Anyone HEARD the qol 'signal completion' device?

I just ordered a unit. Hope to have it this weekend.

I will be posting my impression of the Qol this weekend.

Peterayer, The Qol will be in addition to the isloation you've already done. I would not call it an active approach.

Roscoeiii,
I agree the only sure way of evaluating a piece of equipment is to try it in your own system and room.
All other remarks are just unsubstantiated opinions.

Someone mentioned on another thread about the H-Cat Preamp and was comparing it in there opinion (without trying the Qol) to the Qol unit.
My comment to that is, a few years back I did buy the H-Cat Preamp but I could not detect an improvement so I sold it.
I am going to use that same process with the Qol.

Well, I am expecting much better results from the Qol unit than the last few posts have described.
I'll just have to wait and hear it in my own system this weekend.

Just got my unit off the Fed Ex Truck.
It was really cold so I waited a while before turning it on.
I added a 1 Amp HiFI tuning fuse that I had , and I had another balanced interconnect that was the same as my others. I also had a Synergistic Tesla T2 power cord that I plugged into the Powercell.

First impression, it does increase the sound level. I also think it sounds a little bright.
But, it was fresh out of the box , I'll let it break in a few days before I comment further.

Mihalis, I see you have some interconnects that cost more than the Qol.
What type of interconnect did you use with the Qol. You know that the Qol is in the signal path and a lesser interconnect than what you are used to would result in the conditions you descibed.
Anyway, you have a mighty fine system, but I still like the Qol.

I have also posted my review of the BSG Qol after 7 days of continuous use in the Audiogon section under Preamps.

BSG Qol Review February 2012.

I received my Qol unit late in the day last Saturday via Fed Ex. The Qol unit was very cold when I unpackaged it so I let it rest. Still, I was curious as heck so I did manage to play it for about 30 minutes that night.
I installed the Qol between My Pass XP-10 Preamp and Pass Labs X350.5 Amp. I was fortunate because I had another set of balanced interconnects just like my others and a Synergistic Tesla Power cord just like my others and I even had a 1A spare HIFI Tuning fuse available.

First impression, I thought it sounded kind of bright and with limited, if any, sound quality improvement.
The next day on Sunday, I played the Qol for a while, but again, I thought it was kind of bright sounding. I attributed it to needing some break in time. I then hooked the Qol up to a tuner and continuously played music 24/7 even when I was not actually listening to my music.

Well, I am a little embarrassed to post this but what the heck.
My earlier thoughts about the Qol sounding a little bright and the sound quality lacking turned out to be because I am using way too many speaker tweaks.
I found that the spades of my AudioPrism ground controls were touching the copper body of my Walker HDL Links, (On both L and R sides). In essence it was shorting out. It must have occurred when I was rerouting some of the cabling. Once I separated them the brightness went away, the sound quality greatly improved and the soundstage expanded every which way. I could actually hear that change occur when I was behind my speakers.
I wonder if I should just remove all of my speaker tweaks? Maybe later.

Since then, I have continued to break in the Qol by continually playing music through it. I believe the sound quality is still improving. So, anyone who says it is plug and play is not getting the full potential of the unit. Not sure how long the break in should take but 200 hours seems to work best for most electronic components.

Well my room also has problems that were preventing me from fully enjoying the Qol.
The Qol is certainly a different animal than what I have been used to. The Qol needs open area to do its magic.

So first off, I have had in my room for about a decade Argent Room Lenses.
For those unfamiliar to this room correction item, they are made with 3 pipes attached to a stand called dark matter. Anyway, the pipes are designed to work as a Helmholtz Resonator. There are 3 of these units in the room. Two were flanking the outer side of the speakers and one in the center of the room. These units worked fantastic, especially before my basement dedicated room was finished and I installed defined walls.
The Room Lens captured the side reflections and defined the soundstage.

Anyway, the Qol unit works almost the opposite by expanding the soundstage. So, I removed the Argent Room Lens from the room and played some music, and yes, the soundstage opened up.

The other problem I had was my Eggleston Andra 2 speakers were extremely toed in. The Toe in angle was so much that the image was directed to the center of my head. The music sounded like Olivia Newton John had her tongue in my ear. Not necessary a bad thing, but not correct for the recorded soundstage.
Well these speakers weigh 215 lbs and have 2” Audio Point spikes on them making it very difficult to just change the toe in angle.

I found that Herbie Labs sells a glider designed for Speaker spikes and with this glider I could move the speakers. So I ordered a set of them.

I received the Speaker spike Gliders a few days later and I went about reducing the amount of toe in. After the change, the soundstage became enormous.
I now have my speakers just about at a 90 degree angle and 36” from the side walls. But I will continue to experiment with placement further.

