CD Cutting and / or Trimming

you want to speak to buscis2. Ed is the specialist on this. I have heard a cd that he cut for me. Yes, it does make a significant difference. Am I willing to go through with it? No. He'll be on the 'gon, soon with his 2 (excellent) sense worth. peace, warren

Pkemery, I find it soooo interesting that this has become such a popular topic as of late. Although, you may find the topic to be somewhat controversial also. The process I have described was introduced to me about 5 years ago. I have experimented with several deviations to this described process in every way imaginable. I'm sure with further experimentation, the process could be refined even further.

But, "when it aint' broke, don't fix it".

If you refer back to the original "Wash, Cut, Polish, and Demagnitize" thread, you will notice I mention that the overall sonic results are due to a "cumulative process".
It would be very tough to convince me that "cutting" alone would bring results that could be considered extremely significant.

I have had many private emails requesting an explanation in the sonic differences before and after the process. Let me put it this way:
You will be hearing a "larger dynamic scale". You experience a more refined "physical" scale of the music. Texture, note attack, note decay, ambiance, harmonics, micro information, micro dynamics,..... basically all of the fundamentals of music, improve. These qualities, until late, have only been attainable from an analog source. IMHO.

Hence, I have always been an analog person, Although, digital is really beginning to come into it's own. (A fact that is very hard for me to admit). But, it all starts at the source. The source is not the CD player. The source is the CD!!!!

Happy listening, Ed.

I'd be reluctant to do anything to the CD that might breach the outer layer of the CD expose the inner reflective layer to the atmosphere, thus inviting corrosion and destruction of the CD.

Has this been a problem?

Ghostrider, the only time something like that could occur, is if someone were to alter the factory cutter depth adjustment. When properly set, I have never had that happen. Although you are correct. If you were in fact to cut completely through the plastic substrate to the aluminum wafer, the disc in time, would begin to delaminate.

I, too, would be concerned with physically altering the disc by cutting. After all, one would hate to lose $1000s on your collection by doing something irreversible. I've never compared cut vs. uncut, so I can't comment.

Let me make a plug for Walker Audio's CD enhancer. It does make a beneficial difference. It is a bit subtle, but easy and worth the price. It does the magical combination of removing the grainy sound while also adding in details. The presentation is smoother, soundstage is more coherent, background is quieter, and details are preserved.

Rob