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Miracles in Audio, by luck, by good choices,by design or by tweaking...

I owned a low cost headphone for many years, the Fostex TH7B, first version( a new one close version exist Fostex TH7BK), semi-open headphone...I was never completely satisfied by any headphones I ever owned: Hifiman 400, Stax basic lamda, Stax 5 gold,Akg 340,Akg 701, beyerdynamic 990, and T150... Because in each of them with all their qualities I never listen to at the same times, a confortable headphone with natural timbre and voicing, with a good imaging and a realistic soundstage(not too close to my ears)...


For the last days I tweaked this Fostex, to damp his internal resonance I used sorbothane, I put some shungite stones at the exterior part of the cups and I use some Herkimer diamond in the interior pads( 3 at 120 degree) … Now this low cost headphones crush all my others if I sum all his qualities... For example his mids and voicing cannot beat the AKG 340 but among all my other headphones it is the best that is near that mids and it is more confortable, and with longer cable than the 340...His imaging is better and more realistic than the 340 etc etc...It is the same if I compare with the others...


His most important qualities is natural timbre and clear imaging,very precise pinned point accuracy and natural, so clear it crush for that ALL the others to dust...In the French audio circle the reviews were more than very positive few years ago...Diapason d’or and choc Classica...I am not the only one impressed buy the ratio quality/price... But remember that thesae reviewers dont tweak their headphone...The difference between before and after the tweaks are staggering...


Yes Miracles happens in Audio: cost is under 100 American dollars... Few years ago they cost me 50 bucks new... I never dreamed that I will go back to headphones...


I will enjoy your miracles stories of any kind ….My best to all...
mahgister

Showing 5 responses by denverfred

denverfred's avatar
denverfred
252 posts
 
Want to report that adding a shungite brick above my mains panel and putting 5X7 tiles on my AC power distribution components (among the source component connectors) has lowered noise levels considerably. It is particularly noticeable on my TV, which shares AC distribution (through a cheap old Shunyata cable) with my source components. Enabled me to take all picture controls to off or neutral--especially black level, which is now excellent without additional boost.
Initially, I tried shungite tiles stacked between my DAC and my Apple TV. The sonic result was a great improvement in both sound and picture on youTube classical music sites with slight softening in the upper mids. I'm running all digital (Qobuz) and thought at first that I had solved the occasional digital hash problem for good. At Magister's suggestion, I moved the tiles to treat AC only and was able to regain detail without losing most of the smoothness that I was looking for.
Now experimenting with shungite pyramids upside-down under my CD player using pre-1982 pennies (95% copper) as feet under the pyramid peaks. Hard to tell what comes from the materials and what comes from having the unit up on points.
Ain't placebos great? (Easy Magister, I'm being sarcastic.)
Film at 11:00.
denverfred's avatar
denverfred
252 posts
 
You CAN crack a nut with another nut. Place two walnuts in one hand and squeeze. You will be amazed!

Excellent discussion.

Magister: I have installed my first two golden pyramids directly on my very flat Nordost speaker cables. They fit almost exactly.
Initially, I placed the shungite pyramids there without the copper cladding. The result was NOT good! Suppressed highs and meds, flabby mid bass. Muddy image. Ugh. After adding the copper tape (easy after you do the first one) the sound changed dramatically. Mid/Hi resolution returned, transients enhanced, bass tighter than before and vocals clearer than previously.
Bear in mind that this is an ongoing experiment and these reactions are very early.
In my estimation, the untreated pyramids attracted EMR for adsorption affecting the adjacent cable for up to a meter. Assuming the copper rejects or reflects the EMR, the only shungite surface in play is the one sandwiched on top of the cable or Shumann generator, or connection.

This is one of the nicest placebos I’ve taken in a long time!

denverfred's avatar
denverfred
252 posts
 
Hey magister!
Wanted to report that I just took my first dive into the placebo pool with some very “quieting” hunks of Shungite
This stuff is very weird. Kind of tingly when I hold several pieces in my hands.
Is this stuff completely benign for humans?
It sure does deepen the black levels on both audio and video.
denverfred's avatar
denverfred
252 posts
 
Magister
Thanks.

I'm thinking on the whole concept of "placebos." Must do some reading to get into the mix of opinion/research.

Horrors! Can one become a "placebophile"? Hard to define something that, by definition, doesn't exist.

Happy listening!
denverfred's avatar
denverfred
252 posts
 
Magister: I always speak ironically about placebos. Making fun of the concept is my most effective tactic.
When I was about 20+ yrs old, I was talking with my father while standing by our dining table—which was all decked out for the holidays with candles & ribbons & decorations & munchies, including a big bowl of mixed nuts in-the-shell. I had a walnut in my hand and was making a dog’s breakfast out of getting inside the shell. My dad grabs two walnuts in both hands, squeeze once, both nuts lay open like brains. I was so pissed. He had let me grow to manhood without showing me a trick that I could have wowed all the neighborhood kids with.
Squeeze them together against one another. Simple. Just like politics.
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