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.
Well YOU obviously are reading too much in my email. Without any response I figured you were too busy to respond.
I didn’t demand anything. I do however feel slighted that you only sent me the first version when it is now apparent that there were 3 upgrades.
So, I asked for a sample of the latest upgrade. Afterall if others are hearing sonic improvements where as I did not in the first sample, I though perhaps my criticism based on the first version was not justified.
I have to say your post, puts me in a very awkward position,and is very uncomfortable to say the least. The way you posted, it makes it appear as if I do not care about customer service, which could not be further from the truth.You emailed me twice, only after I privately sent you a very warm and friendly message, saying hey no hard feelings about the beta testing,informed you about the 3rd revision, and offered you special purchase consideration as a goodwill gesture.You responded to my message explaining how the 2 products sounded the same to you, but you would be willing to try a sample on your fuses.It became obvious you did not read all of my message, or worse you disregarded it. The following day you posted in this thread that my product was no different then the Mad Scientist, because you tried them both, but hey you would be willing to test them again. Then you sent the first email,requesting a free sample, still blown away at your behavior, I did not respond. The following day you sent me the second one almost demanding one. Still blown away from the day before, and even more so with the second email, I did not respond. Well unfortunately your actions,which I find selfish BTW, and I forgive you. The bottom line is your welcome to still purchase it, like everyone else. There are no free samples, testing is over.
Hey I have no dog in this hunt. Would a decent compromise with Ozzy be to send him a very small amount of your current production TC so he can try it on a few fuses or whatever in his system? I know you don't want to be giving product away. Perhaps since he tried previous iterations of the product you might do him this one kindness.
Please keep in mind that you are asking people to take a leap of faith in trying TC. Such a gesture might fortify your professional image in many others here who have been following this thread and are considering taking that $300 leap with you.
Hoping something can be worked out to both of your satisfaction.
I’d be very interested in knowing exactly how and where you applied your first beta sample. I know that some tweaks are system dependent, but to go from rave reviews from almost everyone whose tried it, to, in your case, hearing no improvement at all seems like a stretch to me. With the system you have, Ozzie, you should be able to hear the effects of the slightest change.
How did you apply the TC and the MS products? What did you apply them to? How long did you leave the TC on? Did you notice any degrading of the sound due to either product?
Not doubting you here Ozzie, just wondering what went wrong if anything.
^^^ Nope, no damage control. Its just that so far, there has been nothing but excellent reviews from those who have taken the plunge and bought the product. I'm figuring that something wasn't right in the way Ozzie used the product. I'd like to help him. Why? Because TC is too good of a product for Ozzie and others not to be enjoying it,
By the way George, you got a small sample to try out. What was your experience?
I applied the product with a Q tip and a small brush around all the connectors on my cables, fuses and such. It did not impress, in fact what I noticed (as I stated previously) was that my system sounded dull and lifeless. I used it for quite some time. After removing it all the life came back. Maybe I applied too much, maybe I got a bad batch or whatever...
Yes, it is a leap of faith of $300 to try the newer version when the version I had did not impress me. But with so many glowing reviews I just don't understand, that is again why I wanted to try a small sample to just apply to a couple fuses.
I have since started applying Stabilant 22 and find that to be just right.
Actually we don’t know how many Beta testers there were. Or who they were. Plus it’s not the sort of thing most people would do, post negative results. Most likely the agreement was something to the effect that the product was sent out and if results were favorable would the Beta tester be kind enough to post comments? But posting negative comments wouldn’t be nice for one thing. Not cricket. That’s why audio magazines almost never publish negative reviews. It’s not nice. But also things happen. Something could have to the amp under review during shipping, for example. If someone posts negative comments he may have defend himself against an onslaught of accusations.
I can't account for the "loss of life" in your system. It was just the opposite here. You say that perhaps you applied too much. It should have gone on as a very thin coating using just a small dab on the tip of a small brush ... and then spread out onto the connection.
You said that you tried both the TC and the MS products. Which one did you try first? If it was the MS product, were you careful to get all of the oil off before applying the TC?
How long did you let the TC stay in the system before you removed it? Reason I ask is that in the past I've tried various tweaks where I thought the highs were rolled off a bit. After listening for awhile, I realized that what happened was a dramatic drop in the noise floor, along with a drop in what could be called distortion sizzle. The highs were still there in spades but without the white noise distortion that I mistook for part of the highs.
