WA-Quantum GmbH's Quantum Chips

So, here's a question in case someone has figured this out already. Actually, a two-part question. For a bank of small capacitors - I have a bank of six small capacitors in my Oppo and a bank of eight small caps in my headphone amp - should a WA Capacitor Chip be placed on all capacitors of the bank or only on one capacitor? Second part of the question - if only one WA Capacitor Chip is necessary should it be a Small Capacitor Chip or a Large Capacitor Chip (even though all the capacitors are small)? I.e., what differentiates a Small capacitor from a Large one, the capacitance or the voltage, or both?

Goeff:
I can't respond to your entire question, but after being away from here for a while, and having acquired an Oppo BDP-83SE, I found that, just today, putting the Quantum chip on the Sabre 32 DAC, the sound became quite a bit more focused. I had to call Oppo, who informed me that the Sabre chip was on the UNDERSIDE of the green pc board that held all the RCA jacks. The gentleman at Oppo warned me that the white and gray "ribbon" that connected the pc board to the main part of the unit was very fragile. Nonetheless, I conquered my fear and pulled out the screws on the back of the Oppo that let me then turn the pc board over and put the dAC chip on the Sabre, which had, by then, ben turned off for at least 30 minutes. As soon as it came back on, and I turned my amps on (the preamp is at Conrad Johnson being upgraded, so I'm doing direct output to the amps), and I put on the RCA Red Seal version of the Khatchaturian Dances (the complete ballet), I could tell instantly that the background was darker (meaning, less filled with grain, which contributes to a black background. Obviously when there's grain, the background is more grayish
than actual Black. This was a clear move towards Blackness!).
I would speculate that you may only want to put one chip on the larger capacitor and listen for a week or so, and THEN perhaps try another capacitor. If the capacitors are small, then use the small ones.
I have no idea what differentiates a small from a large capacitor, but Oppo could easily tell you. The customer service rep put me on hold several times and came back with an answer.

Since my last post I was informed by Kemp Electronics, manufacturer of the WA Quantum Chips, that if the Large Capacitor Chip will fit on the top of the capacitor then use the Large chip.

Geoffkait, isn't a lot like a cereal manufacturer when asked how much cereal should be put into the bowl, telling you fill it to the top?

Tbg wrote,

"Geoffkait, isn't a lot like a cereal manufacturer when asked how much cereal should be put into the bowl, telling you fill it to the top?"

I see what you mean, but I suspect that it's just a question of coverage, i.e., how can you use the large capacitor chip diameter 1 inch on the top of a (physically) small capacitor since most of the chip will be just hanging off in empty space? And the small capacitor chip is only, what, 1/8 inch diameter? So, a small capacitor chip on a large cap is probably not beneficial due to the coverage issue. But for physically small caps the small cap is OK. How many synthetic atoms can you squeeze into a 1/8 inch Diameter dot? Answer at 11.

Geoffkait, what is a synthetic atom and where does the 11 come from?

A synthetic atom, aka "artificial atom," is a nanotechnology invention that is produced in the laboratory. The so-called Artifical Atom is comprised of a number of (negatively charged) electrons and a positively charged hole in the center rather than a real nucleus. (Hence the term, artificial atom.) Artificial Atoms fluoresce when stimulated by external means such as laser light or electrical current. You know, along the same lines as the Intelligent Chip.

News to me I better play back the news at 11 one more time. What channel was that?

Who would have thought ten or fifteen years ago quantum mechanics would be able to improve sound? - it just doesn't make sense if you were brought up to believe quantum mechanics is strictly the domain of the very small, you know things like electrons and photons? Quarks are for dorks. But we are finding out is that quantum mechanics also applies to the Macro World since we can create Artificial atoms and Artifical matter and change the physical properties of matter and objects quantum mechanically. There are NO boundaries between classical physics and quantum mechanics. Run, Forrest, run!

