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.
Yes it was a lot of work. I didn’t even mention other places for fear folks would think I am truly nuts! The results are well worth it however. I am an avid DIYer so it was all really quite routine for me.
Must be very careful not to paste unwanted conductive bridges causing potentially catastrophic gear events 🙁
It's your time, money and will. Nobody can tell you how to spend those. Thanks for lettng me know you are getting a good result. It seems TC has a lots of way to use it. I should be able to do my system this weekend. Fun time..lol.
At the risk of repeating myself, has anyone had the nerve to apply contact enhancer to the teeny tiny little pins on ribbon connects that are oft found in CD and Blu Ray players? Just pull the ribbon connector apart exposing the 10 or 12 or whatever teeny weenie little pins.
^^^ I tried it on my $10 CD player. Once pulled out, they are a real bear to get back in. A little too much eyestrain for me. I've pasted a lot of different areas on the inside of my "Grover" CD player though ... but not the little ribbon connectors.
Just thinking....If I paste all the pins of power tubes, would heat from tube and power amp itself will make paste runny or would it maintain It’s consistency and still cure in time? Who has done power tube pins?
How about a pin on the interconnects? Why not do the positive (pin) side of the RCA?
I pasted my tube pins a couple of times during the beta testing. I had a problem with the first tube of TC because it was prior to the cryogenic treatment that allowed for a smoother product. The first tube of TC had little specks of graphene in it, and evidently one those specks caused a short across the tube. No damage to the equipment though.
After pasting the tube pins with the last version of TC (the same as you have), I’ve had no problems at all with the tubes. I’d recommend that you paste the tube pins only about half way up, then let your installation push the TC further up the tube pins.
This is an amazing product that has transformed my audio system. Tonight, I'm going to paste a few things in the analog system. I got to thinking (always a dangerous endeavor) what would happen if I pasted my tonearm wiring and a little bit of the phono cartridge. Hmmm ... stay tuned. :-)
The thing that is standing out to me in my system now is how “relaxed” it is, even when the music is driving and propulsive. The music is all right there, I don't have to strain to hear it. I see this quality most often associated with analog, but I am listening to CDs exclusively.
^^^ I used to listen to CD’s mostly for convenience. My preference was the LP for serious listening. Then, along came SR’s fuse upgrades beginning with their RED fuse and progressing through the BLUE fuse. It was at that point where I started taking digital seriously. I couldn’t believe that CD’s could sound that good. Then along comes Tim Mrock’s TC. Well, that product opened an entirely new experience from the CD system. Holy Cow! .... As you said Tommylion, all of the music is there. The accurate tonality is still there. The digital artifacts seem to be gone ... and it is VERY analog like and totally addicting.
I’ve been getting into early music through the Harmonia Mundi recordings in the collection. They sounded good before all of these tweaks began, but now that I can hear into the music, they have become very interesting. The precision of the musicians is superb. The vocalists are amazing. The tweaks, especially the TC, has gotten me so much closer to the music. Totally delightful.
Received TC yesterday and spent almost 4 hours pasting 10 power cables, 5 pairs ICs, 1 digital coaxial cable and 1 umbilecord power cord. And 8 small tubes and 16 el34 powé tube pins. I didn’t wanted to do some and wait for weeks, so I did them all at once.
I’m writing down few notes here for myself and for boys and gals here who has interest in TC. And see if that 4th and 8th wèek magic will happen for me or not.
My stuff.
Tyler Acoustics D2 Speakers VPI Classic 1 turntable with Lyra Delos Zesto Andros 1.2 ( 4 12ax7 tubes treated ) Bluesound Node2 Sony XA5400es Bryston BDA 3 Magnum Dynalab FT 101 tuner Custom 2 chassisTube Pre Amp ( 1 12ax7, 4 6922 in main box ) ( 2 6v6, 1 5ar4 in power supply box ). Tubes are NOT treated. Custom Tube Mono. ( 1 12ax7, 1 12bh7 and 8 EL34 in each channel ) All tubes are treated.
Clear Day double shotgun speaker cable ( treated each end of bananas ) DIY solid core silver ICs made by friend. Replaced Morrow 3 IC ( I paste 1/8 of tip of the pin ) Signal Power Cables ( treated ) All tubes are vintage tubes
All of the outside of the female RCA Jack was treated.
