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Do you believe in Magic?

Audio Magic, that is.

Let's say that Magic is any effect not explainable by known physical laws. Every audiophile is familiar with debates about Audio Magic, as evidenced by endless threads about power cables.

I recently had an experience that made me question my long held skepticism about Magic. On a whim, I bought some Stillpoints ERS Fabric. I installed it in my preamp (which is filled with noisy digital circuitry) and a reclocker (also noisy) and...

Something happened. I don't know what exactly, but something. Two things in particular seemed to change... the decay of notes, and instrument timbres. Both changed for the better. But where did this change occur? In my listening room? Or in my mind?

If the change was in my listening room, then Magic exists. If the change was in my mind, then Magic does not exist.

One of the great Ideological Divides in audio is the divide between Believers and Skeptics. I honestly don't know if I'm a Believer or a Skeptic.

Do you believe in Magic?

Bryon
bryoncunningham
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,936 posts
 
Bryon,

I do not recall the details of how your computer is connected to your audio system, but assuming it is via wires, then I would most likely attribute the difference to a change in the computer generated noise domain resulting from a configuration change to the computer.

I'd be very interested to know if a difference was heard changing drives if the computer is isolated from the stereo using a wireless connection. I would predict not, but it would not be the first time I was wrong if so.
bryoncunningham OP
890 posts
 
Question, Geoff, and I'm asking it sincerely... Are you a Dualist?

Bryon
whart's avatar
whart
2,990 posts
 
Geoffkait:
For what it's worth, I am in the early throes of thinking about my next room, though I don't have a new house/building locked down yet. Apart from acoustic help, and sorting basic things like power and quiet AC, I'm looking for a large, uncluttered environment. I don't know where I'd even find a phone book these days, but the idea that things in the room can resonate and detract from the sound does not seem far-fetched. On the other hand, I'm not going to be monastic in eliminating everything but me and the system- I will have some comfortable (and comforting) things in the room as well. I probably have on the order of 10,000 records (probably getting closer to 11,000 now) and I would like to see them in my room as well. I will try to take account of this in the design process when i get to that stage.
Taking your views to an extreme ( and I don't mean to single you out), I suppose that once a room is 'spot on,' even having another person in the room in addition to the primary listener/system owner would affect the sound. I'm just not that extreme.
BTW, my moniker is Whart, which is simply a contraction of my name.
Best,
bill hart
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Bryon asked,

"Question, Geoff, and I'm asking it sincerely... Are you a Dualist?"

No, Bryon, but I am a Machina Dynamicist, a Sheldrakian and a Beltist, and I mean that sincerely.

Geoff at Machina Dynamica
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Whart wrote,

"I probably have on the order of 10,000 records (probably getting closer to 11,000 now) and I would like to see them in my room as well."

Bill, thanks for reminding me of No. 8 in the list of preposterous things that improve the sound.

8. Always store all LPs and CDs vertically.
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