I have now evaluated the Total Contact on four different systems and it is worth the money to buy it, and it is worth the time and energy to apply it.
I give it my highest recommendation to buy.
It is not goop, not a thin messy liquid, not a thick flakey paste, but a gel with a consistency that is easy to apply and obtain good thin coverage.
It is easy to remove from metal with an alcohol pad and without using elbow grease to do so.
I have not found one type of electrical contact that did not positively respond to an application of Total Contact.
Interconnects, power cables, and speaker cables all have had a positive effect.
In addition I have treated the house Circuit Breaker Panel- approx. 75 connections. If you know how to turn off the power to your house you are smart enough to do this. Of course this would be considered an off label use.
I have even treated my Pass Labs First Watt amp inner connections that are press fit connections ( non soldered). Quite a nice sonic improvement to an already great sounding amplifier. Another off label application.
So far the only location that I did not like the effect is on the contact ends of the Synergistic Research Blue fuses. Other fuses yes.
If anyone would like to call me and discuss my uses and observations please give me a call. 575-644-1462
David Pritchard
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I also have applied Total Contact to the tubes of the Art Audio PX-25 Amp.
PX-25 output tubes - 4pin
GZ-37 Rectifier tube( Equivalent to a 274B) - 4 pin
BH7A Driver tube - 9 pin
6922 Driver tube - 9 pin
The limited space at the base of the tube on the small 9 pins tube should cause one to be quite cautious when deciding to use Total Contact on this type of tube.
I would suggest on bigger tubes to apply no more than the distal 1/4 of the pin. On small 9 pin tubes perhaps just a small amount on the tip of the pin.
I would make treating tube pins a low priority. I would treat the circuit Breaker Box and the Wall Outlets before treating the tube pins.
David Pritchard |
fleschler:
In my Marantz Sa11-2 SACD player there are 7 fuses, all have been upgraded to the Synergistic Research Blue. The addition of Total Contact to both ends of each fuse gave a sense of increased soundstage but at the cost of the music having a sense of excitement. There was a feeling of loss of emotion. This returned as soon as I removed the Total Contact from the fuses.
Removal of the product was easy to do with a paper towel and alcohol.
so this was an educational and easy experiment to do. The ease of application and removal makes it rewarding to try it on many types of connections.
David Pritchard |
It certainly does improve video performance. The new Sony 43 TV with the new Oppo 203 (upgraded with a better power supply and audio sound board - Oppo Mod.com ), really does have a better picture and sound. The picture detail is enhanced and the depth of field of the picture is improved. Colors are enhanced. Sound is fuller and more dynamic. Home Theater systems will benefit from Total Contact. Treating the cable input wire alone was a major improvement is picture quality.
David Pritchard |
I had a delightful evening last night. I took my syringe of Total Contact to my Mother's apartment. As some Audiogoner's know she is a 94 year old serious audiophile. She is classified legally blind due to macular degeneration with no vision in one eye and 20/100 corrected in the other eye. One of my goals is to ensure each day my Mother has the best possible music listening, audio book listening, and movie watching experience.
Sometimes I am slow to realize what will improve the situation. She can no longer read the Big Print editions of books even with a magnifying glass. The size of TV screens are similar to the size of book print. Ah Ha.
Out with the 35 inch TV and in with a 55 inch LG brand OLED TV. I overcame the fear that the TV was 'too big" for the apartment. This TV and the Sony OLED TV have the best picture that current technology offers.
Amazon delivered the TV (great service) and all I had to do was hook up the cable connection and Big Detailed Picture Appeared. Mother was happy. A part of her life was restored.
So last night we are watching and listening to the Olympics.
I then put Total Contact on the cable connection at the wall and TV, and also on the TV power cord. Turned the TV back on. Immediately the picture to me had an obvious increase in quality. More clarity , more vivid colors, more depth. When first turned back on it was the Toyota ad that had been repeating multiple times while we had been watching. I then realized my Mother was slowly but surely spelling T- O-Y-O-T-A as she looked at the screen. "I can see it David ! " She told me . She could not make out the same letters a few minutes earlier watching the same ad.
How much was that experience worth? To me at least, $300.00 for the Total Contact was a bargain.
David Pritchard |
The OLED is three weeks old and so has been through over twenty on - off cycles. The TV was left on when I disconnected the Cable connection and treated the input signal cable with Total Contact. Mother and I noticed the stated improvement with the TV still on, but signal restored. Only then did I power down the TV and treat the LG's hard wired power cord. A further improvement in picture quality was seen.
When the TV was originally delivered, the signal cable connections were cleaned with isopropol alcohol.
When commercials came on, she took great delight in spelling some of the advertisers logos.
She is very happy today.
I am very greatful
David Pritchard |
resolution 1:
Good quality audio very much increases the quality of my Mother's life.
