Kenny I already did the 12 pack stack of chips of my dac tower months ago. Some simple things can make for a nice improvement for those users who are reluctant to go inside. Thats why I mentioned the caps.. Tom
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
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
2,514 responses Add your response
“I painted all the shiny centers on the tops of 20 or more capacitors in my transport..Simple and easy pretty much an obvious bulls eye. Sound stage became even more coherent and much denser. One of the best returns of any of the TC applications I have performed.” Tim had suggested I try this last week, and I just did it with my CEC TL-5 CD Transport. From the early results I am getting, I have to agree with you. |
I painted all the shiny centers on the tops of 20 or more capacitors in my transport..Simple and easy pretty much an obvious bulls eye. Sound stage became even more coherent and much denser. One of the best returns of any of the TC applications I have performed. I had made several TC apps previous to this one in the transport ..Oh I also treated the 3 separate transformers at the same time...will flip the lids on other components soon.Tom |
With the improved clarity in the system since getting involved with TC, I've been listening to a lot of vocals. I was listening to Keven Mahogany two nights ago. Here's a big, bold baritone voice that will hold your attention. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kevin-Mahogany-My-Romance-CD-MINT-condition-E18-778/253586659528?epid=32915... Ear candy! If you like really good jazz ballads, this is highly recommended. Frank |
My passive pre has two transformers (actually autoformers) as volume controls, one for each channel. Yesterday, I decided to do an experiment, and painted just the top surface of the square shroud on both with TC. The results were immediate, and the already fantastic sound I was enjoying got even better. Add transformers to the list of areas where TC is effective. What a fun ride! My system is doing all the things I've hoped and wished it could over the years, and I know there's more to come. |
Just another indication that circuit focused high end amp manufacturers never got the memo regarding contact enhancements, fancy fuses, expensive power cords, wire directionality and other advanced audio concepts that audiophiles have been using for like forever. Oh, well, no harm done. Anybody can do it all himself. Why these high end companies don’t employ these well know tricks for the big audio shows, you know, to optimize their chances for obtaining great sound with lots of witnesses, is another question. You’ll have to ask them. 😳 |
It would cost McIntosh 2 cents per unit to paste their contacts and have a huge edge on the competition in sound. It would force the competition to paste their contacts as well, because they know this paste makes a real sonic difference. Perhaps you should get in touch with the manufacturer of your equipment prior to sloping your components. You trusted them when you purchased the components, perhaps you should trust their answers. Their going to call BS (sorry). However your going to save $300. |
tobor007 I have my dream system consisting of $20k of new McIntosh equipment. I contacted them about this pasting procedure. They basically told me if I past my contacts it’s a dumb idea and may void my warranty. I think I will listen to their advise. >>>>>Bingo! That’s what I’ve been saying all along. Amp manufacturers are the most conservative of all the food groups. They are at least two paradigm shifts behind the power curve when it comes to anything beyond circuit hyper focus. 👀 Anything even remotely resembling audiophile woo is quickly dismissed. Contact enhancers, vibration isolation, fancy fuses, directionality of wire, anything more than 2 Sigma off the flatline of moderation. “Oh, protect our precious circuits. The ones that are already perfect.” |
@willgolf I have pasted the tubes in my preamp and amp. Instantly noticeable. As per Tim's instructions, only coat a max of 50% up from the bottom of the pin, no heavy coats and/or blobs of TC. What you do not want is the TC being pushed up from the tube socket and joining two pins together. For signal tubes, insert, then remove, and check that there is no visible TC. If there is, use some isopropyl alcohol and swab to remove it (I had to do this on some XLR applications). Power tubes are less of an issue and easier due to the larger, more widely spaced pins. |
I have pasted everything except my tubes for my Raven integrated tube amp. My results are noticeable. I have been nervous about pasting the pins to the tubes to my amp. I don't know why other than I have a high end amp. Can people tell me about your experiences with pasting the pins on the tubes? Did you hear a further improvement in sound? How much of the pin did you paste? Did you have ANY problems at all from pasting the tubes? |
