1. Shapes that are beneficial to life
In this Newsletter I was struck by how many articles scarcely address ordinary Hi-Fi matters, and this is of little surprise. It is hard to think of a time when there was so much uncertainty. I understand the difficulties, I really do. I acknowledge here the difficulties all of us have in trying to think about the exciting opportunities offered by P.W.B. in the fearfully changing context of the audio world. No wonder many of us consider peripheral items, such as mains conditioners, or alternative approaches, such as using an MP3 player as main source.
There has always been a trend, in this Newsletter that is, for an audiophile to throw off years of equipment, and metres of cable, and obtain a very satisfying sound from a rather less exotic piece of equipment. My only argument with that approach related to the ceiling reached when using any particular item, and when reached, even with those bits of Foil, there was no where else to go. I guess this relates more to the pursuit of 'Hi-Fi' than listening to music, and in my own way, I remain a devotee of that pursuit. Unfortunately, the industry does not seem to have grasped that some of us pursue this. This pursuit is distinct from say the most literate, sharp-eared music critic who tends not to have the highest of high-end products at home, yet can discern differences in tone and phrasing quite beyond the Hi-Fi critic, and communicate enthusiasm for a piece of music that compels one to find it. Hi-Fi is different. As you can read on any related forum there are many aspects to it, and thus many tribes committed to the pursuit. The obvious tribes are the apparently 'objectivist-engineering' tribe, and the 'subjectivist–'Hello sky, hello flowers'' tribe, both of whom are terribly dependent upon the other. The objectivists claim to follow the laws of physics, and mock anything that can't be understood in that world, yet are haunted all the time by the fact that nature will not follow rules or explanations man has designed for it.. The subjectivists, hugely open to all manner of ideas, still have respect for solidly made, well engineered products on which to hang their tweakery. In the past, despite the inter-tribe tension, there was a balance between manufacturers, dealers and the audiophile. We all kind of knew what was going on, and enthusiasm for well developed products or imaginative tweaks was there. It may not be entirely agreeable to remind readers of this matter, but I would very much doubt now if any magazine would give away a sample of Peter's products. It just doesn't fit now with the narrowed field of vision, but sadly that is driving away the person who loves music, and loves Hi-Fi.
The battles between the manufacturers over new formats, better formats, or better socketry really doesn't help, and even if you buy into some of these advances, you cannot use your equipment with that from a different manufacturer, as there are few, working standard connections. Another question we might ask ourselves is could the compact disc or DVD be launched in this climate with support from all manufacturers. I would doubt it, yet these squabbling manufacturers bit by bit alienate us all, until the only things we can safely buy are the tweaks, or antiquated, even second-hand equipment, or find our source material elsewhere. Of course it is no better in the music industry, where paranoia about piracy, and a lack of imagination has led to a very successful DVD-Audio disc. This is not on sale, but undoubtedly driven by frustration, some champion leaked onto the Internet a wonderful, high-resolution 'image' of the original quadraphonic mix of 'Dark Side of the Moon' (presumably as premiered at the Planetarium – really!). Now I would love to buy this, but I can only get it through means I am not comfortable with. I would love to buy more products using HDMI, perhaps even an HD-DVD player, or BluRay. But all are fraught with problems and risks, with no hope of longevity. But I think it is worse than that. It seems to me that even interesting products such as Meridian's DLP speakers are at risk, as no-one can know if or how soon, higher resolution music will achieve a market prominence, and then what cables and sockets will be needed. It is as nightmarish for vision products. The irony is that only analogue equipment is likely to be future-proof, and one can see why analogue systems still sell well. There is a sense that in that market, the interests of the audiophile persist.
Consequently I have made another stab in this Newsletter, not on a voodoo doll of a Sony Executive, but on the alternative path, and of how essential Peter Belt's work is. This involves thinking more widely, of other objects in the environment, and other ways to obtain music and struggle for good playback of it. I refer also to using computers and the Internet as part of your sound and vision system, of the improving advantages, and would link this also to the possibilities of developments in amplifier technology that are embraced by the computer industry. This work has some distance to go, but I no longer view that IT industry as hopeless. There is a freshness about these approaches that is quite absent in some of the larger audio companies, and although it may be sad to say goodbye to the disc, it may be better than waiting for another disc format war to find resolution. Hard drives get larger, at lower prices by the day, and internet broadband speeds similarly improve. Singers emerge from bedroom web-cam performances, and nothing is the same.
Despite my complaining tone, sickening nostalgia, I think that I am not so sad. If a consumer cannot buy what they would like, someone is getting it wrong – apart from Steve Jobs perhaps.
I have tried to describe some thoughts on how to take advantage of this, and Ken Hyam in particular has revealed how satisfying it can be to step away from the spinning disc. Ken also writes of developments at P.W.B., notably the MP3 Player Foil Kit, which makes available a range of products, in just the right size for this application of them. It reflects a re-think on how the P.W.B. product catalogue might be made available. This is a good move. Of course the more imaginative amongst you will realise that these Packs do not have to be confined to just MP3 players, or the T-Amp, but I guess I should take this for granted. After all, the readership of this Newsletter realised a long time ago, that dependence upon the audio manufacturers, magazines and dealers was too limiting. All equipment, no matter how well designed or constructed, will blossom in a treated environment, regardless of source, cabling, mains quality. And for that I am very grateful.
Too many times in life one feels betrayed by the people one idealised early on, or disappointed in beliefs that no longer fit with the present. Disillusionment is a painful process, mourning the lost "what might have been's". Yet quietly, determinedly, a man in Leeds keeps developing bits of shiny Foil or coloured creams that seldom disappoint. His very able wife, and hard-working son are by his side, and despite the endlessly offensive lies that he is a making a fortune, he continues with his task, with very few resources, in the belief that he is making something better. For us.
