I am an ungrateful soul. Rather than celebrate the riches within this Newsletter or enthuse at the interesting pieces which continue to pour in, I find myself still reeling from all that has happened since the last Newsletter, and it is hard to know where to start.
Perhaps it would be good to note how much the discussion forum has taken off, and whilst I myself (through removing a glut of cookies) cannot contribute at present, it really has been a very informative, challenging and enthralling forum where ideas have been truly exchanged. There are so many topics and issues that may be of interest to the reader of this Newsletter, and in a sense I am reluctant to repeat what has been written up elsewhere. Of course this demands that everyone is on-line, whether young enthusiast or silver surfer, but as many can access the Internet through local libraries if not at home, I can only recommend again that you peruse the forum, and glean all the tips on such issues as freezing, contribute to some of the thoughts on experimental testing, and watch for the latest news. Of course it is in this immediate medium that news can break first, and some of what is reported in the New Products section here is but a pale copy of what was written in the summer. For those who don't have it book marked the address for the forum is:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PWB
Secondly it is astonishing how much experimentation and work is going on around the world, as these pages show. Of particular interest to many I suspect will be Lawrence Joe's diary, a work of Tolstoyesque dimensions, and every bit as compelling. Perhaps we do less of this reporting than in the early days of the Newsletter, and for any of those who used to contribute your experiences (you know who you are) perhaps we can start to do more of this again. It is certainly the way forward for many users who can follow the recipe of what others have done, and helps build some sort of path of progression. On the discussion forum I have tried to write some pieces on ultimate treatment of a freezer, in the hope that people can use/apply whatever bits of such an approach that they wish to. I suspect that this is rather daunting for many, and probably appears to be extravagant, and so Lawrence's piece gives an alternative slant, from the user's position.
We have, of course, the ever valued contributions from Kevin Kehoe, whose cartoons must surely be creating a true collection by now – a retrospective must call at some point! Kevin also highlights the ongoing problem of resistance to good and challenging ideas, and one cannot help but share some of his pessimism. Whilst such issues as the freezing process have appeared in the Hi-Fi press, there is still very limited acknowledgement of Peter's role in this work. It has been very helpful to have May report more history on this, as it is startling to remember just how far ahead of the pack Peter has been on these issues. But as usual, it is money and personal power that blocks, and it is just essential, as Tom Marsden proves again and again, that the P.W.B. point of view is put to the press so that they cannot forget. If there is anything that I would ask of the reader, apart from submitting articles, it is to look for opportunities in the press, in discussion forums, to keep the knowledge of what we know alive. This is a great and tiring task, but we simply have to do it, if there is ever going to be real change. You will read elsewhere of what Peter did to a 'cheap' cable; just think what it would be like if this process were applied to a manufacturing process of a CD player or TV. That must be the target which we must aim for.
This brings me to my third point, and largest complaint – I said I was ungrateful. It is at this very moment that Peter is presenting us with the fruits of work in a very interesting new area. It is not easy for him to describe quite what is being accessed at this time, and why this new work is so effective, But effective it is, and I am still stunned by some of the advances that I have experienced. It is a troubling thought when one acknowledges that the use of a new product has to be controlled as it is very disturbing getting used to such large advances. Peter and May have included with this Newsletter some samples for you to try, and it may be that you end up feeling just as stunned as I have been. I truly feel this is a new dawn, and wonder where it will lead us. I cannot say more at this time, and urge you to read of the new products, and try things for yourself. I would be very interested in any feedback and assume the discussion forum in the first instance would be the place to do this.
So reeling and dizzy at the prospect of new products, it is still good to celebrate all that has gone before that is readily available. It is our international readers that now tell us of their experiments and views, and not a dull page exists here. Of course at this time, so soon after the devastation in New York and Washington, that international co-operation is paramount, and whilst it is sickening to compare the international P.W.B. group with the important need for co-operation between governments, it is heartening to see how possible co-operation is. The global village really exists and the barriers to contact small. Whilst that brings threat, it also brings hope, and if P.W.B. is about anything, it is about enjoying, and therein valuing life.
It is important to write that everyone at P.W.B. Electronics and myself give their warmest condolences to those who may have lost someone in the devastation.
We often want for change, but clearly there are ways and means.
And so, in this exciting and troubled time great darkness and great hope, I wish everyone well, yet persist in requesting further pieces, contributions to the forum, and as many letters etc. that you can send to the press/ other forums.
Until Christmas
Richard Graham
Address for correspondence
P.W.B.
Newsletter
P.W.B Electronics
18. Pasture Crescent
Leeds
LS7
3QB
England
Or for you sophisticates
E-mail – to
Newsletter@belt.demon.co.uk
I am really writing here of upgrades or updates rather than new products per se; however it is certainly the case that we have a good wind behind us and something new may already be with you.
The last new products to reach us were the controversial AC Power Corrector (which I really liked, but others were less certain) and the Charge Barriers in their new purple livery.. Both of these products, in a sense, extended familiar P.W.B. advantages, deepening and enriching the sound, and casting forth more detail, whatever the perceived medium. But then there was a revelation. (For those who regularly read the pages of the discussion forum, please excuse this repetition.) I had asked if Peter and Graham could make up for me one of their wonderful interconnects, only I wanted a 3.5 mm plug at one end to fit in a portable CD. This was for a holiday, and I thought a P.W.B. enhanced portable system was possibly the best luxury to take. To my horror, Peter sent down what appeared to be the most flimsy and disgustingly grey ready made lead, encompassed within the usual ring ties. I thought it was probably better than what I would buy, but it was hardly 'Hi-Fi', at least to my eyes. Strangely, the speaker system that I had wanted to use came with a much better looking Ixos lead, and soon after I had both leads, I did the necessary testing.
I used a Sony portable CD player, plugged into my pre-amp/processor, as the source, and started off with the Ixos cable. Well the sound was frankly awful – dull, thick and uninviting, with little to draw one in to the performance, it belied its attractive appearance. And so to the more flimsy cable.
It is always difficult when ones expectations are shattered by the reality of new experience, but I have to say that this slight, perhaps poorly constructed cable was so much better it was truly scary. The combination of the portable CD player and cable was giving my full size and not inexpensive disc player more than a run for its money. Clearly this cable itself became a powerful device when connected, but it was the quality of sound which most impressed – it was razor sharp, detailed, and bouncing with vitality. Although it is clumsy to put it this way, but it really did seem to be a new sort of sound, different from my past experiences of what P.W.B. devices could do.
Of course the next step was to complain to Peter that we should have more products that enabled us to access this new sound world ourselves, suggesting perhaps an upgrade to the Quantum Clip, or a new Electret Disc for disc playing. It went quiet.
