In the interest of assessing incremental change over the purported long-term break-in period for TC, I've been trying to resist the temptation of smearing it from lips to tail. Today I added a thin coat to the cartridge pins of a low output Audio Technica ART7 cartridge into a Kuzma 4PT tonearm. There were immediate improvements, which several hours later mutated into an expanded and clarified soundstage with an inertial payload that, were it not Saturday evening, would be absolutely North Korean if not medieval. No kidding, but waiting for the light of day to confirm.
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
mikepowellaudio ... Thanks for posting ... Brian, unfortunately, died from brain cancer. Brian was a nice guy and an innovator. I applied his silver paste to my own system and enjoyed it until it went south. Brian and I also used his product on a system on a high end system belonging to a manufacture when Brian and I met up at the CES in Vegas. I knew the manufacturer and Brian had the goods. :-) Take it from me ... Total Contact is nothing like Brian's product. Total contact is much more than just another contact enhancer. Frank |
I am confused and confused. I don't understand why, what or how TC do what it does. Me no smart boy but I can hear and It's not same as pre TC. I know there can be lots reasons why it can sound different day to day, week to week, cold to hot..whatever...so I will continue to enjoy my system for 2 more weeks and I will make a note here. That would be at 4th week and something suppose to lift SQ up. Will see. Only an honest opinion from normal guy with average system. |
Wow, Brian died, huh ? natural passing or ? .. Well I spent a day with him in Dana Point during his quicksilver days and even still have the kit i got from him back then. I never ended up applying it as it simply seemed too goopy to put on my WBT connectors, and Ive seen some true horror jobs insofar as paste on connections. I was actually there to listen to his cables in natural cotton and I was building amplifiers at the time. My guess is the new stuff is the old stuff with added graphene.. I just bought 100% silver grease from McMaster to use on my new electrical panel install for the rig and it was $100 for 14 grams of grease, much thicker than an oil suspension. in other words you could double the amount by adding a teaspoon of oil. Sad to hear Brian is gone he was a true tweak/OCD like some of us with our gear. Bless his soul.. |
Audiotweak said....”When TC is applied to normal everyday objects in an audio room that are not electrical in nature..and after a cure time of about 7 to 10 days you will have around you an enhanced audio experience..something new and into the mystic. Tom” I guess a gallon would be enough for an audiophile mystical enhancement. Hmm!!! On second thought...maybe 2. I have a lot of stuff in my listening area. 🤪 |
Rotaryphone, I went through the same progression of improvements during the first weeks. As stated before, the only drawback about TC is that I lost and still do lose sleep listening late into the night. The interesting thing about TC is that no matter what type of system you have, it just brings out the best in it, without changing it’s character. Have fun, rc |
rotaryphone ... Nice review. It gets even better at the 8 week point. I'm finding myself seeking out the "bass" recordings in my collection like never before. Cellos and acoustic basses are fantastic. Percussion instruments like kettle drums, snaps and rim shots on snares, and bass drums are phenomenal. Human voices are so articulate now that I'm seeking out all of my choral recordings on Harmonia Mundi. The ancient chants and instruments are delineated and spread out wall to wall. There are no longer any speakers in my room. They have disappeared. :-) Hopefully, you've saved any TC you have left over. See Tim's post above. Some super surprises are about to be revealed. No joke. Frank |
Day 14 Maybe it's the weather or my ears or my dog or my damn beautiful neighbour....I don't know what it is but would you beilive me if I tell you my system's sound is different now? I really don't know why or how but damn me, it sounds good today. I came home and power everything on and warmed them up for 15 minutes (tubes...you know) But first...I Don't know Tim and sure heck don't know Frank. And I paid full $299 + shipping. I was curious about the TC and was sitting on the fence for few days thinking....would it ??...does it.??...can it..??...should I..??....whf...why not try it. If it doesn't do what OP said it does, than I will just toss it in the "spare bin". I have paid more for a pair of ICs. And that IC is in the spare bin. And I'll be the sucker born this minute. So, does it work? Does it improve the SQ? Is it a Miracle in the syringe? Yes, Yes and No. And what if you don't believe me?....That's totally ok but don't bash me without trying the TC on your system first. Ok? My system is all tube based and it is not neutral. It is on rich side, if you know what I mean. EL34 rich and I love it. Can't get enough of that fat, syrupy midrange. But I tell you, bass is not the best. It is not a krell for sure. But I'm telling you....no BS....bass (LF) got better in terms of quantity and quality. There is just more and much better controlld bass. Tighter bass. I like it tight. Is this a TC's doing? I have to say yes. I'm into 7th year now with them mono amps and I know how it sounds. And now, it changed. Especially last 2 days. I said to my wife...whf???...bass kick ass. And It's not like a bass in the back seat of a civic. It's very articulated and natual sounding bass. I love it even though it doesn't move my hair. I have no hair. There is a improvement everywhere else too. Openness, decay, transparentcy, soundstage.....yes..the soundstage...they all got better, cleaner and bigger. I'm just going to say "it got better and I like it" for today. I was going to wait for that 4th week mark but I just have to make a note today because improvement is noticeable. And I guess I still have long ways to go. Let's see where TC will take me. And that damn bass.....................kick ass. Over and out. |
