lak,
I may try one on the house circuit breaker box with placement over my 3 dedicated audio breakers.
ozzy
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toetapaudio,
I do have one of the E-Mats. I just got it a couple of days ago. I tried it first over my dac for 2 days, and now its over my CPT 1800 balanced power. Since I only have the one I'm not sure where the best spot is to try it.
I do have Bybee IQSE (8) inside all of my components so it may be too much of a good thing, I'll find out.
ozzy
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pesky,tommylion,
Is what pesky stated true? It would be a pain to remove all of the Bybee units.
tommylion,
I do plan on trying the mat in every possible position. I think you stated that it takes about 2 weeks to achieve its potential. But where do you recommend it will show the fastest results?
ozzy
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My review thus far of the Omega Mat. Note: I have not used the TC coating. First a little background information. I have (3) 10-gauge dedicated circuits, and my power conditioner(s) is a Core Technologies 300 for the digital and 1800 for my analog equipment. My (2) JL Audio F-113 subs are plugged into the 3rd dedicated line. I am using Furutech Nano outlets throughout and Cerious Technologies Matrix cables. Inside each of my components I have Bybee IQSE’s (total of 8). I have Tweek Geeks Sonic Tonic on HDMI inputs/outputs and on the main power cables (2) inside the circuit breaker. Over the breakers themselves I have (2) ERS cloth. Synergistic ECT’s (3-5) are inside each of my components. HFT’s on speakers, components, and on the room walls. ACS tube traps in the corners. So, when I received the one Omega Mat I was not sure of where to start. First, I placed the mat on my PS Direct Stream Dac (with a Bybee IQSE and ECT’s inside) for a couple of days. I noticed no improvement. Then for a couple days I placed the mat over my Core Tech 1800 balanced power. Note: This unit has a Bybee IQSE inside and a very thick-walled case. I noticed no improvement. Finally, I placed the mat on the outside cover of my circuit breaker box. As noted previously I have 3 dedicated 10-gauge dedicated breakers for my Audio system. Note: the inside circuit breaker panel door has (2) original Bybee’s attached to it. And over the breakers themselves is 2 ERS cloths. I noticed no improvement with the Omega mat. But, I didn’t want to give up since there are so many glowing statements on the Gon. So, I removed the ERS cloth and the Bybee’s from the circuit breaker box and placed the Omega mat over the breakers and closed the panel door. Well now, I did notice an improvement in the bass and treble. The midrange did seem to be recessed, however today it seems that the frequencies are starting to balance out. Very interesting… At this point I think it is safe to conclude that the ERS cloth not only shields the breaker switches but also prevents the Omega Mat from doing its thing. And the Bybee’s may or may not be affecting the performance of the Omega mat. I will reintroduce the Bybee’s later on the inside panel door just to see what effect that has on the Omega mat. I think the Omega mat is a keeper at least for the breaker box. And if I had more mats I would try taking out some of the internal Bybee’s and go Omega only to hear what happens. I think with one more mat I would try it either on the Dac or the Core Power 1800 conditioner. To be continued… ozzy
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grannyring,
Thanks I'm going to let the Mat play solo for a while in the breaker box but I do want to see what happens when the Bybee's are reintroduced.
Yes, it may be as simple as too many of the same things or perhaps there is a conflict with some of items used together.
aniwolfe,
Yes thanks for asking about the MC-05's. I do have 10 on my analog line and 10 on my digital. Do you think that matters?
ozzy
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perfectpathtech,
Thank you for responding to my question. Well today the sound seems to be very good. Very peculiar...
Yes my amps were purchased new and probably have several thousand hours on them. The speakers are also new but they have only about 150-175 hours on them.
ozzy
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toetapaudio,
Yes you are correct that I am using 20 of the HF MC-.05’s.
The Core Power units can handle 300 watts (for my digital) and 18000 watts for all others including (2) mono block Carver 350 WPC amps
Perfectpathtech,
Yesterday I did notice a pretty heavy mid range suck out. Is this because the bass and treble are further ahead in the break in process? I have about 72 hours on the mat that is inside the breaker panel and is placed over the breakers.
ozzy
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grannyring,
I do need to update my systems page.