But then in relation to a recent order I learnt that new things were coming, but there was a problem.
It is obvious to many of us that P.W.B. products are cutting edge. What they are at the cutting edge of isn't always so clear. We can talk about energies, patterns, Morphic Resonance, Quantum Mechanics, and other strands of Cosmology, but do we really know; are these current or past models satisfactory ? And what happens then if something new is discovered which doesn't fit ?
It appears that the new discoveries at P.W.B. are causing headaches, because there is not an easy explanation – if there ever was one – as to how the devices function. Suffice it to say that Peter and Graham have discovered something new, perhaps a type of energy, that has a significant impact on the way patterns or codes are linked across nature. In one sense this clearly links wit Sheldrake's work on Morphic Resonance, but it 'feels' like it goes further.
I hope you can get a sense of what is going on by trying the experiment and new foil sample that have arrived with your Newsletter. I cannot write about the latter as we will all be trying it at the same time. However I can write about something else …
Tweezer Upgrade
I don't think it is too much of a secret to reveal that I have loved the Quantum Clip since its inception. In one sense costly, it allows you to treat so many objects and items for no extra cost, and as we know, has benefited from ever increasing improvements. Some of these came in the form of improved lighters, which initially came with the Clip, and more recently improved tweezers. There is also the issue as well that if you re-Clip items periodically there is always a lift in sound/vision. The Clip is 'linked-in' with advances at P.W.B, and so is always getting better.
In light of the recent advances listed above, there clearly was a need for some further reform. And so some new tweezers were developed which are interesting in a number of ways. Firstly they still look like plastic yellow tweezers, with little to commend them, despite the odd splash of paint. Secondly, as opposed to previous tweezers, they are a device in their own right. If you squeeze them, so that their tips come together, and then place the tips onto any object, there will be an improvement. To reverse this, push the tweezers against the object with the tips apart. This works very well, and is a useful first step for someone wanting to pursue the Clip path to better sound.
Thirdly, and most importantly, the tweezers totally improve the effect of the Clip. This is a big leap, and turns the Clip into a fearsome device. What's more, it does seem to capture what Peter did to that flimsy cable to some considerable degree, and the sound improvements share that same sharp and vital energy.
I won't describe what you can do with the Clip, and I am sure many can look back at either past Newsletters or come up with ideas themselves. There really is no limit or contraindication to it. It's just great, great and now greater.
The new tweezers can be purchased either alone or as a discounted upgrade for the Quantum Clip, and thus provides users with a helpful two stage progression. Of course I still think the Clip is essential, which is easier for some to say than others, given the costs, and have yet to try some of the other devices coming. It is likely that we will see a burst of new activity, including an upgrade for the Electret Disc – some sense of what this might be like you can perhaps get from the devices that came with this Newsletter.
The problem of what all this is about still lurks however, and is less easily resolved. Perhaps we should have a competition to name the new phenomenon or energy. See what you think, but this really does seem new.
R.G.
The first time I heard about P.W.B. foils was on an Internet discussion group. I forget which one, but someone was recommending them. Needles to say the poor fellow was almost drummed out of the group for this, but it did pique my own curiosity. I did an Internet search on Peter Belt, and came up with the P.W.B. Web site, which piqued my curiosity a bit more, although I have to say it all sounded a bit strange! Still, I thought, what have I got to lose by trying one of the products out, so I wrote to May Belt, asking if she would be good enough to send me a sample of the rainbow foil, which appeared to be the "starter" product. A couple of days later it arrived.
I felt so daft putting the foils on, that I drew the curtains and waited until my wife had gone out before putting them on a test CD! The result of all this? Nothing, nothing at all. No discernible difference to the sound quality whatsoever. "Oh well" I said to myself, "I wasn't really expecting to hear any difference anyway, after all what could putting two silly bits of foil on a CD do to it?" The skeptics had been proved right! Anyway, I drew back the curtains, and left the CD playing whilst I went out into the garden for a while. After about 30 minutes or so, I came back into the house and wandered into the front room where the CD was still playing. This was a real shock! It sounded so much better than I remembered it before. The sound was much warmer and more real. Was I imagining this? I took the CD out and replaced it with another, the old sound was back, harsh, typically "digital" if you know what I mean. I put the first CD back and the sound was warmer with more presence again. The next obvious step was to take the foils off, which I did. The sound immediately went back to being harsh again. Put the foils back on, instant warmth and presence again. Take them off, harshness, put them back on again, warmth and "realness". I foiled a variety of CDs with immediate effects. What on earth was going on? There was a very clearly audible difference between a foiled CD and a non-foiled CD.
Well, I have never worked out what it is that is going on, all that I can say is that there is a positive difference between foiled CDs and non-foiled CDs. As to why it took over half an hour to hear the "P.W.B. effect" I have absolutely no idea. I have since tried out several other products from the Belt range, some take a little while before I can hear a difference, some work straight away, and some don't work at all. All I can think of in this respect is that the psychological make-up of the listener plays some part in how the P.W.B. effect manifests itself. If anybody could work out the logic behind the P.W.B. effect, and exactly how it works, this could open up a whole new field of research.
Anyway, there is no doubt that despite my original skepticism, I am a convert to "Belting" now! My Hi-Fi has never sounded so good!
Best Regards
Steve Grimshaw
England
Being one of the Christmas competition winners we were originally meant to receive the prototype version of the new AC Power Corrector. But as the final version had already been completed we were blessed with two of the finished version. So I eagerly placed one on my CD player and one on my amp. At first, as often happens with P.W.B. devices, I couldn't decide if I preferred the sound before or after treatment the sound was a bit more forward and definitely images were clearer but I was kind of used to that 'distant in the background' sound. One recent review I read regarded a phenomenon like this that it is a natural effect if you are hearing more of the instrument sounds and more of the vocals that it would naturally result in the sound being presented as being a bit more forward. So I just left the devices attached and forgot about it for a couple of months.
One thing I began to notice is that some of my CD's which I had previously classed as great music but unfortunately dull and fuzzy recordings were actually sounding quite good and no longer deserving to be in the bad CD list. CDs such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and a Sony classical recording of Wagner. It still couldn't help the sonically impressive but tonally bleached Led Zeppelin remasters. But even this was a little more listenable. Considering that this improved sound must be the workings of the Power Corrector I decided to have a listening test during which time I would remove the devices.
Whalah! Upon removing both Power Correctors My wonderful stereo system was magically (or tragically) turned into a television. Honestly, listening to Wagner's the Ring, upon removing the Power Correctors, it really sounded as though instead of listening to a quality stereo that I was listening to the soundtrack of a 1960's Saturday matinee' movie on TV. Drastic.
