Well, you’re confident, I’ll give you that. If only you could hear what I’ve heard with my ears. If I had a dime for every person who’s sworn up and down he had found audio Nirvana or TOTL I’d be a wealthy 💰 💰 man. You guys must think I do this stuff for my health. I first got involved with crystal structures 52 years ago when I designed a rocket engine for interplanetary travel 🚀 that employed high-energy Xenon ions to bombard a highly magnetized metal crystal bar, thus producing thrust by sputtering off atoms from the crystal surface.
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...
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...
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Geoff I think that the key to bliss is to buy a not too costly audio system and tweaks it...The results is almost TOTL at a reasonable cost...When you listen to wonderful music without lacking too much the end is near except for the fun of fine tuning the tweaks...I am there...My system cost more than yours but not way much, I bought all vintage or used... |
thecarpathian and mahgister, Thanks for your care about me. It is touching and I mean it. You made my day. I am well but, after realizing that many threads I have participated at have been shut down, I also realized that my contributions were neither welcome nor necessary. Not that threads were shut down because of me only, but it became even more pointless participating. At the same time, I have to admit that geoffkait was correct about my whereabouts. I was away. On the day (August 12) thecarpathian asked where I was, I was probably bicycling between the fields, up the hills, or around the lake after Fête des Vignerons had ended. A day or two later I dedicated my evenings to the Imperial torte and a few more childhood memories. Having said all of these, again unneccessary, facts, I think I am quite close to geoffkait now and will go for a bicycle ride around. Good news may be, I do not know how he looks like so we may not recognize each other. Again, thanks for your concerns about me. I appreciate them. |
I’m giving serious consideration to promoting you to my chief Brilliant Pebbles salesman. It’s a good thing I took atomic physics in school. But seriously, your enthusiasm is contagious. A-choo! Next up, shall we consider introducing the concept of sound hierarchy, which states that if a reasonably good system can be much improved by tweaking what does that imply for really good systems? I mean no offense to anyone with the term, inexpensive system as I have one of the absolute least expensive systems extant. Total system cost around $20. But that does not include tweaks, which I venture to say is well into the many thousands. There many ways to skin a cat 🐈 An ordinary man has no means of deliverance.😳 |
Crystals powder is miraculous tweaks like my stones grid but more easy to makes...The effect are more evident with my speakers today... Break in? I dont know...But none of my favorite music has ever sounded so natural...The velvet smooth sounding coupled with a better imaging linked to an enhancement of micro details, push the results that I had gained with my stones grid to another level...The effect trough the speakers listenings is linked to a small band between the computer and the optical convertor, and 2 bands perpendicularly place against the 2 cables coming from the dac to the amplifier... Also 4 squares(1/2 inches square each) place freely on the capacitors of my 4 shumann generator that act with these bands like with my stones some kind of enhancer of the crystals effects … This is so little crystals for a so great improvement... Baffling experience for me...My stones grid was more difficult to make and has a similar very great effect but with less subtle refinement, it was lacking the polishing of the sound effect that the powder gives to me... Anybody that doubt the crystals effect in audio must reconsiderate and begins experimenting...No upgrading of a piece of gear at a reasonable cost can gives that...Sonic heaven at low cost is possible... |
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I say "Kait Guru" because I read about crystals some years ago some information on his site Machinadynamica and go on with experiments of my own inspired by these reflexions of Kait and look where I am now in sonic heaven...Thanks also to Whostolethebatmobile from Australia... Where is he? I cannot thank him now.... |
Seriously I realize beginning yesterday that there is a point where an audio system begins some metamorphosis...This test point is the rendering of the instrumental timbre... The most difficult characteristic to gain from an audio system adequately... With these micro crystals I have it now...Buut who knows? I think I have it, being cautious now because like said my " Kait guru" there is a peak but we are at the base camp in reality … :) |
