Ozzy ...
How did you end up with the Total Contact experiment in your system? Was it an overall improvement, or did you remove it before it settled in? I’m asking because the combination of the TC and the Omega E Mats, as "rc" said above, is quite dramatic. A startling improvement in my case. Steve (Fleischer) found the same thing in his system as well. Mribob (BOB) is testing six mats now with initial impressions that are very positive. He’s very conservative in his assessments, much like yourself. If you gave up early on the TC and removed it, my suggestion would be to get more TC and redo the system along with more mats. There has to be a time when your reaction would be ... "Holy Crappola!" :-)
Frank |
lak ...
In looking at the pictures of your system, you have a prime location with those large circuit breaker panels. If I were you, I’d put at least two mats on the outside of those panels and see what happens. Your system is such that you should clearly hear the changes. Judicious use of Total Contact would increase the effects as well.
Answer ... get more Omega E Mats and at the same time order a tube of TC.
Frank |
What has to be considered is what has happened behind the scenes via Emails and phone calls between Tim and a couple of individuals who post here. So far, Tim has had the patience of Job. At this point he's probably wondering when the locusts are coming. Sometimes emotions get the better of us all and we tend to vent. Human nature I guess.
Frank |
^^^ Twenty Three Ska-Doo ... and ... Oh You Kid.
Geoff ... are you saying not to take any wooden nickles?
Frank |
The improvement over time with both the Omega E Mats and the Total Contact is quite remarkable. Don't be impatient with these products. The TC won't sound its best until the eight-week mark. The Omega E Mats come into their own at around three weeks. Leave the E Mats under the components and let them do their thing. The improvement in SQ when it all comes together is astounding.
Frank |
^^^ Okay geoff ... let me try ...
At the eight week point of having the TC on all connections, it was like a veil was lifted as the noise floor lowered dramatically. I could "see" into the sound picture more clearly than before. It was way more three dimensional in nature.
With the installation of the Omega E Mats, there was a lot more there there than with just the TC alone. Now, I have a reach-out-and- touch-it type of thing going on. The sound space and the musicians within it are super clear and detailed without any negatives at all. I was listening to a "Poll Winners" CD last night with Shelly Mann on drums. I swear to you that drum set was in the room. The whack of the rim shots - amazing. The rattle of the snare drum - amazing. The brassiness of the cymbals - real.
These two products combined have brought a transparency to my system like I used to get with planer speakers. The system reminds me of when I had the Acoustat Fours ... except now I have all of that transparency plus better bass and better highs.
Speaking about bass ... that's one of the best parts. The system now gets an acoustic stand-up bass in the most natural, organic way. Again ... amazing.
Frank |
^^^ - ".... we are suddenly living in very exciting times."
Are we ever! If someone told me two years ago that I'd have an audio system that sounds like it does now, I wouldn't have believed it. The improvements over the past two years or so are all based on tweaks. I thought the SR fuses and the Herbie's tube dampeners were the best thing since sliced bread ... until Tim Mrock came up with TC and the Omega E Mats. What Tim has provided us is not only the best thing since sliced bread, its the cat's meow. (a little humor for the old guys). And Tim says he has something in development that will bring everything together. I can't imagine things getting better, but Tim assures me that I haven't heard anything yet. :-) Frank |
Ozzy sez: - "I have been told that you have over 20 of the Omega mats. That’s $12,000 in Omega Mats!
- Do you have a financial arrangement with Tim since you have so many?
- Also, I notice that you are using Audio Research equipment, with all those tubes perhaps they are generating RF/EMI and that’s why you have so many?
- The one mat that I have is good, I can't imagine how much better 20 of them would be.'
