Singing in the shower counts, as does whistling. :-)
Perfect Path Technologies: Omega E mat
I’m curious about this product from Perfect Path Technologies and would like to hear from those that have experience with it. I’ve bought and used the Total Contact enhancer and like what it does for my system so I’m interested in hearing how this Omega E mat performs.
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Twenty years ago I was listening to a pair of Acoustat Four’s, an ARC Classic 60, and ARC SP-14, A California Audio CD player and my current Well-Tempered turntable with a Clavis cartridge. The Acoustats were underpowered with the ARC in the system, but within its range, the sound was super transparent. On a good night, it seemed as though the back wall just fell down and the depth went on forever. I fed the system almost 100% vinyl in those days. I’d like to have the Acoustats back for a few days just to see what they would do in the system today. Frank |
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Could this be the reason some folks can’t or refuse to hear the differences these tweaks make? Are they really listening into the music and getting emotionally involved, or are they simply admiring the gold faceplates on their electronics?" really alot of different mentalities in this hobby, I've bought some used equipment where I had to home pick up, one 'audiogoner' where I was buying a Cary CD player had top of the line B+W speakers in a megabuck system crammed 4 feet apart in a 10 foot room and had about 30 female vocal CD's. Another guy where I bought the Supratek Chenin preamp from had Maggie 3.6's in a 8x 8 room connected with lamp cord and thought all this cable nonsense was unnecessary so he was constantly swapping equipement in search of better sound. This audiophile bizness has alot of variation eh? Thank goodness I had the open mindedness to try Total Contact and the Alpha mats, I don't understand the technology but the results exceed my high expectations. Surely I have my own misconceptions and misunderstandnings and misconfigurations but my toes are tapping and my head nodding, it's all about connecting with the music not the equipment in my view.. |
jafreeman .... Yes, I couldn’t agree with you more. It is the gear THAT GETS US CLOSER TO THE MUSIC. And that’s the whole point of the hobby, or should be at least. As long as the goal is to get us as close as possible to the actual event, live music if you will, then that is the mark of the true audiophile music lover. That was H.L. Mencken’s point. This is what is so cool about the latest innovations in tweaks like the Omega E Mats, Total Contact, Herbie’s tube dampeners, SR HFT’s, after-market fuses, etc. They all work together to get us closer to the source of the music WITHOUT facing the expense of upgrading equipment. Could this be the reason some folks can’t or refuse to hear the differences these tweaks make? Are they really listening into the music and getting emotionally involved, or are they simply admiring the gold faceplates on their electronics? Not trying to diss anyone posting here. Just posing the question. Frank |
Sure, it IS the gear--especially when it gives you the music as you've never heard it before. Some songs are just blowing my mind in how different they sound. You know those reference songs that you test after making a change--those "landmarks" you like to compare---they are gone now, lost in a completely new midrange that has filled in and surrounded previous highlights. "One man's ceiling is another man's floor" |
Frank Not wishing to derail this thread but as you asked.... I think you will find that a lot of members who post in the music threads play instruments or did and were in bands etc. I myself played Bass guitar and wrote the lyrics in our band and heck yes we even made inclusion on a vinyl compilation album and released a vinyl single back in England( I still have the master single and it was mixed at Abbey Road Studios, yes THOSE Abbey Road Studios!). My claim to fame for 15 minutes.... lol. |
^^^ Geoff ... I believe that there exists a certain percentage of "audiophiles" who really don't care so much about the music, but more about equipment and bling. Have you ever met the type that has a system that may have cost upwards of 200k, and owns a total of maybe 50 recordings, all special "audiophile" editions? Then, there are those who were relaxed while listening to music all along, and still want that extra 7% in order to get closer to the music/performance. They may have average systems, but they usually have a vast collection of recordings, some rare dating back to the '30s and '40s. In a lot of cases, these folks try in some way to make their own music. They are the true music lovers. As H.L. Mencken once said ... "You can always tell a true music lover because they will always try to make their own music. They may be atrocious at it, but they do try." I wonder how many members here at A'gon play an instrument themselves. With me, its the harmonica and chromonica. Been playing the things since I was nine years old ... and yes, I'm atrocious at it. :-) Frank |