Which particles to buy for use in audio? One different near the flux field of electrons? Others that react on the vibrational surfaces of one's chassis, walls,acoustical conduits and musical instruments.Vibration has a charge minute enough to cause reactance with nano particles maybe. There must be a distinct difference in the treatment of metals versus tone wood versus drywall. Tommy can you hear me? Tom

Theaudiotweak wrote,

"Which particles to buy for use in audio? One different near the flux field of electrons? Others that react on the vibrational surfaces of one's chassis, walls,acoustical conduits and musical instruments.Vibration has a charge minute enough to cause reactance with nano particles maybe. There must be a distinct difference in the treatment of metals versus tone wood versus drywall."

That's what is so fascinating about the WA Quantum Chips. There are chips for caps, chips for inductors, chips for semiconductors, chips for (acoustic) musical instruments, chips for cables, etc. and, with perhaps a couple exceptions, they aren't interchangeable. That's what is so weird. The WA chips must be programmed according to where they are placed. But what are they programmed to do?

I suppose some WA chips might convert mechanical energy to another form of energy, e.g., light. But when a WA cable chip is wrapped around the incoming romex cable at the breaker box and the sound is improved, I suspect something else is taking place, there's too much distance between the breaker box and the wall outlet in the listening room for the vibration theory to make sense. Recall the manufacturer claims the chips operate at the subatomic level, whatever that means. But it probably almost certainly means the chips are not acting as vibration dampers.

Speaking about vibration… if someone wanted to stick one of the chips to their tray in their CDP, does anyone have an opinion on which chip would work best for that?

Geoff if there is motion there is vibration and there is always motion. The flux fileld will have its greatest potential around the convergence of all the cable runs of the ac mains. The mains box will be alive with resonating energy.. What choice of material is being programmed copper, silver, gold carbon? I would never damp any thing anyway at least by traditional definitions. Tom

Raks wrote,

"Speaking about vibration… if someone wanted to stick one of the chips to their tray in their CDP, does anyone have an opinion on which chip would work best for that?"

Apparently none of the WA chips are programmed, uh, I mean designed for the CD tray. There is only one quantum chip programmed for CDs that I am aware of, but it's not a WA chip and it's not for vibration . Have you tried Marigo dots or visco material on the CD tray? I have.

Theaudiotweak wrote,

"Geoff if there is motion there is vibration and there is always motion. The flux fileld will have its greatest potential around the convergence of all the cable runs of the ac mains. The mains box will be alive with resonating energy..."

Maybe so, but there is also a lot of vibration between the breaker box and the wall outlet, since the while house is vibrating; the power cable from the breaker box to the wall outlet will be subject to vibration its entire path. I'm guessing that it wouldn't accomplish much by reducing vibration in the power cable so far downstream. Which is why I don't think the WA Cable Chip is programmed to reduce vibration, as I said.

"What choice of material is being programmed copper, silver, gold carbon?"

The material being programmed is in the WA chips. I.e., artificial atoms. How many artificial atoms can you fit onto a tiny WA Chip that has an area of 3.14159/256 square inches?

Let's briefly review the bidding.

This is the blurb from one of the WA Quantum Chip dealers. While this blurb can be considered second hand information it matches the WA Quantum GmbH press release (that is quoted earlier in this thread. Nowhere is there any mention of vibration. While the information below (and in the press release) appears on the surface to be helpful it's loaded to the gills with generic, non-specific terms such as "efficiency of current flow and signal transmission," "bio-energetic chips," "synthetic material," and "subatomic Quantum level."

"In each case the Chip is mounted on an adhesive backing which can be attached to the device. The Chips are "programmed" for their specified applications. High tech manufacturer, WA-Quantum, from Berlin, Germany, introduced so-called bio-energetic chips for the audio/video market. These chips are in fact small pieces of a synthetic material, encased in what outwardly appears to be an adhesive-backed "sticker" that can be fixed to audio components and cables. WA-Quantum GmbH is a manufacturer of high technology products. Among their products are this line of "Chips" operating at a sub-atomic Quantum level, which improve the efficiency of current flow and signal transmission in audio devices including fuses, capacitors, phono cartridges and tonearms, transformers, transducers, and audio cabling. Special chips are also available for use with both electronic and acoustic musical instruments."

In the context of the efficiency of current flow and signal transmission and all that jazz certainly there must be another explanation for how the Chip for acoustic instruments operates.

