Herbie’s Super Black Hole CD Mat - Wow!


I just received the Herbie’s Audio Lab Super Black Hole CD mat in mail. It’s a little black disc that fits atop a CD which has silicon on one side (the side that touches the CD) and carbon fiber on the top. I’ve only listened to a few songs (electronic genre) and my first impression was simply “Wow!” I’m hearing so much further into the recording. I’m hearing the ambience much better. Notes have more texture. Imaging seems to have improved. On one track, there is a sound that is panned to the right and repeats three times. I thought it was identical on each note, but with the CD mat it’s easy to hear that on the second note, it actually moves 6 inches towards the center of the soundstage and then back out to the right. It’s always fun to rediscover your music when you find a tweak you enjoy. 
From their website, this is how they say it works:

“By reducing micro-vibration in the CD spin during playback, laser-reading error is potentially reduced. (Error correction in audio CD discs is not perfect; it is algorithm-based "guessing," not binary like in data CDs). By damping the disc/clamp interface, micro-vibrations generated by spinning discs are hindered, keeping them from permeating throughout the player where capacitors, op-amps, micro-processors, and other sensitive parts can be adversely affected.”

I can’t confirm whether or not that’s the whole story to how it works, but I’m convinced it does something amazing. I will report back after I listen to some more music of other genres.
128x128mkgus
I’m more than a little skeptical regarding the claim that a CD tweak like SID or any other audio product eliminates scattered laser light and I’m going to tell you why. It is because the scattered laser light is mostly invisible light which is not (rpt not) amenable to absorption by ANY color. The nominal wavelength of the CD laser if 780 nm, which is in the infrared part of the spectrum. Having said that green or turquoise will help somewhat with the red portion of the scattered laser light, which is present in the lower part of the laser beam spectrum.  The CD laser in not monochromatic so there’s some RED 🚨  in the laser light. My product New Dark Matter is the only (repeat only) audiophile product absorbs all forms of light, from Blu Ray to DVD to SACD to CD, including infrared.

Pop quiz: free NDM to the winner!

What color absorbs scattered Blu Ray light?
Mkgus ...

After getting really excellent results from Herbie's tube dampeners, I decided to try the Black Hole. I heard no difference. I set the Black Hole aside and haven't used it for a couple of years. Now that the system is tweaked to the nines, I'll try it again to see if I can discern a difference. 

I'm also using Herbie's feet under the CD player to good effect. 

Frank
Black hole or Super Black hole Frank.
There is supposed to be some difference.
Maybe like orange to blue fuses.......
I had something similar from Herbie’s that covered a bit more area than the Black Hole mat (it might have been the Millennium CD mat) and sometimes it would come unstuck from the CD and jam the CD player’s tray upon opening.

This one is smaller and it states that it more firmly attaches to the CD.

All the best,
Nonoise
I had a SID mat but sold it here as I no longer needed it with my Esoteric SACD player.  With the Esoteric player, I heard no difference in sound with the mat on or off.  I think it has something to do with my players VRDS NEO clamping system.