Metaphors meeting is my definition of language...Poetry,numbers,and music are my 3 love...Good night thecarpathian, and good night Geoff... I cannot wait to listen Haydn or Bill Evans...
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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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... |
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.😳 |
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. |
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... |
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. |
I never doubt your theoretical and practical skills in these matters...I owe to your site articles reading my own journey to musical bliss with my own experiments without investing 10,000 bucks...My best to you like always... Next task: I will crush crystals to makes some progress...For example I dreamed about a mix of malachite powder+shungite powder+tourmaline powder...Oufff…. |
By the way my "tirade" and rant and enthusiastic extreme metaphors are the expression of my subjective bliss yes, but the first reason is to inform the newcomers to the possibility to have at low cost a pure musical audiophile experience modulo some experiments...I want people to know that it is not necessary to spend tons of money for audiophile bliss, and spare them frustration because they cannot afford it like I was 7 years ago...I never dream about big house, or of a Bugatti, or of any other luxury objects; my only dream was about an audiophile system...(I only need books and music) When I dreamed about audiophile system 7 years ago without money I was sad and I think at the times that only money and big money can buy that... I no longer think that...I never pretend trough my description that my audio system tweaked was better than a TOTL costly system only that is not too far behind with a fraction of the cost...When you finally hear music after years of frustration you know when this is the beginning of the end journey...The rest is tweaking for fun...Music is there and this is my joy to listen to music without bothering with the sound anymore at last... The Audiophile Fundamental TEST : When you forget yourself in a cd without remembering to change it because you are no more bored by the sound you are there... When ALL your files nevermind which one sound better and that Music dont permit us to forget it...At this precise instant you have it, a " relatively" TOTL audio system...That’s all... |
All is relative for sure G.K. alias Tom Cruise... This is a good anecdote and a deep one indeed... But our feeling are absolute when we feel them and in musical experience that’s all that is important...My fundamental audiophile test on the subjective side and diminishing returns law on the objective side control all the parameters of this/ your relative perspectival field ... :) |
By the way Geoff I know where I came from... My actual system (a mid-fi good one at least carefully choosen) is Top mission speakers and one of the top Sansui amplifier with a very good Dac… I know what that system sound before my tweaking adventure... And trust me that was a sound incomparable to what is the sound now, after all tweaks... Then most people are like me with an already good system most of the times but without knowing nor listening to the true potential of their actual audio system like I was in the beginning... That is my point not boosting with superlative about my own system...The superlative reflect my amazement not a contempt toward other system or other people at all... For me most audio system carefully choosen are already good, the only lacking factor is the necessary tweaks to transform them in an almost TOTL audio system...Nevermind the marketing or engineering justification for new costly products, most very good amplifiers and speakers of the past years are very good, and it is absolutely not necessary to upgrade them most of the times, but it is necessary to clean, controls, tweaks them, yes... Listen to your own past or vintage gear for the first time, this is my motto... |