Geoff

Try the one for speakers on the wall behind the speakers or on the side walls 1st reflection..you have headphones. Speaker vibration and a acoustical instrument have many similarities. The walls are sympathetic to vibrations and pressure from a loudspeaker. Tom

Thanks for the tip, Theaudiotweak, and I hate to judge before all the facts are in but the evidence that I have presented appears to indicate that the chips do not operate as vibration dampers. If they did, wouldn't they be interchangeable? And wouldn't the manufacturer WA Quantum GmbH suggest the speaker chip be used on the wall (and thus sell more chips)?

Geoff

So then the speaker magnet and its moving coil somehow modulate the material contained in the quantum chip? Then placement on the cabinet would change the affect of the chip and the chip may vary in attitude placed near or far from the moving coil. Or is placement close to the speaker inputs whats making for the audible reactance?
Has anyone out there heard a difference when placing the chip in different locations on their speaker cabinet? Tom

Has anyone tried any of these chips on a laptop?

Theaudiotweak wrote,

"So then the speaker magnet and its moving coil somehow modulate the material contained in the quantum chip? Then placement on the cabinet would change the affect of the chip and the chip may vary in attitude placed near or far from the moving coil."

There is already a WA Quantum Chip for Transformers coils and inductors. Not sure if it makes sense to have two WA Chips that address the same issue. If the WA Speaker Chip is being "modulated" by the speaker magnet and coil wouldn't the best location for a chip be on the dust cover of the woofer or on the front speaker baffle, you know, in proximity to the magnet and coil as opposed to being attached to the speaker cabinet? There is also the sticky issue that most speakers have multiple drivers, so wouldn't a WA Speaker Chip be required for each driver if the issue is the magnet/coil?

Geoff

Just trying to explore the inside of my brain with this stuff. Thinking out loud and writing it down. Looking for input from others. One way to find out is with a one way speaker and maybe one that has an open baffle so the Chip can be easily moved from front to back and to the driver basket itself. Will a powerful magnetic field interfere with the chip? Tom

Guys, a question:
My home has a standard 200 amp breaker box. Where, EXACTLY, would I be placing a chip, and what type of chip? The small cable chips, are those the ones we place on fuses or are they different ones?
I have Hurricane amps, which have 8 capacitors in each one. I don't know if that would require a large capacitor or a small one. But I AM fascinated by putting them on the breaker box. Is it placed directly on the on/off switch, or on something else? Pardon the question, but I'm not getting a clear picture.
And, do you have to be electrically knowledgeable to remove the metal breaker box cover? I'm all for being turned on, but not when fooling with electricity

I have had very good results with one cable chip wrapped around the copper wire, the one for my audio system, as it comes into the circuit breaker. That operation usually requires removing the panel cover. I have had additional improvements by sticking a second cable chip directly on the front of the line of breakers. Small capacitor chips should be attached to the ends of physically small caps, large capacitor chips to the ends of large caps.

Didn't someone in here suggest putting them on top of the capacitors? My CJ Teflons lie on their sides, and I'd read to put them on the TOP of the capacitor, in contrast to attaching them to the sides. And there are quite a few capacitors in my unit (FMJ 23) not to mention I tried getting to the Ring DAC and the bloody boards are all but welded on, so nothing moves easily.
Actually, I have Arcam's number and am calling them in an hour (they're at lunch, although it's only 8:30 am here!)

There are lots of capacitors and lots of semiconductors, all of which should get Capacitor chips and Semiconductor chips, respectively. Coils and inductors and transformers should get the transformer/coil/inductor chip. When I say End I mean Top of capacitor.

I use the Cap chips on the end of the Caps.
I am also using a combo of a power chip and a cable chip 0n my circuit breaker panel.

