Do you believe in Magic?

Today I had another encounter with Magic. I installed a maestro outlet for my dedicated line. It replaced another outlet from a highly regarded (as these things go) manufacturer. I tried the new outlet out of curiosity. And by 'curiosity' I mean pathology. Anyway, I put in the new outlet, flipped the breaker back on, sat down, and pressed play...

Before I continue, let me say that I have no professional or personal connection to the folks who make the maestro outlet. And for those of you who haven't read this thread, let me also say that I generally regard myself as a Skeptic and not a Believer. Returning to the point...

I sat down, pressed play, and -SHAZAM- things were different. And by 'different' I mean better. I hesitate to go into details about exactly how things were better, lest I be accused of questionable hearing or questionable sanity. Suffice to say I was pleased. And surprised. That's two encounters with Magic in as many months.

FWIW.

Bryon

What was the other outlet?

Regards,

Byroncunningham, I believe in John Sebastian and magic. I have had quite a few magical experiences with my system -- some more magical than others. I'm constantly fiddling around with wires and tweaks and am often happily surprised with the results.

One of the best things for my system are Bybee AC Quantum Purifiers. I use them throughout my system along with other Bybee products. I have no commercial connection with Bybee or any other company. Just a happy customer.

I have used ERS paper with good results. One of the ways I use it is to roll up a full sheet and insert it into an empty paper towel roll. I run power cords in series and link them with burn-in adapters. The ERS Roll fits perfectly over one "unit" and helps clean the sound.

Hi Metralla - I didn't mention the other outlet because I didn't want folks to interpret my post as "X is better than Y." With that caveat, the other outlet was Synergistic Research's Teslaplex. I also own PS Audio's Power Port and Shunyata's SR-Z1. The PS Audio outlet is currently being used for my computer. The Shunyata outlet lives in the Drawer of Forgotten Toys. It hadn't occurred to me that the Maestro is my FOURTH fancy outlet. That is just silly.

Anyway, with the previous 3 outlets, I heard no difference whatsoever. Zero. Still, I kept the PS Audio outlet and the Synergistic outlet because I like the death grip they have on my power cords. Interestingly, the Shunyata outlet does not have a death grip, which is why it was banished to the Drawer.

Why I heard no improvement with the other outlets and a considerable improvement with the Maestro is a mystery that, in all probability, will never be solved. Hence its status as Magic is unlikely to change.

BTW, I don't believe that these kinds of experiences can be reliably generalized. In someone else's system, one of the other outlets may have been preferable to the Maestro. This is the realm of the occult, where what few "experts" do exist rely on theories, methods, and explanations that are prescientific, to put it politely.

Hi Sabai - Thanks for your acknowledgement that Magic exists.

I haven't experimented with putting ERS cloth around power cords. I should give it a try. I have found that ERS's effects are nearly impossible to predict. I put it most places and I hear nothing but the sound of placebo. In a few applications, I could say with some confidence that it helped things. In other applications, it seemed to hurt things.

I have looked at the Bybee products with some interest. About the Quantum Purifiers, the Bybee website says...

Bybee Quantum Purifiers operate on the quantum mechanical level to regulate the flow of electrons that make up the signal (picture a metering light regulating freeway traffic flow). Current flow within the Quantum Purifier is unimpeded and ideal (think of the unencumbered flow of traffic on a lightly traveled expressway). During transit through the Quantum Purifier, quantum noise energy is stripped off the electrons, streamlining their flow through ensuing conductors. Unwanted quantum noise energy dissipates as heat within the Quantum Purifier rather than emerging as a layer of contamination residue over the audio/video information.

I wish the folks at Bybee would just say, "These work. We don't know why." Perhaps an ineffective marketing strategy, but more honest. Having said that, I don't know why I haven't tried Bybee products yet. They seem like exactly the kind of thing I don't believe in and then buy.

:-)

Bryon

Hi Byroncunningham, I had a bit of the same magic with the Teslaplex and the Teslaplex SE. A lot of this is system dependent. I have not tried the Maestro.

I agree. ERS paper can sometimes degrade the sound, it can sometimes do nothing, and it can sometimes do wonders.

I must say that discovering the Bybee products has been one of the major magic events for me. You might try a Bybee Quantum AC Purifier. They go for about $300 used on Audiogon. If you like it you'll probably want to try more Bybee products. I use Bybee products in series and parallel with cables from 3 companies and the synergy is stunning. I must have at least 15 different Bybee products in my system.