of same. I'm almost positive it was Michael Fremer "reviewing" a $100k+ Wilson Audio "update" of a prior speaker model. Fremer often alleges how great is his ear. He states the new model absolutely goes lower than the prior model, after which Atkinson measures the bass in Fremer's test room, revealing the exact opposite. Stereophile generally (though not always) ignores the fact that the sum total effect of bass modes on perceived bass performance positively dwarfs alleged audible differences they attribute to amps and speakers.
Without supple bass, you and your species are doomed.
On a more (or less, both apply equally) serious note: I found this report thoroughly "revealing" of Stereophile's value or lack of same. I'm almost positive it was Michael Fremer "reviewing" a $100k+ Wilson Audio "update" of a prior speaker model. Fremer often alleges how great is his ear. He states the new model absolutely goes lower than the prior model, after which Atkinson measures the bass in Fremer's test room, revealing the exact opposite. Stereophile generally (though not always) ignores the fact that the sum total effect of bass modes on perceived bass performance positively dwarfs alleged audible differences they attribute to amps and speakers.
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Its not fair, there are loads of snakes in Australia to make oil from, in Europe we hardly have any and companies have to import them or breed them at great cost, 'elf and safety and all that so that puts it out of the range for all but the most solvent of amateurs. Once genetically engineered snakes that can survive in these climes become available we will be able to take you Aussies on at your own game.
I really hope you’re using a PTFE funnel, not an ABS one. I shudder at the effect an ABS funnel would have on intermods.
Wow, I’d never have thought the interconnects could have an impact on bass suppleness. I’ve been rubbing argan oil into my bass cones for years to improve suppleness, as I can’t stand brittle bass. I wonder if oiling the interconnects would help.
Here’s a thought, you could build hollow oil-filled interconnects (of course using PTFE insulation), with symmetrical balanced linear crystal conductors. That and the balanced magnetic field from the toroidal magnet would have to be audio perfection.
I’ve trained my drop bear to hold the magnet for me. Simplifies the whole process considerably.
Remember the gravitational contamination is dependent on the height above ground...perhaps we could this in zero G?
----------------------------------------------------------------------Rick.........
I've had one drop in front of me and I was sure it wanted to tear my face off. Cute as an old boot with slobber on it.
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