I am glad you will be treating your Mother's TV. My mother also enjoys audio books played on her DVD player. This might be another source of satisfaction for your mom.
David Pritchard |
nkonor:
You have a well thought out system that shows a passion for great sound production. As an owner of Nelson Pass amplifiers, I can relate to the sound you are achieving. But I do hope you will audition the Synergistic Research Blue fuses in your amps. I did find a noticeable improvement using them in my Pass Labs INT-60 amp, the First Watt F7, and also his Headphone amp HP-1.
I think you will enjoy the sonic change.
David Pritchard |
Total Contact works very nicely on Pass Lab amps! Yesterday I took the top off the Pass Lab HP-1 headphone amp and got to work.
I applied the Total Contact to the top of the capacitors, the transistors, the relays and the large 3 watt resistors. I did not treat the very small resistors. The product was easy to apply and it was easy to control how much was applied.
The sound took an immediate change for the better. The music had a better flow, the space between instruments was more precise, details improved and yet there was no unnatural exaggeration of one particular part of the audio spectrum. The music was more involving and also emotionally more engaging.
My headphone listening pleasure has taken a big step up.
David Pritchard |
Concerning Blind Testing;
There is at least one blind test done with Total Contact. My Mother is legally blind - she can no longer read even large print text. She can see sometimes see changing motion at 6 feet. She has Macular Degeneration. She uses a remote control by feel counting the buttons up and down and left and right. She is a 94 year old audiophile. Her amplifier is a Pass Lab First Watt F-7 so it is kept on continuously. Her music is streamed so it only takes one click to turn it on and off. As her world has grown smaller due to her age and blindness, music has taken on a greater importance in her being able to be content.
Changes in her audio system are quickly perceived by her due to the amount of time she listens to it and the lack of distraction with limited eyesight. When I try something new in her system she only knows I am trying something. From her chair she can not see what I do. I do not tell her the cost, what the change is, or the theory of what the change should do. She has an initial reaction and then allows the change to settle in for three days. If it is still good or better it stays, if it is worse or no change it is removed.
Total Contact was first applied to her circuit breaker box. Her words - "better layering of instruments, instruments more precisely located, the music flows better". Several months latter the various power cords, and connectors were treated. " I didn't think it could sound better but it does".
Total Contact does not take 8 weeks to achieve audio nirvana. It sounds better immediately and then further improves over the next week.
Total Contact is easy to apply and is not a messy hard to use "goo".
It also is easy to remove with an alcohol swab.
My Mother has an astonishing fine sounding system with clean modern cables and connectors that was further improved with the application of Total Contact.
She is greatful that Total Contact has enhanced the joy in her life.
David Pritchard
I am glad to discuss this topic via my cell phone.
575-644-1462
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She does have good hearing. Thankfully she does not need hearing aids. Never a need to repeat a statement when talking to her. Tweeks either help her enjoyment or they do not. Many are not implemented.
She does not have a pro or anti bias toward any change. The why of how a change should happen or the cost is not discussed.
In changing her Tube amp to the solid state Pass Lab amp safety was discussed as I worried she would burn herself turning off the tube amp.
resolution 1:
What a wonderful act to treat your Mother's TV. I am sure the audio quality has improved so that your Mother's enjoyment is better.
I do hope all have a meaningful Father's Day. Treat yourself to a tube of Total Contact on this day of celebration instead of a tie!
David Pritchard
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I like the Synergistic Research Blue fuses as treated by the factory without additional Total Contact being applied. I did try them both ways.
David Pritchard
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The Synergistic Research Blue fuse has it's own formula of graphene applied to the fuse body. Adding Total Contact to the ends of the Blue fuse did not further improve the sound in my system.
Total Contact has improved my system's sound after being applied in multiple other areas of the system.
David Pritchard
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I applied Total Contact to where the Synergistic Research Blue fuse makes contact with the fuse holder. I removed the Total Contact from the fuse and fuse holder after 7 days of listening. I preferred the sound of the untreated Blue fuse.
My entire system has been treated with Total Contact and this is the first location I did not experience a positive change. So far I have treated the entire Circuit Breaker box, wall outlet connections, power cords, interconnects, connections and components inside the SACD player and amplifier.
I have found after treating over 100 connections or components in my system that it took longer for the sound to improve - stabilize with the last few parts I treated. I did not paste my entire system in one outing but did one area at a time and then waited a month or more before proceeding to the next step.
I think Total Contact is a great product and I am glad I have treated my systems with it.
David Pritchard
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vplgfunk:
I think that is the ideal order in which to treat a system. Breaker one week end, then the outlets the next weekend, and finally the power cords.
I look forward to your impressions.