It's fascinating that whenever there’s even a hint of of controversy, you’re always right there...stirring the pot...hoping it will boil over? Do you consider yourself some sort of agent of chaos, or something?
Yes, I did use the Mad Scientist stuff. I’m not sure which product I used first, but I did remove all of the previous product before using the other one.
When I used Tim's product it was over a 3 month period. I kept telling Tim that I was not impressed and he kept telling me to let it burn in more and he even stated that you (oregonpapa) was thrilled with it.
But, no matter how I could describe the products usefulness, the end result was I was much happier when it was removed.
Prospective buyers should try to obtain a small sample before spending big $$$ on it. IMHO.
Well, its not a perfect world I guess. At this point, I really don't know what to say.
Getting a small amount to do the ends of your fuses would seem a moot point to me, Ozzy. I mean, if you've done your entire system and evaluated the product for three months and only heard a dulling of the sound, I don't suppose you'd hear what pasting the ends of fuses would do for you either.
In the meantime, there has been real progress in my system as new uses for TC are found in our ongoing experiments. TC has brought my system to levels only wished for before. The realism is uncanny.
It’s fascinating that whenever there’s even a hint of of controversy, you’re always right there...stirring the pot...hoping it will boil over? Do you consider yourself some sort of agent of chaos, or something?
>>>I think of myself more as a song and dance man, you know.
I used the TC on my Naim UnitiLite’s power cable and speaker connections to my ProAc Response D Twos. There is a noticeable positive change right away. It seems as though the bass extension is better and mids are punchier. Not a massive change. It kind of reminds me of the change you get when upgrading to a higher level (or two) of power cord and/or speaker cables in a system. In that sense it is worth the $300.00 considering the cost of power and speaker cables.
One concern is that the instructions say that you have to re-apply if you remove the cables. I would estimate that i do this 2-3x per year. The amount of TC provided is more than enough for my needs, but if it doesn’t stay "fresh" for a long period of time that could be an issue.
Thank you for posting your results. The more connections you apply TC to, the better the results will be. And ... don’t forget to mark your calendar for the four and eight week break-through periods.
My office system has been completely treated since Sunday and have found the bass deeper and more tuneful. This is coming from a 3” single driver audience The one V2 speaker. The rest of the frequency spectrum is still magnificent. The best thing so far is that I have heard no I’ll effects or back sliding on any of the improvements.
My main system is still not completely treated but will be completed by this weekend. However the bass has displayed the same deepening and tuneful improvements. Notes resonate more fully and are more decernable and thus I work less at completing notes in my mind which helps in longer more enjoyable listening sessions.
I treated the speaker cables with TC. I immediately noticed more resolution from all the previous applications. I am able to enjoy the music at lower volume levels without missing a beat. The best part is that when I do turn up the volume, I am less likely to turn it down since the digital glare is deminished so much.
It is if I upgraded my speaker cables. The cables are Audience Conductor SE running from a DNM amp To Audience 1+1 V2+ speakers.
I have yet to treat any interconnects to the Pre amp and Amp and power cables other than my CD player and power contioner and power strip. This Is due to my cautious nature, plus I got down the rabbit hole of listening to music. Oh ya, that’s what we do this for!
So far I have enjoyed every step along the way. Like reported earlier, I went through this as I upgraded power cables, power conditioners, interconnects, speakers and floating my components on Stillpoints over the last 2 years. I did not think that this product would make this kind of difference in resolution and musicality. I am not suggesting that anyone should not upgrade components, speakers, interconnects, power cables etc. I just think that so far that this material makes the most of any upgrade I have made in both of my systems without changing the basic character. I will report again as I treat more of my main system, if I can stop listening to music long enough.
One more note, I did not enter into this lightly, since my more experienced friends/professionals cautioned me, that some of the other contact enhancers previously mentioned in this thread have had varying degree of success and possible degradation problems overtime. This is why I have been so cautious in diving in to my priciest components where it would be more more difficult to remove.
^^^ I’ve had some connections (speaker cable - bi wired) pasted with the original beta testing version of TC for a year now with no obvious degradation in sound. On the contrary, everything seems to continue to improve. Most of the system is pasted with the version of TC that is presently being sold. It was the final version and is much smoother than the original two versions, each of which was smoother and more refined than that which came before.