1. I think I was up to 30 mats at one time. 2. Nope. I don't have a "financial arrangement" with Tim. 3. Have you heard the ARC Reference components, like the ARC REF-75se? 4. One mat is good ... but not enough to see what they can really do. 5. I'm now back down to six mats. Two are in the circuit breaker and the other four are under four components. Where did the other 24 mats go? They went to trusted friends, six each, to try before they buy. Simple, no? 6. Six mats are much better than one mat. 30 mats are better than six mats. :-) My suggestion to you Ozzy ... when using these products, both the TC and the Omega Mats, leave them in place while they do their thing. You stated that you received enough TC from Tim to do a couple of wires. How long did you leave the TC on the wires before you wiped it off? And why only a couple of wires when Tim sent you enough to do your entire system? How long did you keep the E Mat in place before you started moving it around? Please understand that I'm not trying to diss you here. I'm trying to get you to get the most out of the products, as most of us who have reported positive results have. Frank
|
shadorne’s take on this issue is ridiculous. I don’t care how good a specific piece of equipment is, or how great the entire system is ... significant improvements can be made with the proper tweaks. In looking at shadorne's system, I can readily see a number of changes that would improve his sound significantly ... without adding any tweaks at all. Then add the good tweaks and he'd finally be a believer. .
Frank |
shadorne sez ... - "I believe we should hold component manufacturers to a minimum standard that is certainly higher than what is being accepted."
How much more are you willing to pay for that "higher minimum standard?" - "If it is necessary then I really think one should question the original quality of the components."
Should equipment manufacturers be responsible for the abnormalities in your room? Abnormalities that can be cured with certain tweaks? - " I am questioning the fundamental philosophy around building a system. I am not trashing. Just questioning the choices being made. "
As I said above, I could easily improve the sound of your costly system with a few simple suggestions without using any tweaks. Add the tweaks, and your jaw would hit the ground. This, with YOUR existing system, not my system. - "Should we really accept that an infinite number of tweaks are necessary for equipment to work well? Or should we demand a higher standard?"
That’s two questions. First, yes, we should accept that tweaks are necessary based upon positive reviews that have come before. Manufacturers can’t afford to apply the tweaks mentioned in these threads. For one thing, they don’t even know about many of these tweaks. Even if they did, the price of including them would be about four times what they cost the manufacturer and what they would cost you if you bought them on your own. Everything is marked up along the production and sales line. For example, if it cost a manufacture $2,500 to make a line stage, its sold to the dealer for $5,000. The dealer then retails the unit for $10,000. That’s reality. Second, yes we should demand a higher standard, and that’s what we do every time we plunk our money down for a component. Manufacturers build within a price point. Don’t want to sound redundant here, but how much more are you willing to pay for that "higher standard?" Most audio manufacturers have "flag ship" components for sale. Buy the "flag ship" models shadorne ... and you still haven’t dealt with room problems, vibration problems or any of the other myriad of problems created throughout this hobby that can be cured by tweaking. My suggestion is, if you haven’t heard the results of tweaks for yourself shadorne, then do so. Until you do, you’re just flying blind on these pages and talking out of your .... Oh never mind. Frank |
Ozzy ...
I don’t have the Legacy Focus speakers. I have the Legacy Signature III’s. Steve Fleschler has both the Focus’ and the Signature III’s. The Focus’ would overwhelm my room.
I’ve heard both the Legacy Whispers and the Legacy Aries speakers and didn’t like either on of them. I’ve heard the Aries at several shows, and the Whispers at a couple of friends homes. At any rate, they’d both give me the same problem as the Focus’ would ... not room compatible. Besides, my Signature III’s are performing from a transparency point better than the best planer speakers I’ve ever owned at this point ... except I’m getting better bass and highs. For this, I give credit to both the TC and the Omega E Mats.
The ARC REF-6 has tons of great reviews. The guys here on A’gon who have the REF-6 love it. Its the first real break-through that I'm aware of at this particular price point for ARC since the REF-3, which is what I’ve used since it was new.
Ozzy, I can’t encourage you enough to explore the TC and the Mats further. If you want to call me I’ll describe what I’ve pasted with the TC that made such a huge difference in SQ. It took a LOT of TC to do the complete job though. Send me a PM and we’ll discuss.
Take care ...
Frank |
Ozzy ...
You’ve discovered one of the the mysteries of the Omega E Mats.
As I stated in a previous post, initially, the mat actually degraded the sound of my system. That lasted for about a half day or so. Then the improvements started to appear.
In discussing this with Tim Mrock, he concluded that it was because I had used an inordinate amount of TC throughout the system and elsewhere inside and outside of the house. It took time for both the TC and the Mats to gel with each other.