I will write down what’s going on with my system’s SQ as time goes on.
Day 1 ( March 21).. Done pasting. Turn my stuffs on. Nothing shorted out. For first half and hour...It sounded little nasaly and congested but it started to open up nicely after 30 minutes. I listened for 2 more hours but in between nodding off and yawning, I can’t comment on SQ. Time for bed.
Day 2 4 more hours of listening today. SQ was just a bit different. Not better nor worst. High is just bit more noticeable but mid (mostly voice) is slightly recessed. But I was impressed with the bass. There is definitely more bass and goes deeper than before. Again it doesn’t mean It’s better but different. You might think it’s better. YMMV. Soundstage hasn’t got bigger or smaller but has a slightly more airy feel to it. Nothing too dramatic.
That’s for now. I will report back in few days or if there is a big change in SQ.... good or bad.
Just to let you know, I ’m just average hard working blue collar worker. Not a smarty pants, so Don’t expect audiophile terms to describe SQ. Lol. I will just say like I would to my wife. I Don’t BS and will tell you like I hear it.
I was wary as well. But I am glad I did purchase and applied the product. The four week curing/breakin period did come with a nice focus and overall clarity. I am coming up on the eight week time frame and so far I have not had any negative things to report. Now with my hearing back I can settle in for the official, to the day, eight week curing on my main system. leading up to the eight weeks, the clarity and 3D qualities that have been discussed by others are real to me.
I look forward to learn what your findings are.
Geoffkait,
I was too sick sick and too busy to mess with any other tweaking so I will and have been reporting strictly on the TC application as the only variable.
Further, I would like learn if you have any luck with the ribbon interconnects. I have those too between my DNM Amp and Pre amp and their respective power supplies. You first!
My experience with the treatment of my CD player has had the same effect on my vinyl habits as well. As reported a while back, it is amazing how much more organic the silver disc’s have become.
With my hearing restored, I am amazed how much more 3D it sounds now without any negatives. I will post when the 8 week time comes.
You never put your toe in the same stream twice. You do not (rpt not) have to actively do anything to your system for the sound to change all by itself. You know, time of day, day of week, weather, etc. I don’t believe anyone who says he can track the sound of his system for weeks or months at a time. No offense to anyone personally.
I just pasted all the pins of tubes in my pre amp. So, all of my tubes are treated as of today.
I pulled one el34 off and checked out the paste and it looks good and it seems heat is helping it cure faster. It didn’t run down the pins at all. Good thing.
2 things I should mention.
1...TC is really really easy to use. It paste on smoothly and very evenly.
2.. Just tiny bit goes long long way. I would squeeze out 1mm at a time. 1mm should be enough for simple system. Like interated amp with couple of inputs.
@geoffkait
I totally get you. I leave my mind open. For everything. Lol.
I do DIY, ECT treatments treatments with McIntosh monoblocks and Tara reference cables with banana plugs . Last time, I pasted the electrode contacts. After the treatment, there was a noticeable improvement in overall clarity and my sound stage was more stable. Highly recommended!
I just finished the 8 week point after applying Total Contact on my system and wanted to share my feedback. I pasted everything right away—- power cables, interconnects, tube and cartridge pins, speaker cables, 5 SR Black fuses, and 5 High Fidelity Cable MC0.5’s. I played a few albums I know well and immediately heard an obvious drop in the noise level and what seemed like another layer of music I had been missing at the high and low end—-for example cymbals were much more distinct and I heard some background vocals for the first time and these are albums I have listened to many times. I did not notice any initial change in the soundstage.
I listened to these same albums at the end of each week and could hear a slight but steady improvement in the clarity and transparency each week. The real surprise for me during these weeks was that the soundstage just kept expanding in all directions. I can’t say I heard any big jump at 4 weeks but another big change happened at the end of 7th week—-another layer of music opened up in the high end and the dynamics and soundstage took a big jump up—- I can’t believe how good my system now sounds. I made no other changes during these 8 weeks.
I think this tweak actually saved me money—-I was thinking of upgrading to a much more expensive cartridge but now I’m going to just enjoy my system as is —-at least for a while.
I want to thank oregonpapa for starting this thread and especially perfectpathtech for making this product.
^^^ Thank you for that excellent review. Your experience mirrors mine exactly ... except the 4 week jump was definitely there from my system.