After this demonstration I could not help but begin to wonder what I was missing out on by having an untreated phono amp sitting in my listening room. I had to order another Power Corrector. Attaching it to the phono amp I was quite disturbed, the music again came even further forward to the point where it was quite difficult to listen to. All the sounds were clashing and banging all around my head and I really had to remove the 3rd Corrector to be able to make sense of the music again. What was going on? I was thinking perhaps the P.W.B. devices had finally revealed the limitations of my budget system and that any further treatment could now only allow me to further hear the imperfections and distortions in my system. Or perhaps there is another P.W.B. product that has an opposite effect emphasising the air and making images sound further away. The final solution was simple. After a couple of weeks of pondering all that was required was to move my listening position back about a metre or so. Before in time that listening position was not so good as the sound was a bit thin and lacking bass and depth. but now the sound was thick and rich. Quite extraordinary. I am quite amazed at how much these power correctors have changed the sound of my system.
Although I still do feel that my budget system (due to an unfortunate travel obsession) still needs to be upgraded to get the most out of the P.W.B. devices. Although the sound has been constantly improving, it still in a way has the same sound. I think for me it is the sound of valves that I am aching for but thanks to the P.W.B. treatment it has made my wait for upgrade very much more tolerable.
Paul Topic,
Australia.
My bad conscience is paining me so hard, that I can't stand it anymore. First many thanks for the newsletter with the goodies. The power corrector has a very subtle effect. It is very depend on place. Best results I get "on Top" of magnetic equipment. Easy change of place gives this product a better value. (different rooms, travelling). When I tried it under the preamp result is very emotional but muddy and stressy.
To treat records with the three big pens is very good. But without the Blue Magnadiscs on the player (only the pen on top) the rhythm was off the mark. By the way, your latest labels work different to all predecessors. They take more effect to all senses. As you know I'm a bon vivant and so I profit in much more ways from your findings. The benefits of/on all senses are outstanding. (QED-, chemical- and physik wave impressions with one device! How can it be?
I promised to work on an article for the newsletter. Why I didn't write longer time? When I tried hard to write an article I was not satisfied with the results. My recommendation is easy: Much helps much! As more treated as more good. Not only the equipment but also the complete environment. But that's no news. Second there is no language to express results. Even in my native language. That is a big problem. We can't use the same words/language of the past, say old style audio. Results where different than regular Hi-Fi. So I feel that I don't know how to express my impressions in a proper way. In the times of working on article I read the successor of Greg Weaver with his new program. One thing was clear. They dropped GW out because his writings on your subject. Same has happened before in English papers. That's made me much abused. It makes me very disappointed. I hope that Carol Clark has more time to write about P.W.B. findings.
To write about taste and smell or peoples way of influence the sound I have no daring. I remember your writings of "telling a lie" and the effect on sound and the reactions of journalists, very good. I didn't want to damage your ideas or to be counterproductive. I believe readers and writers are pure and old style conditioned Hi-Fi enthusiasts (except Dr. R. Graham), and I think this was no good time to publish. Then I thought I need a rest. I took it.
Rupert Sheldrake was the rebirth of Prentice Mulford. Try his paperback (no technique) "Your forces and how to use them". I promise a great pleasure to read his thoughts.
A British neuropsychologist(?) Lawrence Weiskrantz wrote a very interesting book "Consciousness Lost and Found. A headword is "blindsight". It seems very interesting for our theme.
Congratulations to your excellent Internet site. I love it.
I follow the forum very watchful and will take part of it next. Because I want to know what is behind will concern your production secrets. For me the secrets (not production secrets) are the most interesting things to understand and find. If so, please don't bother.
As you can imagine I want to try the new wallet. I hope that it will not boost my account.
Writing is so hard. All the best.
Burkhard Smusch.
Berlin,Germany.
This isn't P.W.B. but it could be the best thing for those of you desiring the ultimate.
A very talented Australian Physicist and music lover has designed and built an amplifier which challenges the theoretical limit of distortion.
He has been the director and principal designer for several award winning electronic companies, is a lover of valve amplification and can hear up to 23kHz in one ear and 21kHz in the other.
It is an all transistor design but Bruce claims that "There is not even a small bit of the Halcro cicuitry that is at all similar to the conventional low distortion high-quality circuits. It definitely would take the average amplifier designer quite some time to recognise the circuit as that of an amplifier... I don't think that any designer would guess that the parts list, if seen in isolation, was that of an amplifier".
The amplifiers distortion (THD at 1kHz) is 400 parts per billion or 0.00004%. It also operates on all power voltages from 85 to 270v without any internal or external switching.
It is called Halcro it has won the 1999 Absolute Sound "Golden Ear Award". The only model currently available is 200 watts per channel at the cost of about 16,000 pounds although a 120 watt version will soon be available along with a preamp also.
Practically zero distortion plus decked out with P.W.B. It would have to be the best.
Paul Topic,
Australia.
Each new P.W.B. device I receive prompts me to think this is it – this is the one to set P.W.B. on his way. There will be no stopping now that initial inertia has been overcome. But I suspect it won't happen like that. Whilst a small but very privileged group of music lovers get to hear spectacular lifts in sound quality, without as much as changing a stylus, the rest of the music loving population, with a hankering for better sound, still dream of laying hands on the latest, greatest new amp/CD player/DVD player or whatever, as the only means of enhanced enjoyment. That's a lot of inertia for the P.W.B. bus to have to deal with before it starts to roll. But roll it will.
The sound changes I have heard using some of the latest P.W.B. products challenge every principle on how we perceive the world around us. In past P.W.B. papers, May Belt listed a number of books as recommended reading. Those books were meant to help give the P.W.B. user an understanding of where P.W.B. products are coming from. Or maybe I should say, demonstrate the existence of phenomena, described within the contents of these books. Well, in light of the new P.W.B. devices, two of these books make for very profound reading. 'Schrodinger's Cat' by John Gribbin and 'Presence of the Past' by Rupert Sheldrake.
If indeed P.W.B. devices work by exposing evidence of previously unknown fields of influence, then we might just be on the brink of a burst of enlightenment every bit as big as the revelations of Darwin and Einstein.
It could be argued that the theory of evolution, along with Quantum Physics are just about mans greatest discoveries in terms of their ability to tell us how we got to be what we are, and what we, and the universe are made of. You would think, therefore, that the mighty thinkers who unveiled such wonders of the world would have become instant celebrities! But no. It didn't happen like that. Even today there is still a significant percentage of the population who strongly dispute Darwinism.