David Pritchard
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Interesting experiment today with the AV system. For several months my Oppo 203 Blue Ray player had been connected to the Sony 4K-TV with a PS Audio HDMI cable whose outer ground surface was treated with Total Contact. Today I installed a Wire World Platinum HDMI cable (all silver wires instead of copper with a more complex wire strand geometry). Compared to the much less expensive PS Audio cable , the Wire World cable produced a brighter and more detailed picture. But the real fun happened when latter today I also then treated the Wire World cable with Total Contact. The picture kept it's brightness and detail but the color saturation and 3D quality improved as it did when the PS Audio cable was treated with Total Contact.
So I am more impressed with the way Total Contact improves a HDMI cable than when upgrading from a PS Audio HDMI cable to a very expensive Wire World Platinum HDMI cable.
David Pritchard
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Two days ago I applied Total Contact to the last major piece of equipment in my system- the crossover networks for my 3 way horn speakers. TC was applied to 40 wire connections, the bodies of 8 capacitors and 2 resistors.
I then placed E Mats underneath the wood blocks the crossover networks are mounted on.
Project took about 3 hours from the time the first speaker was removed to get access to a crossover to everything reinstalled and ready to turn the amplifier back on.
Immediate first listen was interesting in the amount of sonic change heard. Dynamics were increased , blackness was increased, imaging was less precise.
Relisten at 24 hours using the same music the imaging was now precise with a sense of relaxed blackness between the instruments. Instrument timbre was correct and rich in nature. Vocals were more alive.
Even after previously treating my electrical panel, wall outlets, cables, and amplifier with Total Contact, I was estatic with the further improvement my system has obtained.
David Pritchard
575-644-1462
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It is now 11 days since I treated my speaker's crossover networks with Total Contact. As each network is mounted on a board and sits on the bottom floor of the speaker cabinet, I also put an E - Mat underneath each crossover network. The sonic improvement is quite satisfying. There is a relaxed feel to the music, but the emotional content is not diminished, but is increased.
Simply put it is just more fun to listen to the music.
David Pritchard |
Yesterday my system reached the 14 day mark after treating the crossover networks of the speakers and putting E-Mats inside the speakers underneath the crossovers. This is a very worthwhile upgrade to your speakers.
Later yesterday I replaced the Synergistic Research Red wall outlet with a Synergistic Research Black outlet. This outlet is on the same circuit as my sound system but has nothing plugged into it. There was a significant improvement in the sound. Especially the 3-D aspects of the soundstage.
David Pritchard
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Yesterday I turned my attention to the headphone system’s Maranz SACD player. It already has been treated with 11 Synergistic Research ECT’s, and 6 SR Blue fuses. Of course each fuse checked for optimal direction 😊. The player has two E-Mats on top of the player.
Using the TotalContact product, I painted the tops of approximately 70 capacitors and transistors. It was interesting to hear the major changes in sound over the first 10 minutes after the application. Two hours latter there was a definite improvement in the 3D aspect of the sound. Overall the sound was neither darker or brighter just better.
This was a most positive experiment.
David Pritchard
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kantx:
I do hope you will try the Perfect Path Technologies Total Contact. It has made a significant improvement in each system I have treated. Stereo speaker system, headphone system, and video system. It is easy to use and the results are major.
David Pritchard
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kantx:
Thank you for posting the wonderful and thought-provoking links. And once again Geoff is correct, the sound of music is occurring at my house this holiday season.
David Pritchard
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Yesterday my SACD player disc tray got stuck and stayed stuck. I finally watched some YouTube repair videos and it is either a worn belt or a worn drive gear. Hopefully fixable at the one repair shop still in my town.
Got out the backup CD player not used in years. Upgraded it with an application of Total Contact to snap together pin connectors, capacitors, transistors, power cable input, interconnect output connectors, and grounding wires to the chassis. About 75 parts total. Fuses are the old soldered in type so not replaceable with Synergistic Research (SR) Blue fuses. So instead put SR ECT's (Electronic Circuit Transducers) on top of each of the 6 fuses. Also added ECT's at the power inlet and to the audio output connectors. A total of 10 ECT's.
Have been running the unit on continuous play since installing into the system. After 10 hours it is already sounding very nice. No digititis!.
The sound is relaxed, no noticeable grain, with a nice soundstage. The sound should get better over the next 14 days.
In my opinion, the combination of Total Contact and the Synergistic Research ECT's is a major upgrade to components such as a CD player.
I will welcome the New Year with wonderful music.
David Pritchard
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I also have a Chord Mojo headphone portable DAC. It is a little tricky to open up and close but I did it. I pasted the big opamp and the capacitors with Total Contact and it does make a difference. I put an Alpha Card on the I- Phone 6 which I have attached to the Mojo.
David Pritchard
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Ordered the fo.QTA-32 tape today. I will be trying it with the Total Contact on the Synergistic Research Grounding Block and connecting wires.
David Pritchard
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