I believe that there is some type of energy being thrown off by the Omega E Mats and that they somehow "charge up" the components that they rest under. Its kind of like pasting every part of a component with TC including the chassis, transistors, capacitors, and even circuit boards. Doubling or tripling up of the E mats increases the phenomenon.
I believe that when the Omega E Mats, or in your case the one mat, is removed, the "charge" remains for awhile, then slowly dissipates. This would account for the initial improvement you heard in your circuit box with the mat in, and then not noticing much of a difference when the mat was removed, only to find a return to improvement when you returned the mat to the circuit box again.
Call me crazy ... but I think these Omega E Mats have life. Same for the TC. I think Tim has hit upon a product/invention that will go way beyond the limited use we audiophiles will be putting it through.
At this point, the improvements in the SQ of my system with the TC applications and the six Omega E Mats, have brought the system to the point that I have absolutely no desire to upgrade any electronics or speakers from now on.
The system plays music that gets me totally involved in the performance ... and its as close to "live" music as I’ve heard from 99% of systems out there, including mega-buck systems. Its limited of course by scale ... but only by scale.
By many accounts, my system is fairly modest price wise for "high end." I put a pencil to it the other night. Had I bought everything in the system new, with no discounts, the retail value would be in the $70,000 range, not including the TC and the Omega E Mats.
Frank |
^^^ Hi, Bob ...
Thanks for the input. I knew the Omega E Mats would make those Venture speakers sing. You'll have to come by for another listen. My vinyl rig is sounding really good these days.
Frank |
Tommylion sez ... - "jay23,
- I have no idea what you’re saying?"
The last time I saw him, he was wearing a brown shirt and burning books he doesn’t agree with while mumbling some almost incoherent nonsense about unfair advertising practices. Frank |
|
David ...
Zuill Bailey is a wonderful cellist. I acquired some of his music after you spoke of him before. Thanks for that ... :-)
Frank |
hifiman5 ... - "Just out of curiosity, does anyone know if any customers have returned the E-Mat after sufficient trial time?"
None that I know of. Everyone seems to be happy with the mats. Congrats, by the way. You’ve made a good choice for the location of your "first" mat. :-) ronrags ... I, and others, found that under the line stage is the best place to double up the mats. That’s after placing one in the circuit breaker box though. Frank |
Just relaxing this morning with my first cup of home roasted Guatemalan coffee and being drawn into the melodic trumpet of Chet Baker, accompanied by the baritone sax of Pepper Adams and piano gymnastics of Bill Evans. Astoundingly beautiful . Thank you Tim Mrock and Ted Denney.
Frank
|
thecarpathian ... Thanks for the suggestion on the Kona coffee. I’ve tried the Kona coffees and they are lovely. I find them a bit too smooth for my tastes though. I’ve posted my source for green coffee beans before, but here it is again: www.sweetmarias.comIf you go to the site and check out the coffees, you’ll find a graph that shows the characters of each variety. I like the ones with the chocolate overtones. That’s usually the Guatemalan coffees and sometimes the African coffees. However, the Africans are usually noted for their fruity overtones ... a bit of ripe plum, peach or apricot. My brother likes the Africans a lot. This morning, I brewed some top notch coffee from Ethiopia ... yum, very chocolaty in nature. I like a nice bright cup with the flavors unraveling and exposing themselves as the cup cools a bit. At that point, the really good ones hit you with a bit of sweetness right back where the jaw hinges on each side. I love that ... and the Guatemalan coffees seem to get it really right most of the time. No sweeteners needed. I usually go along with what Tom & Maria suggest on their site. Oh, and their service is top notch. Most folks brew their coffee way too strong. What I described above is achieved with lighter brews. If you, or anyone else would like some guidance on which roaster to buy, I’d be more than happy to help. Frank |
^^^ Thanks, carpathian ... I was wondering if you home roast, or have ever done so. The person I bought my speakers from years ago was a home roaster and he turned me on to it. I was already into good coffees (Gevalia) and had it home delivered pre-roasted. You'll pay as much or more for a half pound of pre-roasted Gevalia than you would for a full pound of green coffee beans from sweetmarias. https://www.google.com/search?q=gevalia+coffee&oq=gaialvia+coffee&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l5.113...It was good coffee, but the person who sold me the speakers sent me a quarter pound of four different varieties that he roasted. I was sold after one sip. It was that good. I bought a roaster and some green beans from www.sweetmarias the next day and never looked back. That was about ten years ago or so. Frank |
amg56 ...