Einstein too took flak from his peers during his lifetime. Until the lunar missions if the late '60s and early '70s provided proof absolute – his theory of relativity was good for a laugh in some circles – if you leave the earth in a spaceship at near the speed of light for a year or so, you come back to greet your children's children indeed! Well, exact measurements on board a spaceship have now shown this to be a possibility.
So are the little devices we attach to house and furniture the product of two mighty branches of science? For me, it looks really really true. Just think, the little piece of foil you attach to the side of your fridge could be giving us an instantaneous awareness of one of the slowest processes in the universe and, at the same, alerting us to the smallest particles known to science – quite a feat really. Are we getting the most revealing insight into the workings of evolution and the mysterious world of Quantum Mechanics?
I think that long after the daisies are over us, discussion and argument will still be raging within the scientific community, and, probably throughout other walks of life.
The subject may well be described by the term Beltism, and the source of this long debate will be found within the pages of this series of Newsletter Volumes – people trying to make sense of experiences science has yet to catch up with.
The trouble with momentous discovery is that it seems to generate an almost equal reaction against it. It is only time that wears the resistance down. The P.W.B. wagon will roll – it may just take a little longer than we thought.
Kevin Kehoe
England
Some weeks ago, I had in mind to write a "classic"
article,
with tales of how wonderful May and Peter's treating tools
are, giving clues to beginners on what to buy first, which
items to treat,
and the like.
Then, suddenly, I realised that there's something
more
unexpected and useful I could do for you, dear reader.
I am
surfing the net everyday since three years, and I have
discovered a whole
new world of ideas and products.
A P.W.B .treated product will always
perform better than
similar items, but you cannot (in my modest opinion
based
on more than ten years of tweaking and belting) erase the
basic
character of the said product.
I have yet to hear a treated NAD amp
fully outperform an
untreated Ongaku valve amp.
The cost of the
various exotic parts used in a reference item
is not the only reason why it
is performing better. By now,
we should all know that "less is more" .
When buying new audio items, look for quality of parts and
extreme
simplicity of the product.
An example ? In a previous text, I already
told you that
active preamps must be avoided at all cost.
You will
take much pleasure in hearing a fully treated pre,
but a treated passive
will shock you by adding complete
neutrality with regards to the musical
signal.
Stay away from complex loudspeakers, a fully treated
two-way mini monitor with 1st order crossover, standing on
treated Atacamas
is all most of us will ever need to
communicate in the nicest way with our
most cherished records.
So, my contribution this semester is a small
list of websites
where I have found some really purist products that
once
P.W.B. treated should quite simply represent what's best in
audio
regardless of cost in this world. I am meaning it, so
please let me know if
you intend to follow my advice : I'd be
glad to hear from you, and about
the comparative tests you
could be able to conduct thereafter.
For
your pleasure, I have added a selection of audio e-magazines
where you
should find plenty of new and unexpected infos.
Good surfing
!
http://www.aliante.com
Check
the tasty Zeta loudspeakers, gorgeous to the eye and the ear. Will mate to most
classic, quality systems.
http://www.audience-av.com
They make the best capacitors in the world : upgrade yours filters !
http://www.audiopax.com
Reference quality valve amps, inventive ideas and friendly pricing. New range
expected !
http://www.decware.com/menu.htm
Their SV83 integrated valve amp is an absolute killer ! Available in kit form.
I suggest you freeze and treat every part separately, then build the amp. You
best's friend high end monoblocks will now make you laugh ...
http://www.tweakaudio.com/index.html
Home of the best DAC and most neutral preamplifier in the world, quite simply.
I dare anyone to find better sounding items, once frozen and treated.
http://www.manger-msw.com/en
Best
(almost) full-range driver in the world ? YES ! Forget about Lowthers...
Sadly, now only available fitted as the main part of the brand's
loudspeakers.
http://www.sakurasystems.com
The
world "purist" has a new meaning, thanks to 47Lab's products.
Not for
everyone, but if well mated, without ANY peers.
http://www.triangle-fr.com/bienvenue.htm
The French brand doesn't need my help. But the brand new Titus 202 is the
improved heir of the famous Stereophile Class B loudspeaker, and this at a high
street price ! The perfect partner for the amps mentioned above, and so nice to
your wallet.
And now for the good audio magazines on the web:-
http://www.audiomusings.com
http://www.boundforsound.com
http://www.soundstage.com/planethifi/planethifi.htm
http://www.stereotimes.com
http://www.tnt-audio.com/int.html
http://www.uhfmag.com/index.html
http://www.ultimateaudio.com
Best regards
Jean-François
France.
Most of the films that I have seen in the last year or two had nothing to inspire me to want to see them again. In fact, quite a few make me wonder why I bothered to see them in the first place. This thought would not have occurred to me had I not recently seen a gem of a film which provided the required contrast.
It happened a few months ago that I came across a CD review in one of the Sunday papers. A glowing report on a motion picture soundtrack caught my eye, at the end of which the film itself was highly recommended. That's how I got to see 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' Written, produced and directed by the Coen brothers, it's set in the Southern United States, around the time of the early Thirties. Three members of a chain gang – George Clooney, Tim Blake Nelson and John Turturro – make a break for freedom, and find themselves on a wondrous adventure, seeking buried treasure, whilst staying a head of the pursuing lawmen.
Some of the strange characters and situations they find themselves up against, I found out later, could be better explained if one was familiar with Homer's classic story 'The Odyssey', upon which the film was based. Not having had an education that extended to such literature, I intend to try and get a grip on the said tale, before I see the film again.
It must be said though that the film works perfectly well regardless of prior knowledge of Homer. What I found enthralling was how film and soundtrack dovetailed together so well. Every piece of music is chosen with impeccable care to illustrate each scene, and, in the process, drive home, just how unadulterated American Roots music can be. Throughout the film there are references to musical pioneers such as Robert Johnson, The Carter family and other's whose influences are found today in just about every form of popular music – from Jazz to Country.
The soundtrack CD itself is a beauty – not least as an illustration of just how powerful simplicity of touch can be.
