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Fun Little Project for improving Dynamics

Fun little project, or Tweak that will improve system dynamics, soundstage, frequency extremes.

Try using Amethyst crystals. Get them in small sizes and unprocessed. I bought a pound on EBay for $10 including shipping.

To clean the unprocessed crystals prior to use, I soak the crystals in distilled water with Aquarium salt. Mixing it to become a strong sea salt mixture and letting them soak for about 8+ hours.
Then pour off the sea salt and soak the crystals with 90% or better alcohol for about an hour. After that, drain off the alcohol and rinse well with just distilled water.
Finally, let the crystals dry in a bowl in the sun.

Start with placing small amounts (25-40 crystals) in the plastic baggy things and tape the bag over your Circuit breakers to your system or on top of power cables IEC/Male end.
You can even buy at Radio Shack small project boxes. When using these types of boxes I put a lot more of the crystals in them.
You can use Blu Tack or 3M tape to stick these project boxes to outlet strips, junction boxes, over outlets, etc.

For reasons still unclear to me, it may take a few weeks (perhaps as much as 4 weeks) to sound good.

But, when it does, the dynamics will improve and so will the overall sound stage and frequency extremes.

Please note:
Too much of the crystals may actually surpress the dynamics, but with the baggies you can experiment with how much of the crystals to use.

I have experimented with all kinds of different crystals, from Topaz, to Tourmaline, to Quartz and etc. The Amethyst crystals seem to work the best.
ozzy

Showing 6 responses by sebrof

sebrof's avatar
sebrof
837 posts
 
>>"No BS. For $10 on E-Bay you can try this and speak with some meaningful knowledge instead of snarking at those not afraid to experiment. I can't explain it and I won't try."<<

Ptm - I'll explain it.
You made a change and you believe it made a difference. There is no mysterious unexplained phenomenon. I don't need to try it to understand that. If i did try it i would probably believe it too. Just google around and read about how we mistakenly perceive things in our environment. Start with the McGurk effect. Fascinating.
sebrof's avatar
sebrof
837 posts
 
Ozzy - Glowing reviews from folks that made a change and believe they heard a difference no doubt. Kinda made my point.
I'm not saying these things do or don't, just saying that a lot of the "I have no idea how or why" tweaks can be easily explained. Very easily.
Did you see the McGurk thing? That's the kind of thing that makes me very skeptical of a lot of what I read on these forums.
sebrof's avatar
sebrof
837 posts
 
Thanks cbw. But I'm specifically addressing the part of the post that said he had no idea how or why it worked. Those are the things im talking about. Preams and speakers are in the signal chain, there is no mystery why or how they would change the signal.
It just seems that too often we are willing to completely disregard the most obvious and also most likely explanation. I guess that makes the hobby more fun for a lot of us, the mysteries and experiments and all. I guess I'd rather get to the bottom of things.
Again- the crystals may work, but there is no evidence to support it to my knowledge. And there is information to support that he who added crystals would hear a difference. Let him do as magfan suggested, have someone remove the bags. My guess is he would not be able to tell.
sebrof's avatar
sebrof
837 posts
 
Ozzy - You read into my posts that I am saying there is no way the crystals can work. I am not saying that.
I read into your posts that you are saying there is no way it can be anything but the crystals changed the music. I'm saying I disagree with that, that there is another (IMO more likely) explanation, and that so often on these forums it is completely disregarded as if it does not exist.
I won't try the crystals because I see absolutely nothing to lead me to believe they do anything.
Testimonials? - Google "magnetic bracelet" and read the testimonials of the people who could not walk... I don't believe in these either.

What you are experiencing could be this, or it could be that. To support "this" we have hundreds of testimonials. To support "that" we have a very large pile of information. I'm putting my money on that, until something is added to the this pile.
sebrof's avatar
sebrof
837 posts
 
I just bought Zu Omens - 60 day money back. I'll keep them or not on how they sound. If I looked at specs only I certainly would not have look at Zu (I've not seen Omen specs, but Druids with similar driver look terrible). They sound pretty good, btw. I may keep them.

I never, ever said anything about crazy, never said anything about they do not work. I can post that 100 times and still you assume I am saying it's crazy and that I say they do not work. That's another related side note - Anyone who questions is closed minded and has no opinion unless they try it. Anyone who brings up the fact that there is more to suggest an unexplained tweak can be explained has their words twisted.
All I am saying is that I don't get that people do not acknowledge that it may be something other than the unexplained tweak that changed the sound.
I went through this a while ago with fuse direction. The guys kept telling me to try it, I don't know what I am missing. I resisted because I knew what would happen. I eventually tried it and guess what - No change. You say there was no change because I had a closed mind, I disagree. I say they heard a change because of something else entirely. btw: Crystals - I am skeptical and say it is probably not the crystals but who knows, there could be something to it. Fuse direction - I say no way, no how. But I could be wrong.
Oz, I'm sorry to be a wet sponge on your tweak. My point was only "Don't you guys think there could be another reason you like the crystals?" I do, apparently you don't.
Peace.
sebrof's avatar
sebrof
837 posts
 
03-05-11: Mark3d
"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance — that principle is contempt prior to investigation." Herbert Spence

"There is a principle which is a bar against death, which cannot fail to keep a man alive longer — that principle is not jumping off the roof while flapping one's arms to make sure it doesn't work." Sebrof
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