I've had several interesting experiences with the Quantum chips since I last posted.
I got a shipment two days ago, and put a semi-conductor on the Ring DAC module. And...it didn't improve it. Indeed,it seemed to remove some of the palpability and focus on the piano. So I took it off this morning, and found the sound had improved.
Now, being a scientific type, I found, when I opened the Arcam, that it had a fuse in it! I never knew that (I'd never opened it)! So, naturally I got a Synergistic fuse for it, which arrived yesterday, along with large capacitor chips and a fuse chip.
I had put the fuse in last night, but wasn't satisfied with the sound. So, I moved a few Tube Traps around, on the theory that I had compensated a bit to get more air and transient information back into it. I should point out that 3 weeks ago, before I had the semidconductor chip OR the fuse, that the sound was pretty emotionally involving and the piano playing (off the 2nd Mercury box set, CD55 with John Corigliano, the composer and Hilde Sumer, the pianist) was extremely dynamic and transients were fast, clear and percussive.
So, back to last night. I went to see the opening of the Man of Steel, giving the fuse time to warm up. Oh, and I had put large Capacitors on the CJ Classic SE preamp as well. I already had one capacitor on the really big capacitor in there, but put two more on the capacitors on the right and left channels (they fit, so I assume the large size didn't hurt).
For one of the few times, I wasn't impressed AT ALL. It sounded good, but when I put on the latest CD I got, the Julliard Quartet, it sounded "dead." Now, I remember when it arrived a week ago, and although a little bright, it had a real "live" feel to it. So I backtracked and decided to remove anything that hadn't been in the system last week, including the exact placement of the Walker Large Brass cones on the preamp and CD player (and believe me, placement is ALL with the Walkers). 1/8" movement, right or left, forward or backward, makes the difference between sound that is mildly foggy (or grainy) and sound that is clears and restores ambience retrieval - and therefore the placement of instruments improves, because when you lose ambience, the distance, front to back, of instruments becomes compressed because there's no "air" in between the different rows of the players.
So, I took off the semiconductor chip (but left the fuse in there [ I did all this an hour ago: my job can wait!!! I'm trying to discover a new neutron star in my mind. The job's tedious]) and turned it on.
Cold, with the capacitors on the CJ removed, but the fuse in placed and the semi-conductor chip removed from the Ring DAC module, the sound moved closer to realism (as I hear it in Carnegie Hall, my reference Hall). The wood blocks had more snap, and the pianist, Ms. Somer, sounded like she was on a manic binge, and the music had all the drama the composition had before I made these changes. (And the system is still warming up, since the Arcam had to be turned off). I'm going to put the Quantum capacitor chips on my Hurricane amps, since I now have 4 of them. So, two on the right amp, and two on the left. We'll see what that does.
A question, though, gentleman. Which chip do you put on your breaker box? I know the answer's in here somewhere and I'll look, but in case I miss it, can you guys remind me which chip goes on the breaker box and make suggestions as to other places to put the chips?
Thanks, I appreciate the sharing that goes on in here when we find a product that works.
Oh, by the way, this isn't germaine to this forum, but do try the Shakti Online stabilizers on transformers on your amps, speaker cable (midlength of the speaker cable, which I can't do, since I got some MG Audio design AG interconnects and the Planus 2 speaker cable (and it's a ribbon, and the speaker cables on my Shunyata Dark Elevators - the V2 version (waaaaaaaaaaaay superior to the version 1). So the cable are thin - like Nordost's Valhalla speaker cables, and on their side, so there's no way to balance the Shakti's on there. But they do work. I put them on power cords and the difference is obvious, especially if you listen to instruments in the back of the orchestra. Their placement loses a mild haziness and the inner detail increases.
Thanks again for the sharing.

Did you happen to try the fuse both ways?

