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Fun Little Project for improving Dynamics

Fun little project, or Tweak that will improve system dynamics, soundstage, frequency extremes.

Try using Amethyst crystals. Get them in small sizes and unprocessed. I bought a pound on EBay for $10 including shipping.

To clean the unprocessed crystals prior to use, I soak the crystals in distilled water with Aquarium salt. Mixing it to become a strong sea salt mixture and letting them soak for about 8+ hours.
Then pour off the sea salt and soak the crystals with 90% or better alcohol for about an hour. After that, drain off the alcohol and rinse well with just distilled water.
Finally, let the crystals dry in a bowl in the sun.

Start with placing small amounts (25-40 crystals) in the plastic baggy things and tape the bag over your Circuit breakers to your system or on top of power cables IEC/Male end.
You can even buy at Radio Shack small project boxes. When using these types of boxes I put a lot more of the crystals in them.
You can use Blu Tack or 3M tape to stick these project boxes to outlet strips, junction boxes, over outlets, etc.

For reasons still unclear to me, it may take a few weeks (perhaps as much as 4 weeks) to sound good.

But, when it does, the dynamics will improve and so will the overall sound stage and frequency extremes.

Please note:
Too much of the crystals may actually surpress the dynamics, but with the baggies you can experiment with how much of the crystals to use.

I have experimented with all kinds of different crystals, from Topaz, to Tourmaline, to Quartz and etc. The Amethyst crystals seem to work the best.
ozzy
magfan
1,583 posts
 
Has anyone had the nerve to drag Shirley MacLaine into this?

neither do I !!!
ptmconsulting
1,000 posts
 
Well, I may lose all credibility for stating this but, here goes ...

I picked upo some of the Alan Maher littel boxes as part of a local club "group buy". We got a really inexpensive price on them so I thought it would be worth a shot for experimental purposes. I really had NO expectation that they would work at all. So, after about 3-4 weeks I definitely hear an improvement. Yes, there was some improvement within 24 hours of installing them, but after that things changed (up, down, sideways) sound wise, and no, I can't explain why. But they did stabilize after about 20 days.

Yes, these crystals do have an effect and I don;t have any explaination as to why. I have one box on the incoming bundle to my fuse box, one on the fuse to my audio system, one on the outlet feeding my amp and one on the IEC end of the plug into my preamp.

Now, let the derogatory remarks commence. But at least I know that I tried it and discovered a sonic improvement. (Yes, I have removed them and heard a definite degredation immediately, so they seem to be doing something.)
magfan
1,583 posts
 
Have somebody remove them.....or NOT.....when you are gone for the day.

Repeat as necessary till you get say....20 tests. 50% correct would be expected from simple chance.
Post removed 
magfan
1,583 posts
 
I spent a long time....I won't admit to how long (!) adjusting a tweaking just the physical setup of my system.
Just for example:
I added a sub. Did some 'gross' testing with bass heavy music and decided I liked the sub on plane with my panels and about 1 foot from the side wall. This put the sub, sort of, in a corner. Crawled around the room and decided that for all feasible listening positions I was good. Room is 8 sided and has asymmetric vaulted ceiling, about 11' at the peak. Good for me! Started adjusting level and crossover frequency. Decided on maximum extension rather than maximum output mode. Tweaked speaker position. Tweaked some more. Shut off sub and tried yet again. Finally, put the panels 'backwards' with the mylar facing the back wall and the pole piece to the listener. OOPS! flip the sub phase switch and bass returned. Adjusted the crossover frequency down again and marked the gain position for reference.
Adjustments were minutes apart at the start and days or more at the end of the process.

Left it alone for days between above adjustments. Last week, I got out the ruler / tape measure and documented my setup. Made ONE final adjustment to panel toe to make them match. They are NOW at 30.5" to the inside edge of the trim strip and 34" to the outside edge with tweeters IN. This is about 11 degrees.

Don't touch that dial.

Point? Well, I'm not a snap judger. If something bugs me, it may take a while, especially if it is minor. I don't have that feeling now.

Same for you. If you remove / don't remove the stones, you may find your EAR adjusts to them or LACK of them. IF as you say, it takes up to FOUR (gasp) weeks for them to work in, you should notice their absence immediately, no?

Just my opinion, but I think it's the 'Shirley MacLaine Effect'. Other than metaphysics or religion, I simply can't figure how this would work with known principles.
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