Yesterday, I decided to take another chance with the tube pins in the line stage. (ARC REF-3). So far, no issues. The original beta testing product was a bit chunky in that you could see little flecks of graphene in the product. I had a problem with that version and the tube pins. I’m hoping that the smoother final product will eliminate any problems with tube pins. Oddly enough, I did the cartridge pins with the original TC and so far, not one problem at all. No problem on tube pins in other equipment either ... only with the line stage.
As stated before, there is a real jump in SQ at 4 weeks and especially at 8 weeks. It may be system dependent, but both Tim, I, and others have have experienced this phenomenon big time, and at 8 weeks the clarity becomes uncanny with realism. We all know what "see through" quality means in this hobby ... but this is "see through" on steroids.
I am really looking forward to the point where you guys get to experience this. Some of you are getting close to the 4 week period. PLEASE, if you experience what we have experienced with TC when you reach this time point ... post your experiences here. Thanks ...
To those who have purchased the product: have you tried any blind testing on the product? Perhaps this could be a test, listen to the same passage of music 10 times. Have someone apply the substance at SOME point and see if you can identify which time it changed, and what the change was? Presumably all the following samples would have this change if it exists. Perhaps applied to the speaker cables? i am not big on blind testing but I definitely am hearing some “expectation bias” in this thread, imo. I find most tweaks to be subtle, but since these responses are described as so immediate and obvious, this method of testing should be very informative.
^^^ I haven’t heard any "expectation bias" regarding TC. I have, however, heard a ton of UNexpectation bias though ... all from those who haven’t seen the product, touched the product, heard the product or used the product. :-)
If I heard the same piece of music ten times, then had someone apply TC to my speaker cables, I’m positive I would hear the difference ....and I’m no fried chicken either.
There was no reason to have a blind since I was able to hear an immediate change to my system which was not so subtle. As I stated in my first impression, the music was cleaner and clearer. The soundstage was bigger and the music extended forward on all music. I found it difficult to ascertain any differences on some tweaks but not with TC. By far, this product made the most impact of any tweak or cable in my system.
Like any type of test, a controlled blind test is a data point and as such cannot prove or disprove anything. Especially if the results are negative, you know, since negative results can be caused by many things.
Most of the initial feedback has been very similar to mine. I had a vague idea of of what the improvements might be in relation to noise reduction but I did not expect to what extent that the noise floor and digital glare was reduced.
I will try to put it into perspective. As I have mentioned in prior posts, I just completed several interconnect, powered chord, power conditioning, and still point upgrades over a two year period. Each time I was able to do in home evaluation in each of my systems. I would not have purchased any of these items for fanthom improvements because I trust my own ears and spend wisely. Thus, this is the most risk I have taken in any Hi-Fi purchase, and so far one of the most rewarding so far, for the money.
TC is quite remarkable. I’ve done tons of tweaks over the years, but nothing does it like TC. I know there are those posting here who think that $299.99 is too much to pay for a tweak, but based upon what TC does, I honestly think it saves money. Why? Because in order to gain this much of an improvement in SQ, one would have to upgrade equipment ... and that costs thousands. In the meantime, I’ll just keep pasting away, thank you. :-)
"I did not expect to what extent that the noise floor and digital glare was reduced."
RC ... I can hardly wait until you guys reach the 4 and 8 week time periods. It becomes what you said above --- times 10 at least.
I jumped the gun on the 8 week improvement when I purchased the SR Atmosphere XL4 to go with my 2 HFT sets and 2 Speaker HFT sets. It was like TC on steroids.
However, my wife noticed congestion/hashy sound on choral parts on LPs recorded in the 50’s and early 60’s (all four Aida Triumphal Scene LPs-recording tape headroom saturation problem). Jazz and instrumentals sounded fine but with the slightest blur on some (using a custom made tube phono stage with perfectly impedance mated SUT). I thought there could be worn stylus problem but my best LPs sounded fabulous. I did an experiment.
I decided to plug in my old EAR 324 phono stage. It was difficult to get the right impedance/gain match (which is why I switched five years ago) getting too much bass, insufficiently open sound or too little bass and open sound (150 or 400 ohms, cartridge is best at 220 ohms).. Then I decided to treat the EAR 324s 2 pairs of RCA ICs and the A/C power cord with TC. Wow, I was able to dial in a setting I liked. The choruses became 50% clearer (wife approved as listenable) and a very tube-like tonal quality ensued. As noted, bass becomes more prominent. I was able to use a higher impedance match for my cartridge (Benz Ruby 3). My wife approved of me spending $300 for TC (as well as the XL4 after she heard what it did and the removal of all the wall/window treatments for the HFTs). She spent some time listening to LPs (luckily the XL4 has an Amplify room setting so that she can enjoy heavy metal and Robin Trower recordings).
