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Why Do Schumann Resonators Work?

Schumann Resonators are little boxes you plug into the wall that produce electromagnetic radiation tuned to 7.83 Hz. This is the frequency that the earth/atmosphere system “rings” at when the Earth is struck by lightning. It is also a common frequency your brain “ticks” at.

When employed in the listening room, many people claim it makes their audio sound better. If this is true, then what is the mechanism of action?

-Is it a matter of the resonator producing a more relaxed mental state?
-Does it help block or alter electromagnetic interference?
-Does it add its own electromagnetic interference to your system that just so happens to be pleasing?

I experimented with one recently and what I noticed is that it seemed to remove some of the high frequency nasties or what some might call “digital glare” (although digital glare can also show up in analog systems). When I made this observation, the resonator was placed right next to my power strip that my CD player, preamp and some other devices are plugged into.

My “proof” of the effect is that I could turn the volume up louder than usual without it sounding “too loud.” The sound levels of the system weren’t any quieter, it’s just that the digital glare was reduced so that I could go louder before thinking “this is too loud,” which usually isn’t a sound level thing per se but the point as which some frequency (often the highs) become irritating.

So who here has experience with these devices? Do you like them? Does anyone know why they work?
128x128mkgus
cat_doorman
237 posts
 
If you accidentally phase invert your Schumann generator does it cancel out the “natural” frequency and then your music room is in an unnatural bubble, like a mystery spot? Or is it simply an amplifier of the “natural” frequency?
Also what about overclocking? If I’m feeling a bit sluggish will an 8Hz signal pep me up a little?
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Physics. Not the high point of a public school education, I'm guessing.

In order to even begin to answer the question it helps to first understand the question. Which really is, "How could broadcasting 7.83 Hz radio waves improve the sound of your system?"

Well, I don't know for sure how it works, but its pretty easy to think of how it COULD work. In a word: dither.

Dither is a sort of randomized input that when added to a signal subjectively improves the output. Dither is used all the time in video. Do a search, see what I mean. It sounds weird, but adding the right sort of noise actually improves things.

Ted Denney III is tight with his secrets but he did mention somewhere once that his HFT, ECT and PHT devices work on dither. They are tiny, but when it comes to dither it doesn't take much to produce a very noticeable effect. They work, as far as I can tell, acoustically.

But there's no reason to think the same principle (dither) wouldn't apply electronically. RFI is noise and our systems sound better with less of it. Flip off some breakers in your panel and hear for yourself. This simple experiment proves two things- radio waves do get into our wires, and they do affect the sound we hear.

So while I can't prove it, it seems pretty obvious to me that if you put a 7.83 (or whatever) Hz radio wave generator in a room, that the signal is going to get into your system. One way or another. Every single wire is after all an antenna. The only question is whether this can actually make your system sound better? The answer would seem to be yes.


mapman's avatar
mapman
22,407 posts
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schumann_resonances

Interesting thread but it seems that any relationship between Schumann resonance and better sound is pure conjecture.
roberjerman
4,319 posts
 
Buy two, lay down and attach them to opposite sides of head. Turn on and experience cosmic bliss!
roberjerman
4,319 posts
 
And a room painted pink will further enhance a mood of calmness, allowing the echt sense of musical "flow" to blossom more fully!
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