New Tweak --- Its Fantastic


THE NEW TWEAK

Over the good part of this past year I’ve been beta testing a new tweak, the name of which is "Total Contact." Its a hi-bred graphene contact enhancer that is different from all other contact enhancers that have come and gone for one reason or another. I’m not new to these contact enhancers, having had quite a bit of experience with a product developed by the late Brian Kyle and his "Quick Silver" contact enhancer. The "Total Contact" is different ... a LOT different.

"Total Contact" is graphene based and is not a vibration control. It eliminates micro-arching between two contacts. Micro-arching, much like Micro-vibration smears the sound in our stereo systems. Its the type of distortion that we don’t know is there .... until we eliminate it. There is no break-in as we know it. The sound is improved right off the bat, but what you hear is only a smidgen of what’s to come.

I tested three generations of "TC," each of which was an improvement over the previous incarnation. The final mix was cryogenitically treated and made for a more effective, much smoother application. It comes in a large hypodermic needle type plunger containing 1.5 ml of product and includes a instructional DVD and an application brush.

The application should be applied with a very thin coat to all of your electrical connections .... from your cartridge pins to your power cords. I did my entire system, including the ends of my fuses.

Upon initial application, you will notice an improvement in clarity, correctness of tonal balance and a more overall organic sound. But ... that is just scratching the surface of what this magic paste does. As it cures, the improvements become more apparent. Much more!

There are two real break-through events that happen almost to the day with "Total Contact," one at four weeks and another at eight weeks . At four weeks, you’ll get a real jump in clarity and overall improvement. That’s only a taste though of what’s to come at eight weeks. At eight weeks your system’s focus will make a jump in SQ that is so real - its surreal.

After 40 years in the hobby, and a total tweak nut, I have never heard anything that does what this graphene paste does. The see-through clarity at eight weeks becomes simply amazing. The "paste" eventually cures into a kind of polymer plastic and it seems that the sound improves with each listening session. So, its important that you leave your contacts alone for the duration. If you’re the type of person that continually switches wires in and out, you’ll have to re paste until enough time has elapsed to get "the cure."

The only problem I had was with the first batch and that had to do with shorting out a tube pin in the line stage. Use the "TC" very sparingly on tube pins, if at all. I only had problems with the line stage tube pins. The Amp, CD Player and Phono Stage has had no tube pin problems at all.

Tim Mrock, one of our fellow A’goners, is the developer of the product. Its taken Tim 15 years and several patents to get it right. Tim has "pasted" every electrical contact he can find in his audio system, all of the switches in his circuit breaker box, every contact in his car ... and has used it in commercial applications such as hospital circuit breakers, surgical lights ... and other places where efficiency and long life of electrical components are deemed important.

This product is highly recommended to anyone who truly wants to get the most out of his/her audio systems. There’s enough product in each tube to do at least two audio systems as it just takes a very thin coat on each application to be effective. The last tube was enough to do my system twice and then a friend’s system this past weekend.


Frank

PS: There were a couple of other A’goner beta testers of this product as well. Hopefully, they will chime in here with their experiences for comparison. I "pasted" both of Steve Fleschler’s systems a few days ago, perhaps he will comment on his results too. We forgot to paste Steve’s power cords though, so there’s a lot more to be had from Steve’s two fantastic systems.

Frank
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Showing 5 responses by mribob