I am using the Bob Carver Amazing Line Source speakers.
ozzy
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klh007, grannyring,
I have a thread about the Carver speakers on the Audiogon speaker forum. They definitely revealed some issues with my preamp.
For you guys wanting smaller Omega pads why not cut the pad into several sections and place them on several components?
ozzy
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I understand the trepidation about cutting the mat into smaller pieces.
So I'm waiting for someone else to try it first. And who knows maybe once its cut open stuff may ooze out...
ozzy
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I'm wondering if the mat has the TC painted on it underneath the magnet?
ozzy
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Well I have had the Omega Mat for about 2 weeks now. This mat is placed inside the circuit panel cover over the circuit breakers. As per my original review of the mat.
About 4 days ago I added a Bybee original signal enhancer to the circuit panel located at the top over the main breakers and above the Omega mat.
With the added Bybee in place I did notice a stronger bass presence. Last night I removed the Bybee and this morning played the Omega mat again by itself. What I found is I prefer the Omega mat by itself, the Bybee sort of bloated the sound. But for those that need a little more bass it might help.
In the next day or two I will be removing the Omega mat completely from the circuit panel to then hear what difference the Omega mat actually contributed to the sound quality.
To be continued...
ozzy
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lpretiring,
Thank you. I'm trying. There seems to be a lot of emotion in this thread so I'm trying to be systematic in my approach.
ronrags,
Yeah, I am wondering the same thing. Does the mat's effect disappear immediately when removed or is it gradual?
nkonor,
Your welcome, and I do plan on pulling the Omega mat out this week. So we'll see.
oregonpapa,
So are you saying that once I pull the mat it may take a few days for its effect to dissipate?
ozzy
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perfectpathtech,
Thanks for that info, but I need to know.
Pulling the Omega mat after being in place for 2 weeks is the only sure way I know of to evaluate its effect.
ozzy
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I'm going to pull the Omega mat out of the Breaker box tonight before I go to bed and put it in my car as Tom suggested.
So tomorrow I should be able to determine the mat effectiveness.
ozzy. |
Omega Mat My Final Update: As I stated earlier in my first review of the Omega mat, components where I had Bybee IQSE units installed the mat had little to no effect. I have 3 dedicated 10 ga outlets/breakers. At the end of the line is Furutech GTX nano rhodium outlets. I also have 20 of the HF MC-.05’s installed (with diy outlet strips) at the outlets prior to my Core Tech 1800’s balanced conditioners. Which also have Bybee IQSE’s inside. With so many positive and emotional reviews of the Omega mat I believed the mat had to be doing something for the better. So why did the mat with the Bybee’s have so little effect? My guess is that the Bybee IQSE’s and the Omega somehow cancelled each other out. And after all the Bybee’s are installed inside the components and much closer to the circuitry than the Omega mat which was placed on the outside of the units. I decided the breaker panel was the easier area to attack so I removed the (2) Bybee’s that are of the “original signal enhancers” version and the ERS cloth from my breaker panel and placed the Omega mat over the breaker(s). Then yes, I did think the Omega mat was contributing to an overall balanced improved sound. That is; an overall better frequency response with a wider and deeper soundstage. But, I wasn’t quite sure. However, I have found that when making changes especially with tweaks initially the sound may sound impressive but over time that new sound becomes the norm and then I start to wonder if the product is as great as I once thought it to be. So last night I removed the Omega mat from the breaker box and placed it in my car in the garage. 12 hours later I turned my system back on and did some deep listening. Primarily to evaluate the sound quality without all the previous items in the breaker box including now without the Omega mat. As I write this, I find that the frequency extremes are still the same. Perhaps the soundstage is a little flatter as is not as deep. However, not as much change as I thought there would be. Very interesting and confusing. Why did I think the mat initially provided an increase in the sound quality? So once again I reintroduced the Omega mat over the breakers. About 6 hours later I again sat down to listen. I found that… there was indeed a more satisfying sound. Huh? How? There was no frequency change, and not much change in the soundstage. Not anything that I could point specifically at. But the Omega mat did contribute to an overall deeper music appreciation. It is now my opinion that the Omega mat excites an emotional feeling. It is sort of a feeling of a live presence that was lacking in the recorded sound. I don’t know how or why but it was easy to hear once it was reinserted. So, after all of this, I believe that the one Omega mat I have is a definite plus to my system and music enjoyment. Now I need to get a few more of the Omega mats to try inside the external crossovers of my Bob Carver Amazing Line Source speakers. And somewhere down the line I would like to place the Omega mat inside my components after removing the Bybee IQSE’s. ozzy |
tommylion,
Just to clarify, are you saying to just remove the Bybee IQSE from the Core Tech or remove it and replace with a Omega mat?
