The Irrational But Efficacious CD Tweak


A dear audiophile friend gave me the Ayre CD tweak that Charlie Hanson humorously has entitled, Irraional But Efficacious!

You set your system volume at a moderately low level, if you put at a very high level you run the risk of "smoking" your speakers and play track seven that lasts five minutes. A series of very powerful tone bursts at different frequences pulse through your entire system. It's recommended that you only use this tweak about twice a month.

Well, amazing results happened in my system:

1) Great increase of transparency/clarity.

2) The soundstage got bigger with more layering.

3) Macrodynamics/slam /jump improved.

I give great credit to both Charlie Hanson and George Cardas, who came up with this thing along time ago, for their total honesty about not really knowing how it works, hence the name Irrational But Efficacious! Unlike others who would come up with some secret mumbo-jumbo explanation and charge a ton of cash. This CD tweak only costs $20.00.

If any GON members have tried this CD tweak please share if your experience was as postive as mine and if you have not tried it I highly recommend you do.
teajay
Thanks tweak1, after spending so much, 20 dollars more or 20 dollars less, nothing changes :) I already bought it, in a few days I will test it. Greeting
I have several burn-in discs, though I haven't employed them in many moons

A week ago the temps here were upper 40s and my system sounded COLD throughout most of Jennifer Nettles Playing with Fire CD, but the last couple cuts sounded better, so I started it over and it all sounded much better

I suggest doing that before spending $20, though, clearly, Im not opposed to it

hth
Thank you very much rodman99999 for the reply, the CD will arrive later this month. I will test it and then share my opinion. Regards.
@andik-   There are no claims, other than it’s content being a series of frequencies (or combinations/Noises*), mentioned by the maker of the Irrational But Efficacious CD.       You might try ripping one on a computer/laptop, to a digital file.      If it’s going to work for you, that should suffice.      I’ve never noticed the tracks, offered as a download.                                                                                                                                                                     (*ie: Pink, White and Brown, for testing/burn-in/measurements/etc)
Enter Hello everyone, excuse me, I did not understand correctly, do I have to use the physical CD or can I use the tracks in my streamer by USB? (I don't have a compact) Thank you text ...
Hello everyone, excuse me, I did not understand correctly, do I have to use the physical CD or can I use the tracks in my streamer by USB? (I don't have a compact) Thank you
So what's really funny about this for me is that months ago I told an audiophile buddy how interesting it is that track #7 always seems to be the best track on any CD. Check it out.
Greg.
i picked mine up on one of my charity shop runs, they obviously had no idea what it was... lol
I recently bought the XLO Test CD.  I keep forgetting to make time to use it.  I'm not familiar with the one mentioned in this thread, but many seem to have used it and felt it was beneficial.  I'm always a little skeptical of things like this too, but if it's only 20 bucks, and you're curious, it seems like it's worth giving it a try.
Thanks, Big Greg,.....

I think...I'm not one for stealing music online. Most of the music I have is on CD that I bought years ago. If I do download something, it's from a higher quality disc format; Original Master Recordings, SHM etc. versions of discs that I already own. Wondering if there was a copy of that disc floating around is basically asking if the disc was worth buying. Not sure if I want to fork out $20 for something that does nothing.
Does anyone know where to find a rip of that disc. Maybe someone here could possibly make a copy for people to try out.
Welcome to the forum!  Nice to see your first post be about how to steal copyrighted materials.  Bravo!
Anybody know how this  compares to the XLO reference recordings test and burn in cd from 2004.
Better, worse, same etc.
Thanks
I have been wondering about the "Cardas - Ayre Acoustics Irrational, But Efficacious (IBE) Burn-in CD"...just recently came across it online. I have tried other burn-ins, wouldn't mind trying that one, but not really wanting to pay $20 for it. Does anyone know where to find a rip of that disc. Maybe someone here could possibly make a copy for people to try out. Not sure if a copied version would be as effective as the actual disc itself.
All I know is, as a tweak, it works. It helps in breaking in cables and avoiding cable burners, which some cable makers advise against. 

I have a brand new set of ICs that showed promise on the first day, bettering some aspects of the previous generation from the same maker but falling behind in other aspects. Running it on repeat for an hour and a half closed the gap considerably compared to a couple of weeks that it would have taken, playing just music.

So, right back in it goes for another hour or two.

All the best,
Nonoise
deecee

this Ayre disc is a tweak, nothing more, nothing less. Users may find it helpful within their respective systems.  Happy Listening!
Meanwhile 11 years later...

The disk still works but nowadays (with a slightly different system config) I find that the "effect" is better after regular music is played a while (15 mins?), rather than "fresh" from the IBE disk.

Still have not heard an explanation on why this works...
I own this tweak disc, as well as, other tuning cds/sacds.

They all work. Which one is the 'best' is a matter of opinion...
I find that playing EL&P's Brain Salad Surgery or any old King Crimson album backwards loosens up the woofer sufficiently.
Mapman wrote,

"Wouldn't surprise me if designed tone bursts change the sound for the better in some cases.

I get my Stax headphones to sound their best (loosened up?) by playing at what would be painfully loud volumes for a minute or two before I put the phones on to listen. Seems to work well."

Of course, as fate would have it, there are no tone bursts, as you call them, on the disc under discussion.. Neither is the break-in track on the XLO Test CD composed of tone bursts, nor the Cardas.
Wouldn't surprise me if designed tone bursts change the sound for the better in some cases.

I get my Stax headphones to sound their best (loosened up?) by playing at what would be painfully loud volumes for a minute or two before I put the phones on to listen. Seems to work well.
This is a (small) waste of money. Have fun with it if you like, but it does nothing to improve the sound of your system...