Well as Tom theaudiotweak has stated, it turns out there are many many more applications with this product that have nothing to do with micro arcing! As a matter of fact last fall, I think it was our first or second phone conversation, and he asked how the product worked with micro vibration, and to be honest I laughed at the idea. I also defended another product, that I have used for years. Never ever believed anything could supersede this particular product. Well I was wrong, very wrong. Between the two of us we have come up with a load of applications, all of them sonically stunning. What we do not know for sure, and its being worked on, is the why. We think we know, but its very hard to quantify. All of the apps will be rolled out on the website when it goes up. What I will not do is make up some technological explanation as to why it works. Frankly I want to know too, but with what I am hearing, and experiencing I could care less. As Tom and I both found out there is at least one app, that the first 10 days the system will sound bad, very bad. By the 15th day we will be friends again, and it goes up from there. Just a big thank you to all my customers who have taken a chance with TOTAL CONTACT! Hang on your product you have left, the fun has just started! |
fazee I don't know why TC would work on acoustic resonators. Did you want to use it to attach to objects or around the sides of the HFTs? Certainly don't put it into the resonating chamber which would block its' function. The HFTs don't operate in an electrical field so I doubt TC would work on them. Let me know if there is another application but you got me to think about applying HFTs to the Atmosphere XL4 post. |
Madman, I paid the $300.00. I have stated in previous post that: 1. I have enjoyed the effect that the TC has had in my system from day one. 2. Based on previous tweaks I have tried and purchased, I think that this is a bargain tweak based on what It does to maximize the positive aspects of my system. 3. My experience with the product, is that it does exactly what was promised out of the gate. Further, it has improved as promised, within the 4 and 8 week curing process. 4. I have not experienced any negatives so far with this product. If something negative does occur, in the future, I will post it. 5. I received prompt customer service. The owner does return calls an emails. Thanks rc |
fleschler, I have about 15 HFTs and a FEQ in my system, was wondering if any benefits can be had for pasting some TC on the HFTs. Any thoughts on that? I have passed the 8 weeks mark and the improvements I hear are not subtle. TC is a must have for any serious audiophile looking to improve the sound quality of their system, before embarking on any expensive component change. |
mapman So Geoffkait, in your scientific estimation then, is there actually intact one atom thick sheets of Graphene in there somehow that survive when shmeared or something else, some other form of carbon perhaps? If Graphene, how might that be pulled off? Moops, I suspect you just answered your own question. Someone please be sure and send a notification to moopman when a $10 bag is available for homeless people. |
I tried beating a dead horse once. My arm became so tired I finally gave up. I acquired an SR Blue fuse for my "new" Grover Huffman CD player. I pasted the ends of the fuse caps with TC before installing. Two days later, and I think fully broken in, I can say that the combo of the fuse and TC is a real game changer. With the improvement in the SQ of the system, I've been exploring different types of music, including early music played on ancient instruments. Once one acquires a taste for it, it can be quite exciting and fulfilling. Here's a recent acquisition that's really some amazing coral and instrumental music. Highly recommeded: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Missa-Mexicana-Harp-Consort-BRAND-NEW-FACTORY-SEALED-CD-2002-Harmonia-Mundi... Frank |
So Geoffkait, in your scientific estimation then, is there actually intact one atom thick sheets of Graphene in there somehow that survive when shmeared and connections then made or something else, some other form of carbon perhaps? If Graphene, how might that be pulled off? Also I am still interested in knowing of any satisfied customers who paid the full $299. If only a little is needed, why not provide less for lower price? That would probably help sell to more especially those who might be on the fence about shelling out $300 for way more than needed. Should also be more profitable that way as well I would think. Most first time users of a product, which is pretty much everyone at this point, do not go straight for the deluxe size. |
Day eight for most of my system was yesterday. I had to unplug the system for a day because of thunderstorms. Before plugging and turning on everything, I treated my Uptone Audio JS-2 ps dc cable and pc the umbilical cable between my Ayon Audio S-5 ps and Network Player/DAC/Preamp. Now my entire system is treated except the electrical panel. I have all SR Galileo UEF cables, Atmosphere XL4, Blackbox, ACB SE, and 40 plus HFTs. This sounds like entirely different system. This TC is exactly what my system needed to sound it’s best. I treated my other system with the OLED, TiVo, and Focal Soundbar. I definitely see better colors, and a brighter and a more resolving picture. |
I treated the pins on the tubes in my DAC and amp yesterday and today. I have about a grand in NOS and modern tubes, so I was a little nervous, but took the plunge. No fireworks, and I’m glad I did it. I was surprised at how much improvement there was, pretty much right away. I’m looking forward to hearing what 8 weeks brings. If you’re thinking about treating your tube pins, I say go ahead, it’s worth it. You shouldn’t have any problems, as long as you’re careful. |
