If you want the utmost clarity from your CDs


This product has been around for a long time. 
Someone mentioned it recently in passing in a post, so I thought I’d give it a try.
For $35, it’s made an amazing difference. 
It’s Herbie’s Super Black Hole CD Mat.
Considering How much I’ve spent changing components in order to achieve better SQ, this cheap little device is ridiculous!  
The difference in clarity is palpable.  
If you haven’t tried it you owe it to yourself.

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Before buying trying either Black Hole CD Mat or full scale tuning mat I introduce above, out of curiority I decide to give a DIY mat a try.  I took a unused mouse pad and cut the dual concentric shape out of the pad to my best ability based on the dimenions of the Black Hole.  The mouse pad is even thicker (1.5mm vs 0.68mm) so I presume it will work better than the Black Hole because of the extra weight.  I make sure the inner circle is cut precisly such that it will fit nicely into my CD / SACD player spindle.

I could tell you, at least to my ear, it makes no difference in terms of SQ, clarity, etc.  I was sort of disappointed...  Well, folks, don't be.  I could also tell you a way  that could possibly improve the clarity of CD playback and cost you nothing is to play the CD directly into the power amplifier. (make sure the impedance matched between the CD/DVD/SACD player and the PA) 

I was on the fence but after reading this review https://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/vt.mpl?f=tweaks&m=171365 I decided to put my $39.26 in. (Finally someone on this forum speaks my language.)

@shopanon So I notice the guy, Mike, wrote the review is a "Dealer."  I would like to know your own experience with it.  Please report back to share.  

No experience with this guy or forum, only the appreciation of some insightful comments about the type of music that I usually listen to. He describes things that I look for in classical music but can't really articulate, so I trust what he said (albeit 13 yrs. ago). But that is approximately where I stand (except for some recent Schiit acquisitions) when it comes to my newest audio system.