I don't believe that I've ever put you down for anything. And I won't. Ever.
To answer your question ...
1. Audio ... you know about that.
2. Video ... you know about that.
3. Appliances --- I've had to turn the temperature up three times in my refrigerator. Because it runs more efficiently, it kept freezing the vegetables in the vegetable drawer.
4. Lights in the house seem brighter.
5. Street lights are brighter.
6. Overall electric bill has gone down by about 10%.
All of the above include the Mats in the circuit breaker box and judicious use of TC in places unimaginable. :-)
Frank |
Jay23 ...
One thing you can be assured of Jay ... I have never reported anyone to the moderators no matter how insulting, demeaning or hurtful their comments have been. I don’t believe in censorship, believing instead, that the answer to offensive free speech is simply more free speech.
You have reported me twice in an attempt to shut me out. You have called me every name in the book, for reasons I cannot fathom. I won’t do that to you because it’s not my style. I’ll just let your last post stand so that other members can get a gauge on exactly the type of person you are. Or until the Mods discover your latest acid drenched attack against me and remove it.
What’s really troubling you Jay?
You seem to be hung up on what I paid, or didnt pay, for items tested. Is that it? If I didn’t pay for things, are you suggesting that it would somehow influence my test results? Can you see that just by asking the question you are questioning my integrity as a person?
Jay, do you ever read what you write before posting and consider the effect it may have on others, or are you just as vindictive of a person as many of your posts suggest? You’re sad, dude ... very sad.
On the payment, or non-payment issue ... I don’t owe you a damn thing, including an explanation. Why you think you are so entitled is a mystery to me.
Dude. find a nice little safe place, or perhaps a cozy little cry room somewhere and work it out. You’d be a much finer human being if you did.
Now then, I will count the seconds it takes you before you report this post to the Mods. Be sure to don your brown shirt before you do though ... you wouldn’t want to appear out of character. Like your last post ... it just wouldn’t be appropriate.
Have a great evening.
Frank
|
^^^ At this point in time, I'm wondering if some of you weren't in line when the Good Lord was passing out a sense of humor.
Tongue in cheek guys ... tongue in cheek. <Sheesh!>
Frank |
|
djones51 sez ... - "I know nothing about these mats so I am not commenting on them. I am assuming that licensed electricians and local inspectors have signed off on placing these mats inside panel boxes? Are these placed behind the dead front?"
No, I have mine placed just inside the circuit breaker box exterior door. Nothing is on the breakers themselves. With that said, there are those here who have pasted their circuit breaker’s connections with "Total Contact" with outstanding effects and used electricians to help out. I think one or two guys have done it themselves, but then they have the skill sets to do it. Personally, I’d get an electrician to do anything beyond the breaker box door. But that’s just me. I don’t like major voltages ... and they don’t like me. Frank |
^^^ Naw, you guys missed the humor. All kidding aside. Small appliances seem to work more efficiently. As an example, last night I put a bag of popcorn in the microwave. It usually takes exactly two minutes on high to complete. Last night it was done in one minute and forty five seconds. No joke. No joke about the refrigerator or the electric bill either. Has to be the results of the two mats in the circuit breaker box. Get six mats from Tim and try them for yourselves. If you don't get the results I've described in any of my posts, return them for a refund. No questions asked. I sincerely believe that you will be thankful for the adventure. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Music recommendation: If you like Chet Baker, Bill Evans,
Zoot Sims, Herbie Mann, Pepper Adams, Kenny Burrell, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones,
here's some beautiful ballads that go real well with that morning cup of coffee: www.ebay.com/itm/Chet-Baker-Chet-Baker-Evans-Bill-Legendary-Sessions-New-CD/361824708342?epid=801943...Highly recommended. Frank |
^^^ uberwaltz ... I just had a conversation with Fleischer and he reminded me of something. We are both experiencing having to lower the volume control on our audio systems. The great dynamics and musicality remain. So, I'm assuming that it means more efficient use of electricity there as well. I'm going to try the "pint sized varmints" too. One place I'm going to try them in, is the inside cover of my Sound Application power conditioner. I'll try to place some around the twelve sockets too. I'd paste the inside of the cover with TC too, but I'm out of product now.