Nope, Geoffkait, not this time. I know to do it, but not right now. I'm going to live with it in one direction for two weeks and then I'll change it and play the same music again. Sometimes, something like the change in voltage coming in thru the wall can throw off the sound as well. I opt -these days- for a longer "trial run" and then change. Besides, the only thing to change is the fuses. I had the Capacitor chips on my Hurricanes, and found that using four of them reduced the realism on CDs that have that capability. When I took them off both amps, the realism was reduced again, which meant I could use two, but not four. My experience is that the chips (as many of us know) don't work in every application, no matter what the manufacturer thinks (or even individuals). There's enough examples on this thread alone to show that the chips DO work, just not in every spot. I'm exceedingly curious about the chip that one puts on the breaker box (that one's on its way). If it works, Great! If it doesn't, well, back it goes to the place I bought it from.
I wish they worked on every single thing you put them on, but I just haven't found that to be the case, although the Synergistic fuses, with the WA Quantum chips wrapped around them, have yet to fail to make noticeable differences.Good ones (more transparency, more air around instruments and a fuller timbre), but I think part of that is Synergistic, which is similar to Shunyata in that they also have a fuller timbre, no matter WHAT the product is. They're probably pretty powerful in the midbass, which gives an instrument its "body." I was playing Malcom Arnold Cornish Dances tonight, and I thought, hmmm...the sound is clearer, and timbres better, but the CD itself remained "light"- sounding as in, say, the difference between Nordost,which is lean in timbre (although very fast) and Shunyata,which has more tonal color. (And I have both: Valhalla, Tyr and Shunyata's Cobra line so I can hear the difference between them).
The fuse was a good thing, since, if putting the Synergistic fuse in the system made the Arnold CD sound "thicker" I would have known it was a coloration. I've heard the Arnold in enough systems to know that it isn't ever going to sound as though it has a "presence" to it.
But back to the Quantums. In some applications, they shine. In others - where you're sitting back going, Oh MAN, this is gonna be great - it doesn't pan out that way. I still think they're fantastic on fuses, which is where they show the most immediate improvements.

Gbmcleod, I agree, the chips don't always work, but I also think sometimes the effect can be subtle, so until the system gets more resolved the effects might not show up. It's also not clear how long these chips take to "settle in," if at all. I have heard different stories, ranging from zero to one hour to one week. After all is said and done I'm getting very good results with one Cable chip on the wire coming into the breaker box, transducer/coil chips on headphones and AC filter inductors inside electronics. I have quite a few small and large capacitor chips, and quite a few semiconductor chips on DAC and other ICs, of which there are at least 10 in the Oppo.

Gbmcleod, tweaks are a real crapshoot. Trial and error is all we have going for us. I put a Syn. Res. Quantum fuse in a new preamp and was amazed. Then the next day it was better, as on the third day. I got suspicious and took it out. It was not as good but still it was considerably better than before I put the SR in.

Finally, I put the SR back in with a major improvement. Was I happy? Yes, but not satisfied. I put a WA Quantum fuse Chip on the SR fuse yesterday and last night listened critically-wow!

I cannot be absolutely in praise of the WA Quantums, however. The Line and speaker Chips only work IMO on some wires and speakers. The SR Quantums are directional and in all cases I found, their writing goes the wrong was, which guides me to how to initially put them in, once I check with the manufacturer, if they even know. You can check by putting your meter on the hot blade of the IEC and find which internal wire shows continuity. This is with the switch of the unit off.

Geoffkait, the WA Quantum Chips remind me of Acoustic Revive jade tweaks. Since there is no real theory for why they work, everything is trial and error. I think their effects vary greatly as does their breakin period. My most extensive experiences are with the Fuse Chips. Even there the impact varies how long it takes to have its fullest effect. Generally, it is very quick. Overall, the Chips may even have a negative effect as did AR Jade.

Geoff and Tbg:
I agree with both of you: the chips are a crapshot - in certain applications.
I think we can ALL agree that fuses are easily heard as the most obvious improvement.
Just tonight, the chip (more like a wrapper!) arrived for the breaker box. It was instantly obvious that the grain in the soundfield had lessened to the point where rows of players separated out, akin to an accordion when it's folded up and then when it's full extended out to the sides. My eyebrows went up to Jupiter at how easily heard it is.
I think there is a caveat - but it is not the chips themselves. It is the room. If your room is not acoustically treated in some way to deflect first reflections or simply large enough that the sound bouncing off walls, ceiling and floors don't matter, you hear less of the effect. As Alton Everest says in his book "Master Handbook of Acoustics," larger is better. I doubt anyone reading this with a small room wants to read this, but reality doesn't really care what the hell we think. It's just there. I've heard my Arcam FMJ 23 sound better in the 30 x 47 room of the Meow Meow jingles writer (with awful speaker cable, poor placement of speakers - right next to the grand piano - and mediocre speakers - than it will EVER sound in my 13 x 20 room).