There is not one day passing without improvement with the lowering of the noise level that makes me conscious of this problem... Perhaps the only big problem for audiophile... On other forums and thread if I read I discover at which point this noise level problem is underestimated...In my own system today, my wife decide to clean the windows, I had to disconnect something only to discover a bad connection unbeknownst to me and reconnecting the stones discovering a very audible improvement...I place also another shungite tile on the central electrical panel, the fifth one, with an audible improvement also... In my headphones, the amazing fact of the evening after using the micro crystals was the discovery of the impact of the Herkimer diamonds that I place near the micro crystals in the earpads... What an evening! The Fostex were really holographic 3 d imaging after that like I NEVER listening to in any of my other headphones... This cheap Fostex are now for me high end cans... Their sound and imaging is on par with my speakers... On this audio journey I am baffled...Dont buy the hype about new products , what you own is ptobably already good enough, rather enter in the battle against noise...Noise is the wall between you and music heaven, and not so much the deficiencies you think your actual audio system seems to have in his courant state... The problem reside entirely in the non treated embeddings of your audio system...Dont buy anything, think about that and read about noise level and room treatment and resonance controls also... |
It seems that only me for now lives audio miracles for cheap cost! :) Anyway the last one is the embedding in my stones grid of my fifth Schumann generator(usb cheap chineese one for 10 bucks new+cable)… I does not think much in advance about that one, why a fifth one will change anything? But I gain a really better soundstage and imaging for the speakers clearly...I am amazed and happy, so I order 2 others one, to try one more in my audio room, it will be the sixth, and one near my bed to experiment with sleep tranquility...It seems S.G. favorize deep sleep...I will try it...A relax audiophile is an alert one...:) |
The Fostex TH 7 B was so extraordinary headphones modified, with his 3-d soundtage and imaging that I am in love with Fostex and pick one of the first portable orthodynamic headphone in existence, the Fostex T10 in mint condition for 75 bucks with the original box...I will modified it with micro crystals and some sorbothane damping...I hope some miracle! :) My last and unique ortho, the Hifiman he 400, was good but I did not never love him truly like all my other headphones... And his cheap construction did not last more than 6 years of care and the 2 cups break without reason suddenly months ago...Paid 300 dollars I was in no mood to buy some other Hifiman...Now the Fostex T10, very sturdy constructed, for a fraction of price, is the promise of new sound horizon... The Fostex TH 7B paid 50 bucks new is so good that I am afraid to buy anything that cost more than 100 bucks... Me among others I rather should know that an audiophile experience does not necessitate big money but big ideas to begins with...But human nature is so that even me sometimes forget that... :) My best to all silencious or mute reader of this thread... |
I had a very similar experience using my vintage SONY MDR-V700 headphones after my very non-exhilarating experience with HIFIMAN 600 earbuds, which after 250 hours of burn in still sounded like @%&#*%. The SONY are transparent, full range and dynamic by contrast. I have a confession to make. I pulled the trigger on some fo.Q thin damping tape, 2 sheets, and a set of those cute CD stabilizers they also sell. Direct from Japan. By no small coincidence I also placed an order with a seller in Japan for a Zed Zeppelin III SHM CD. |
I got the thin fo.Q tape mostly for CDs but also for power cord plugs, wall outlet covers, Schumann Freak USB devices, back of TV panel, Walkman CD Player case, TV connectors, headphone a frame. I suggest removing the Sorbothane. And burning it. 🔥 You’ll thanks me later. 🤗 the reason you thought the tape was subtle because Sorbothane is over-kill in the sense it over does it. It’s what the Japanese company Acoustic Revive calls over-dumping. |
Without sorb the Fostex would not be to my liking... And remember you must use the right duro and if possible apply some pressure on the sorb. (duro 70 for headphone)...The Fo.Q tape act subtly in the higher frequencies for my Fostex and refine the effect of the sorb...They complement one another for my ears... The Fostex are made with 2 plastic cups, almost impossible to overdamp them... I damped them progressively and at each addition of sorb they transformed itself for the better...I owned no other headphone so cheap that outclass everything I had listen to for natural timbre(except Akg340) and holographic 3-d imaging like AKG 340 but with a 3-d sounstage unlike them.... The AKG 340 is a mythic quality can and this cheap Fostex improve on them for the soundstage … Without sorb. nor Herkimer diamonds and micro crystals they dont compete tough with this TOTL AKG.. |
The effect of my Fifth S.G. is stupendous, probably because it is the first one at the recommended elevation of 5 feet, and connected with cable to the stones grid that fifth meet some threshold that makes the sound imaging more impressive than ever...In nearfield like at a regular distance from the speakers... I will try it with my headphones this evening... |
