Sorry to say Frank, and I do hate to be disagreeable, your comments regarding Quicksilver Gold are quite incorrect. As I just posted the QG is very good right out of the box, outstanding really, and continues to improve for a few hundred hours. QG doesn’t degrade or any such thing. I’ve examined joints done with QG years later and they are pristine, dry but like a layer of silver. They are supposed to dry over time. The medium is not the message. The misinformation and disinformation are rampant in this hobby.
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
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It just goes to show you how much jibber jabber and misinformation there is out there in the wild blue yonder. I used Quicksilver Gold just this morning on my headphone jack and two AA batteries of my Walkman CD player. Wonderful sound right out of the box, very low in distortion, dynamic and smooth and refined. Sounds like real music! I would even go so far as to call the sound spectacular. You guys don’t seem to have a good handle on what’s going on. You got links for me, I got nothin’ for you. 😛 An ordinary man has no means of deliverance. - old audiophile saw |
Guyz ... 1. There is no website for Total Contact at this point in time. Stay tuned. 2. While Brian Kyle's Silver based product was good initially, it eventually degraded the sound. "Total Contact" keeps improving the sound. 3. Total Contact is a graphene based product. Brian Kyle's was not. 4. I have used both Brian Kyle's product, eventually removing all of it because of the eventual degradation in sound quality ... and now the "Total Contact," which is trans formative when applied to audio products. 5. I have done my entire system with Tim Mrock's "Total Contact." There has been NO degradation in SQ in any of the three versions I've tried, including the best of all ... the last version. It just continues to improve as time passes ... even after the 4 and 8 week breakthroughs. This is the version that is cryo'd and the one that will be available for sale as the final product. 6. Based upon my experience with contact enhancers, "Total Contact," considering the major improvement it brings to one's audio system, is well worth the asking price. For the price of one tube - $299.99 - its like upgrading one's system with much more expensive electronics or speakers. Its worth the money just for the 8 week jump in SQ. Personally, I've never heard anything quite like the super clarity that occurs at that 8 week point. Uncanny, really. 7. I tried the SR Black and the SR Blue fuses without the "Total Contact," and with it. With it was clearly the better option. Like the other applications to power cords and IC's for example, the results are the same type of improvement in SQ. So go ahead ... paste the end caps of your fuses and you'll get an improvement there also. It works on every electrical contact from your circuit breakers to your speaker terminals. 8. Over the years I've used Pro Gold contact enhancer and the Red to clean my contact areas. The "Total Contact" product is clearly night and day better and serves a different purpose. Yes, there are other contact enhancers out there. Some are based upon Brian Kyle's work, and others are an attempt to get the graphene technology to work. As I said before, one of the major keys is in the binder. If you don't get the binder right, the graphene won't mix correctly and you end up with an oily mess. There is no oily mess with the "Total Contact." Its a real break through. Frank |
Okay, geoffkait, here are the links advertising Quicksilver Gold and a Positive Feedback review http://www.partsconnexion.com/cleaners_xtreme.html https://positive-feedback.com/Issue30/quicksilver_gold.htm Apparently, it is almost the same as the Total Contact but had to be refrigerated and vacuum sealed after opening. It also did not sound good upon immediate application but took time to "gel." Total Contact sounded good immediately and Frank did not refrigerate or vacuum seal his syringe of emulsion. So, yes, QG was a bargain, but it is no longer available. The next better thing at higher expense is TC which is why I am buying it. I have not tried any other of the contact enhancer products. I am satisfied that TC will fill my needs with an ample supply for $300. |
2 products 1 line. And your reference product is gone. And you have only used one of these products.. So what is your comparison? Geoff I don't believe you have used both products so you have 0000 reference for anything stated here. You only have exposure for 1 product not 2. ( I believe you don't think.) I remixed your own words for you..and now they read with greater accuracy. And while I am at it ...How's your boom box and headphones perform in your condo? Still much too loud for your neighbors? And this was an upgrade from your modest system before? Tom |
Tom, I don’t think I believe you. There was no Quicksilver line of products. There was Quicksilver, then the new and improved Quicksilver Gold with Gold content maybe 12 years ago or whatever. If you say you got only modest gains I either don’t believe you or your system needs serious upgrading. Maybe you have too much shear. 😛 |
With the contact enhancer there will be 3 conductive surfaces. The internal magnetic particles as a compressed granular material will have one dispersive shear speed vs. the higher speed nickel plating that acts as protective outer coating from corrosive elements and then the higher conductive material applied on the outside. Just need to remove some covers and magnets and apply the solution.Tom |
Al, I see that Frank only mentioned the 2 original patents..and as you stated, neither mention graphene as a content in the mix. The primary difference between those 2 patents was being more precise on what and how many different products and uses this mixture can benefit. I can tell you that after the application of Total Contact to the posts of my deep cell marine battery that powers my dac..that the time to reach a full re-charge has been reduced as much as 25%..I plan on doing an application to my wife's hybrid when the weather permits. I had used the Quicksilver products in the past and they made some difference. The Total Contact product makes much more difference out of the gate and is much more linear in progressive improvement over time. The resulting sound is like a reach out and touch it presentation..2chn.. surround sound just much more round and coherent The Quicksilver product while good was always in a variable sound state it could be 1 step forward and 2 steps back...I never had that negative state in my mind's ear with the Total Contact. My thoughts are, there is a larger proportion of solids to the binder solution and with the addition of the graphene component makes for even greater conductivity than there ever was in the Quicksilver line of products. Tim Mrock of Total Contact is a co patent holder along with the deceased Brian Kyle of the 2 patents posted by Almarg. ...Tom |