As I’ve oft mentioned on this thread, I’ve painted the teeny tiny little pins on both ends of my rather expensive Audioquest Carbon HDMI Cable (controlled for directionality, thank goodness). I actually used the applicator brush that was provided, no problemo. In fact it worked better than a toothpick that I tried first. It all depends on the lay of the land. It’s not difficult at all for the Carbon HDMI connectors but I imagine there could be big troub in Little China for ribbon connectors, though I would also do ribbon connectors if I had any. Best not to drink too much coffee prior to applying contact enhancer to HDMI connectors or ribbon connectors. ☕️ |
@tomfoolery Thanks for sharing. What is interesting to me is how my own system sounds different from day to day or even daypart to daypart. This is real for all of us as our mood changes, level of general physical fatigue, emotional or stress factors etc... Add to that humidity levels from one day to the next and we have yet to even talk about quality of AC and how that changes hour to hour etc..... Just too many factors to really make a one moment in time conclusion on any system. One must live with a system long term before they can really accurately detimine long term sonic changes. Goodness, we also have poor sonic memory in an A/B testing situation with just minutes between cuts, never mind days or weeks. |
Yes. I could have treated the tabs but didn't need to. The 10awg bundle of ten 20awg silver strands is divided at the termination into two twists of five strands each. That "fork" of two wires slips nicely into both sides of the Furutech fitting, so that it clamps evenly on both sides of its screw. With just five strands in a twist, it was possible to work TC fully into each wire bundle without unfurling it. That's a good thing, as it avoided the potential metal fatigue of untwisting and re-twisting the thin 20awg strands. |
I heard a system that had been treated weeks ago with TC which I really liked previously. My gut take on it: the mids to highs where slightly more vivid, the low level information which I thought was very good seemed deminished, His system was very neutral before and had “darkened tonally” very slightly! Your mileage may vary! |
I was slow on the upswing, as the memory of removing dried, caked-up Walker SST from the inside of tube sockets had been a kind of audio PTSD. Learning that TC doesn’t age badly like that, together with good advice from Agon member audiotweak, encouraged me to try it. This weekend I began with applications inside DIY power cords at the compression fit between stranded 10awg silver conductors and Furutech FI-48 and FI-50 plugs. These cords have a significant impact on the sound of a modified Pass Labs XP-25 phono stage and a Hynes SR-7 linear power supply with multiple DC rails into a rubidium master clock, a SOtM Ethernet-to-USB converter, SOtM USB regenerator, and a Merlin BBAM line-level bass equalizer. Out of the chute there is a richer more organic presence region, expanded LF, and sweeter treble with less etch. Images are denser and more embodied. All good things. I’ve been recording vinyl to DSD on a modified Tascam DA-3000, and am always on the look-out for improvements to this unit. With the help of a desktop magnifier lamp and a pointy, hard cotton make-up applicator, TC was sparingly applied to internal fuses and the many pins of cables and connector blocks inside the Tascam. Most of these distribute AC and DC power to the PCBs. If you’re using TC on power cords, at least take a look at treating any connectors inside electronics from the IEC to the transformer. I wouldn’t attempt this with flat ribbon cables, as TC will smear between their tiny parallel traces. The improvement in the digital recordings was immediate, with effects similar to the power cords. Next I’ll try treating low-level signal from cartridge pins to phono stage. Excellent product! |
Day 12 Just little tiny update At first I wasn't sure but last couple of days, I thought SQ got little bit dull. Hmmm....and listening more carefully with songs I know and came to conclusion that it did lost some bite on upper frequency. You see, I pasted the small amount on tip of the pin (positive) on the RCA interconnects. I wasn't sure if it would help or hurt the sound, so why not try it. If I Don't like it, remove it. And I didn't liked it, so I wiped off all TC from the pins and touched up outside of the Jack. With that, upper frequency is back and sounds wonderful again. Go figure. If anyone else used TC on the RCA pins, I wouldn't mind hearing what you think. Maybe It's just me and my system but I wouldn't use it on the interconnect pins. I will just use it on female (negetive) side. Over and out. |
Eight week update. The speaker cables, CD player, power supply umbilical and it’s power chord were the first part of my main system to hit the eight week application anniversary. The rest of the power chords and the power conditioner came seven days later so I will report back next week to report on the impact, if any. As for what I am hearing, it is impressive for what I paid for this product. I am enjoying better clarity on notes playing from bass through the treble regions. The PRaT has not been negatively in the least. This was a concern from the beginning but not stated. One of the most surprising and enjoyable characteristics of the musical presentation is the three dimensional quality of the soundstage. The other thing that has been developing over the last eight weeks has been how much more realistic voices and instruments have become. Crescendos are more fully portrayed. This definitely keeps the tempo more naturally flowing. I am definitely listening longer without fatigue, since my my brain is not trying to fill in the musical blanks. I could say more, but what has been reported lately would be repetitive. Enjoy the music, rc |