In the next month my project is making my own micro-crystals bands… The reason is I cannot wait to try some recipe of my own: for example I dreamed about a mix of shungite sand mixed with malachite and tourmaline....Next taping that around my speakers cable ….I am so grateful for Whostolethebatmobile who send me his samplers of micro crystals that I pray for him ….By the way I pray for the damned Geoffkait also …. :) |
I listen Sorabji transcendental studies for piano, by Fredrick Ullen, perhaps one of the greatest piano creation of the last century with Scriabin....The fifth modified S.G. connected to my stones grid had the same impactful effect with my headphones like with my speakers, in nearfield or regular position : transformation of the sound space, imaging, better timbre etc.... Why? It is not an effect which is directly linked to the acoustic atmosphere of the room only, more so an interaction trough the linked stones between the frequencies of the many electro-magnetic fields interlocked in my audio system...It is only my guess... But the results is astounding for the cost... Perhaps the height where this S.G. is placed (5 feet) improve the effect on the acoustic atmosphere of the room also, then a greater impact... |
The improvement on the Fostex Th7B of this fifth S.G. is so great that suddenly I feel a bit foolish for buying the vintage ortho Fostex T10, even at this low price of 75 bucks mint with the original box... :) We will see, they are here tomorrow.... But it will takes few weeks to modifiy them...Listening first modification after... By the way I never read a post anywhere about a great impact of Schumann generator with headphone...With speakers yes, and the explanation is linked to the modification of the acoustical atmosphere of the room... In my case with headphone this explanation is no explanation... Except for my guess about the impact of the modified S.G. with crystals and stones linked by cable with my room stone grid... My stones grid is embedded in all my audio room and gear... |
The Fostex T10 the first portable orthodynamic, and for many orthos cultist one of the best vintage ortho was for me right out of the box better than my Hifiman He 400, another ortho, for naturalness of timbre and way much better, because the He 400 has ever sounded artificial... But compare to my cheap Fostex TH 7-b modified and damped there is no match for me...The lesson learned by me is price does not means nothing in headphone, and modifications is mandatory...I will modify the Fostex T10 in the next weeks to come...This is a good planar headphone... |
One of my goal in my audio search for heaven is to use a lithium battery generator to freeing myself of the electrical grid of my house...Tweaking the electrical grid of my house and audio room teach me how the high level noise caused by EMI and RFI interference plays the greatest role in destroying the potential of Hi-fidelity of any audio system...I tweaked all my house electrical grid with stones with a big audible effect, to the point that this is the biggest upgrading effect known to me for my audio system... Using a generator must be better, especially if I tweak the battery generator with the stones and crystals also.... Perhaps somebody here has already a big lithium battery generator ? I am curious to listen to his impression and advices...For example the Yeti of Goalzero or this one: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ecoflow/delta-the-new-standard-of-battery-powered-generator The only problem I guess there is with this solution is the fans noise of the battery..... Around one thousand bucks this generator will be costly for me but, I have no other real upgrading solution with my actual system...And in 2 years maximum I will be in the obligation to sell my house and go to rent location of an apartment, then I will not be able to tweak the central electrical panel of the house apartment... |
As everybody and his brother knows I am using lithium battery powered SONY Walkman 🚶🏻♂️CD player with SONY MDR-v700 headphones as my primary system. In case I haven’t mentioned it more than 20 times already, allow your friend and humble scribe to fill you in on all the gory details why lithium battery powered portable CD player + headphones is the only way to fly. Aside from the obvious advantage of completely eliminating issues with house AC power, my system also eliminates issues with AC GROUND, power cords, interconnects, digital cables, big transformers, fuses, big capacitors, big long speaker cables - and the oft astronomical costs of them. Plus, it’s easier to isolate the lightweight player. And you have enough money now to go hog wild on tweaks. If dynamics, low noise and distortion, tonality, realism and air are you’re bag, this system has it all. |