Well now it is almost 7 days later, how does the Qol sound? One of the big benefits of the Qol is the change in dynamics. I mean it is actually hard to find a volume set point to just leave alone. The music can go from soft to loud in a heartbeat. Funny, that even though the music appears to be quite louder, my Pass Labs Amp meter moves very little. This indicates to me that the increased dynamics is not pulling anymore current from my Amp.

With the Qol engaged, the music takes on a natural sound and image. The soundstage becomes very wide and deep. My speakers virtually disappear. I know that is said all the time, and before the Qol I thought my set up was awesome, but with the Qol you can hear deep into the recordings. The center image is the best I have ever heard. I can now hear background singers clearer and my toe tapping has increased.
The frequency extremes are heard with an authority. What I mean by that is that they are no longer buried in the mix but sound like they were part of the intended sound, if that makes sense.
Not all recordings were as hyped up as others. I guess each recording has its own reverb, echo, and different out of phase anomalies.

So the $4000 question, is it worth the money ?...
Well, if you want the deepest, widest soundstage and the wildest dynamics your components can handle, what price is that worth to you?
For me, it’s a keeper, no question.

Kclone,Peterayer.

Good questions.
I think all recordings are improved. It's just some recordings have a little more depth than others. I don’t even bother to toggle the Qol in and out anymore, but when I did ,there was volume difference between Qol engaged and not.

Once I got the shorting issue resolved the improvement was apparent and immediate. Changing the room treatments and the speaker positions just added to the improvement.

Jwm, I have only tried it between Preamp and Amp because I wanted to use the dual balanced outs for my main and JL Subs.

Dev, Still enjoying the Andra's. I thought I had my Speakers pretty well dialed in too before trying the Qol.
No, I have'nt removed it from my system to compare with or without in the system. Maybe someday, but for now I don't see the need. I am happy.
But,everyone has different tastes, different ears and different systems. Only sure way to tell is to try it in your system.

The point on cables is a good one. I was fortunate to have an extra pair of balanced cables that were the same that I use throughout. Adding a different cable for the Qol will result in the sound being different than what you are used to hearing. That in itself could lead to thinking it is bright or colored sounding.

But contrary to what others have posted, I think the unit needs some break in time, just as every other electronic components does.

Peterayer, There are no mixed reports from those of us that either own or have tried a Qol in our own system. We all think its the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Just trying to revive the Qol. There are now 2 recent reviews of the BSG Qol. One is in Stereo Times and the other is in Dagogo

Peterayer,
Well, the price tag could cause Buyers remorse. Its hard to believe that anyone would not approve of the sound quality though. But, to each his own.

I have tried the Qol unit every which way. Moving around my Andra's was to grab all the soundstage that the Qol would provide.

Onhwy61, I reread your question and I am sorry, I just don't know how to answer it.

Ait, I believe I have read that the unit is sealed. But I dont how. There are screws that look like they are holding the cover on. I may try to take it off someday when I have some time.

Peterayer, When I toggle in and out the soundstage flattens. I knew it was an improvement even when I was behind the speakers. It's almost like turning on a light in a darkened room.
Now, I just leave the Qol on all the time.

Douglas, I disagree with your assessment of the Qol.
Just because you did a review in one of the on line rags of an unrelated item does not mean your opinion is the only opinion. It is still only your opinion.

Perhaps the unit you tested was defective. Which dealer did you get yours from to demo?
I would like to see if I can also try that unit and compare it to mine.

All you are saying is that more is less. That line we all agree. But, does a subwoofer help in a quality system? Does Biwiring help? How about NOS Tubes?
Or a particular Power cord, dedicated circuits all of these help create the sound we appreciate?

You are merely stating your opinion not fact. I suspect you did't even try one. Who was the dealer?

I personally find the Qol to increase clarity and definition, just the opposite of what you stated.
Perhaps, you have your speakers wired out of phase.

I owned the Legacy Focus and I preferred them over the Whisper's that I believe you now own. The Whisper had a narrow sound stage and a strange bass quality. But again that is my opinion.

Don't discredit an item just because you have to add another set of interconnect cables.

Douglas, Sorry for my ranting. And yes, you did hit a nerve. It’s just that there are so many postings from so called "experts" that have never heard the Qol. When I first read Doug Schroeder posting it sounded like just another so called expert chiming in without really hearing it. Then when another poster asked if he had ever heard one then Douglas said, yes with multiple units. Why that wasn't stated in his first reply, I don’t' know.

I assure you I owned the Focus speakers just look at my previous reviews. But, the comment I made about the Whisper speakers was to show that we all have different tastes when it comes to our systems. And perhaps the Whisper speaker is not the right design to appreciate the Qol.

Douglas and Sabai, as one can tell, I sometimes don't agree with "Reviewers" and there comments should not be considered as fact. I just don't want people to form an opinion of the Qol without actually trying it.

Dev, were cool and I hope I didn’t offend Douglas either because he has been a long time Audiogonners who's information has been very helpful.