Incidentally, the opening track – 'Po Lazuras' – performed by James Carter and the prisoners is a recording made by the collector Alan Lomax on a portable recorder in the early sixties whilst on a field trip to the Southern States. The breadth of music he recorded is incredible, with influences reaching far back to the Civil War. It resulted in the release of a series of now long deleted LPs. It is all once again available thanks to Rounder Records, with a set of about 16 CDs, collectively called 'Southern Journey'. A good idea of the content can be found by listening to Volume 1, 'Voices from the South – Blues, Ballads, Hymns, Reels, Shouts, Shanties, and Work Songs'. The James Carter track is on Volume 5 'Bad Man Ballads, Songs of Outlaws and Desperadoes'. Norman Blake - performing 'You Are My Sunshine' (track 3 on the 'O Brother' CD) – is the guitarist used by Bob Dylan on his 'Country' album 'Nashville Skyline'. And of course Emmylou Harris is in there on track 10 'Didn't Leave Nobody, but the Baby'. Nobody has done more than her (sometimes in collaboration with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt) to keep this music alive, as well as going off at a tangent now and again to record wonderful albums such as 'Wrecking Ball' and the current 'Dirt Red Girl'. I could go on about other musicians featured on the soundtrack, but I think the above will provide a taster of what to expect.
Oh! And even if the music doesn't appeal, it is still a good film.
Kevin Kehoe
This is Part II of a chronological log of my experiences with P.W.B. products. Part I was published in the April 2001 edition of "The P.W.B. Newsletter".
Recently, I have been most pleased by the SPECTACULAR improvement of my CD playback system, derived from using P.W.B.'s audio enhancement products. Although many of P.W.B.'s products or ideas resulted in subtle or minor improvement, an accumulation of these tweaks increased system performance, and then it improved DRAMATICALLY with a few final tweaks.
My amplifier, preamp, DAC, CD transport were extensively modified and fitted with high quality precision components prior to using P.W.B.'s products. Perhaps this is one reason why the results have been so gratifying: there's lots of "headroom" for improvement. Except for using SMART METAL, Power Plug Charge Barriers and Coloured Ring Ties on the AC Cords, Creme-Electret, Rainbow Foil, I have not retrofitted the PS Audio Powerplant or the Assemblage D2D Upsampler/Jitter Reducer with superior components.
Mar 21, 2001 creamed (i.e. used Creme-Electret) batteries in remote control for kitchen TV
Mar 22, 2001 creamed exterior of kitchen TV; applied Sol-Electret to threads of 4 way splitter inside cable TV distribution box
Mar 23, 2001 signed with Red 'x' Pen & creamed 8 spare AA spare batteries for use in Sony Phones
Mar 24, 2001 applied Sol-Electret to all plugs on first Sony Phone -- signed with Red 'x' Pen & creamed AA batteries for phone
Mar 24, 2001 applied Sol-Electret to all plugs on second Sony Phone -- signed with Red 'x' Pen & creamed AA batteries for phone
Mar 24, 2001 applied Sol-Electret to all plugs on third Sony Phone -- signed with Red 'x' Pen & creamed AA batteries for phone
Mar 24, 2001 applied Sol-Electret to IEC male connector prongs of D2D upsampler / jitter reducer, PS Audio P300 PowerPlant, Power Supply to DAC
Mar 24, 2001 moved stereo from gym to new basement office -- initially it sounded dull
Mar 25, 2001 sounds improved when I used tie wraps & cable ties on top of water filled plastic bottles to raise LONG preamp to amp interconnect off the floor
Mar 25, 2001 applied Sol-Electret to AC plug of hospital grade power bar & to AC plug of Bedini Ultra Clarifier
Mar 25 & Mar 26, 2001, applied Sol-Electret to 15 IEC connectors and AC plugs of photocopier, Macintosh computer, printer, 2 external data storage drives, monitor, cable modem. All this equipment is in my listening room.
Mar 26, 2001 creamed & signed battery for basement smoke detector
Mar 27, 2001 creamed both ends of telephone wires for Sony Phones & both ends of cable for handset; also creamed both ends of cable for powerbar in office.
Mar 27, 2001: applied Sol-Electret to 12 Marigo Dots on each LS3/5a Speakers. It might have improved the sound.
Mar 29, 2001: applied Sol-Electret to 26 screws of AC wall plates (switches & receptacles), telephone wall plate, networking resources wall plate in basement office; It improved things -- sounds smoother after applying.
March 29 & 30, 2001:
Applied Sol-Electret to about 80 screws on centrepiece of locks, horizontal bar for hanging clothes, hinges of office door, hinges of office closet door, Sony CD Player, tube amplifier.
Results:
Drums on a certain Jimmy Smith CD sounded a lot better; didn't hear much difference on "The Big Push" by Cal Green or "After Hours" by Jimmy Nolen.
Apr 9, 2001 applied Creme-Electret on two halogen bulbs in basement bathroom; shortened extension cord to amplifier (On April 26 we replaced the extension cord with a sufficiently long amplifier cord.), applied Sol-Electret to all screws in AC plug & to each cable end. Think this improved the system slightly.
Apr 15, 2001 applied Sol-Electret to 34 screws on door hinges
Apr 18, 2001: applied Sol-Electret to RCA connectors at amplifier inputs, output of passive preamp, input to DAC, output of DAC, input to D2D-1. Improved the sound. Might have improved imaging.
Apr 18, 2001 used Sol-Electret on amplifier's AC plug & PS300's AC plug -- It helped a lot.
Apr 18, 2001 applied Sol-Electret to:
AC plug of extension cord to amplifier
CD Player's AC Plug
Results: DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT!!!! Better imaging & detailing
Applying Sol-Electret To Fuses:
Apr 19, 2001 used Sol-Electret on Radford Amplifier's fuse. Imaging may have improved.
Apr 20, 2001 used Sol-Electret on PS300's fuse. Applied Sol-Electret to 10 screws on bottom of PS300. Think it improved the sound.
Apr 20, 2001 used Sol-Electret on fuse in DAC's Power Supply. It might have improved the sound.
Apr 20, 2001 used Sol-Electret on fuse in CD Player & on 9 screws holding the top case. It might have helped the imaging, etc.
Apr 21, 2001 applied Sol-Electret to fuse in D2D & to 6 screws on chassis; signed name on PCB & a few places; creamed a few things on the board. Think it helped a lot.
Apr 24, 2001 applied Creme-Electret on halogen bulb in ceiling light fixture in basement kitchen
Apr 26, 2001 Stephen N. installed new white AC power cord to Radford Amp. Its a 14 guage solid core cable. (Got rid of the extension cord for the amplifier.) Also installed two Leviton 8215-C Plugs -- one for DAC's PS & one for D2D-1 Jitter Reducer / Upsampler. Applied Sol-Electret to Plugs. This was the first time Sol-Electret was used on the D2D's plug. I think everything sounds more musical. Surprised that I was able to turn the volume up higher than previously; much better bass & mid bass.
Apr 30, 2001 Power Plug Charge Barrier, 17 Ties & Ties On Clips arrived
Tried Power Plug Charge Barrier on PS300.
