Anyone try Synergistic Research PHT...

"I personally have had the experience of going in to a listening test with a decided negative bias and coming out with a different opinion entirely. It may well be that when one expects to hear no difference, then the tiniest difference may register with more sensitivity than would otherwise be the case. (This was the question of whether power cords make a difference to the sound of an ESL [electro-static loudspeaker]. I thought surely they would not, but I was very surprised to discover that they do indeed, at least in my system with my pair of Sound Lab ESLs."

I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit. You clearly have the knowledge and experience to work around whatever bias you have, in order to make a good decision.

Zd542, Naahhh. I'm as bad as anyone else. This is why good science depends upon double-blind testing. But I did not say audio has to be good science.

Phil, When a cartridge gets a lot of use, the only thing that wears are the stylus and the suspension; the magnet of any decent modern cartridge are is quite stable, probably completely stable for decades. Now, when you introduce a magnetized material (PHT?) or any ferrous material (PHT?) in the vicinity of a permanent magnet, I would think it's a crapshoot. The total magentic field then available to promote induction of a signal in the coil of the cartridge may be enhanced but more likely would be reduced in intensity. (Anyone who knows the physics of magnets and who thinks otherwise, feel free to enlighten me.) I don't see how the PHT can be a good thing, if it's a magnet or magnetic, but I am open to teaching.

If it's mu metal which is slightly magnetic it could be reducing the deleterious effects of "fringing" around the actual magnet, along the same lines mu metal used around speaker magnets.

Fremer thinks the PHT are legit. Checkout the February 2015 Stereophile. "The sound was clearly better overall"

This may not be related to audio. If you, let's say, decide to try a nutritional product, claimed to increase your energy, I think it's important that you have a positive bias, when you take it. People will say it is the placebo effect, but I think, in order get the full benefit of that product, you actually have to have a positive bias. Time will tell you what is correct, but I've seen negative bias interfere more(because they stop experimenting with that product) with finding the truth.