-RW-
i have a friend that claims after he played the disc in his car stereo a speaker that was not working started playing mysteriously. not kidding. every few months i forget to use the disc and then when i do play it i hear an immediate difference in my system. so i am in the worth every penny camp.
It failed my Law of Efficacy miserably. I was not impressed by it. I find most methods/tweaks of improvement of sound which require re-treatment to typically be of marginal worth.
Found this, from the Cardas website FAQ:

===========================
Cable Break-In
Q.) I have all tube electronics and don't want to leave my system unattended while I burn in the interconnects. Do I need to have everything on and playing music to burn in my new cables? - Nordoff

A.) Only the originating end needs to have signal. The cable will break in even if the terminating unit is off. To break-in the cable it needs two things, signal and stability - it should not be moved. -George
=========================

Also finding other similar posts, so the answer may be "can burn in" without volume. Which would be great for everything but amp components, speaker cables, and speakers.

Was thinking about a cable cooker but given this, I'll just let my system do the cooking.

Not sure what a good workaround for speaker cables could be though.
If I want to break in some new interconnects (between DAC and integrated), can I run this on repeat with the volume on the integrated muted?

I was thinking that the same signal is getting passed from transport to DAC and to amp, over all the cabling that connects them. The only thing not getting any signal being the speaker cables and speakers.

Is this theory correct? Obviously, I don't know what the effect of having the amp volume on 00 is to the signal chain.

Anyone know for certain?
I bought a cheap($59.00) DVD player and have used the Ayre disc, playing the Pink, White and Brown Noise tracks(on repeat), to burn in numerous pieces of gear and interconnects/cabling. Just another way the disc has proven useful to me(beside the Sweep tracks).
Visit this link for some quantitative test data regarding the effects of the use of the IBE disk on my system. Acoustic response tests were done both before and after playing track #7 on the disk.

http://techtalk.parts-express.com/showpost.php?p=1795489&postcount=26
You're welcome db, I hope that you find it as helpful as I have. I've had it over a year, but still use it once a week or so. Let me know what you think.

Cheers,
John
Yes it does work.

For vinyl fans, I suggest that you try:

Cardas Frequency Sweep and Burn-In Record
Mastered by Stan Ricker

Just bought a Graham Slee 3 Fanfare and after a while wondered where the life was... played the album above and "Voila!" - made a night and day difference.

The only thing I heard that was a lot more effective was the Gryphon Exorcist (when I heard it the 1st time it was $75... now at $200 I think).

I believe the IBE and Cardas records do just fine for the cost difference!
Freemand, it appears that you have been also using it on your computers' CD drive....;)
Needle Doctor has them. MD has them listed but I believe they are not in stock as the web site says to call regarding shipping.
Much to my chagrin, I have been using my CD tweak about every other week for several years now.

At the same time I run track 7 about 2 or 3 times I am also spaying my cables and wiping my components with an anti static spray. A bottle about 4 times bigger then the rip off nordost stuff and only $8 and not $38. Another audio tweak rip off from nordost this time.

I have never done a close a/b before and after this geek attempt to make my system better, but It always seems more relaxed and airy afterwards.

I will do an a/b next time.
Much to my chagrin, I have been using my CD tweak about every other week for several years now.

At the same time I run track 7 about 2 or 3 times I am also spaying my cables and wiping my components with an anti static spray. A bottle about 4 times bigger then the rip off nordost stuff and only $8 and not $38. Another audio tweak rip off from nordost this time.

I have never done a close a/b before and after this geek attempt to make my system better, but It always seems more relaxed and airy afterwards.

I will do an a/b next time.
You can get it from Music Direct for $19.99 or your local Ayre dealer whom will probably order it.
Reminds me of when I let my '07 Acura MDX redline through a couple gears to blow out the cobwebs. I don't know if it really works but it sure is fun. "Sounds" like the same kinda thing. I also let the big Rotel (like 700+ watts into 4)run wild through the Goldi's once in a while and that's pretty fun, too, but it might be the improvement in ear wax rather than any system improvement. Main diff is no risk of talking to Highway Patrol w/watts vs. HP. Also, yer allowed to crank watts drunk but driving that way is BAAAD!
So this is a tweak that needs to be repeated regularly or it loses effectiveness? That really is strange. Please tell me you also need to drink a 15 year old single malt whenever the cd is played. I can live with that kind of ritual ;-)
Well, amazing results happened in my system:

1) Great increase of transparency/clarity.

2) The soundstage got bigger with more layering.

3) Macrodynamics/slam /jump improved.

This is normally the sort of thing you can only get by with an amp upgrade (twice the power) or a significant speaker/component upgrade.

Here is a thought....just buy this disc for 20 bucks, sell all your high end gear for a song and buy some Tweeter Going-out-of-business sale gear and you are laughing! Better sound and $1000's back in your pocket! What a concept.

BTW I tried the Ref Recordings Test disc by Prof Johnson (it has a demagnetizing sweep too) but I could not hear any difference. Either it is my tin ears or not all demag sweeps are created the same...
The Purist disc works great, but you have to leave the house while it's DOING your system (it's shy! ;-)) otherwise you'll suffer physiological AND psychological after effects! I've also noticed that for several weeks after use, the house is free of mice, cockroaches, spiders, and termites, and other small crawly things. It drives the neighborhood dogs crazy too!

Jim Aud explains how it works on the back of the jewel box: Relieves molecular stresses and residual magnetism using optimal frequency and amplitude tones -- well of course!

I wish he'd put a copy on LP for our cartridges. Maybe I'll put it on my iPod and listen to it at a very low level while I sleep tonight, yeah! I'll get back to you. I hope!