(Jolida) Black Ice Audio Foz SS-X Sound Enhancement

The upgrade was done by Black Ice.  I am not seeing this option now on their website.  The current “V2” designation is strictly cosmetic.

I am using a Synergistic Research fuse.  I think quality cables and proper vibration control are important.

I have little knowledge and experience with tubes.  When I got the idea to change it, I wanted a new option that I would want to keep.  This resulted in following recent information touting the Apos Ray fuse.  This is working well for me.

”I’d rather be lucky than smart.” 

Great thread. May have to try the FOZ.  I will call Black Ice, they are good people, once owned a Jolida Fusion preamp, a great product for the money. I recently purchased a pair of the Apos Ray 12au7s for my Rogue Audio Sphinx V3 to replace the stock JJs.

@sgordon1 Good info.  I have owned an SS-X for a few years.  When you say upgraded version is that a custom sent into BI upgrade or is it a newer version of the SS-X?  If newer version how do you identify it has beed upgraded? Also, on the tubes what tubes did you compare the Apos Ray tube to that it bested.  Thanks

Apos Ray 12au7 really takes the sound of SS-X to another level.

This tube is mentioned in other posts here, and is featured in many glowing reviews.  Highly recommended.

The upgraded version of SS-X is tremendous.

Call Jerod and get 'er done!

 

@sgordon1 

How does the upgrade SSX sound?

It still remains an integral part of my system and sounds as amazing as it did when I installed it. No regrets and no 'meh' syndrome. It is arguably a ’fix’ but what a fix it is. Set right, it is amazing. I haven’t experienced any ill effects or loss of any kind so I quit a/b-ing it many moons ago.  It took to my system like hand in glove.  

any idea how this compares to the decware zrock?

I tried one of these and found it took away a bit of transparency being an added link to the chain. It did do what it said but the transparency piece was ultimately more important to me. It fun that these exists and worth a try if needed. I bought it with the 60 day return so in cost me $50 and sent it back on day 15.

I tried the SS-X in my headphone system, between the
amp and cd player.  The result is so good that it will have to stay there.
Nice improvement in all aspects of the sound, with no perceived drawbacks!

So I had to order a second unit for the main system!  It will have the upgraded
resistors and output capacitors.  And a new SR Orange fuse!

It is just amazing what this unit can do...

Hi everyone, just following up. Has anyone rolled in different tubes? If so any favorites?

Happy weekend.

Correction (again): “....a day goes by that I have ‘no’ regrets...”. Damned fat fingers. 😎

I think you will be pleased.  The enhancement for less than ideal speaker placement is a real life saver.  The bass enhancement is subtle but satisfying.  Personally, I like the enhancement circuit on it own merit, speaker placement not withstanding.  

There isn’t a day that goes by that I have regrets about buying the SS-X.  As a fan of Jim Fosgate designs, I took the plunge.  My system is revealing and extremely musical to me and I would never consider a gismo - period - would have tossed it immediately.  In point of fact, I have only grown to like it more.  There are no compromises and no tradeoffs.  It is worth every penny.  These Maggies put you right in the venue.  

I have never (or rarely if ever) posted since joining this site a few years back but I felt compelled to share this.  Enjoy and please post your impressions.

Cool, thanks. I have the LRS with a REL sub. Plan to order the SSX soon. 

I have Magnapan 3.6Rs which only go down to 34hz with a 3db roll off. I use a Marchand X-over with a 35 hz cutoff but it is a gradual slope downwards. I’ve not had a reason to use my sub anymore frankly, the SS-X brings in just enough bass energy in the music to make me happy if need be. One of the side effects of turning up the ’space’ is losing a bit of bass energy on some recordings, so even though the SS-X is centered at 20hz, that also means it extends upward from that center frequency. Put another way, there a sloping boost curve at the upper end of the center frequency which, depending on your speakers, you may hear the energy at the upper end of the curve and the lower end of your speakers before they roll off.

N.B.:  I previously stated I have 3.7s.  That was a typo.  

Aloha - I posted this question in another thread, thought I’d pose it to this group as well.  I called Black Ice and spoke with Jerod, the CEO. He explained that the SSX bass is a peak/ dip at 20hz and that unless the music goes that low, one won’t hear the effects of the bass adjustment knob.  My sub only goes down to 24hz to begin with.
In your experience, how much effect does the bass adjustment knob have and how low do your speakers/ sub go?