theaudiotweak All about a change in response where the compressive wave switches over to shear wave at the intersection of the plate and drywall. The treated plate becomes a speed and polarity shifter..More treatment places to follow. Tom >>>>Whoa! What?! Hey, let’s not get too crazy. It makes more sense that the TC is simply acting as an RFI shield. |
david_ten ... Sorry, I have no Bybee products in the system. The iQSE has good reviews. I would think that TC and the iQSE would be of value when used together. Try TC on the internal connections in your electronics. Also, try pasting your receptacle as I suggested to Tommylion above. It lowered the noise floor for me for sure. Frank |
It’s been 4 weeks today since I treated my Blue Fuses and the pins of the tubes in my DAC and amp. Right on cue, my system has opened up with even more transparency, clarity, and sense of air & space. It's nice to hear things improve, right before my ears, without doing anything 🙂 Thanks for sharing that, I've heard from other sources that solderless connections make a difference. |
@tommylion I’ve recently transitioned from building ICs with soldered on connectors to connectors that utilize compression fittings, such as Bocchino B11L RCA and EIZZ XLR. The results are a meaningful step up from solder, suggesting that connectors with solderless connections may be even more important than choice of wires. Treating the inside of compression joints with TC has been an eye-opener. And with soldering eliminated, it’s easier than ever for a non-DIY oriented audiophile to contemplate a cable build. |
There has been enough positive feedback for me to believe that Total Contact is more than likely a welcome addition to the pursuit of audio reproduction. However, not everyone has a very large system to treat. My system consists of a disc spinner, a single input line stage, a 4 tube amp, a power conditioner, and a pair of speakers. This system would be my sole interest for the product. A more suitable size option would make the difference for me and perhaps some others as well. LP |
Not “hanging up my spurs” as you say, I’m just going to be more choosy about any (non-TC) changes. For example, if I change interconnects, I want to be reasonably assured they will be a substantial improvement over what I have currently, not just try some to see what kind of difference they make. I don't believe TC eliminates the difference in sound between ICs. Given two different sets of ICs, both treated with TC, I'll likely still prefer one over the other. |
I’m at the point where I know that if I change anything in, or add anything to, my system, and it involves any plugs or connectors, I’m going to treat them with TC. This means waiting 8 weeks for the TC to fully cure before I hear the final result of the change. I’m less motivated to make a change, unless I feel pretty certain that it will be worth all that. |
Into the life of every controversial tweak promoter a little rain must fall. - Old audiophile axiom One assumes this particular controversial tweak is The Last Tweak for the regulars on this thread. I have not seen any evidence to the contrary. That’s what I like to refer to as The Last Tweak Syndrome. It’s when the intrepid audiophile hangs up his spurs and sez, “that’s all folks, it can’t get any better than this.” It’s also called resting on one’s laurels. Addendum - A good name for the first, apparently unsuccessful, version of Total Contact would have been Total Recall. I’ll be back. |
david_ten ... Sure ... I'd be open to Nkonor coming back into the thread sans insults to rephrase what he meant ... other than insulting other members and demeaning a great product. I don't think I misread the guy. If so, I'm prepared to apologize to him. Fact is, he has no clue what he's missing by shunning TC or SR Blue fuses. I just cannot fathom why someone would knock a product ... any product without trying it out first hand. Two reasons I can think of are: 1. A competitor who is in fear of losing sales to the new product. 2. Just an idiot trying to stir the pot. There's most likely other reasons, but I can't think of any, Frank |
@oregonpapa Frank, I commend you for the ’couple’ threads you have done your best to keep on track and provide relevant information to those of us that are open to it. I’m not sure I have the fortitude or commitment to do what you have. It takes a lot to do so. I know I’m not the only one who appreciates those efforts. Perhaps Sir Nkonor can shed more light on what it is that he means or wants to share. I took the same two sentences broadly, though I get how others interpret the same differently than I did. |
Dgarretson & david_ten ... Thanks for the support, guys. Sorry if I overreacted. For those of us who know what a great product Tim Mrock has brought to market with TC, its an insult for someone to demean the product without trying it out for himself. It was the attitude toward another member that really took the cake. No excuse for it at all.
