Miracles in Audio, by luck, by good choices,by design or by tweaking...


I owned a low cost headphone for many years, the Fostex TH7B, first version( a new one close version exist Fostex TH7BK), semi-open headphone...I was never completely satisfied by any headphones I ever owned: Hifiman 400, Stax basic lamda, Stax 5 gold,Akg 340,Akg 701, beyerdynamic 990, and T150... Because in each of them with all their qualities I never listen to at the same times, a confortable headphone with natural timbre and voicing, with a good imaging and a realistic soundstage(not too close to my ears)...


For the last days I tweaked this Fostex, to damp his internal resonance I used sorbothane, I put some shungite stones at the exterior part of the cups and I use some Herkimer diamond in the interior pads( 3 at 120 degree) … Now this low cost headphones crush all my others if I sum all his qualities... For example his mids and voicing cannot beat the AKG 340 but among all my other headphones it is the best that is near that mids and it is more confortable, and with longer cable than the 340...His imaging is better and more realistic than the 340 etc etc...It is the same if I compare with the others...


His most important qualities is natural timbre and clear imaging,very precise pinned point accuracy and natural, so clear it crush for that ALL the others to dust...In the French audio circle the reviews were more than very positive few years ago...Diapason d’or and choc Classica...I am not the only one impressed buy the ratio quality/price... But remember that thesae reviewers dont tweak their headphone...The difference between before and after the tweaks are staggering...


Yes Miracles happens in Audio: cost is under 100 American dollars... Few years ago they cost me 50 bucks new... I never dreamed that I will go back to headphones...


I will enjoy your miracles stories of any kind ….My best to all...
128x128mahgister
Geoffkait I listen now to the 4 seasons by a Polish orchestra on Tacet Cd, a polish company that make cd from tube gear from the beginning of the chain to the end...
In a word, tubelike sound, and a cd I like much and which i know well...

This is the first time I listen to it on my speakers with a so uncompressed sound... Violins sings...The New S.G. with golden plate+H.D. made small miracle indeed...

Conclusion: my golden plates dont compress the sound....But in my cleaned house, treated room, with all my tweaks...

If you try the S.G. with a golden plate +an Herkimer diamond, it will not compress the sound on your headphone and walkman...Look at my "virtual system" photo for mine...



By the way Geoffkait I use 16 golden plates, yes 16 at least in my audio system....If just one compress the sound, imagine 16 …. :)

If the sound is compressed in some audio system, the reason are : where the plates are located? with copper or without? with Herkimer diamond or tourmaline or quartz to balance the shungite or not? The other possibilities are the limitation of the acoustic and the particular priority needs linked to the particular embeddings of this audio system ... But most of the times the remedies are simple, it is necessary to use quartz or tourmaline or Herkimer diamond to balance the effect of the shungite on all frequencies... This is my experience...



Compare to the Alan Maher product I try, or the Bybee plate, my golden plate cost is peanuts and more effective ….If used and located properly they decompress the sound, if not, NUDE shungite near any amplifier or dac indeed compress the sound, even  on the computer or even  on some external hard drive for example...Location is important and some corrective measure are always necessary ( copper , quartz, tourmaline or Herkimer diamond)… 

The copper polarize  the shungite effect in some direction, concentrate it in some way, and the Herkimer diamond balance it  or the quartz or the tourmaline...
An accessory it seems at first, but finally, very important observation:

The location where we put the S.G. is important, I know that from day one, but we dont have always the total free choice for that ideal placement sometimes...Because I can, I put the new USB thin S.G. at 4 feet right on top of my computer screen, where I listen in a nearfield manner from my desk speakers...The S.G. is at 2 or 3 feet max from my skull, and at 2 feet from my amplifier, and at 2 feet of my dac….

The effect seems WAY MORE impactful there ( compared to only 2 feet of displacement at my left where i put it yesterday) in the exact center of action sound wise between my brain and the audio system ....I think this spot is the IDEAL spot....
This S.G. modified is one of the best improvement in my audio life...No trace of compression in the sound image or dynamic or higher frequencies...The total opposite, this 16th piece of golden plates open the imaging. the dynamic, and the spectrum of frequencies...


I will repeat myself but I smile to any possible upgrade now like to a complete foolishness action because I am so completely satisfied...But like said someone I dont remember, we are always at the base camp, the summit escape us poor mortal...

( I think I remember this someone now if I think a bit strongly about it) :)

Perhaps after all tomorrow will reveal something new and unexpected in my audiophile quest for music...
The use of chrystals and "magic" stones are known to be closely related to shamanism. Wonder if any off your "tweaks" would have survived if I should have visited your system.
Next up, perhaps: isolate the Black USB SR AND obtain correct minimum height of 1m50cm (53 inches) above floor by using a 2m USB cable suspended by string from a hook on the wall without letting the Black USB SR or the USB touch the wall. All SR should be at least 1m50cm (53 inches) high.

Also, as I’ve oft counseled try using your crystals for resonance control - on glass windows and sliding doors, on top of power cord plugs, on top of or INSIDE speakers, on top of CD player, on top of RCA connectors on interconnects, on top of any tube trap or output transformer.
I shall be trying eCards on my Black Schumann USB devices as soon as I finish cooking them in the breaker box. Stand by for blast off. Nine, eight, seven... 🚀