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Why Do Schumann Resonators Work?

Schumann Resonators are little boxes you plug into the wall that produce electromagnetic radiation tuned to 7.83 Hz. This is the frequency that the earth/atmosphere system “rings” at when the Earth is struck by lightning. It is also a common frequency your brain “ticks” at.

When employed in the listening room, many people claim it makes their audio sound better. If this is true, then what is the mechanism of action?

-Is it a matter of the resonator producing a more relaxed mental state?
-Does it help block or alter electromagnetic interference?
-Does it add its own electromagnetic interference to your system that just so happens to be pleasing?

I experimented with one recently and what I noticed is that it seemed to remove some of the high frequency nasties or what some might call “digital glare” (although digital glare can also show up in analog systems). When I made this observation, the resonator was placed right next to my power strip that my CD player, preamp and some other devices are plugged into.

My “proof” of the effect is that I could turn the volume up louder than usual without it sounding “too loud.” The sound levels of the system weren’t any quieter, it’s just that the digital glare was reduced so that I could go louder before thinking “this is too loud,” which usually isn’t a sound level thing per se but the point as which some frequency (often the highs) become irritating.

So who here has experience with these devices? Do you like them? Does anyone know why they work?
mkgus

Showing 6 responses by mitch2

mitch2
4,236 posts
 
So, over on another site they are also discussing Schumann Resonators. One poster suggested a vendor called Kelly Research Technologies that offers two types of units, a "Relax" unit tuned to "Low Alpha Wave (7.83 Hz) Schumann Earth Resonance Frequency" and a "Sleep Tone" unit tuned to "Delta Wave (4.0 Hz)."

One comment in their literature was interesting to this discussion;
Each unit is design to impact approximately 10 feet (3 meters) in any direction, with greatest effect nearest the unit.
Is this common for the other on-line units discussed here? Does the $300 Acoustic Revive unit provide a greater area of influence? Could this limited affected area account for some here not noticing the effects of these units? Would I need four units to cover a 20 x 19 room or would one unit near the listening chair be sufficient?

I also noticed the units can be powered by a 9v DC power supply connected by a 5.5 mm barrel connector. I may have finally found a use for my unused HD PLEX power supply.
mitch2
4,236 posts
 
To follow-up from below, how come none of the other vendors I have seen (except for Kelly Research) post anything about the effective area covered by their Schumann resonator products, or is this like fuse directionality.....you just keep moving it further away until it doesn't work any more....or closer until it does?
mitch2
4,236 posts
 
Hi Geoff,
I too worked on the "you know what" project in Wisconsin.
I don't want you to feel lonely with no answers to your question so I will take a pure guess based on little to no knowledge.
I would venture that the commercial Schumann resonator (i.e., magnetic pulse generator) is basically an electromagnet tuned to the Schumann resonance of 7.83Hz by using an oscillating charge.  Again a pure guess but I would venture the frequency could be determined by some combination of the length of the winding around a core and the electrical current provided, while the generally prescribed area of influence (usually about 5 feet +/-) might be limited by the diameter of the core and/or the energy output.
Refute and correct as needed.
Merry Christmas

mitch2
4,236 posts
 
The Wisconsin project was designed to transmit a LF wave that could be detected virtually anywhere on earth, including (clue) deep into the seas.  The commercial Schumann resonator is good for about 5 feet so maybe not the same purpose?  Again a guess but aren't electromagnetic waves the result of vibrating electric and magnetic fields?  Cannot the resulting frequency of the electromagnetic wave (not an audio frequency) be varied?  BTW, the Wisconsin project was designed to use an antenna covering most of the state but since the good tree-hugging folks in Wisconsin sniffed that out and protested, the Wisconsin facility was linked with another transmitter in Michigan.  Also BTW, the bears in Wisconsin scratched the heck out of the poles that antenna was connected to.  Maybe they were Russian bears?
mitch2
4,236 posts
 
How does a Schumann resonator generate a 7.83 Hz signal in the room given that the antenna size required would be in the order of 25,000 miles?
Since the Wisconsin project was able to accomplish its goal using a shorter antenna by linking with a second transmitter located in Michigan, I am going to guess the commercial Schumann resonator generates its 7.83 Hz signal in the room while using a short antenna by generating two higher frequency waves with a difference of 7.83 Hz, which create a resultant frequency of 7.83 Hz. 
mitch2
4,236 posts
 
The "signals" were also not much more than a short coded text messages of a few letters letting certain boats know they should surface to receive a more specific message by radio or satellite.  This is due to the short bandwidth of the ELF.  I thought we all learned that from Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin.
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