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Using Magnets

I imagine there are at least a few audiophiles out there who use magnets in their systems. Would you like to share your experiences? I should preface my remarks by saying that magnets alone will not create an audio silk purse. I have over 40 room treatment devices of various kinds that work synergistically with the dozens of magnets in my system. It has taken a lot of time and effort to integrate the magnets with all of these devices and the system's components.

First off, for those who have not experimented using magnets, the rewards can be astonishing. I have been using magnets in my system for years. I have also made cables with magnets. I introduced Grover Huffman to the idea of using magnets and other important elements. We were partnered in 2013 in a project that never came to fruition.

Anyone can experiment with N50 or N40 neodymium magnets for 50 cents apiece for the 1/8" x 1/2" discs. All you need to do is put some Blu Tack on the back of a few magnets with the attracting side bare. Then go around your system and place the magnets on the ends of various cords and wires. If you do this methodically you may find an amazing improvement in SQ. Too many magnets may choke the sound. So, you will need to go back and forth with this trial and error method to find out what works and what does not work for you.

For power cords, you can fit cylindrical neodymium magnets inside IECs and plugs on your power cords. This gives excellent results in many cases. The cumulative effect of all these system changes can be an amazing transformation in SQ. My system has been transformed by the use of magnets. If you get similar results you may wonder if highly-touted and extremely expensive brand name cords and wires that use magnets are really worth the price.

I prefaced my remarks by saying there are more than a few audiophiles out there experimenting with magnets. Unfortunate, I believe there are too few who dare to go it alone to try to optimize their systems with magnets. The tendency is to defer to those who have been producing cables for a living and who have garnered a reputation. Those who do dare to step outside the audio box may find the rewards exceed their expectations, for a very reasonable cost. This has been is my personal experience.
sabai
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slaw's avatar
slaw
21,396 posts
 
@stringreen

Here you’ve bought in to (magnets) as an option for your attention, maybe further discussion...

On the Bybee iQSE thread, your initial/only response was "hocus pocus"/ no chance for further attention.

Just trying to get an understanding on your thought process?


stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,468 posts
 
Magnets on windows, bookcases, et al.....I suspect its not the magnetism of the magnet, but the mass that's changing the resonant frequency.  I have a very large listening room with high ceilings ( a bear for proper listening), but I have some stones, and other junk in corners, etc. which work for that very purpose.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 

stringreen
Magnets on windows, bookcases, et al.....I suspect its not the magnetism of the magnet, but the mass that’s changing the resonant frequency. I have a very large listening room with high ceilings ( a bear for proper listening), but I have some stones, and other junk in corners, etc. which work for that very purpose.

>>>>Of course the theory that it’s the mass, not the magnetism, can be easily disproved by careful experimentation. It should be obvious in the case of a wood bookcase filled with books, for example. (Books are also wood products, by the way, and should also be treated with magnets.) The mass of a small thin ceramic magnet is what, a millionth of the total mass of the bookcase? Same holds true for a large wood table or sofa with a wood frame. If it doesn’t make sense it’s not (rpt not) true.

To be thorough, one could substitute an equal mass of some non-magnetic material for the magnet just to test the theory. This logic holds for large glass windows and sliding glass doors as well: the mass of the small thin ceramic magnet is insignificant compared to the mass of the glass. This is not (rpt not) to say that some low mass devices can affect the sound, things like Marigo constrained layer VTS dots. And my own Flying Saucers for Windows that weigh almost nothing! Furthermore, placing magnets, especially COLORED MAGNETS, on objects in OTHER ROOMS - even rooms not (rpt not) close to the listing room - improves the sound in the listening room. Since the rooms are some distance away the possibility that resonance is involved is slim to nil. So, to summarize for the case of using small light magnets on things like wood and glass, it’s not (rpt not) resonance control and it’s not (rpt not) affecting the audio signal. Then what in the wide world of sports is going on?!

geoff kait
machina dynamica

tgun5's avatar
tgun5
138 posts
 
I've got a magnetic personality. It seems to work pretty well.
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