Thanks

@sgordon1: Thank you for this citation, good sir. Your conclusion is spot on, "Enter the SS-X". Precisely what the SS-X is for!

In a cozy space, such as mine, you can adjust the imaging to your liking to make it more believable. I always bemoaned the artificial separation in studio recordings but no more. With live recordings, jeepers is all I have to say! "Oh, waitress!" :-).

To give life to this "Oh, waitress" schmaltz, lemme ’splain. I have a recording of John Coltrane live at the Village. It is a cozy club setting. Right in the middle of the drum solo, there is a percussive noise that is out of place. I always assumed it was an anomaly of some sort on the drum kit because it was buried down so deep - hardly noticeable - but there none-the-less. When I added a tweak I had been eyeing for some time, and played that cut, that noise became immediately obvious. It was a glass dropped out in the audience - and now heard clear as a bell! Needless to say that tweak has been in my system ever since.

With the addition of the SS-X, I can now tell exactly where in the club that person who dropped that glass was sitting relative to the stage! Incredible resolution. Put another way, it did not obscure that extraneous noise, a testament to its transparency, and brought out its spatial location in the live space. Hence, why I say, "Oh, waitress".

I suspect that even in the best of spaces, you can adjust the recording to your liking, particularly studio recordings. Indispensable.

Jim Smith, from "Get Better Sound" on tonal balance:

p. 92 "We perceive warm or cool sound to some extent
by the amount of energy present in the lower
midrange/upper bass.  If we bring our speakers (or microphones)
a bit closer togeether, the reproduced sound "couples"
ever so slightly better, slightly shifting the balance to "warmer."

p. 94 The other extreme, "pinpoint stereo imaging," results from
"very wide separation, which thins out the tonal palette of
the music.  You can make an orchestra (or band, etc.) sound
bleached out, thin, and totally uninteresting by going too far in
your quest for pinpoint imaging." 

Enter SS-X!

Once I aimed an antistatic gun at myself. It made me anemic.

To "supercharge" your SS-X, apply a small amount of
anti-static fluid with a brush or cloth to the unit, and to the
supporting shelf.

 I am also glad to see this conversation move along as people experience the benefits that this unit has to offer. The beauty of this unit, as has been stated above is the fact that you are the one in control. There IS no set position for the knobs. It is a good point that the OP made about some studio recordings. Yes, in fact that hey may be too wide, and the dimension control is useful for that too!

^^^
Consistent with this, I have found that counter-clockwise appears to be better for studio recordings that are artificially wide.  It makes the sound stage more believable.  Just a touch can help in those instances - only when it suits you.  

I have found that clockwise is best for live recordings. I go full on with it.  I characterize the effect as "where is the cocktail waitress'.  It puts you right in the venue.  I was stunned when I first heard it. If I had the room for the Maggies to breathe, maybe I wouldn't need it but I gotta say, it is simply phenomenal.  It 'sucks' you in.  

It is a great tool and doesn't change the tonality or timber in any way.  If it did, it would have been long gone in short order.  For those who have the room and treatment, it may not be for them.  For me, after having lived with it, it is the sh*t.  :-)

FYI, folks were commenting on the bass and dimension control positions and resultant impact.  This from the manual FWIW:

• BASS eq: Used to increase or decrease the bass or low frequency performance. In the 12:00 position, the EQ is in the null position or there is no effect. Turning the eq clockwise can increase the bass up to 9 db. Turning  the eq from the null position counter clockwise will reduce the bass up to 5 dB.  

• Dimension control: This is the business end of the unit. In the 12:00 position, the Dimension effect is in the null position or there is no effect. Turning the Dimension control clockwise from the null position will increase the panorama effect or give a wider dispersion of the sound. Turning the Dimension control from the null position counter clockwise will reduce the panorama effect or focus the image. Set the dimension control to the position you prefer.

Hi everyone, I just joined the SS-X family. Picked up a used one to try out. Like zm, I am still in the play with the knobs mode!  I stream Tidal from MBPro via USB into Peachtree Nova 300 out to Canton Vento 830.2.  Room is  8ft x 10ft, speakers about 7 ft behind me. Mostly lower volume listening. 

In looking at this discussion some of you all have rolled in different tubes e.g:

Psvane 12AU7-S

Telfunken

Gold Lion ECC82

RCA

Bugera

I am a newbie to all this, and itching to roll.... so was wondering if I was to select 1 tube to start, what you all recommend as choice 1.  Any of these tubes 3d soundstage enhancing for example?

