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Miracles in Audio, by luck, by good choices,by design or by tweaking...

I owned a low cost headphone for many years, the Fostex TH7B, first version( a new one close version exist Fostex TH7BK), semi-open headphone...I was never completely satisfied by any headphones I ever owned: Hifiman 400, Stax basic lamda, Stax 5 gold,Akg 340,Akg 701, beyerdynamic 990, and T150... Because in each of them with all their qualities I never listen to at the same times, a confortable headphone with natural timbre and voicing, with a good imaging and a realistic soundstage(not too close to my ears)...


For the last days I tweaked this Fostex, to damp his internal resonance I used sorbothane, I put some shungite stones at the exterior part of the cups and I use some Herkimer diamond in the interior pads( 3 at 120 degree) … Now this low cost headphones crush all my others if I sum all his qualities... For example his mids and voicing cannot beat the AKG 340 but among all my other headphones it is the best that is near that mids and it is more confortable, and with longer cable than the 340...His imaging is better and more realistic than the 340 etc etc...It is the same if I compare with the others...


His most important qualities is natural timbre and clear imaging,very precise pinned point accuracy and natural, so clear it crush for that ALL the others to dust...In the French audio circle the reviews were more than very positive few years ago...Diapason d’or and choc Classica...I am not the only one impressed buy the ratio quality/price... But remember that thesae reviewers dont tweak their headphone...The difference between before and after the tweaks are staggering...


Yes Miracles happens in Audio: cost is under 100 American dollars... Few years ago they cost me 50 bucks new... I never dreamed that I will go back to headphones...


I will enjoy your miracles stories of any kind ….My best to all...
128x128mahgister
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,316 posts
 
Oops....yes he was for a change......don’t mind me.....

I wish they would have had classes on geologic applications in home audio back in school. Right down my alley....

I do have a lot of rock and mineral and fossil samples I’ve collected in the field over the years, even a large quartz crystal on display totally by chance in my listening room, not to mention my trusty old rock hammer still ready for action if needed.
mahgister's avatar
mahgister OP
13,113 posts
 
Yes but I dont know how audio engineering use crystal...If they  use it  at all ?
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,316 posts
 
Well there is this application for quartz crystals.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_synthesizer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_oscillator


mahgister's avatar
mahgister OP
13,113 posts
 
A question for Mapman or Geoff about piezoelectricity....

Quartz is piezoelectric, tourmaline also at certain extent, if heated, but jade or nephrite I think are not piezoelectric, then when located in my cable grid or near the S.G., they should not affect the sound the way piezoelectric quartz or Herkimer for example did, but I sense an audible very particular effect on the sound quality with nephrite (jade) (each kind of stones act particularly and differently on the sound)…

Then if you are right Geoff and if the piezoelectric effect is the only culprit and cause of the change in sound, why nephrite also does change the sound quality or even shungite ? Shungite has no piezoelectric property I think and his effect on sound,positive or negative, near gear or electrical panel are very audible without doubt at all....
mahgister's avatar
mahgister OP
13,113 posts
 
Yes they are some application you are right to remember us that Mapman thanks...I am not a scientist and sometimes I forget some simple fact...
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