ozzy
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oregonpapa, 68pete, lak,
Thank you, though I think the mat does provide (about 5%) improvement the price is pretty high for that amount of improvement. However, with my system, that 5% is quite noticeable.
I have read so many posters including Tim that say the mat improves with more extended use. I’m not really sure how that can be. But, I have been wrong and amazed before so I will continue with an open mind.
ozzy
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kedoades,
To me 5% is quite a bit. The Omega mat is not equal to a component upgrade/change but it does add to my enjoyment. Could I live without it? Sure, but I would prefer to keep it.
Perhaps if I had more of them to work with my estimate would change. However so would the cost. In my perspective, if 5 of them are needed to improve the sound substantially then for that $3000 I would first consider a component upgrade, or perhaps the SR active grounding block.
oregonpapa,
I removed the Bybee’s that were at the circuit breaker box that I replaced with the Omega mat. I did not remove all of the rest of the Bybee’s throughout my system. Again, if I had more mats then I would replace the Bybee’s.
ozzy
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oregonpappa,
Tim did send me a small sample of the TC but it was only enough to do the 3 wires that are attached to my 3 dedicated breakers along with the neutral and grounds wires.
I have spent a great deal of money on my main system. And that does not include all of the power cords, balanced power, dedicated lines etc. that I also own. I really do believe that the music starts with quality AC power.
To me, I think a 5% improvement for a tweak is very good. And if I didn’t already have all of the Bybee's perhaps it would have had more effect. Again, I think the Omega mat works fine over the breakers but honestly guys I don’t think its worth $600. I would figure about $200 -$300 to be the proper price point.
But that is only my opinion and we all have different hearing, systems etc. so thanks to Tim a trial is a real plus. I would like to keep the one mat and let it "break in" longer.
Question: What actually breaks in?
Alas, I think I pe’od Tim because he just sent me an email to send the trial mat back.
ozzy
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Oregonpappa,
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.
ozzy
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Oregonpappa,
Thank you for your reply.
I applied the TC to the 3 dedicated circuit breakers to my stereo system, and I have not removed it. I know Tim says he gave me enough for a whole system but its just not there. I did clean the brush after applying it perhaps that was a mistake. However, there is very little (if any) left.
The Omega mat was in place for 2 weeks before I removed it. It has now been in place again for a week.
I noticed that you have Legacy Focus Signature version speakers. I at one time owned the Legacy Focus.
For the amount of money you had invested in the 30 mats you could have easily purchased the Legacy Aries speakers. Now that would have been a sure upgrade for you.
I think that’s where shadorne and others including myself for that matter are coming from. Improvement of the core components over spending thousands of dollars on a tweak is a better cost option.
P.S. I am looking at the Audio Research Ref 6 preamp.
ozzy
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barbapapa,
I cleaned the brush with 90% Isopropyl alcohol. I removed the other tweaks from the area that the Omega mat is applied (breaker box). Tim only sent a small sample, but that's what I asked for and I appreciate it.
nkonor,
I do like people thinking outside of the norm. That’s why I like Bob Carver products, Cerious Technologies cables and PS Audio components. And I give Tim lots of credit for coming up with such a creative tweak. But higher end components will bring in the best future trade in value as apposed to a paste on the connections.
fleshler,
I haven’t actually heard the Aries but they seem to get great reviews.