Sound Application power conditioner with upgraded receptacles: http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/soundapplication_xe12s.htm
Frank |
^^^ david_ten ...
I know David .. and when you think about it, that was 15 seconds of electricity I didn’t have to use. Multiply that by all of the household appliances ... the fans (its hot here), the TV, the refrigerator, the microwave, etc. That would account for the drop in the electric bill. I can only imagine the savings if one were to use air conditioning. Over time, I believe the mats would pay for themselves.
In thinking about it, I wonder what the savings would be if these mats were used in a large office building, or say in a hospital where air conditioning is used constantly? They have huge circuit breaker panels, so it would take a lot of mats ... or maybe just one large one? :-)
I think if I were a much younger guy and not breaking down physically, I’d work out a deal with Tim to rep these mats to businesses ... on a strictly commission basis of course. Now THAT would be a lot of fun for sure.
Ah geeze ... now I have my salesman juices going again. Its time for more coffee and watching the news. *lol*
Frank |
^^^ ...
nkonor ...
Thanks for your concern. Its much appreciated.
When Al raised the question in a previous post about magnets and their effects on pace makers, I took one of the Omega E Mats into my cardiologist and explained the uses for the mats and the fact that I have a lot of drivers in my speakers, which of course means more exposure to magnets.
The cardiologist told me that the warnings in the after surgery instruction booklets are over the top, written by corporate lawyers, just to avoid any possibility of litigation. As an example, the booklet tells you not to put your cell phone in a shirt pocket that is near the pacemaker.
The cardiologist told me that the only way to affect a pacemaker negatively with magnets, would be to put a powerful magnet ... much more powerful than what these mats and speakers could generate, directly on the pacemaker itself. So, in other words, there is no concern of screwing up the pacemaker with handling the Omega E Mats or standing in front of stereo speakers.
I personally thanked Al for his concern in a PM. :-)
Excellent question though ...
Frank
PS: I’m kind of sorry I didn’t take a tube of Total Contact into the surgery room with me and instructed the surgeon to paste the connections that hook the wires up from the veins to the pacemaker. I’ll bet I would have ended up with the most efficient pacemaker on the planet ... and a great sounding heart beat to boot. . *lol* |
nkonor ...
I’m sorry about your situation. It sucks.
To answer your question ... nope, I’m not going to tape an Omega E Mat to my chest.
The older I get, the more I realize that life itself is terminal. Human life is a natural cycle. None of us is getting out of it alive ... and we all leave life in our own way.
I look at my four grandchildren, and my three great grandchildren and realize that we old duffers have to get out of the way to make room for the new generations. Nature takes care of that for us. Believing in a glorious afterlife seems to help. :-)
The key is not how much one acquires in life, but in the quality of the relationships one leaves behind. Also important is to lead a disciplined life. Why? Because discipline weighs ounces ... regret weighs tons.
Frank |
^^^ grannyring ... I wish I could take credit for it, but I can't. I've been a follower of this gentleman most of my working life in sales. I hope you explore his teachings and get as much out of it as I have over the years. https://www.investivate.com/jim-rohn-inspirational-quotes/Take care ... Frank |
amg56 ...
That was a wonderful post all the way around. Thanks so much. We have to be careful with the emotional stuff though. Before you know it, we'll have Geoff spewing his Budweiser all over our monitors. :-)
By the way Geoff ... friends don't let friends drink Budweiser. *lol*
Frank |
With the drastic lowering of the noise floor due to the TC and the Omega E Mats, I’ve discovered a couple of things that improved the system even further. 1. I now leave the record clamp off of my turn table. Its more open and dynamic without it. 2. I have a large built-in curio cabinet in the adjoining dining room. If I leave one of the doors to the cabinet open, I get a more transparent open sound with an improvement in bass defintion. None of the above was revealed prior to using these two products. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Music recommendation: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Howard-Roberts-w-BUDDY-COLLETTE-CD-Jazz-Loves-Paris-1991-Out-of-Print/19216...This is some really great jazz by some of the giants. Very musical and great sounding. Frank |
geoff ... - "The drastic lowering of the noise floor? Whoa! Dude!"