Much appreciated.

I would like to amend my last post. I should have been specific. I was referring to an alternate set of speakers I use from time to time that exhibit the slight ’thickening’ I mentioned. These speakers are no slouch but they are not my main speakers: Maggie 3.7s. I listen to these alternates solely for modern studio-recorded music with a lot of slam; i.e., electric bass and hard driving drums. Kinda hard to escape that need at times being from the inner city. :-)

I do not however, experience any thickening with the Maggies, which I listen to for jazz, live and acoustically-recorded music, which is my main stay. The Jolida is awesome with the Maggies. They are clear, transparent, crisp and articulate with that incredible texture, without the Jolida interfering with these qualities. I hear fingers on frets, keyboards, the tips of drum sticks on cymbals, the breath of saxophones and trumpets and the nuances of a singer’s vocal cords. The Jolida transports me to the performance venue, breathes space into live performances and makes studio music less studio-sounding which was an unexpected dividend. I would have tossed it rather than compromise the Maggie’s exquisite qualities.

In summary, the system is incredibly engaging with the Jolida in line. A different tube may help with the other speakers but I actually don’t care as it is a slight thickening and I don’t critically listen to them anyway, I just like their slam factor. Nothing does it like a cone but I don’t prefer them for anything else.

I thought it worth mentioning if others experienced this thickening issue, but I did want to make this distinction clear.

Sorry for any confusion and hope this helps...

The comment about bass was right on the mark. I noticed the same thing, subtle but there, and just recently began backing off the bass to about 10:00 for some recordings (most now that I think about it).

Appreciate the tip on the tube swap. I was thinking about that too before I found the 10:00 sweet spot. I have had good success over the years finding the right tube(s) and have found they make a good bit of difference from subtle to huge in coherency.

Fortunately the Foz doesn’t suffer from that in any meaningful way at all but the point about a different tube may be just the ticket to ‘kick it up a notch’ to pilfer Emril’s line.

Great comment, bowenski.  The FOZ proves to be a 
remarkable piece, for those who can overcome their "purist"
thinking and focus on great sound presentation.

I wanted to make sure that I have a spare for the (factory)
Tung-Sol tube.  After doing some reading, I ordered and installed
a Psvane 12AU7-S tube.  Especially after a relatively short 
break in, the noise floor was noticeably lowered, resulting in even
greater detail, overall.  (My bass setting typically is at 9 o'clock and
the soundstage at 3 o'clock.)

Very refreshing to see this thread continue to move along. I have owned the FOZ for a couple years now and recently disconnected and listened for a few days without it and then reconnected, Glad I did because the bass that I once thought was a bonus, was now displaying itself as an over abundance. For perspective, the amp used is a BAT VK-300x (ss only version) and while running without the FOZ all the textures and detail throughout the spectrum were clearly noticeable, but it was definitely not as full and fleshed out as with the FOZ inline between dac and amp. Once FOZ was placed back in chain the bass and fullness was immediately increased to that now noticeable over abundance and smothering a lot of the detail in bass, mids, and highs.

Here is the most illuminating aspect after 2+ years of ownership.. I had assumed that leaving the bass knob in the 12 o’clock position defeated the bass eq function altogether, which it truly may, but it still had the increased weight and bloom of the tube regardless. Dialing the bass out counter clockwise however, actually brought back much of those details the BAT demonstrated on it’s own without completely removing that "flesh on the bones" sound of having the tube in the system which IMO is what the ss version of the BAT lacks. There was also a perceived increase in the high frequency detail that had been smoothed over to a large degree. The textures in the bass returned along with more natural impact and ability to follow notes. It wasn’t as full (unless music called for it), but to me seems more musically normal across most if not all genres and quality of recordings/sources. For the first time since buying a REL S3, I do not feel the need to use it.

The one thing that has remained true with the 4 sets of speakers I have used the FOZ with is the soundstage enhancement remains a constant blessing! My room has angled ceilings where it dips to about 7’ on one side and raises to about 9’ on the other. My system is set up on that wall which lends to an off balanced stage presentation by default. I have treated the room as best I can but the soundstage control was the final piece that allows the stage to be dialed in regardless of speakers utilized (Klipsch Forte, Aerial Acoustics Model 6, Ohm Walsh 1000, Monitor Audio Silver 300) and their placement, toe in, toe out, etc. and is what enticed me to purchase the FOZ to start with.