oregonpappa,
I understand what you mean about the size of the Legacy speakers. I guess that’s why I went to the Amazing Line Source Carver speakers they are tall but take up only a very small footprint. I will try to contact you.
ozzy
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ronrags, From my posting on this thread on July 26, 2018. "So last night I removed the Omega mat from the breaker box and placed it in my car in the garage. 12 hours later I turned my system back on and did some deep listening. Primarily to evaluate the sound quality without all the previous items in the breaker box including now without the Omega mat. As I write this, I find that the frequency extremes are still the same. Perhaps the soundstage is a little flatter as is not as deep. However, not as much change as I thought there would be. Very interesting and confusing. Why did I think the mat initially provided an increase in the sound quality? So once again I reintroduced the Omega mat over the breakers. About 6 hours later I again sat down to listen. I found that… there was indeed a more satisfying sound. Huh? How? There was no frequency change, and not much change in the soundstage. Not anything that I could point specifically at. But the Omega mat did contribute to an overall deeper music appreciation. It is now my opinion that the Omega mat excites an emotional feeling. It is sort of a feeling of a live presence that was lacking in the recorded sound. I don’t know how or why but it was easy to hear once it was reinserted." I hope this helps. ozzy |
aniwolfe, toetapaudio,
I can only comment on the one Omega mat that I have in my breaker box.
IMHO the Bybee’s and the Omega mat did not work well together. I think they cancel each other out.
So, at my breaker box I have the one Omega mat and in my audio room with the 3 dedicated lines with (6) Furutech NCF outlets. I have plugged in 20 of the MC-0’5’s and they seem to complement each other well. However, I have not unplugged the MC-05s, that might make for a future experiment.
And, it may change if I ever get more mats placed at the component end. I should also add that within each of the components I have a Bybee IQSE and SR ECT’s and the SR blue fuses
ozzy
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aniwolfe,
Yes, it would be hard to evaluate the differences. I think the MC-05's after being unplugged also need several days before they reach there potential.
I could just unplug the power strips that contain the MC-05' and then reintroduce them back one at a time, but...
ozzy
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We had a power outage last night that lasted several hours, will this mean the breakin process needs to start over?
I had about 2 weeks on the mats.
ozzy
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Has anyone used the mats with Hi Fidelity MC-.05's?
ozzy
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Thanks, I have 20 MC-.05's and 2 MC-1 Pro's (on loan).
Perhaps I have too much of a good thing going on.
ozzy
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Well I’m a believer.
I have had a few of the Omega Mats in my system for several months and actually forgot about them. Yesterday, I removed them and immediately it was like I sucked all the life from the music.
So, today I reinstalled them. Almost immediately I could tell the deep, involving sound quality that I have (guess) taken for granted come back into the sound! It may take additional time for them to resettle to full affect, but I am glad I tried this experiment. Highly recommended.
Fantastic Tim!
A real eye opener!
ozzy
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Yes, I have taken all of the MC-.05’s out.
ozzy
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You never know what you got till it's gone. Isn't that a song lyric?
Anyway, early on in this thread I was sort of negative about this tweak, but now I know its the real thing! I have heard the sound difference and it is huge!
ozzy
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Right now I only have one in the breaker box and it is placed over my 3 dedicated audio breakers.
Maybe as suggested I need more. Do you double the 2 mats or spread them out over all the breakers?
ozzy
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yoby,
I sold all of the MC-05's.
Frank, David,
I do have only one Omega mat in my circuit breaker box, but I also placed one underneath my Niagara 7000. Seems to have a pretty good effect there.
ozzy
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Elizabeth,
Thanks for helping me with other audio issues.
I know where you are coming from. I also had doubts about the product. I installed a few mats many months ago, I did not experience any wow factor that many on this thread expressed when installed and I actually forgot about them.
But months later when I removed them, I did get a huge music quality suck out. By that I mean the music lost its vibrancy and the live quality that I guess I had just taken for granted until I removed them.
To me, I think the mats act as sort of a rfi/emi blocker.
Elizabeth take them up on their free trial. But leave them in for at least a month.
ozzy
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