ozzy ...
Nope. I never tried using the original E-Mats on the speakers. Using the mats on the speakers never occurred to me until my friend "Mas" came over for a listening session and brought it up. By that point, we were already into the *Plus* Mats. On the crossovers ... I got inside and pasted the crossovers with Total Contact. That was effective. Then, I have some Alpha E-Cards on the outside of the speaker where the crossovers are. I guess that would be the equivalence of using a mat there, albeit, a small one. The discovery of using the *Plus* mats on the sides and the rear of the speakers in line with the drivers made a HUGE improvement.
I don't see any reason the original mats would work, although, as I posted before, the new *Plus* mats do things the original mats don't do. It is not just about clarity and focus, even though the new mats are better than the old mats at that. The new *Plus* mats add a very important improvement in tonal realism. By that, I don't just mean to the instruments, but to the "air" around everything. I just finished listening to a live Eva Cassidy CD. The sense of space in the venue was the best ever. Hard to explain other than "you are there."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rd8VktT8xY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNNs6Blk028
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-X1g-aEeNc
Too bad she was taken at such a young age. She had a lot of music in her yet to share. Frank |
^^^ Well hey, glupson ... you and Geoff have something in common with the Sony Walkman. He can probably give you some tips on how to make that thing sing. Or, maybe you can give him some tips.
Sometimes I feel like a matchmaker.
By the way, glupson, you could really benefit from the Alpha E-Cards with your Sony/Bluetooth set up.
Frank
|
glupson ... Nope, never had any inclination to change or upgrade the Signature IIIs. Those are the same speakers I’ve had all along for sure. They replaced a pair of Martin Logan Aries-i speakers. That was one of the best moves I’ve ever made in my trek down the audio trail. The original price with the finish on these Signature III’s was around $5,000. I bought mine used for $2100.00 plus shipping close to fifteen years ago. So, let’s consider that someone bought a pair of Signature III’s today for $2000.00 (they can be had for much less), then placed $6000.00 worth of the new Omega *Plus* Mats on them as I have. I would challenge you to find a speaker that retails for $8,000 that could compete with what I have going. It wouldn’t even be close. One of my favorite speakers is the Harbeth 40.2’s. They are one of the most tonally correct speakers on the planet. The Harbeth’s are absolutely emotionally and musically involving. They sell for around $16,000, maybe more depending upon the finish. That’s twice the money that would be invested in the totals above ... and the results I’ve obtained are far better than what I’ve ever heard from the Harbeths. And don’t take this as a slam to the Harbeths. They are an outstanding speaker. Imagine all of the tonality of the Harbeth 40.2’s, plus better highs, better bass, and more "see-through" clarity. That will give you an inkling of what I’ve got going on here. Too bad you don’t live within driving distance. I’d love for you to sit down for a demo. For sure ... I’d have to pry your jaws off of the floor. *lol* Frank |
glupson ... I’m only interested in the final results. Not to worry ... I talked to the Legacy representative at the last audio show I attended and asked about replacement parts if necessary. He told me that every NOS part for the Signature IIIs is kept in stock at the factory. Another advantage of the Signature III’s is how efficient they are. No matter how hard I drive the speakers, the ARC REF-75se just coasts. As a matter of fact, Steve Fleschler drives his Signature III’s with a modified Dynaco Stereo 70 ... and the sound is just gorgeous. |
ozzy ...
Two together underneath the component works best for me. Okay to experiment though to see what works best for you. Frank |
- Wherever you place the mats, and as you hear the sound improvements, you are probably on the road to more of them.
Its an addiction ... not unlike potato chips. Frank |
This would apply to my system:
The best effects for the placement of the mats have been in the following order ...
1. In the circuit breaker box.
2. Taped to the sides and rear of the speakers in line with the drivers.
3. Under the power conditioner.
4. Under the electronic equipment.
On the tape: I'm using ordinary packing tape, the same kind you would use for taping and sealing cartons for shipping. The tape is available at the post office.
I've moved a few mats around on the speakers, and haven't had any marring or tape residue cause by removing the tape. The packing tape holds really well. I haven't had any mats fall off, and yet, the mats are easily removed.
Frank |
t_ramey ...
I'm using both the Omega + mats and the originals in the circuit breaker box and under equipment. The results are pretty amazing. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- kedoades ...
The + mats take a couple of days to really show what they can do on speakers. Frank |
t_ramey ... That Kenny Dorham album is a great one. I have the 45 rpm reissue. As an interesting side note ... on jazz albums Rudy Van Gelder depicted in the liner notes as "Rudy Van Gelder." On classical albums, he’s referred to as "Doctor Van Gelder." I always thought that was a bit funny. _________________________________________________ tuffy72561 ... The Omega + Mats do a great job in the circuit breaker box. That’s the first place I would put them. Second would be on the speakers in line with the drivers. Third would be under the power supply. Then finally, under the electronic equipment. It has taken a lot of experimentation to come up with that order of things ... but it’s what works best in my system. The speakers were the biggest surprise. Whoda thunk it? :-) Frank |
sbayne ...
There's a concert that takes place at a local church here every three months. It consists of our town's professional symphony orchestra and features local Junior and High school students playing the solos in the concertos. These kids are amazingly talented. We always sit in the front row between the string section and the piano. I don't care how much a person spends on an audio system, it will never be able to replicate that sound. Frank |
^^^ Great to hear. Wait 'till you get to cut #14 on that Nat Cole CD I sent you. :-)
Frank |
|
slaw ....