I just want to say that TC improves everything I pasted so far. Unfortunately for me, my wife will be spending more time listening to 80s rock LPs in my music room. On a personal note, my wife had about 300 LPs when we met 21 years ago which she kept in pristine condition. I’m a lucky man.
hifiman5 @geoffkait +1 Blind testing often produces so much anxiety in the listener that it interferes with their normal perceptions of their system’s sound.
>>>>I actually don’t think so, I mean, unless there was a lot riding on it. For example, The Amazing Randi’s Million Dollar Challenge definitely produced a lot of stress in the challenger. The protocols themselves can produce stress, you know, what system is used for the test and where located, how many people are present, how the test is administered, which CDs can be used for the test, how many trials are required, things of that nature. It’s enough to freak out any mild mannered audiophile. 😩 No wonder nobody ever won the million bucks. Casual blind tests at home, on the other hand, are probably not too stressful. Nevertheless, as I already pointed out, negative results don’t prove anything.
I considered buying the speaker HFTs to work with my FEQ, but decided to purchase TC instead. I'm not sure if my system would benefit from adding the HFTs at this point. I tried the original HFTs on the walls with no improvement to my system and I do not wish to upgrade the FEQ to the XL4. Any thoughts?
Maybe @oregonpapa can recommend him to cut the quantity in half, along with a reduction in price. The unknown & limited shelf life, plus quantity to treat multiple systems, may be off-putting for a product without long term testing. A small sample container, with enough to treat 1-3 products for $10-30, would make a nice addition. 1 per customer. If it's as good as advertised, customers would buy the full size.
ronrags I tried the HFTs only without my Hallographs and did not like the result either. While the sound was enhanced, detailed and open, it sounded antiseptic, sterile. Obviously my room has a lot to do with that. When I put back the rear Hallographs alone, the beauty of sound and immersion into a large sound field was brought back.
Note that I used TC prior to installing HFTs and removing all my room treatment. My wife felt that the room didn't sound sufficiently open when compared to the best audio systems she heard at the LA Audio show 2018. I decided to try the Atmosphere XL4. I was hooked. It delivers so much more than an FEQ, in numbers of signals, signal strength and adjustability.
I highly recommend TC which will do much of what HFTs. It does so many positive things to the sound from an electronic stance. like the blue fuse. I still had slap echo problems (moderately severe) without the HFTs which is a non-electronic, room problem. Now with the Atmosphere XL4, there is no slap echo present when clapping my hands while music is playing. Amazing.
P.S. The first two sets of HFTs were insufficient for me to remove rear panel diffusers and absorbing panels. After I installed two speaker kit HFTs I removed all room treatments except for Hallographs.
P.P.S. It was really difficult to use only two sets of HFTs to sound correct. Often, the bass would be too lean or treble to bright depending on my placement. Following the preferred setup did not work until I installed the speaker kits, then chose the preferred set up for the first two HFT sets.
Maybe @oregonpapa can recommend him to cut the quantity in half, along with a reduction in price. The unknown & limited shelf life, plus quantity to treat multiple systems, may be off-putting for a product without long term testing. A small sample container, with enough to treat 1-3 products for $10-30, would make a nice addition. 1 per customer. If it’s as good as advertised, customers would buy the full size."
Jay ...
Tim Mrock has not "disappeared." He reads every post in this thread.
There are plenty of contacts in an audio system to paste with TC to justify the 1.5 ml size ... especially if you do your circuit breakers.
Unknown shelf life? If you were to read the thread in its entirety, you’d discover that I still have some connections pasted with the first beta TC a year later. I still have a little left in the syringe, and its still viable.
In addition, it wouldn’t be cost effective to offer a smaller amount. After all, the cost of startup has to be recouped. Its business, pure and simple.
If the entry price is too much risk for you, or anyone else, I’d suggest that you go in with a friend and do both systems. This way, you are getting the product for "half price," right?
Read the positive reviews coming into this thread now. Considering the reviews, why do you still have reservations about "if its as good as advertised?" It is as good as advertised ... and even better.
So now, is there anything else holding you back from buying a tube of TC to enhance your audio system? If so ... what is it? Do you have more questions? If so, I’d be happy to answer them to the best of my ability. If I can't answer them, Tim surely can.
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