You’d have to hear it to believe it. Send a PM to Fleischer and ask him what his results have been. "Drastic" is a very appropriate term to describe what these two products will to for an audio system. Frank |
Geoff ...
Hopefully you’ve read Fleschler’s last post by now.
These Omega E Mats are cumulative in nature. Its not surprising at all that certain things are revealed by them as the noise floor drops to a more DRAMATIC level. That would include the removal of a turntable clamp. Oh, and the clamp is hardly "crap" as you described it. Are you still indulging in the Christmas cheer? :-)
____________________________________________________________________________________
Jafreeman ...
I feel the same as you. After tweaking the system over the years with a multitude of tweaks, nothing has even come close to what Total Contact and the Omega E Mats have done for the SQ. The improvement has been DRAMATIC. :>)
Frank |
- Uh, if the clamp hurts the sound it’s crap.
Uh, I’m thinking that maybe all record clamps may be "crap." How would one know unless the noise floor was lowered to the point where you could actually hear the "crap?" Look, I’m not talking about a small reduction in the noise floor here, I’m talking about a DRAMATIC reduction. _____________________________________________________________________________ Tonight should be fun. Robert and I are going to a house concert to hear a fantastic blue grass group live. It should be a DRAMATIC amount of fun. :-) Frank |
Wow! What a concert! That was a real tight bluegrass group. The place was packed and every foot was tapping. Nothing like live music to get things into perspective.
Frank |
For those of you who have the Omega E Mats ... put one under your power conditioner. I did just that last night. Initially, it degraded the sound ... there was less there there. Upon listening this morning, everything was back and then some. Wow!
Frank |
rc ... I'd do mine all at once. That way they can break in together, plus you'll get the maximum effect all at once in the SQ department. That would be fun.
Frank |
djones51 ...
How would you explain the necessity of turning the refrigerator temperature up three different times to keep it from freezing the vegetables in the vegetable crisper, which is the bottom drawer in the fridge?
Also, how would you explain that what used to take two minutes to complete in the micro wave oven now takes 15 seconds less time? (popcorn in the bag).
Sounds weird I know ... but true.
Frank
|
Now, now ...
In the name of that infamous sage Rodney King ... "Can't we all just get along?" :>)
Frank |
I believe that earlier on in the TC thread, there was some research done on patents. I think it was Al who did the research and he came up with two patents that had been filed by Tim.
Frank |
hifiman5 ... Thank you! Well said. I am fully aware that there are those who have felt that I have over hyped both the Total Contact and the Omega E Mats. Not true at all. In all of my writings here, I have understated their effectiveness. I've tried to use words that truly describe how good these things are in the area of improving SQ in audio systems and the picture quality in Video systems. Every word has been true. If I could think of more descriptive words to use, I'd use them. The fact is ... I've run out of words. (hard to believe, I know *lol*). - "
A respectful suggestion. Get off the gear train. Set up a system that sounds right to you and then get at least one mat for your service to prove to yourself that this thing is utterly amazing."
And that has been my position from the beginning when I said that I am finished buying new electronics. Its totally not necessary anymore. Frank PS: We are in the era of $15,000 interconnect cables and $80,000 power conditioners. $300 for a kit of Total Contact, or $600 for an Omega E Mat? A mere pittance in the whole scheme of things. |
djones51 sez ... - "I already know it’s properties. It makes hifi systems sound out of this world at $600 a pop."