Tried 2 Green Ties On Clips & 2 Blue Ties On Clips on Sony CD Player's AC Cord.
Tried 2 red, 2 yellow, 2 green Ties On Clips on DAC's PS AC Cord.
Tried 2 green, 2 blue, 2 white & 1 black on PS300's Power Cord.
Think it sounds better.
May 7, 2001 Stephen N. helped me take apart the Rogers LS3/5a's; creamed capacitors on crossover board; signed name on PCB; applied Sol-Electret to screw threads in speaker; he checked tubes and we replaced two of my 6U8A's with RCA 6KD8's.
System sounds a lot better than previously. Heard better highs & more definition.
May 12, 2001 took preamp apart and applied Sol-Electret to 8 screw threads, creamed, foiled & signed pot. Think imaging improved.
May 12, 2001 Stephen N helped me to loosen 5 nuts so that I could apply Sol-Electret to threads of preamp. Placed Powerplant on top of Black Diamond Racing Cones. Think imaging improved.
May 14, 2001 6 Ties On Clips (2 yellow, 2 green, 2 blue) arrived for using on the Radford's power cord. It sounds better.
May 18, 2001 Ranko K. delivered 4 aluminum blocks, each were 4" thick and 7.25" x 6.375" for placement under speakers. Think imaging improved with them under the speakers.
May 20, 2001 applied Sol-Electret between aluminum blocks. Creaming, Foiling & Signing Name on Aluminum Blocks improved imaging.
May 30, 2001 creamed surface of metal block beneath each speaker; think distortion was reduced! Sounds better!!!!
Jun 1, 2001 Lawrence I. helped me to lift CD Player off Lead Balloon so I could cream The Shelf & the Black Diamond Racing Cones under The Shelf.
Also creamed horizontal lead bars & the top parts of the tray holding the lead bars. Significant improvement: highs cleaner, less distortion, imaging improved.
Jun 3, 2001 applied an entire syringe of Sol-Electret to 114 screws on hinges of 5 doors:
Front Door, 34 screws
Kitchen Back Door, 31 screws
Kitchen Doorstop, 1 screw
Rear Door, 48 screws
Gym Door To Outside, 28 -- incomplete
Think it made a minor improvement.
Jun 8, 2001
In accordance with advice from P.W.B.'s E-mail of June 8, I froze the PS300 Powerplant's AC power cord with Ring Ties attached & the AC Power Corrector on the fridge. It might have improved imaging.
P.W.B.'s E-mail of June 8:
"Freezing the speaker wires, interconnect cables etc. with the Ring Ties or Ring Ties on clips already attached will be even better than just freezing these cables without ties because you will be freezing 'treated' cables which will give you an even better effect than freezing untreated cables.
AND, if you attach the AC power corrector to the deep freezer before carrying out the freezing technique, the effect will be even better !!! because you will be freezing within a 'treated' deep freezer."
Jun 9, 2001 froze two AC Power Cords:
AC power cord for DAC power supply
AC power cord for upsampler
Signfiicant improvement: music sounds fuller, smoother, imaging improved; much better dynamic range with less distortion.
Jun 10, 2001 froze Interconnect between upsampler & DAC; interconnects between DAC & preamp. Minor improvement.
Jun 11, 2001: Stephen N. unsoldered interconnect from passive preamp for freezing.
Jun 12, 2001: creamed long interconnect; creamed 2 wires in preamp from pot to WBT connectors. Resulted in lower distortion, sounds smoother, better imaging.
Jun 13, 2001: The Toslink cable between Sony CD transport and D2D Upsampler/ Jitter Reducer was previously frozen and thawed. This time the Toslink was freezed and thawed with 6 Ring Ties On Clips attached. There was a definite improvement in detailing and bass!!!! Previously inaudible sounds could be heard.
On track 2 of "The Sheffield/XLO Test & Burn-in CD" I heard the announcer take a breath before he spoke!
Jun 14, 2001 creamed light bulb inside refrigerator.
Jun 16, 2001: took 2 photos from upstairs freezer & placed them in the semi treated freezer in basement. Think it improved the sound.
Jun 20, 2001: creamed power cord to basement fridge; creamed a few shelves & on inside of front door.
Jul 3, 2001: Froze CD Player's AC Cable; treated refrigerator with Power Plug Charge Barrier & 4 Ring Ties On Clips on Refrigerator; applied SMART METAL to Stephen's soldering gun & tips of AC plug of his soldering gun. Applied SMART METAL to 10 previously soldered joints in CD Player.
Jul 4, 2001 Stephen N. applied SMART METAL to AC cable where its soldered in the CD player; applied SMART METAL to 2 more previously soldered joints in CD player, applied SMART METAL to tips of refrigerator's AC plug.
Definitely more detail & definition with less distortion, dynamic range improved.
Jul 9, 2001 Stephen N. applied SMART METAL to tips of 5 AC plugs (Sony CD player, Power Plant, Upsampler, DAC's Power Supply, Radford Amp). Also applied SMART METAL to 4 previously soldered Fischer Connectors used in speakers. Resulted in a lot less distortion, better definition & detail.
Jul 13, 2001 received Power Plug Charge Barrier, 2 red & 2 yellow Ring Ties for refrigerator. Now have a "fully treated" refrigerator for freezing CD's, etc.
Jul 17, 2001 creamed & applied five 6 mm Spiratube to computer stuff on power bar near desk [computer stuff is in my listening room]
Think drums sounded better on "I'm Walking" by Jimmy McGriff.
Jul 17, 2001: creamed & applied 6 mm Spiratube on CD players' AC cord.
Listened to "Gainesville" & "Devil's Den". Think it improved imaging.
Jul 17, 2001: creamed and applied 6 mm Spiratube to laser printer's AC cord -- which leads to extension cord that plugs into the power bar.
Jul 17, 2001: creamed and applied 6 mm Spiratube to video monitor's AC cord. --- Selections on "Jimmy McGriff Greatest Hits" CD sounded a LOT BETTER. Heard a soft 'snapping sound' at beginning of "The Last Minute". Previously unheard voices in the background were heard.
Jul 19, 2001 creamed & applied 12 mm Spiratubes (10 cm lengths) to AC power cord of PS Audio Powerplant & to AC power cord of D2D upsampler / jitter reducer. Results: Drums sounded better on Cal Green's "The Big Push". The drums usually sound muffled on "Honky Tonk!", The King & Federal R & B Instrumentals CD.
Jul 20, 2001 creamed & applied 6 mm Spiratubes to 9 AC power cords of radio in wife's office, refrigerator in kitchen, photocopier in kitchen, washing machine in basement kitchen, floor lamp in my office, power bar in my office timer in my office, Radford amplifier, DAC's power supply.