Its amazing how much information lays in those grooves and digits when we get rid of the noise. Funny that we don't know the noise is there until its gone.
Put this this on my Tidal Audio Impact amp, speaker cables, power cord and XLR interconnects into amp and played music 12 hours later. This is an outstanding contact enhancer.
I added the TC to my Ayon Audio S-5 Network Player and the results are magnified. The bass is more detailed and the soundstage is expanded further. It amazing how many details are obscured without the TC treatment and this is day one. If you treat the breaker box, do you have to treat all breakers? Or just the ones used for your audio?
I just spent some time looking up toxicity issues with graphene. I suggest others do the same before pasting your rig. I wondered, when you "paste" tube sockets, where does the dust from cured TC go when you change a tube? What is the hardening compound of this product? Has the toxicity of this product been tested by an outside agent, and has its safety been approved? What if my toddler grandson (Clem…we'll call him Clem) drinks a bottle of it? Although the designer should be awarded some sort of humanitarian prize for warning about the previously underreported effects of "micro-arcing" on the auditory receptors of music fans, just looking at the 2013 Brown University study of the possible issues of graphene getting into Clem's tiny lungs is somewhat off-putting. Don't say nobody warned you.
wolf_garcia"I just spent some time looking up toxicity issues with graphene."
Good point also AC powerlines can also be dangerous and even fatal so you may want to avoid them too and be like geoffkait go all battery that is much safer think of the lives you will save!
Those articles are a bit of an eye opener. From what I can understand you definitely do not want to be cutting sheets of graphite yourself, as some have suggested. Best left to the professionals.
Have you two knuckleheads given any consideration to ingesting some Graphene to see if it really is toxic? Maybe a blind test. Then you can report your findings. Assuming you survive, obviously. 🤡 Oh, plus it comes in a syringe. 💉 Doesn’t that give you any ideas? 😬
On day 4, I pasted pins on the cartridge. Again, SQ went slight downhill but recovered after playing about 10 LP. Yeah, it took it’s sweet time. Other stuff took only about an hour and opened up nicely but not the cartridge.
In last couple of days sound of my system did changed. I will try to break it down.
First, like others said.....noise floor is DOWN. I am not dreaming. How..?? I Don’t know. Ask Tim. Considering how many tubes I have in my system, it is more silent for sure. And I think because of lower noise, music is cleaner, clear more transparent. Not by much compared to pre TC.....but it is bit more transparent.
HF is effected by lower noise the most I think, I hear more of it. That’s all I can explain it. Not harsh or bright. Same smoothness as pre TC. Is lower noise=more air? There seems more air(space) to me.
Mid (mostly voice) was little recessed right after but got better within an hour and continued to improved. Now, voice of the singer is back to where it should be. Also, whole mid range has more meat now. It never sounded lean before but little fatter now. Again It’s not a day and night difference. Just a bit more.
Bass...is great. This is what I notice the most. Not boomy or loose or too much. How can I say this......It doesn’t go lower as I first thought but pumps out more of lowest frequency limit of my speaker can go, about 30hz. It is tight, fast and musical bass.
My soundstage also has changed. Before, stage started from little bit behind the speakers and expand to front and outside of the speakers. Now, it floats further front the speakers now. Like, whole stage has moved forward a foot. Stage is not any bigger though but just, I feel, the soundstage is more between the speakers and myself than between the speakers. And you know what..? I like it and hope it stays that way
If I went away for a week or 2 and my friend pasted all my stuff with the TC and never told me, I may not be able to tell you I hear something different. Least not right away. It is not like I’m listening to totally different system. It’s more like , how your system sound like 3am compare to 3pm.
As of today, I like the changes TC made to my system. Nothing big but I think It’s heading right direction. Also, I Don’t think TC has done anything to degrade the SQ at this time. I think that is just as important as positive impacts.
I know this isn’t much but That’s for now. My apology I didn’t go into great details but there isn’t whole lot to say...lol. Again, It’s been only a week since TC took over.
Hummm.....I think soundstage is getting bigger............
Geoff, why not just admit that in all the chatter about graphene, it was wolf that brought up the concern first about a potential safety hazard if it is used incorrectly. You will notice I did not bring it up about TC, I discussed cutting it from its sheet format, as do the articles.
Wolf did not discuss its application, he discussed potential consequences from inhaling it when removing the application, using a rather tongue in cheek delivery. So I am not sure why you took such objection to the rather informative posts.