You read my mind. 😳 Everything is relative. Most audiophiles cannot escape and get up out of the noise floor. Many don’t even try. You have done well, grasshopper. But there is a long way to go. As I opined somewhere recently many are searching for that last 7% so they can finally relax and listen to the music. 🤗 An ordinary man has no means of deliverance. |
Had a fellow audiophile over for a listening session tonight. He's heard the system before, but not since the addition of the TC and the Omega E Mats. He couldn't get over the low noise floor. And now I know Geoff is going to say ... "Well if he couldn't get over a low noise floor, how in the world would he ever get over a high noise floor?" Frank |
Sad thing is... you guys probably have nice systems that will never realize their true potential without E Mats and Total Contact. Every comment made here by those who have indulged goes perfectly along with my experiences. Instruments have never sounded more real AND what it will do for the clarity and 3D like image on your UHD video screen is shocking! Do yourselves a favor and get at least two E-Mats that you can place magnetically to the inside of your electrical service door and watch you picture improve day by day as well as the verisimilitude of you sound. 30 day money back warranty. You have nothing to lose. You deserve to treat yourselves to what Perfect Path technologies is offering!😁 |
I have a total of 10 mats now. I have not really been able to listen for the last few weeks so when I was finally able to listen I couldn't believe the improvements I was hearing since last listening session. My last listening session I had just placed mats 9 and 10 in the system. I doubled up the cd player with mats side by side and I doubled up the dac with mats side by side. Now there is even more soundstage and the focus and energy and naturalness is there in spades. Instruments have never sounded so real. I thought that at 6 mats that maybe the improvements would not be so noticeable but not so at 10 mats, the system just keeps getting better. No way I would have thought that my system would sound this good six months ago. |
My mats have been in place, untouched for 11 weeks now. The sound quality is at least holding steady, possibly still improving. I have made one other change in my system recently (surrounding my tweeters with jute matting, nice improvement) so it's harder to tell. I have two mats (vertically stacked, magnet sides facing each other) under each component (including my CPT 300 power unit) and on top of each speaker. I also have two mats, side by side, on my main power panel. I haven’t tried any other configurations, because this one is working great, and I don’t want to mess with it. |
Tommylion, Do you feel that your mats have now plateaued in performance, and are they holding steady? Interesting now to hear reports from a longitudinal perspective. Did you end up stacking some of your mats--how does that compare to a broader field arrangement--if you had the space to try that at all? I look forward to soon adding to my four mats. |
jafreeman, I know what you mean, with the mats, my system brings out the best in all my CDs, not just the well recorded/audiophile approved ones. I recently got a CD of Carlos Kleiber conducting the Vienna Philharmonic in Brahm's 4th Symphony. It's an incredible performance, but a digital recording from the early 80's. Now it sounds great too! |
Thanks, Kevin. <3 Timmy spent the past few days in his man-cave/laboratory, preparing for production expansion. 6" of fluffy white stuff fell today (cue sad trombone). It’s supposed to be the coldest Thanksgiving in over 100 years. <3 Seasons change with the scenery ~~Weaving time in a tapestry lol <3 Best, Krissy |
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"i spun (lots) the double LP, derek and the dominos - layla, and i was genuinely blown away. it was like being in a whirlpool and i was being swirled deep into the album. easily the best i have ever heard it!" Jmols, thanks for posting---love that album, and if you can get that one to sound better, you have done something--always wished there was more dynamic range to it on CD. |
jafreeman, i hit two weeks today and i am enjoying what i am hearing. per your suggestion, i put the mat under the phono pre and the cards on the power conditioner, power supply, pre amp, and amp. treated the rca's, power cords, speaker cables, and electrical outlets with TC. no big changes the first few days and then some moments, but overall felt it sounded a little louder and brighter than usual. this past weekend is when it really started to hit its stride. the stereo sounded more homogenized than ever. yesterday, i spun (lots) the double LP, derek and the dominos - layla, and i was genuinely blown away. it was like being in a whirlpool and i was being swirled deep into the album. easily the best i have ever heard it! |