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I am not a scientist but the only explanation I read about is piezoelectric effect .... I dont doubt that when you speak about that but the audible effect is so astounding that...I think around and in and out of this...And perhaps there is other thing that only the piezoelectric effect implicated in this crystals audio modifications...One thing is evident for me: hearing is so extraordinary... |
You choose to believe the rf answer. I italicized the term Reverse Piezoelectric Effect in that comment/explanation because I wanted you to see that applying an electrical signal to crystals (the opposite of piezoelectric effect) activates the crystal vibration. This makes the crystal a better vibration damper. Crystals don’t attract, shield or absorb electromagnetic waves - I.e., radio frequencies. Crystals almost always act as resonators - I.e., resonance control devices. You are experiencing the Backfire Effect, that’s all. You have been blinded by science. 😎 |
Piezoelectric effect explaining this effect of crystals ? I dont know, you are the scientist not me...But if it is so, then the human ears is a marvel and able to listen the difference pertaining to this 0.1% difference in the material affected by an electro-magnetic field in relation to his effect on sound... It is quite possible, science has already demonstrated the extraordinary resolving power of the hearing sense in humans and animals... |
Crystals 301 Piezoelectricity is the electric charge that accumulates in certain solid materials (such as crystals, certain ceramics, and biological matter such as bone, DNA and various proteins)[1]in response to applied mechanical stress. The word piezoelectricity means electricity resulting from pressure and latent heat. It is derived from the Greek word πιέζειν; piezein, which means to squeeze or press, and ἤλεκτρον ēlektron, which means amber, an ancient source of electric charge.[2][3] French physicists Jacques and Pierre Curie discovered piezoelectricity in 1880.[4] The piezoelectric effect results from the linear electromechanical interaction between the mechanical and electrical states in crystalline materials with no inversion symmetry.[5] The piezoelectric effect is a reversible process: materials exhibiting the piezoelectric effect (the internal generation of electrical charge resulting from an applied mechanical force) also exhibit the reverse piezoelectric effect, the internal generation of a mechanical strain resulting from an applied electrical field. For example, lead zirconate titanate crystals will generate measurable piezoelectricity when their static structure is deformed by about 0.1% of the original dimension. Conversely, those same crystals will change about 0.1% of their static dimension when an external electric field is applied to the material. The inverse piezoelectric effect is used in the production of ultrasonic sound waves.[6][ |
I am a convert to crystals, they worked in many fashions, alone or together, linked or not, in powder or rock-form, and they act on all feature of the sounds dependant on their implementation in a particular location...Your customers tells the truth indeed...I am amazed by the many ways they can act, for today it was this powder glued pieces of paper that was so powerful, in dissolving the residue of electronic glare around the sound unbeknownst to me that I had in my system even after all my tweaks with crystals... Perhaps you must investigate this tweak with powder and replicate it Geoff...I am sure that you will sell many...I will buy some more... My stones linked grid and the S.G. with stones linked to the grid makes many things right on their own and cannot be replace by the powder crystals bands but the inverse is true also, the crystals grid cannot in his actual form in my system gives to me this smoothness that's gives to me these crystals powder bands on strategic spots...Then they are many complementary embeddings and implementations of the crystals in an audio system... All are necessary... |
Your comments comport very well with some of my customers’ comments from 15 years ago. To whit, ------------ "I placed one "Mikro" size bottle on a Quantum Symphony Pro tonight and was astounded that such a small bottle could improve upon the sound of the Large bottles (which are on top of my PSB Stratus Mini speakers). I listened to two live recordings and was astonished how easy it is to hear ambience cues. The soundstage was wider AND taller. And now the speakers actually do seem to play louder and softer, depending on the signal; I had not heard that from my system before. Now, It's quite difficult to turn the system off." - Mike Gallaro, August 2005 ------------ "Just wanted to let you know I received the two Large Brilliant Pebbles Saturday afternoon. I immediately unpacked them and placed them in the rear corners of my listening room, behind the listener position. I warmed up the system for a couple of hours, then listened to some CDs I had listened to the night before. It was clear from