Actually, the Qol should have included some sort of high quality volume control. Be it passive or active. It already has enough multiple inputs and outputs.
With the addition of a volume control the Qol could have replaced my Preamp and the extra cable , thus taking more electronics out of the chain.

Thanks Douglas, I look forward to the review.
I guess I am so impressed with the Qol unit, that I can't believe anyone else would not be.

I read the same comments in Audionervosa by another so called "expert". Hogwash I say!
There is no phasey sound, it sounds all natural.
The Qol just sounds like the whole signal is now being heard. If the Recording has a lot of reverb in it , then the sound may sound deeper in that regards. If the recording has no special processing then the Qol just makes it sound more refreshing and open.
The Qol may be based on older technology or maybe not.

Madfloyd, I agree that a highly qualified Recording Engineer should be able to produce just about any type of effect that his recording board can create.
But with that ability, my question is then, why do so many recording's sound so crappy?
If he can produce the quality of the Qol in the recording process then do it!

Interesting. I was playing around with different locations with my speakers and I noticed that depending upon their placement, my speakers sounded louder.

When I moved my speakers closer together (maybe 2 feet closer) the music lost some of its dynamics and sounded softer. When I found the right spot which was much wider, the music became more dynamic and seemingly louder.

I have never experienced this before. I mean, I have moved the speakers before in and out, side to side, to lock in the center image and bass and so on. But, never has the perceived loudness increased. I wonder if this was due to the Qol.

Any of you Qol owners noticed this?
I need to try this again without the Qol in the system.

Gcsakakini, Glad you like the Qol. I have had mine for over a month. I could never go back now. I leave the Qol on all the time.
Did you happen to notice what I posted above? When I moved my speakers a little, they locked in place and the dyanmics really shined.
That's probably why the 6 moons review on the Qol was so confusing. They used 7 different unfamiliar systems that were'nt really dialed in.

Same message I left on the Tech Talk section.

Oddiophool, the 6 moons review was poorly written, I couldn’t tell if they liked it or not.
Suffice to say I find all their reviews too flowery with little substance. The Qol needs to be listened with the volume left alone instead of constantly fiddling with it like they did in the review. The dynamics is one of its main virtues.
Plus they tried it in so many systems with so many different listeners. Terrible way to do an analyis.

Mihalis, It's a good thing you can send it back. You would have been disapointed if you had to keep it.

I however, really enjoy the Qol in my system and I have neither of the negatives you mention. I also think it is a very good looking unit with very good inputs and outputs. The bottons on my unit seem to be well made, so I am not sure what your complaint of them is, but they are rarely used because my Qol is always on.

I certainly don't doubt that you were not impressed by the Qol, but I'll keep mine.

Mihalis, So are you keeping the Qol?

Teajay, "minor changes", Wow! Have you had your hearing checked lately?
Just kidding, what kind of speakers are you using?

Peterayer, It does not appear that you have actually tried the Qol Unit. Have you ?

Based on the last couple of posts,I decided to try my Qol after my source. I'll give it a few days of playing before passing judgement with my system.

Well, I played the Qol this weekend hooked up after the source (Cary 306 Pro CD player) instead of between my Pass Preamp and Pass Amp as I have played it for several months.

Though it sounded nice after the source, when I returned the Qol to after the Preamp the Qol magic returned.
Better dynamics, depth and more lifelike sound.

I'm still enjoying my Qol. Well worth the investment.

You guys should read a VERY well written review of the Qol by Wslam in the members review section.
Awesome!

Peterayer, I still own and enjoy the QOL. It is important to bring your speakers closer together to capture the center image properly.

Csontos, I doubt if it is similair. It looks like BSG has just been granted a patten on their design.

No, I have'nt tried Mono.

A few of my comments on the Qol.

First off everyone thinks that there systems are very resolving so to me that has nothing to do with whether you will be impressed by the Qol.
The better the system the more the Qol will impress.

Next, using the Qol will require moving your speakers closer together otherwise you will get the effect of too much extreme right or left. I didn't have to move mine much, perhaps 6" each but that totaled a foot closer. Depending upon your room and how far apart your speakers are to start with you may have to move them even closer together.

You will need another interconnect that is at least the equal of your other interconnects. Otherwise you are not hearing the full potential.
I am using mine with my HiDiamond Interconnects and power cords.

And finally, the cost of the Qol makes us not want to like it. I know I was trying to figure out how it was not to my liking so I could save my money. But in the end, I had to give in to the fact that the Qol really added a dimension to the music that brought it closer to real live music sounding.

I couldn't be happier with the Qol.
But as what has already been posted "to each his own".

Don't let other opinions make your decision to not try it.

Marc777, I have never taken mine out of my system again.
Awesome piece of equipment!

Still a top notch improvement in audio performance. Regardless of price.

Jon2020, I don't see the ads in the magazines anymore, so I also wonder what happened.
But, I'm still using the QOL.