It made a big difference on "Money"; the sound is a lot more coherent, imaging improved.
Jul 21, 2001 on Jimmy McGriff's "Freedom Suite", the sound of the crowd could be heard for the first time.
Jul 21, 2001 creamed & applied 6 mm Spiratubes to 3 AC cords of: two TV Sets, VCR, clock radio
Jul 22, 2001 creamed & applied 6 mm Spiratubes to 3 AC cords of: wife's computer, the external hard drive and monitor.
Jul 23, 2001: Stephen N unsoldered power cord & speaker wires from Radford amplifier, so that I could freeze the power cord and speaker wires. Installed new binding posts, applied SMART METAL to previously soldered joints in Radford. Could not solder wires in AC plug because there was no room within the AC plug. Would like to solder wires (and subsequently apply SMART METAL) within AC plugs, but none of our AC plugs had enough room to accommodate this.
Jul 25, 2001 Stephen N. resoldered speaker wires & AC cord to Radford; used SMART METAL in many places. Had a difficult time soldering speaker wires to new binding posts.
Jul 26, 2001 Impressions After Several Hours Burn In:
Freezing power cord, speaker wires and applying SMART METAL might have improved the sound. If there were improvement, it was very slight.
Jul 26, 2001 creamed pipe above water tank and applied 12 mm Spiratube. Not sure if this helped.
Jul 26, 2001 creamed two pipes in kitchen & applied 12 mm Spiratubes. Not sure if this helped.
Jul 26, 2001 creamed AC cord to wife's power bar to her computer and applied 12 mm Spiratube. Not sure if it helped.
Jul 26, 2001 creamed AC cord to microwave and applied 12 mm Spiratube. Not sure if it helped.
Jul 26, 2001 creamed BX covered dedicated audio circuit between wall socket & circuit breaker, and applied 12 mm Spiratube. This seemed to make a noticeable improvement.
Jul 26, 2001 applied a second 12 mm Spiratube to PS Audio's AC cord.
Jul 26, 2001 creamed BX covered dedicated audio circuit between wall socket & circuit breaker, applied a second 12 mm Spiratube close to the circuit breaker.
Jul 26, 2001 applied Spiratube to creamed AC cord of Radford, close to the amplifier.
Jul 26, 2001 Impressions After Applying 9 Spiratubes:
There was a subtle, but noticeable difference.
Aug 7, 2001 creamed & applied four 6 mm Spiratubes to speaker cables. Think it improved the sound, the sound became more "musical", but imaging still suffers.
Aug 7, 2001 creamed & applied two 6 mm Spiratubes to long interconnect between amplifier & preamp.
Aug 7, 2001 creamed & applied one 6 mm Spiratube to interconnect between power supply & DAC.
Aug 7, 2001: creamed & applied one 6 mm Spiratube to interconnect between D2D & DAC. Imaging, musicality, coherency, imaging improved.
Aug 8, 2001: creamed & applied two 6 mm Spiratubes to interconnects between DAC & preamp.
Aug 8, 2001: creamed & applied one 6 mm Spiratube to Toslink interconnect
Aug 8, 2001: creamed & applied two 6 mm Spiratubes close to the middle section of the long interconnect between preamp & amplifier. Think it improved imaging.
Aug 8, 2001: creamed & applied two 6 mm Spiratubes to long interconnect between preamp & amplifier, near input to amplifier.
Aug 8, 2001: creamed & applied four 6 mm Spiratubes to speaker cables near the speaker end.
Aug 9, 2001: creamed & applied two 6 mm Spiratubes to long interconnect between preamp & amplifier, near output from preamp. Applied total of 8 Spiratubes to long interconnect.
Aug 9, 2001: creamed & applied one (7 cm long) Spiratube to Toslink as an experiment.
Aug 11, 2001 comment: Applying twenty-eight 6 mm Spiratubes resulted in improved imaging, less distortion.
Aug 14, 2001 creamed & applied 4 Spiratubes to 3 telephone wires for 3 phones & to 1 AC adaptor wire for a phone in my office
Aug 14, 2001 creamed & applied 1 Spiratube to AC adaptor wire for Ultra Clarifier
Aug 14, 2001 creamed & applied 1 Spiratube to AC adaptor for Radio Shack CD Cleaning machine
Aug 14, 2001 creamed & applied 5 Spiratubes to 3 phones upstairs (4 Spiratubes used on 2 AC Adaptor wires & 2 wires for 2 phones & 1 Spiratube on 1 phone that had no AC Adaptor)
Aug 14, 2001 creamed & applied 1 Spiratube to the smallest exposed electrical cord near circuit breaker
Aug 14, 2001 Assessment:
After applying 12 Spiratubes on August 14, there was slightly better imaging, less distortion. No spectacular night & day improvement resulted, but there was improvement.
Aug 14, 2001 creamed & applied 1 Spiratube to cord leading from telephone to tape recorder
Aug 14, 2001 creamed & applied 2 Spiratubes to interconnect between DAC & preamp
Aug 14, 2001 creamed & applied 2 Spiratubes to long interconnect between preamp & Radford -- resulted in a noticeable difference.
Aug 14, 2001 creamed & applied 4 Spiratubes to speaker cables
Aug 15, 2001 creamed & applied a second Spiratube to interconnect between D2D & DAC
Aug 15, 2001 creamed & applied a third Spiratube to interconnect between D2D & DAC
Aug 15, 2001: creamed & applied a third Spiratube to Doslink between CD transport & D2D
August 14 & 15: applied 24 Spiratubes
Aug 15, 2001 took 2 photographs of myself (one was a baby picture and one was a recent photo taken in Las Vegas) & placed them in separate bags. Using the Red 'x' Pen, I wrote 'x 26 'x on front & back of each bag and placed both bags containing a photo of myself in the freezer section of the basement fridge. [You got to do this! Its inexpensive & for me, it was the beginning of a DRAMATIC improvement.]
Aug 15, 2001 writing 'x 26 'x, with the Red 'x' Pen, on a "Choy Kum" CD seemed to improve imaging! CD's treated by writing 'x 26 'x sounded better.
Aug 16, 17 & 18: [Get a Red 'x' Pen and do this!]
Wrote 'x 26 'x on batteries in flashlight [Batteries were previously treated with "Creme-Electret".].
