Synergistic Research HFT's


I acquired a ten-pack of SR's HFT room treatments and installed them according to directions just prior to last night's listening session. Easy to install using the blue-tack type of material that was included in the package. 

http://highend-electronics.com/products/sr-hft-high-frequency-transformer

The listening room already sported two pairs of Shataki  Holograms ... one pair in the front corners of the room and a second pair in the rear corners of the room. In addition to the Holograms, there are tube traps along the rear of the listening position. I thought I had my room problems solved with the existing treatments and I was satisfied with those results.

Enter the SR HFT's ...

I had my friend Robert over last night to help evaluate the changes, if any. I was looking forward to maybe a small improvement at best. I mean, what can one expect from little metal devises that stick to your walls ... little devises so small that one wouldn't even notice them unless they were called attention to?

Long story short ... we were hit over the head with astounding disbelief at the ... I don't want to use the word "improvement," because that would be an understatement. I'll use the word trans-formative instead.  Because, that's exactly what this tweak has done; its transformed my listening environment, and consequently my entire system, into an unbelievable music machine. 

The first CD I played was a private recording of Rachmaninoff's third piano concerto, with the L.A. Philharmonic orchestra during a Rachmaninoff piano competition. The disc features the winner of the contest on piano.  This has always been one of the favorite recordings in my collection. It transports the listener into the venue in a very natural way. This CD was burned right from the master tape with no artificial reverb or compression.   A good test for any changes to the system. 

Uhhh .... what I thought was a great recording transported us into the live event. Astounding to say the least.  How can such a simple tweak as ten little dots spread around the room have such a huge effect?  My theory is ... the sound energy coming from the speakers causes certain resonances at certain frequencies, and those resonances  excite certain areas of the room and smears the sound. The HFT's take those resonances out of the equation. That's my  theory, anyway. 

Here's the noted improvements:

1. A much more solid presentation at higher volume levels. Everything just seems to hang together better. 

2. Bass control: The best bass from my system yet. Very defined. The lower registers of the piano are a delight. 

3. Size of the presentation:  What I thought was a big sound stage before has been expanded in a very focused way.

4. Transparency: I can "see" much further into the presentation now. The audience noises,coughs & sneezes, the orchestra tuning up, the members turning the pages of the music, the conductor walking on the platform ... all there where a lot of it wasn't before. 

5.  Musicality: The correct tones of the instruments, which I've paid particular attention to in the system, were much improved. Strings, timpani's and the presence of the piano were all dead-nutz on. Amazing. 

6. 3-D:  A much more holographic presentation.  Good Lord, how much better can this get? So much more "air" around the performers. It really adds to the suspension of disbelief in a big way.

I could go on and on with our positive impressions last night, but I will echo what Robert said:  "This is your greatest tweak ever!"  "It sounds like you've improved your entire system." 

After playing a number of CD's featuring piano, we switched to the analog rig and played a whole variety of music ... from straight ahead jazz to Hawaiian music.  The expansion of the sound space, and the realism from analog and tubes with the new room treatment? Unbelievable. 

The ten pack of HFT's gets you to "level two" ... one more pack of five would get it to "level three."  Based upon last  nights results, there is another five pack in my near future. 

Are any of you other A'goners using SR HFT's in your room?  If so, please post your results here. I'd like to know if your experiences with these devises are similar to mine. 

Happy listening, guys. 
128x128oregonpapa
oregonpappa:
I wish it was always easy making sonic improvements in a system but usually it takes a fair bit of time, fiddling, and hopefully products with a good return policy as not all will work. 
I have tried an ECT at the Honda's fuse box -sitting on top of the music system's 10 amp fuse. No improvement. The ECT's I put on the bottom of the radio-CD player in a star pattern as it was too tricky to further open the unit. I put one ECT where the bundle of wires enters and exits the unit.

I talked at the Newport Beach Audio Show with Rick Reus (of very high end car audio installation systems).  He did not get a benefit in sound putting HFT's on the front windshield of one of his cars. But he did get an improvement putting an FEQ unit in the car (they are 12 volt DC powered). The exact placement of the FEQ was not critical for improvement. 

Car fuses use a special blade type fuse so a Black fuses will not fit. Also remember the car system is all DC powered and not AC powered like most home systems.

I do try to approach the subject in a planned stepwise manner. Then if I get positive results, I report them. 

David Pritchard

I just ordered a 10 pack of HFT and I'm wondering if I should order a FEQ also since both are on a 30 day trial basis. I've read the reviews and it seems both work well together. Has anyone tried both together and then removed either the FEQ or the HFT for a comparison?
ronrags:

They work beautifully together. Plus I believe it will help you to optimize the HFT's locations with an FEQ in the system. 

David Pritchard
David,

Thanks for your response. How much did you change the original locations of the HFTs and what kind of sound difference did it make.

Ron