Jaybe 12-29-2017The only patents I could find in a search of both granted patents and patent applications at uspto.gov, using "Mrock" as the search term, were these two. However those patents were granted in 2011 and 2013; they do not mention graphene; and they appear to correspond to the older product Frank referred to in the OP that was co-invented with Brian Kyle. Regards, -- Al |
When it comes to contact enhancers, The King of the Hill of course is Quicksilver Gold, no longer available, which trumped all previous concoctions, including Quicksilver, the previous champ. You can forget about all the other prior stuff. For cleaning I like Cramolin and Deoxit type cleaners. If the new concoction can beat Quicksilver Gold I’ll eat a bug. 🐛 Pour your hearts out. Put your back into it, lads. 🏋🏻♀️ I’m rather used to reading purple prose. 😈 |
I have been using Silclear, a silver paste, mixed with Deoxit gold aka Progold. Dip a brush in the Silclear then in the Deoxit and apply sparingly. Sounds very much like what is being reported here at a fraction of the cost. My jar of Silclear will outlast me. As regards Deoxit, get the spray can and blow some into a tiny glass container. The original Tweak used to work but gummed up the contacts after a year or so. |
Have you tried any of them on your audio system? Total Contact reportedly is advantaged by it's graphene component, special emulsion which has two patents and cryogenic processing which smooths the emulsion for ease of use. These other products do not claim these items and reportedly by Frank, the prior versions and possibly those available cheaply are lumpy in texture and more difficult to apply. What I know is that a partial system application of Total Contact is as much an enhancement in sound as the Blue SR fuse. |
Similar products have been around for some time. Search electrically conductive grease / paste...there's all kinds, carbon, silver. https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dindustrial&field-keywords=electrica... |
No links to this product anywhere that I can find. I wrestle with these tweaks and have found most of them completely worthless, including all manner of fuses, but don't want to invite bad vibes from such adherents. I did drop $50 on a bottle of Stibilant 22 as a contact enhancer. I did all my connections with the stuff and I was rather happy with the sound thereafter. To be honest, I might have gotten the same effect just by removing and re-inserting all my connections. However, $300 for a drop of this new product seems out of line. I think "confirmation bias" is the cause for such devotion to these tweaks. The initiation of interest in these tweaks is always the same folks which gives me pause. |
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oregonpapa OP Based upon what Total Contact has done for my little ten-dollar Kenwood CD player, geoffkait may be closer to the truth than he realizes. Its just a used, cheap vintage CD player that probably cost under $200 when new. Now, it holds its own against a $10,000 player? Who knew?? >>>>>You see, that’s a really great observation but I’m afraid it opens up a big can of worms. 🛢That can of worms I refer to as the hierarchy of sound. What I mean is, sure, you can treat an inexpensive thing and it can beat a more expensive thing. Impressive, true. The problem is when you treat the MORE expensive thing you get an even bigger jump in SQ. Then, treat an even MORE expensive thing, bingo, bango, bingo! An ever bigger jump in SQ. That’s the hieracrchy of sound. WHERE DOES IT ALL STOP?! 😳 Everything is relative and everything is HIERARCHICAL. - Old audiophile axiom “This is so great! The top of the world, we finally got to the top of Everest.” “Hold on, Bub, we’re only at Base Camp. We’re only half way up!” 😀 |
Based upon what Total Contact has done for my little ten-dollar Kenwood CD player, geoffkait may be closer to the truth than he realizes. Its just a used, cheap vintage CD player that probably cost under $200 when new. Now, it holds its own against a $10,000 player? Who knew?? For those interested, here's the same model of CD player I found at the thrift store for ten bucks: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1980s-KENWOOD-DP-850-CD-PLAYER-COMPACT-DISC-Disk-Tested-Working/142... Frank |
Guyz ... As long as you don’t disturb the connections there is no need to reapply the paste. One application is enough ... and just a very thin coating at that. Remember, its not exactly a liquid. It more resembles a powder in suspension. Like I said before, the binder, along with the cryogenic treatment is the key in getting a smooth flow with this material. Once applied properly, what is left on the connection is just a dull grey appearance instead of a shiny one. It helps to use a strong light when applying to be sure you get complete coverage. Oh, and there is no need to clean your connections prior to applying the product. Just paint it on. That’s it. rotaryphone ... The brush is a tiny artist brush that is intended for painting small, fine details. There is nothing "soaked" into the brush. How many IC’s can you paste with one tube? Who knows ... a hundred maybe? I don’t think I’d want to spend the money to find out. I will say that I still have a little left in the original tube that Tim sent me almost a year ago. As things progressed the complete mixing of the graphine kept getting better and better. The original was a little, for lack of a better word, lumpy. Small pieces of graphine could be seen in the material. The final version, the version you will be buying, the version that is now in my system and in Steve’s, is smooth as silk and an even thinner application can be used. Coverage is the key, not the amount used. Like the old hair oil commercial used to say: "A little dab will do ya." No definite release date yet other than "between Christmas and the New Year." Frank |
An improvement can be heard right away as I heard on the battery posts. Sure it gets better. As far as I can tell the 1.5ml will go a long way. I have applied to many contacts and connections and have nearly the same amount as I started with..A little spreads far and wide..when I am finished the contents including the brush are wrapped in foil and then go into a zip locked bag..and why not. Tom |
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