My dear, but not so humble, friend, i think that you are right and your advice seems sound to me... But I want to listen to music also with speakers... Then yes a lithium generator is the way to go for me also...That I know because of all the tweaks in my electrical house grid that gives to me a minimal quality of sound for the first time in my life...But I will not go just with headphone and a walkman...I dont doubt the quality of sound you gained by eliminating all electronic intermediaries, I know that first hand... It is useful to know for youngster that dont bother with big speakers and audio room...Thanks for your advice and support.... |
As I’ve oft counseled crystals for the most part don’t affect RF. They affect vibration. even when you swear up and down it must be RF it’s not. Crystals do not attract RF, they aren’t RF magnets. They don’t block RF. RF is everywhere in the room simultaneously, traveling as it does at the velocity of light. The entire room is filled with RF. But crystals are excellent at absorbing vibration - e.g., vibration at the wall outlet, vibration at the circuit breaker box, vibration on glass windows. Crystals on cables or cable connectors. Crystals have vibration numbers, remember? They don’t have RF numbers. Electrifying crystals makes them vibrate/resonate. You will go much further in your experiments if you address vibration rather than RF. But I’m not saying RF isn’t a problem. For RF I have one word - Flying Saucers. 🛸 🛸 🛸 Flying Saucers for Windows. Flying Saucers for Unused Wall Outlets. That’s how you get rid of RF, not crystals. PS - I just got my packages of fo.Q CD stabilizer rings and thin damping tape yesterday. So guess what I will be doing today. |
Me I wait also for the Fo.Q tape and some sorbothane ( I know you hate sorb :) ) to damp the cups of the Fostex T10 that I love but that are behind the imaging of the Fostex TH 7.... Orthodynamic versus dynamic battle in my heart now.... For the moment the Fostex TH7 trump and kills my other headphone because of his imaging and timbre rendering ... They are heavily damped by sorb. and a bit of Fo.Q tape 32... |
That may very well be true, but shungite is not (rpt not) a crystal. And the chances are good it’s controlling vibration not absorbing or shielding RF. My Tru Tone Wall Duplex Covers that I’ve sold for many years can be placed on unused outlets with good results. That’s because they address vibration, not RF. Flying Saucers for outlets prevent RF in the room from entering the unused female outlets and infecting the system wiring. Flying Saucers for Windows reduces RF entering the room. Problem solved! 🤗 |
Let’s summarize quickly. Nothing you have done can be shown to affect the AC grid but you’ve made great strides reducing vibration in your system and for that you are to be congratulated. 🤗 Just because something works doesn’t necessarily mean your theory of operation is correct. I’ve never implied your tweaks don’t work. Do you think this is the first time someone has had the theory that crystals absorb, shield or dissipate RF? Find me just one article in a scientific journal that describes crystals used to treat RF for any application, audio or otherwise. By the way, you can electrify acupuncture needles, too, I’ve had it done to me, but it doesn’t mean the needles are affecting the “electrical grid” in the human body. Or does it? Hmmmmmm 😳 |
Has anyone here tried putting a Shakti Stone on their electrical panel? One of the earlier tweaks (from the mid-90's) and still being sold they supposedly contain "three internal trap circuits (Microwave, RF and Electric Field) to absorb the broadest spectrum of EMI"They certainly get points for longevity. For more about what is inside, look here... https://6moons.com/audioreviews/3tweaks/3.html |
I had no theory,not being a scientist nor an engineer, I can only listen to Geoff about that... I use some stones of different characteristic, judging them by their impact on sound quality, and I put these stones near or connected to a Shumann generator for example,their effect is immediately audible on the sound…. They only absorb the vibration of the S.G. ? Before placing them near or connected by cables to the S. G. the sound quality already is improving by the addition of a nude S.G. Then, if Geoff is right they absorb the vibrations of the S.G. and the results are improving, is it your opinion Geoff? The only problem with that is that I had many stones that dont touch any gear....They are connected to the stones grid by thin copper cable and they also affect the sound quality...Most of my stones dont even touch directly the gear... |