Krissy ... Thank you very much. Breathing is improving somewhat. Geoff ... Beyond belief, my friend. Where I live has one of the lowest crime rates in the nation according to FBI statistics. So, even here, we have a shooter slaughtering 12 innocent people because he didn’t get the psychological help he needed. And then ... the fires came two days later and tried to burn down the entire town. One thing I noticed is how much kinder people are treating each other around here since these two events happened. I talked with A’gon member mribob (Bob) via text. His house made it through intact. All of his yards are gone, his home is filled with smoke, but it survived. A real miracle considering that he lives right in the middle of Malibu Canyon .... one of the areas where the fire was the most fierce. It’s very sobering when you return to see your neighbor’s homes burned to the ground, and your’s is standing there untouched. Remembering the story of Job ... I’m keeping an eye out for the locust invasion. Frank |
^^^ Thanks, jafreeman ... I have two large Honeywell Hepa filters going 24/7 to purify the air in my place. Finally got the smoke smell out of the house. I'm not going anywhere and just staying inside except to get the daily mail. Even though you can't see smoke in the air around here anymore, when I go outside, the coughing begins. Fine grey ashes are everywhere too. I'm so lucky and grateful that my place wasn't touched. If I could describe the fire blowing over the road when we evacuated in simple terms ... it was like a giant roaring blowtorch. My friend Robert came over last night for a listening session. The Total Contact treatment to the speaker crossovers and an additional Omega E Mat in the second circuit breaker box has made a very significant improvement. Everything we played sounded really good. One spectacular LP we played was a Les Baxter album with all of the sound effects those records are known for. Wall to wall soundstage with front to back three-dimensional imaging in spades. Bongos, congas, bells, marimbas, vibes, jungle sounds, strings, flutes, English horns, bass .... glorious! Frank |
Sorry to see it, Frank. Be sure to wear a face mask, N95 is a must, if there is toxic smoke or if you are breathing airborne dust containing combustion byproducts. Many will be incurring cardiovascular and respiratory damage. Much of this will be revealed in public health reporting later, just as in NYC. Please get back to us. |
This is my town over the past two weeks ... https://www.facebook.com/thousandoaksacorn/videos/283252148986311/UzpfSTEyNjMyNDk5OTU6MTAyMTc2NjMwMD... We could use some prayers. Frank |
^^^ I can vouch for everything Steve said above. I cannot believe how good that Pioneer Elite DV-05 sounds with Grover's mods. The ARC CD-7se is/was a very good tube CD player. It retailed for 10k. The Pioneer has better bass and more extended highs. Maybe ... and just maybe, the ARC had more of that nice tube midrange, but the Pioneer's upper midrange is even better ... just a little more solid-state like, but still very much three dimensional. If I were to do it again, I'd opt for Grover's Pioneer Elite, no questions asked. I've heard both of Steve's systems. His living room system has the Legacy Signature III's (94db), driven by the Grover modified Dyna 70. If you have efficient speakers and can use 35 watts per channel, it is a wonderful amp ... one of the best I've heard. Now then, combine all of this with Total Contact, Omega E Mats, Herbie's tube dampeners, SR Blue fuses, SR HFT's, Shatki Holographs, some really great IC's and PC's ... and you will have put together a system that rivals those costing hundreds of thousands. The sound may be on a smaller scale than the mega-buck systems perhaps, but mind-boggling, none the less. Just to put things into perspective, the last time my friend Robert was over, he said during the listening session ... "You don't need a pair of Harbeth 40.2's, you already have them. You don't need a pair of Maggie 20.7's, you already have them." I concurred. As an old planer fan, these Signature III's are every bit as transparent as the best planers I've ever owned, including Acustat III's, Acustat IV's, and Martin Logans, except the Legacy Signature III's, get better bass and better highs. The Signature III's are no longer made, but they are available on the used market for as low as $1500. I paid $2100 for mine years ago. They have the walnut finish and in mint condition. I think they retailed originally for $5500 with the finish I have. Honestly, if you or a friend are looking for floor standing speakers that are very easy to drive, with great sound, there is no reason to look further than the Legacy Signature III's. Frank |