That’s exactly correct. I’ve heard Steve Fleschler’s system after applying Total Contact. I have yet to hear his system with the Omega E Mats. He has heard my system with both the TC applications and the E Mats, and that’s what prompted him to advance his system by buying and installing the mats. As for my own system, it is now way beyond where I ever thought a home system could go. I’m discovering new applications for the mats too. Just placing one under my power conditioner the other day made a significant improvement ... and that’s after having two in the circuit breaker box and one under each component in the system. One thing we should all remember is that this is a hobby and its intended for fun and musical enjoyment. And talking about musical enjoyment, here’s something I threw on the CD spinner this morning. If you like purity in female voice and ballad standards, this is one not to miss: https://www.ebay.com/itm/CAROL-KIDD-GOLD-1995-MADE-IN-THE-UK-24K-GOLD-CD/252641905971?hash=item3ad2a...Yes, its a collector item now. Expensive too. I bought mine when it was new for $18.00. Maybe if you keep looking, or are really fortunate to run across it at a garage sale .... :>) Frank |
djones51 sez ... - "I hope you are placing these mats outside the dead door. Kind of dangerous to go behind it and a possible code violation depending on your locale."
Okay, on the count of ten, lets see how many more negative possibilities you can come up with. Ready? .... One, two, three, four, five ... Frank |
^^^ Thanks Bob ... well said. Have you noticed an improvement in the bass ... like more articulate bass? How about the TV system, is the picture improved with the mat placed in the circuit breaker box??
Frank |
Okay ... on another note ...
This coming Friday night begins a new season of Friday Night Lights.
For those of you who haven’t been to a high school football game since you graduated, do yourself a favor and start supporting your local team. The athleticism is pretty darned amazing. These kids are playing at a college level of 10-15 years ago. With advancements in training methods and improved nutrition, these kids are really strong, fast and powerful.
Every Friday night, you’ll find me up there in the bleachers, right on the 50 yard line enjoying the spectacle. This will mark my 25th year attending my local high school's football games.
Highly recommended.
Frank |
^^^
Both the Total Contact and the Omega E Mats are incredible upgrades by themselves. Together, they do magic. Will they have that effect in all systems? To be fair, the jury is still out on that issue. So far though, the vast majority are coming back with reports like hifiman5 made above. And, that’s just from installing one Omega E Mat in his circuit breaker box.
If you are considering buying Omega E Mats, be aware that initially they may degrade the sound somewhat. I had that experience with the one I recently put under the power conditioner. There was less presence, less like live music. The next morning it hit the WOW factor. So, I guess what I’m saying is to have patience with the Mats ... and the TC too for that matter. As some have stated, in some systems, the Omega E Mats take up to three weeks to sound their best. They just seem to keep improving. Install them ... and then just leave them alone.
Frank |
tochsil sez: - "One person said if they didn’t like a product that was given to them for review, they just wouldn’t say anything."
That could have been me in the TC thread. If it was me that you are referring to, you are using what I said out of context. I was talking about Herbie’s "Black Hole" CD mat, which did nothing in my system. It didn’t improve the sound and it didn’t degrade the sound. It just did nothing. I stated that I wouldn’t say anything negative because these CD mats have rave reviews from other hobbyists. So ... I figured this particular tweak is system dependent. Why harm a manufacturer unnecessarily ... especially when the Herbie’s tube dampeners work so well? On the "black background." What we are after with all of these tweaks is a lowering of the noise floor. In other words, there is a ton of electronic noise smearing the sound of our audio systems. Its noise that we don’t realize its there until its gone. Once the noise is lowered, there is more presence to the music. It seems more live. There is more of a three dimensional presentation. With each SUCCESSFUL tweak, more of that electronic hash is removed, therefore, a continual search for more tweaks to improve the sound even further. Personally, I don’t think "black background" is a good way to describe it. Why? Because when we hear live music, we don’t make comments like: "Geeze! Listen to that black background!" We also don’t use verbiage like: ... "Oh my, listen to that detail" either. We just relax, listen to the music ... and get emotionally involved. This is what we want from our personal audio systems, is it not? Good tweaks like Total Contact, Omega E Mats, Herbie’s tube dampeners, Synergistic Research’s multitude of tweaks all allow this to happen. Oh ... and they have a cumulative effect as well. Frank |
I have a Nakamichi cassette deck that hasn't been used in a year or two ... even though I have a ton of prerecorded tapes.
I decided to hook it up this morning and have a go at it
After listening for about an hour, I placed two Omega E Mats, one on top, and one underneath the unit. Uhh ... to say it was greatly improved is an understatement. So, if you're still nutz like me and still enjoying cassettes, or if you have a good reel to reel deck, try a mat there. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Frank |