Frank;
I remember listening to your rig after you had applied this stuffs as a beta project; you mentioned you were sworn to a confidentiality agreement at that time. I was so impressed, I wanted to get a tube, but it was  not available then. I need to get some now! Can't wait to try it, and enjoy the improvement. All the posts you've made have been spot on, I've been to your home several times, and can always hear what you're been up to, and the improvements are never subtle. To the trolls out there, I have no dog in this hunt, simply sharing what I've experienced with my own ears.
Glad you are well, and Happy Holidays. Too bad its too late for a stocking stuffer...
Enjoy the music, and the tweaks...
Best,
Bob
Its time for me to report my experience of having TC applied to my inter-connects and speaker cables, Frank himself was gracious enough to come over and assist with the project.
We used paper towels, to keep my coffee table clean, we got some graphene darkening on our fingers, which cleaned up easily.
I've had the system 'cure' for over a week, and have at least 30 hours of music playing through it.
My impression is similar to other positive posters: it clearly tightened up the bass, it is now less 'muddy' and clear. A bit more organic and full sound, what I call 'meat on bones' sonic density, and removed some digital grunge from the highs.
I think my system was already pretty resolving...for digital I am using Vivaldi  dac 2.02, connected to Network Bridge and solid state NAS drives, with TA cords, Veloce tubed battery powered pre, Hegel H-30 stereo amp, Venture speakers.
I wouldn't say the changes were as dramatic as some have posted, but everything matters, and with tweaks, some work, some don't. In this case, I feel it definitely helps improve my enjoyment of listening to music, which is primary goal. It's an easy process, and to help calm some of the hyperbole, you just need to try it yourself, and make your own evaluation.I'm glad I did, I now need to paste my power cords and power conditioner...something I didn't complete.I'll continue to enjoy the benefits of this simple tweak, and hope for a bit more refinement as I reach the more critical 80 hour period of burn in and stabilization.
Thanks, Frank...you are a good man, a true friend, and I am grateful for your pursuit of allowing us to improve our home listening experience with simple tweaks like Blue fuses, and TC contact enhancer. I am also glad to learn more about jazz and music from you. Please keep it up, and remain true to yourself.






I have treated just my IC's and speaker cables, with Frank's help around one month ago. I have not yet pasted my power cords.

I think all of these tweaks are beneficial to certain degrees. My system was pretty resolving, but now that this tweak has 'burned in', I too must respond with positive comments about a 'lifting of a veil' of digital grunge, more open sound stage, better detail, and more accurate bass. The question now is how dramatic....I wouldn't say I was gobsmacked with improvement like say from a component upgrade, but everything in this hobby matters, and for the price, and the minimum effort involved, it helps me enjoy the music more, and listen to my gear less. It is clearly a definite improvement, more than subtle, but less than big bucks change up in gear. I would say its on par with the improvement I noticed by adding the SR black fuses to my gear...so slowly, and steadily, I am adding to sound quality, and enjoyment.

I will try to paste my PC's soon. I have tried the product, and found it to be a positive improvement. I hope my comments will not result in attacks, as I am trying to be fair and balanced in my review and results.

I'm glad Frank has brought this new product to my attention, I would not have tried it otherwise, and missed an easy tweak with positive effects.

Frank was kind enough to  invite me back to his house for a brief listening session; its been a while since my last visit, and as has been described, Frank has been busy pasting everything in his rig. When I first sat in his listening chair, and enjoyed the sweet spot, I heard the best bass and deepest sound stage that his system has ever produced. The changes and improvements were not subtle. I am a believer, and all the tips that Frank has been kind enough to share regarding technique and patience are spot on.
I will get some TC and now start pasting my power cords, fuses, and HDMI cables, which have not yet been treated.
Thanks, Frank...from a believer.
Bob P
Brief Update: Frank invited me back to his home for another listening session, as he has continued to paste everything in his home, like crazy. I was initially skeptical that I would notice further improvement, but I was wrong...his noise floor is continuing to get lower, with more optimal sonic density, and better resolution, allowing me to hear individual instruments and vocals...it was a dramatic improvement, over an already good experience.
I know there are nay sayers, or folks who have not tried this...but from first hand experience, I think this is a great tweak. Some folks spend even more $$$ on high end power conditioners, and then add grounding boxes, and expensive grounding cables, isolation racks, and room treatments...there are many paths to increasing your enjoyment of your own rig, in your own home. But I like to optimize my costs/benefit ratio, and I feel the TC is a real value, and provides real benefit. I will be placing more order next week, to allow me to experience a better audio environment in my room.
I have a few SR Black fuses in my rig, and have not decided to upgrade to the Blue fuses at this time....