Was extremely skeptical about using the Red 'x' Pen to write 'x 26 'x on 12 mirrors throughout the house and "torching" the 'x 26 'x on each mirror with a flashlight that had 'x 26 ' x printed on each battery. However, this resulted in a significant improvement in imaging! Since about January 16, 2000 I was aware that the stereo effect needed improvement: much of the directional information seemed to come from the left speaker. I think there was a "phasing problem", in that directional frequencies emerged from the left speaker before it emerged from the right speaker.
Aug 19, 2001: using the Red 'x' Pen, I wrote 'x 26 'x on the interior of 32 AC wall plates (for light switches, AC receptacles) in the basement.
Results: on my Choy Kum test CD, imaging improved.
Aug 20, 2001: Stephen N applied SMART METAL to Preamp, D2D Upsampler / Jitter Reducer, DAC, Power Supply to DAC. RESULTS OF APPLYING SMART METAL WERE SPECTACULAR: Imaging improved significantly! Distortion decreased, dynamic range increased!
[Get SMART METAL and use it, its inexpensive!]
Applied SMART METAL to all components except speakers. The next step is using SMART METAL on previously soldered joints in Rogers LS3/5a speakers. But you're going to have to wait until the next Newsletter for my comments on this and, hopefully, other improvements.
At this stage I'm 90% happy. Hopeful that implementing P.W.B. products not used yet (i.e. Coloured Magnadiscs, Chunky Pens, Quantum Clip), will result in breakthrough improvements.
In your quest for musical accuracy and increased intelligibility, don't be in a rush to "upgrade" your speakers, amplifier, DAC, etc. Try to get as much from your system by: getting schematics for your equipment; modifying equipment (installing better capacitors, resistors, connectors, finding optimal plug polarity for each component, installing dedicated AC for audio, hospital grade plugs and wall sockets, etc.); consulting the "Tweaks / Do It Yourself" section of Audio Asylum ( http://www.AudioAsylum.com/audio/tweaks/bbs.html ) for ideas on improving room acoustics and audio performance; using P.W.B.'s products and ideas.
I'm confident this is going to be the most cost-effective approach.
Hope you can benefit from my experience with P.W.B.'s products for enhancing your listening environment and your listening capabilities.
Lawrence Joe
Canada
Could it be that Audio Component manufacturers are eavesdropping on the P.W.B. Newsletter in their search for new ideas ? The thought crossed my mind when reading through Hi-Fi News (September edition) I came across the press release 'First major change in 50 years' for the RCA phono plug. Readers will recall that in the Spring Newsletter I was highly critical of the almost universal use of phono plugs in Hi-Fi Equipment.
Reading details of the Bullet Plug - invented by Australian Robert Eichman - proved to be very interesting reading indeed, I was immediately impressed to learn he had succeeded in eliminating the collar which is used for the signal return. (The collar, I am convinced, is a serious fault when used in high end systems).
Furthermore, all brass parts in the new plug have been replaced with a rare copper.
My enthusiasm being fully whetted, I quickly contacted the Eichman Web site where I was pleased to find the telephone numbers of two English suppliers. The following morning I 'phoned 01922 473 499 - The Sound Academy - and two days later I took delivery of a packet of 4 Bullet Plugs; total cost £29.65. That evening I made up a stereo pair (using super thin wire, soldered with Smart Metal, Holo-fibre in the plug, Sol Electret oil on the pins, Creamed and Clipped, thin Spiratube but no Ring Ties) and I was now ready to test whether this new plug lived up to expectations.... and the result ? Unreservedly yes. It really works. Listening to a CD of Mitsuko Uchida playing Schubert I was impressed how the piano sound had extra fluidity and every note now had a deeper meaning, leading to a more involved listening experience. The following day I ordered up another packet of plugs and now all 8 phono plugs in my audio system have been converted. So, obviously, I think they are worth the money.
So, is the Eichman Bullet Plug the complete answer to the problem with phono connectors ?
I would have to answer that it solves a problem with the phono plug but still leaves the problem with the phono socket and therefore it is a 50 per cent solution. A still better solution is to convert to Din plugs and sockets but if, like my audio system, some phono sockets are for practical reasons too difficult to convert or bypass, then the Bullet Plug becomes an essential part of the system.
Since connectors are a cause of sound quality degradation, do we really need them ?
In my audio system I have eliminated nearly half of the connectors simply by bypassing the phono sockets and soldering the interconnects directly onto the printed circuit board. Where this is a hazardous operation, then simply soldering onto the back of the phono socket will result in very worthwhile benefits. The other end of the interconnect cable, of course, still has a plug for linking into the appropriate unit.
So, if you are handy with a soldering iron, you have it in your means to significantly upgrade your audio listening at negligible cost.
All the interconnects in my system have now been hard wired at one end with the exception of the link between the analogue outputs of my Digital Radio Tuner and audio inputs of my VCR (used for recording radio programmes - up to 4 hours of excellent quality).
Converting this link was not a practical proposition but using Bullet Plugs has made a huge difference to sound quality.
Loudspeaker cables soldered directly onto the printed circuit board will also profoundly affect sound quality. If you are using heavy cables then you may find this task impossible but in myexperience you should in any case change to thin cables to obtain a more detailed sound with a wider dynamic range.
I had some heart searching before I carried out semi-butchering to my Chord amplifier but whenever I looked at the Loudspeaker inputs I could see over 50 reasons where noise would be induced into the system. For example; the speaker wire is soldered to a brass banana plug, the plug is a push fit into a brass socket, the wire to the terminal is a compression fit, the wire is then finally soldered to the printed circuit board. Multiply by eight for Bi-wiring and this adds up to over 50 points which, if bypassed, would potentially have an enormous effect on sound quality.
Having carried out the mod, I can confirm the noise seemed to drop several levels. As the noise level dropped, the sound stage deepened and widened dramatically and all orchestral instruments rose that much clearer from the background. I am always impressed, when noise levels are reduced, how the bass becomes so much more deeper and firmer and overall there is greater agility and smoothness to the sound.
Returning to my opening question; are Component manufacturers eavesdropping on the P.W.B. Newsletter? In the case of Robert Eichman and the Bullet Plug I think not. obviously, like myself, Robert Eichman realised the phono plug has shortcomings but whereas I saw a problem, he saw a commercial opportunity; developed an idea; produced an audiophile product and put it on the market at an affordable price. I have to congratulate him and I only wish I had shares in his company since I am sure his invention will sell by the truck load.
Readers of the P.W.B. Newsletter who have the practical skill can, however, do better than the Bullet Plug by opting for Din plugs and sockets but better still go for hard wiring and eliminating plugs and sockets. After all, all you have to lose is noise and the gains are huge
The funny thing is you don't hear the noise until it has gone.
Tom Marsden.
England.
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© P.W.B. Electronics 2001