Was it the "Abraxas" album? We had that cranked up so loud, with no distortion at all. Just pure, head bashin' - leg-slappin' rock. It was so good we just started laughing with big grins on our faces. The "Plus" mats on the speakers are really something else. Frank |
No ports in my speakers.
There’s a single bottom-firing woofer under each of the speakers. The speakers are on spikes sitting on maple platforms, so there’s room under the speakers for a mat or two.
Hee, hee ...
Frank |
^^^ LMAO! ----------------------------------------------------------
- Trick question, what do you think the mats are doing when placed on back of speakers in line with the drivers?
I think the mats are causing the musicians inside the speakers to be wide awake and play music like they mean it. |
lwin ...
I figured that most of the music occurs in the midrange. So, I put the first two Omega + E Mats on the back of the speakers right in line with the midrange drivers. Frank |
ozzy ...
I have mats under my CD player and cards stuck to the sides of the unit (magnetic). Also, I've placed three small stacks of cards up against three sides of my outboard turntable motor, and another small stack under the RCA jacks that enter the junction box for the turntable. As a result, the analog is dead quiet. Frank |
I put an additional "Plus" Mat on each speaker in line with the bass drivers two days ago. The sound became even more coherent from top to bottom. I didn't think there was anything more to be had, but there it was.
I can't stress enough the importance of placing the Omega "Plus" mats on the speakers in line with the drivers.
Frank |
rpw ... The first two mats on each speaker went onto the rear of the speakers in line with the mid-range drivers. That’s all the room I had on the rear of the speakers. As I’ve acquired more mats, they have gone onto the sides of the speakers in line with the drivers. With the addition of each new mat, the sound has improved significantly. The last two mats I received went in line with the bass drivers, and as I said, the improvement was from top to bottom. Speaking for my system only, the mats are more effective on the speakers than they are under the electrical components. So, if I were doing it again, I would apply the mats in this order: 1. In the circuit breaker box. 2. Under the power conditioner. 3. On the speakers. 4. Under components. Do you think the mats are affecting the driver magnet or the electrical connections to the driver?
Quite honestly, I don’t know what they are affecting. If I could, I’d take my speakers apart and use "Total Contact" liberally in the interior of the speakers. All metal parts and connections would be covered. I think the mats on the exterior of the speakers are having somewhat of the same effect. Why they are so effective on speakers is a mystery to me. I only know that they are ... big time. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- jerrybj ... Looking forward to your comments regarding your new mats. Frank |
grannyring ...
I thought about the exact same thing. I sat down one day and thought: "you know if you tore the speakers apart and put the mats inside it may sound better." Knowing that it would be a lot of work with an old pair of speakers, especially considering that the gaskets are old and dry and would tear apart, and the fact that I'm known among my friends as Mr. All Thumbs, a real expert at taking things apart, and a total klutz in putting them back together, I put the screwdriver on the first screw, while concentrating hard trying to remember the old adage, "leftie loosie, and rightie tightie." Then, it suddenly occurred to me that ... "hey dumb nutz, you don't have a wife!" Therefore, the mats are on the outside of my speakers. :-) Frank |
Greg ...
You're gonna love the results ... guaranteed.
Frank |
noromance ...
- "They are using off the shelf components and remarketing them at extraordinary markup."
I'm going to report your post to the mods. You're abusing the other members. How? Well, you've placed me in a spot of perpetual laughter. I'm laughing so much, I can't drink my morning coffee. (Sheesh!) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- rsf507 ...
- "Has anyone tried these?"
Nice try ... but no Kewpie Doll. In fact, you're not even close. Frank |
rsf507 ...
I know for a fact that those graphene sheets are not used in Perfect Path products.
Still no Kewpie Doll, sorry. :-)
Frank
|
- "And how can you say they are not even close when no one can say what they are?"
Ah, but there’s the rub. There are those who "almost" know what they are. :-) Those graphene sheets definitely will not an Omega E-Plus Mat make. As I said, nice try. Frank |
Ozzy ...
Just for fun, take the two mats from under the Niagara 77000 and the Ayre and tape them to the backs of each speaker in line with the mid-range drivers and see what happens.
Frank |
- Like going from 1080i to 4K or something.
Same thing by using the E-Cards on my desktop PC. |
michael_be ...
Welcome to the thread. There is virtually no difference in sound in my system anymore no matter the time of day. It is spectacular all the time. :-) Frank |
michael_be ...
Yes, I use the Gate. I believe that if you are going to get into the PPT products, this is where you should start. Expensive, I know ... but you will get many more times the benefit than what is available in any other way. I've had many conversations with Agoner's who have immersed themselves in these products as I have, and we all agree ... the results are beyond the descriptions usually used in this hobby. There is nothing else like this stuff on the market that I'm aware of. Frank |
millercarbon ...
My understanding is that Krissy and Tim were not married, but lived together for almost 17 years.
The business was in Tim's name only.
Unfortunately, New Hampshire doesn't recognize common-law marriages. That makes Krissy's status in the situation as nothing more than that of a mere "guest." There was no will, so the next of kin becomes the heirs, and what once belonged to Tim, now belongs to them. Krissy is no longer associated with Perfect Path Technologies, nor can she transact any of the products. Sad, indeed. Frank |
Sad news, guys ...
I just spoke with Krissy. There will be no new company producing PPT products unless Tim's heirs want to continue producing them under the PPT name. Krissy is no longer a participant in the company and will be concentrating on her antique business. Those of us who have the products should, at this point, consider ourselves lucky, I guess. Hopefully, the heirs will restart the website and begin production shortly. Other than that ... happy listening.
Frank
|
cascadesphil ...
Thanks. I've forwarded it to Krissy and suggested that she show it to her attorney. Frank |