the outset that the BPs enhanced the male and female voice and produced more fleshed-out bass without loss of speed; stringed instruments, especially guitar, were produced with a sheen and a quieter background, quite unexpectedly. I was extremely happy with the results! An Audiophile for over thirty years, I was inclined to remove the BPs from the room and replay the same discs. No good! -- I already missed the BPs. When my lovely wife called me for dinner, I placed the Pebbles in the front corners (behind the speakers) and went upstairs. When I returned to the listening room two hours later and played the same discs with the BPs in their new locations, to say I was stunned by the sound would be an understatement!! Everything I'd heard with the BPs in the rear corners was increased ten fold! The BPs are the best tweak to come along since sliced bread. Who'd have thought that pebbles in a small bottle would have such a positive effect on a high end system? My system: Krell amp, Classe two box pre, DCS upsampler, Levinson Dac, Accustic Arts transport, Eggleston speakers, Exact Powers and Hydra conditioners, Jena Labs cabling, Bybee filters all over the place and Clearaudio Magix vibration footers under all components. All I can say is, Bravo! -- a tweak that really works and is inexpensive to boot!" - Rich Lerner, July 2005 ------------ "A brief progress report: The upper corners behind my listening position work!!! I'm amazed at the difference. And I thought my system was pretty tweaked and tuned, etc. The BPs seem to affect the entire musical spectrum---from the lows to the highs. The soundstage seems much better defined, similar to the effect I experienced when I installed Aurios in my system. The BPs have even more impact -- each individual instrument/performer seems to have taken on a greater presence and vibrancy as well as being better defined. It seems kinda strange -- the individual seems to be larger or fuller or have greater presence, but not at the expense of the others performers - at the same time the soundstage is better defined and less congested." - Ray Lou, June 2005 |
After many hours of listenings I definitely characterize the micro-crystals effect by a smoothness and naturalness of the sound I never have before... My macro crystals act on many feature of the sound but not mostly in this smoothness direction...It is like the micro details are now flowing organically... It is more evident in the headphone because they are more able to catch micro details than speakers but i listen that with the speakers also...I am very pleased and I cannot thanks enough whostolethebatmobile I add 2 bands on the cable between dac and amp...subtle improvement in the same direction... What is amazing for me it is that the effect are at the same time subtle and unmistakable...Something was lacking in my audio system that I were not conscious of: naturalness, softness, easy flowing of details , and now I listen to it.... True musicality indeed...Crystals is for me the more potent tweaks in audio, be it in macro linked rocks or micro forms... |
The sound pressure peaks are room and system dependent (radiation pattern of speakers, distance from walls, etc.) and the amplitude of the peaks is dependent on the loudness of the system. but generally speaking the peaks can often exceed the average loudness by 6 tp 9 dB. Some examples of locations where very high sound pressures occur - room corners, between speakers and behind them, first reflection points/areas, room echoes (wall to wall). Also, standing waves that can occur anywhere in the 3D space of the room. |
What is really helpful is a test tone track on a test CD and SPL meter to locate all the sound pressure peaks in the 3D space of the room. You would be shocked how many there are. Those peaks are where crystal should go. I found all audio applications for crystals almost twenty years ago. I wrote a white paper. 😬 |
If I think about it you are perhaps right, the effect is subtle ,not like my big stones, and I had the impression that the sound is at the sames times clearer but more natural more transparent in a way that my big stones never give to me...I am amazed by that simple addition of micro-crystals... Perhaps the effect is so evident to me in my system tweaked already, before all that tweaking perhaps this would had been way less audible...I dont know...But now I am happy, and in the headphone it is more extraordinary because they never sound so natural... I pinch myself because the Fostex TH 7 B is supposed to be a beginners headphone not a TOTL one... I think that will take big money to crush them on all count now... |
Places to try crystals - glass windows glass doors power cord plug wall outlet wall outlet cover room walls (knuckle test to locate vibration nodes) RCA connectors of interconnects tube traps Skyline and similar diffusers fuse/fuse holders printed circuit boards inside speaker cabinets large crystals in room corners on the floor |