Having heard several speaker systems in my basement, I know they could equal Mr. Meow Meow's room ( my basement being 23 x 45 with tube traps every 3 feet, which I have enough of to do that - stacked, even), but his room had NO treatment. I was disgusted and thrilled in nearly the same moment. Point is, the room - as REG wrote in an old issue of TAS, which I was reading recently - is everything.

Nonetheless, the effect of Quantums on the (master) breaker box cable (which Quantum themselves said was better than putting it on the [breaker] box itself)was obvious. I didn't have to strain, no "you hear it because you want to" (who ARE these dopes?!?!) effect. I had to pull myself away long enough from being mesmerized, to come in to type this!

I have yet to put these on the large fuses in my Hurricanes, and I need to hurry: time's running out. I'll give myself until the weekend withOUT them on the Hurricane's large fuses. They're already on the small ones in the back of the amps, and they're a WOW if ever I heard one, but that was months ago. I have to say that the Synergistic fuses have, finally - to my ears - turned out to be the best ones for the Quantum chips. Bargain is hardly the word: $7.95 for an improvement akin to going from a $300 power cord to a $900 one?!?!?
I haven't had much luck with the capacitor chips in the Hurricanes: a kind of grain inserted itself between me and the music, and the Hurricanes, whatever anyone might say about their (supposed) lack of resolution, will instantly reflect changes ahead of them (as Scot Markwell wrote in TAS in issue 140 in the sidebar). I have the 2nd Mercury Living Presence Boxed Set CDs. There's a CD, #37, which was recorded by the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra: cuts 12 and 14 (by Bernard Rogers and called "Once Upon a Time: Five Fairy Tales") have simple instrumentation: cymbals, woodblocks and a few other instruments - I forget which ones. The sound, on my reasonably-good system, leaves me cross-eyed. (You really should get this while it's there. The first boxed set, which cost $100, is selling on Amazon for anywhere from $250 - $400 a set. And it's worth it if you love the Mercury Sound) The cymbals shimmer as they clearly did not do prior to the breaker box chip installation, and the sense of clarity - the sense of a "fog" lifting, allowing you to hear straight through to the cymbal itself, shimmering into empty space around it, is fan-TAS-tic. Afterwards...Oh, never mind, people will read this, shake their head and say, "hyperbole. Or that apple martini he's drinking." Let them.(Anyways, I had the apple martini AFTER I heard the effect, the way a man gives out cigars after the birth of his first child. Jubilant!! Well, not quite the same, but you get my point...)
These are great devices, but one does have to remain skeptical on certain applications, because it IS possible to think: waaaaay better, but then - for me, anyway - hours later, it's: no, it's NOT better. I hear grain covering up the harmonics on the piccolo and it wasn't like that before.
And it doesn't change by day 3 or day 10. So yes, negative effects Do happen. But I think, if one uses voice recordings instead of instruments, one will hear the effect much, much faster whether the effect is positive or negative.

But these are still stunningly good on fuses, the breaker box (who'da thunk it?!?) and maybe even DAC chips (which you guys have had more luck than I have). Capacitors? Well, on come components, a crap shoot, but still, one DOES have 30 days to try them out, so what's the loss (besides shipping costs)? Besides, they clear enough grain out of your system that when you buy your next component, you'll know pretty quickly if you want it. That puzzle you (how could they possibley do what they're doing?), but they Do work. And damned, damned well, at that.

Gbmcleod, I will have to put the Power Supply Chip on the main cable rather than the box. This is difficult as the breaker box is in my wife's closet.

I have a copy of Master Handbook of Acoustics and had built 14 of the 16" deep diffusors. I have a large 28 by 18 by 11.5 listening room but these babies took up lots of room. Ultimately, all prior room treatments were replaced by 11 Zilplex 1/2 silver bowls and got a major improvement. Don't ask me how these things work, but they are Tibetan bowls but ring beyond our hearing. There are minor tweaking that one might do with the Zilplexes, but in reality just following the recommendations they give to the letter, yields great results.

I just went full monty on my new PS Audio P10 power plant.