I am considering ordering a Telefunken tube to see if it will remove some of the overwhelming fullness of the initial factory Tung-Sol tone, but at this point it is not a necessity at all. The point to this post was to continue to encourage those on the fence much like everyone else has already done. Regardless of components, speakers, or reason of purchase the FOZ SS-X yields positive results on very little coin. BRAVO!!

You’ll find yourself doing this initially. I ultimately found one setting great for live acoustic music and another setting for studio recordings. In general however, I leave the setting in the middle of these two settings and leave it until I feel the need.

I picked one up a few days ago and am still trying to dial it in.  I find myself fussing with it too much, I can’t leave it alone.  It may be that my OCD psyche can’t deal with a device like this, LOL!

Yep, still going strong and enjoying it immensely. I completely agree with the other posters’ observations: A great addition and frankly I couldn’t see/hear my system or live without it. I did bypass it for a listening session one night and at the end put it back in. Very demonstrable and very satisfying. My Maggie 3.7s sing from bass to treble - deep, rich, airy and very seductive. I consider it the icing on the cake.

Very happy with my unit, a definite keeper.  I thought I
would want to "play" with the bass and soundstage knobs, and
I was wrong.  For me, it is "set it and forget it."

The unit is sensitive to vibration control and good cabling.
I have not replaced the tube and leave the unit on for a
few days at a time.

Like Coach said, "They are who we thought they are."

Checking in on this thread to see if those of you who had this device in your systems more than a year ago - keesue, @4krow - have stuck with it?  Or has it moved on, as another commenter above thought might happen?

Any long-term observations to share?

I’ve been wanting to try one of these for a while and I finally was able to find a used one for a great price. Here’s my experience with it:
The purpose of purchasing was mostly out of curiosity and I had low expectations because the unit seemed gimmicky. I have the SS-X in between my McIntosh MP-100 Phonostage and my Yamaha A-S2100. Having two sets of outputs on the back of the MP-100, I was able to instantly a/b with/without the SS-X.
Two things immediately stood out: First the SS-X pulled out bass detail that I have not been able to extract with tone controls or my sub. This alone, makes the unit worth it for me. It’s interesting because, as others have stated, it adds "weight" to certain low frequencies without changing the tone. This translates to low frequency detail I haven’t experienced from my speakers before.

Second, was what someone else described as removing "glare" off the top end. I totally agree with this. It’s hard to describe, and I would also say it removed harshness from some recordings, but I definitely don’t consider it a high-end roll off. Detail and presence are still there. When I bypass the SS-X, my original system just sounds drier. With the SS-X the top end is more pleasing and delicate.

The soundstage expander section is incredibly useful and fun. I already have a very wide soundstage with my system, so I was curious what this would do. I found the the expander neither added width nor narrowed it, but rather pulled depth from the center or pushed it back. For me, it was more like, how close to the sound do you want to be? To the narrow side, anything that was mixed to be center was pulled forward while the width of the stage remained the same. Imagine stretching a rubber band between your speakers and grabbing the center of it and pulling it toward you. It gives you a more intimate feel. To the wide side, the center is pushed back, giving the impression you are sitting farther back. I found this particularly useful for tracks where vocals or instruments are mixed too forward or too hot. I found my sweet spot to be about 1 o’clock for general use. On Nora Jones’ Come Away With Me album from Analog Productions, where I find the vocals to be too hot, it was particularly beneficial at 3 o clock and really tamed her voice. No fatigue now. At max "wide" settings, my speakers completely vanish. This extreme setting was neat, but it made it harder to pinpoint sounds whose location my ears wanted to know. I think moderation is key with this unit.

Wrapping up, I find that removing the SS-X from my system makes me sad. In a world where I am often trying to convince myself something is good or doing something positive for my system, this one was an obvious and relieving yes. I’m not a purist and don’t care what was "intended to be heard". I want to hear what I want to hear. I realize that I am adding coloration to my sound and the SS-X makes me really happy to do so. I am also happy to report that the unit did not take away from the things my system already did very well, like the general imaging or dynamics.

Oh and as per an earlier Post of mine I suggest leaving it powered on all the time,I definitely saw a large improvement that way.

After all its only one little tube.....

Mine is very well burned in as it was an ex demo unit before I got it.
I have tried several different tubes and I cannot say as sibilance was ever noticeable at any time.

Keep piling hours on it!

It should disappear with use. 