By the way Tim, we are practically neighbors. I am near West Lebanon, just over the border on the Vermont side. I am glad your product is so well received. I don’t think my system has enough resolution to take advantage of the TC. Maybe soon though when I upgrade to a more powerful new tube amplifier.
Actually the safety or health concerns pointed out are reasonable questions that demand a clarifying answer. I did read a great deal on it (graphene) last night and emailed the designer and marketer ..... Tim.
This stuff will get on your hands as it is unavoidable. Plugging and unplugging gear and pasting causes it to get on skin.
jetter Geoff, why not just admit that in all the chatter about graphene, it was wolf that brought up the concern first about a potential safety hazard if it is used incorrectly. You will notice I did not bring it up about TC, I discussed cutting it from its sheet format, as do the articles.
Wolf did not discuss its application, he discussed potential consequences from inhaling it when removing the application, using a rather tongue in cheek delivery. So I am not sure why you took such objection to the rather informative posts.
>>>>Are you pretending to be a little slow? There are a great many household products, some very common, that should not (rpt not) be ingested. Maybe you can think of some off the top of your head. The TC itself comes in a rather small syringe making it quite difficult to swallow, just as your and Wolfie silly warning is hard to swallow. Also the TC product is not a liquid, but a paste. NOTE If you see or suspect a child has swallowed any toxic substance immediately take him to the hospital. Use your brain. The suggestion by the primary knucklehead that Graphene powder could come off of tube pins when removing tubes from their sockets and have toxic consequences has got to be one of the most absurd cautions ever posted by a pseudo skeptic on these pages as these contact enhancer cure to be a hard solid. Obviously you guys have been watching too many Alien movies. It’s something only a pseudo skeptic with no experience whatsoever would say. Ironically none of you has thought to suggest Graphene is cancenogenic. You guys are slipping! Good luck with your quest to put together a decent system one day. I’m sure we are all atwitter.
If Graphene or any substance you believe is toxic gets on your hands or fingers, which can sometimes happen, be sure and wash your hands. Who wouldn’t? Your your noodle.
I just responded to your question in my previous post as I still had some time left on the clock. Use common sense in all things. Do you take such precautions when using a pencil? Graphite, uh, Graphene.....you know....Graphene is simply two dimensional graphite. Rule no. 1 for the intrepid audiophile: Don’t freak out! 😀
Yes we should wash our hands and common sense should always prevail. Still does not answer the question of toxicity and impact if on your skin. Can it be absorbed into the skin? How long on your skin before an issue? Is this stuff even toxic on the skin?
No reason for over reaction here, but it is certainly reasonable to ask the designer what testing, if any, has been done regarding safety and toxicity.
Your friend and humble scribe, who by the way plays tennis with a Graphene racket. Should I freak out and wash my hands after playing now? 😛
Did I understand you to say you already got some TC on your hands? You said it “does get on your hands” as if it did already. If so did you have any effects? Did you get sick? Any itching? 😳 I’m imagining a scene in Alien Covenant.....Tim has been handling this stuff for years. Does he glow in the dark?
Yes it did get it on my hands . Bad timing as out of the blue I needed two cortizone shots. One in each knee due to a sudden onset of knee swelling and pain. Strange. No way to link with TC.
Need to hear from Tim. This topic is a HOT button for me and I expect answers beyond ignorance and not sure. No room for not sure answers here.
Use latex gloves when applying and forget about it. I doubt anyone is going to be sniffing dust from connector blades on power cables, etc if they like to change cables often after this paste sets up.
Me thinks Wolf has a great imagination and is laughing his butt off.
Good morning everyone! I have not checked in in a couple of days, thread was very quiet. Big thank you to the big bad wolfgarcia for waking up the thread, and the attack on my integrity.
First I would like to say this is not a graphene product! Graphene is only one small component! The only possible danger is to me during the manufacturing process, and only to a certain point.
I would never ever release something, that would potentially be a health hazard period! Mr wolf you can huff and you can puff but...... well you know the rest!
Grannyring, your misreading Geoff's typically silly posts. I was saying I wouldn't worry about using TC, only worry about cutting up the two dimensional sheets of graphene. Geoff is arguing with me by repeating what I stated in the first place. Then going off on a typical geoff look at how much I know rant.
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