^^^ I agree, there’s nothing wrong with that statement other than his assumption that we are "wasting $$$." Again, how would he know? He hasn’t tried the product, hasn’t seen the product ... and in general hasn’t a clue of what he speaks. I will continue to support the use of TC on all connections ... AND THEN SOME. It has brought my system to a level I could only dream about. It works on the most modest equipment and the most expensive as well. I'll make a prediction right here ... Total Contact will become a major player in the hobby within the next year. As soon as an honest, objective reviewer gets his hands on the product, every naysayer will be put in his place, and even they will be clamoring for the product. Its that good.. Onward and upward ... Frank |
@oregonpapa Frank, it's been difficult of late, given the general devolution in the fora, but I'm trying my best to take what I can that is positive and helpful from posts. I understand the reaction to @nkonor 's post and rightly so. However, I believe he also makes a very important point: Stop wasting $$$ over and over again on “Shipping & Lost Value” Put a real plan together and follow through. Hopefully he will also be open to the positive contributions of this thread. All the best. - David. |
@nkonor I see we share ownership in "the good stuff"-- Pass XA-160.8 & Kuzma 4PT. I dare you to take the top off those monoblocks and paint TC on the pins of the three easily accessible pin block connectors from the input stage and power boards. Then coat your cartridge pins. Then shut up and listen. |
Most of us started out in this hobby with a modest system. Mine was a Nikko receiver, a Yamaha turntable, and a pair of small Sonab speakers. I didn't know about different wires at the time. In fact, I can't remember anyone talking about it ... so, it was just stock Radio Shack wire for me. A few years later I moved on to a Yamaha integrated amp, a Yamaha tuner and a Tandberg 310 Cassette player. And then it happened ... I discovered tubes. I bought a pair of Dynaco MKIII amps and a Pas-3 preamp and was hooked on tubes. I eventually had the Pas-3 modified and switched to a Dyna 120 modified by Frank Van Alstine. That was a killer solid state amp that I wish I had never sold. After a few years of messing with the Dynaco stuff, I finally went all out and bought an ARC SP-14 and an ARC Classic 60. Its been history ever since. Through all of time spent with various components, the music always came first. Tweaking my system hasn't always been successful. I've found over the years that one can take certain tweaks too far ... Mu metal comes to mind. For someone to be demeaning to the point of describing a fine product as "acoustic spit," is in my mind over the top, and to put another member down for not having the ultimate in expensive equipment, and dictating how that other member's money should be spend in such a demeaning way is just plain rude. He needed to be called out. Frank |
There is no absolute sound. High end sound cannot be defined. One high end system can sound remarkably different from another high end system. In fact one high end system can sound excellent whereas another high end system can sound atrocious. There is more to high end sound than connecting a bunch of expensive components and cables together. This is the Hierarchy of Sound. You tweak one system, it might sound better than a more expensive system that hasn’t been tweaked. It’s not guaranteed but it might. And the more expensive (better) system itself can be improved by tweaking. It is very possible for a tweaked Mid Fi system to sound better than a high end system. That’s the Hierarchy of Sound. There is no glass ceiling. There are no real boundaries. It’s not Black and White. 🦓 |
| Post removed |
Been There; Done That. You still end up with a used; basically higher quality midfi system. Save your “nickels” and really get the good stuff. Stop wasting $$$ over and over again on “Shipping & Lost Value” Put a real plan together and follow through. Magic Fuses and Acoustic Spit will not turn midfi into High End. |
Before I started my A’gon addiction about 5 years ago my introduction to “hi-fi” - or so I presumed - began in 1994 with the purchase of a pair of Klipsch Epic Series CF-3 floorstanding loudspeakers. I had just purchased my current residence and was in dire need of some furniture to fill what was then and is now my listening space. (Living room) I didn’t buy the Klipsch merely for their size. Prior to this time I had lapsed out of the stereo chase for around 10 years. My subscriptions to Stereophile and the like had lapsed, the amount of time I could devote to enjoying music had diminished, so my earnest and eager return to the fold utilized the familiar. Fast forward a few years, perhaps ten or more. House renovations, redecorations, life in general saw my beloved Klipsch speakers become speckled with paint, dinged from moving them about, all the usual indications of a fairly long life. Sometime during this period I grew weary of the horn loaded tweeter’s harshness so - this was way before this site or any other - I started “tweaking” the horn by stuffing the face with foam, even a pair of throw pillows once. Then I went so far as to pop the horns out out of the cabinets. Lo and behold...all of the internal wiring was your basic speaker wire, the kind sold on spools at Radio Shack, Newmark & Lewis, Crazy Eddie, etc. Kinda surprised this audiot even back then. Fast forward again... Audiogon. My system deviates in value somewhere between $6-$12k depending on what I’ve bought and sold. That’s hi-fi in my world. Following many threads here, curious about virtually everything to get the most of what I’ve got, I’ve invested in power conditioning, power cords, speaker cables, (formerly “speaker wire”) isolation platforms, various interconnects, and the whole plethora of stuff championed and dissed here and afar. And ya know what? Most of the suggestions and tweaks HAVE had impact on improving my enjoyment. Most of them by comparison with purchasing the major components have been inexpensive as well. Whether or not treating my connections with products scientifically purported to eliminate bad stuff will be immediately tangible to me, the relatively minor expenditure to investigate the possibility continues to be extremely attractive. I’m about to investigate the fuse thing with the new Blue fuses. I have to. The whole argument for replacing stock fuses makes sense to me. If spending approximately $150 can better my current setup’s performance methinks the investment is validated. Improving the contacts on my equipment? Worth a try. Sure beats the snot outta replacing amps and preamps and speakers, oh my!9 |