Hi there, I recently purchased this item, to try it as a replacement for my WLM EQ (between music server and integrated tube amp). It does everything as advertised and mentioned in this thread. I struggle with one drawback, however, and that is slightly more emphasis on sibilance (I can't stand that). There is no change in the high quality interconnects and power cable connected to the unit (same as to WLM) so the problem is in the new unit. I am trying tube rolling without major improvement. Any advice?

Glad to hear you are finding tube rolling to give an improvement.

I now have a Bugera tube in mine and I am liking that one quite  a lot so far but early days as it was brand new and need to get some hours on it.

Bass definitely does seem to be more taut but still deep and powerfull.

Its a great little box imho, whether it offends the purists because it is another item in the signal path well oh shame.

I have no intention of removing it from my system anytime soon.

Having left the unit on for 24 hours after putting in the new Gold Lion ECC82, I decided that this enough time for a better listen to the unit in my system. I am not stating a very long review because I only listened to one album, bot before and after, i.e. Pink Floyd's Wish you were here. I felt that the recording was not going to let me down, and I could just concentrate on the music. One tell tale sign for me that I am impressed, it the inability to move once the album staterted. I didn't want to miss one single note. I think that it is also important that you know an album well enough in the first place in order to at least have a sense of what you expect.
 So, in a word, this tube (and maybe the unit itself) has the clarity that I am looking for. Bass is not only well defined, but I hear no strain for it. In that aspect, things are the same before and after. Midrange is a touch better when it comes to sibilance, and that is always appreciated. The treble is not more open, but there does seem to be better extension. I hear higher up than normal. Yes, this may be a bad thing for someone with exquisite hearing, but I am more than happy for this  improvement. No doubt, I need to listen to quite a few more albums, but this is my initial impression.

I have been very happy with the the over all performance of the unit. I have a loudness switch on my Nikko and some times I have to dial the bass back.

I really love the dimension control as it really has improved the spread vof sound in my kitchen.

Good deal!
I have a Bugera tube on it's way as well, just to try because I can.

Couldn't resist. Got a Gold Lion re-issue on the way from the Tube Store. After it arrives, I will be ready for it to audition. If I don't care for it, on we go to another tube. Second choice will be a special selected GE from Antique Audio Tubes? Andy is the owner, and I have had great results with his discrimination/selection process. 

4KROWME
Very good idea on markings for the two knobs, would have been easy for the factory to do along with a center "null" position detent on each one.

Overall I would say it is well worth the $299 shipped price I paid.

I do appreciate your honesty, and understand how tube rolling would make a difference. No doubt, I will be trying an RCA tube soon enough. RCA impresses me if the tube is well selected by the seller for performance, noise, and so forth.
 FWIW, I changed the knobs on my unit to ones with markings. Pretty simple fix I'd say.

Tube rolling definitely has a huge impact even with just the one little tube.

I am very fortunate to have a local audiophile friend ( thx Rick) who has a good stash of tubes so......

TungSol .... Bottom of the pile, too rounded, lost detail and impact.
Sylvania .... Nice neutral tube, nothing to say bad, but nothing to make you dance too either.
Mullard long plate .... Plenty of impact but top end detail not as refined as I would like.
The winner from my little pile is....

RCA ... Has it all, nearly. Not quite as insightful bass and mids as the Mullard but very nice highs and piano is to die for.

Pretty interesting that a few simple tube swaps can change the character so much.

Looks like this is one of those units that needs to be on for many hours to sound its best.

Last night after 12 hours power on it was sounding better.

This morning after nearly 24 hours it is a LOT better.

Think I will just leave it on all the time, after all only 1 small 12au7 tube.

And I just bought a Bugera tube so will see if tube rolling has any impact.

More updates later.

Using good power cord.
Using same interconnects as rest of system which are more than good enough imho.
It is sitting on its own shelf and vibration should not be an issue.

Suggestions:

Use quality power cord and interconnects
Isolate for vibration control

To get the best sound, attention to detail
with SS-X is very critical.  The effort and
associated costs will be worth it.

Interesting....
Maybe the Nak is just not a good match to the Jolida.

I say this because I have just sat down and am playing Janis Joplin through my Pioneer R2R through the Jolida and it is night and day.

This sounds spectacular!

So different from the Nak through the Jolida.

Most odd.

Be worth keeping just for the sound from the open reel through it but I will likely put the Nak back on the iFi iTube unit .