I used a transformer chip, Power chip, 8 large cap and 4 small cap chips along with a HIFI Supreme fuse with a fuse chip.
Wow, it's only been a few moments, but wow, what dynamics! The stage seems to have deepened immensely.

Ozzy, I hadn't thought of putting a Power chip inside my PS Audio Power Plant, but thanks for the suggestion! I'm sure that'll improve it as well! I'm going to swap out the outlets on my older PS Audio for the Synergistic Research outlets on one duplex and a PS Audio outlet (current version) on the other duplex. I have the older orange outlets on my Power Plant P300 and I'm sure they dull the sound a bit: when I had a Power Plant before, it had blue outlets on them, not the orange ones (which are older - and, I think, softer-sounding). One would assume PS Audio's thinking on outlets has changed as they're in their 3rd generation of power outlets, so I'm guessing that improving the outlets will improve the sound on top of putting the Power chip in there.
Did it seem to any of you that the sound got louder, even though you hadn't touched the volume button? I looked at the position of the volume control, even though I hadn't come near it (I thought perhaps I brushed against it while moving the CD player placement slightly, but i hadn't). The sound was unambiguously louder or perhaps I should say it was signal-to-noise volume that made it seem louder. But it seemed like the actual volume went up.
Tbg...WOW. You built your tube traps?!?!?!?!? You GO, man!!! But what are "Ziplex" bowls?

No, we built RPG like professional diffusors like shown in the Handbook.

All that I can say is google zilplex.

I'm about done with chips for now. I just bought several Furutech IEC inlets for the back of amps and am moving to Furutech GTX-D(Rhodium) outlets, after which I will then try some chips again.

I have chips everywhere and hear almost nothing from their effect.

I have quite a few WA chips now, lots if semiconductor chips, capacitor chips, a few Cable chips and a few inductor/transformer chips. What it all comes down to is one needs to try a WA chip one at a time and see if it improves the sound. If it doesn't improve the sound try to find another location for that particular chip. For example the transformer chip did not work on my amp's toroidal transformer but it worked on the coils for the AC filter in my Oppo and next to the transducers in my headphones. The Cable chip did not work on my interconnects or power cords but works nicely on the circuit coming into the breaker box. On banks of capacitors I can use one large capacitor chip to cover four caps.

Glory, what is going on with you? All this negativity.

Geoffkait, yes trial and error is about the only way to proceed. I might add that things change. I used to find the cable Chips worked but with new cables this is no longer true.

This is much like pieces of jade. In some places the have great benefit while in others they do great harm.

Tbg, I suspect WA Chips are an excellent illustration that audio is a hands-on hobby. It's not really for the reluctant couch potato who just wants to plug and play. Experimentation is the order of the day for everything from speaker placement to tube trap and diffuser panel placement, to placement of acoustic resonators, Mpingo discs, coloring CDs, CD fluids, cones and Isolators, crystals, etc. Noone promised you a rose garden. Lol

Geoffkait, as a scientist, I'm always seeking a theory that would suggest where something might work best. With jade quartz I have largely given up. Isolation devices, however, cannot be ignored.

Never heard of jade quartz. I've heard of jade and I've heard of quartz. Have you tried Acoustic Revive's small beads of smokey quartz for room walls? Myself, I'm rather fond of topaz, sapphire, onyx, aquamarine, carnelian and others.

Jade is chemically defined and is typically Oriental. Quartz is typically European.

Yes, I have used and continue to use AR QR-8 quartz but usually Zilplexes are much more effective.

Jade is typically Na(Al,Fe+3)Si2O6 - Jadeite. Quartz is typically siO2. A lot if crystal are somewhat similar in chemical structure yet not similar in terms of physical characteristics when it comes to audio applications. For example Acoustic Revive selected smokey quartz over clear quartz based on how it sounds.

Geoffkait, yes how it sounds in trial and error tests is all that guides their use. In my interviews with the AR folks their sound is all that mattered.

Tbg, as a manufacturer of products involving crystals, actually the first if you don't count the Shakti thing which almost doesn't count, before anyone had a gleam in his eye about such things, I agree about trial and error. However, as fate would have it some things are repeatable. It helps to know where to put them, you know, acting as they do like resonators.