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Cable elevators - conventional wisdom wrong?

Reluctant to put any considerable money in them, the reasons for using cable elevators seemed intuitively correct to me: decouple cables mechanically from vibration and insulate them from the carpet's static. I have therefore built cheap elevators myself using Lego building blocks. (Plastic with a more or less complex internal structure; moreover, there is enormous shaping flexibility, for instance you can also build gates with suspended strings on which to rest the cables)
In their advertisement/report on the Dark Field elevators, Shunyata now claim that conventional elevators are actually (very?) detrimental in that they enable a strong static field to build up between cable and floor causing signal degradation.
Can anyone with more technical knowledge than I have assess how serious the described effect is likely to be? Would there, theoretically, be less distortion with cables lying on the floor? Has anyone actually experienced this?
karelfd
grr6001
104 posts
 
I have to agree with dave b on the dark fields.
Not only did these things sound bad but they fell apart after 1 month. Can you spell junk!!!!
Stay with Wood or Acrylic, much better effect on the the over all sound.
bar81
791 posts
 
Given all the talk about them, I decided to pull them out of my system and what do you know, they were dulling transients, obscuring low level detail and detrimental to articulation not to mention that the build quality is quite questionable as one of them is already falling apart. Needless to say they aren't going near my system again. Looks like it's time to go back to the Acoustic Revive well.
ridgestreetaudio
221 posts
 
Hey Guys.

We sell THESE but they're not too difficult to build if you've got the tools and a Saturday afternoon. I still say this is the best approach yeilding the best sonics and there's reason for it - but if I told you I'd have to kill you ;)

At one point we tried applying ERS cloth as the carrier but while it changed the sound more dramatically, it wasn't in a positive direction. Try it yourself and see what you think.

Have fun!

Robert
RSAD
dave_b's avatar
dave_b
3,159 posts
 
I'm going to check out the Acoustic Revive stuff...very interesting.
samuel
266 posts
 
Just a note to address the "junk" and "falling apart" comments.

We have received some original sets of the DFE's back that had an issue with humidity weakening the type of adhesive used. The issue was immediately addressed and there have been no further incidents. Anyone that still has a set with the adhesive problem is welcome to return those to their dealer for a replacement set, or perhaps a credit depending on the dealer policies. This was a simple error in an original production run. We stand behind the issue and have corrected it.

As to the performance comments, these will be taken into context with all the response and comments received from dealers and customers. The DFE's were developed from sound theory and tested using mainly open braid and non shielded cable systems. Though they have worked extremely well in many different systems since coming to market, no product of this type will likely ever be universal in result given how many different systems, environments and cable designs are out there in every conceivable context. The best advice is always to evaluate and base a purchase on the outcome.

Regards,

Grant
Shunyata Research
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