If a few ounces of this integrity could spread to the larger companies, or magazine editors, I guess I would have less to write.
Until later this year. Hope you enjoy this.
Richard Graham
UK
Product Review
Sometimes it feel's rather churlish to feel a tinge of disappointment when there is no new product to write about, but given recent developments that is not the case here. This piece will involve a reconsideration of two products that have been available for some time, but in the case of one of them, developments in application necessitate a complete re-evaluation. I am going to describe quite an advance.
Morphic Green Cream
Some of you may be aware that different Creams and Morphic Liquid can enhance certain Foils. Earlier this year, I discovered that two Foils that I had not thought suitable for this treatment (Freeze Effect and Present Foils) could be enhanced by the application of Electret Cream. Now I am not sure if I had previously misunderstood this aspect, or that at the time of their introduction the Foils either didn't need Electret Cream or it wasn't suitable for them. Whatever the reason, I was thrilled with the not insignificant advance brought about by applying Electret Cream to these Foils. It continues to enhance nearly all other Foils, apart from those that have their own, designated Cream. This development also raised questions for me about the process of tapping, as there seemed to be a further improvement when the Freeze Effect Foil was tapped with the Freezer Jar. A very nice surprise, and one shared rapidly with the online forum members.
But there was more to come. As May Belt was developing the wonderful T-Amp/MP3 foil pack she sprung on me that Morphic Green Cream could also be applied to all Foils, except those that require their own specific creams (Inverted, Copper, Aluminium, Retro and Memory Foils). I was taken aback - I was previously using it quite sparingly to a few sites - but excited; here was an opportunity to do something extra. I ordered some more Green Cream, and started to hope my huge fingers would make it go a long way. And still there was more! Morphic Green Cream could be applied to nearly all Labels and all Ring Ties.
There is often a question at such a moment as to where one might start to establish whether this development would be such a good step. I usually assess this with the two-pronged approach of using a disc and a photo. I applied the tiniest trace of Cream to each Foil attached to the disc and then the photo, and as often the case, probably put on too much. It really is the case that a trace is enough to have an impact. After doing this, I sat back and listened. Firstly the disc sounded very much cleaner (Clean Green Cream?) with a freshness that is hard to describe, but unmistakable when heard. The results were similar with the photo, but this was when I started to realise both the enormity of the project ahead, and the enormity of the possible benefits.
One of the great aspects of the Creams is the fact that they can be applied more easily than anything else. One can put a small dab on a little finger, and reach small places or components, where no Foil would sit. I was thus aware that in considering what to do next, I could not only apply the cream to all the Foils, Labels and Ring Ties attached to equipment, but revisit the insides of some pieces of equipment, and put a trace on the capacitors and transistors. Quite a project, but I started.
I always commence any similar project with a treatment of all treated photos and any wallet of bag they are placed in. The benefit will then be with me wherever I am. I then proceeded to those objects that represent portals into the home. Usually this means the Electricity Meter, Fuse Box, Gas Meter, and finally the Telephone comes next. With this group there were also Labels and Ring Ties to put a dab on, and this gave a further opportunity to re-evaluate the potential benefit. I should add that once the Cream was applied, I tapped any Freeze Effect Foil with the Freezer Jar and re-Clipped before listening; the results were astounding. It was as if everything was transformed into a high-resolution or high-definition product, no matter how basic the source. Classical music, piped from the satellite receiver was frighteningly clear, detailed, musical and rhythmic. It could easily have come from a high-end CD player, were one not to know differently. But I don't want to give any impression that the sound was bright, or even brightly lit. Paradoxically, many of the sounds heard were more rich, soft and subtle, yet heard that with a frightening clarity, bouncing with life.
So far, so very, very good. I moved then on to the equipment in the listening room. All boxes and wires had the Green Cream applied to where it could go, and for older equipment, and where I was less concerned about damaged caused by entering the box, the innards were Creamed and Clipped. This takes a long time, and despite the value of it, can still arouse some resentment at smearing those traces over Foils, Labels and Ties. If you like fiddly things, you may be happier than I, even though in reality you do not have to worry too much about precision. For example the Green Cream can pretty much be applied to any part of a Label or Ring Tie. (Do not apply it to the Retro Label though). So, after nearly a day of work, the re-assembled system was put through its paces. The results were quite amazing. All of the above listed qualities were further advanced, but the sound also seemed to more effectively fill the room, less confined either to speakers or walls within the room. Indeed, the enhanced perception of ambient detail was amazing. Using high-resolution discs with surround channels, the results were even more staggering and enveloping. Of course visual devices showed benefits - perhaps less than apparent with sound. But increased contrast and depth of colours were perceived, along with subtle details in production. Using a High Definition source ('Planet Earth' on Sky HD) the multiplicity of colours and detail led to an image that was awesome. HD is not HD without this Cream.
If you have some of this Cream lying around, give this approach a try, as I think you will be very pleased. If you have never tried the Cream, you must, especially if you want to hear other P.W.B. products in all their glory. Current production of the Green Cream seems to add something quite astonishing, although any vintage will bring a smile. The only problem, apart from cost, is the size of your fingers, and how dextrous you are. You will want to make that small pot go a very long way.
Just before concluding, I will just add that I applied the Cream to the Foils applied to the detachable head part of the car's CD Player. The improvement to national radio was just staggering, and I can see the car as quite a subject for treatment. Amazing.
Smart Metal
My last reference to this product was in suggesting how good it was as a substitute for 'jumpers' on loudspeakers that can be bi-wired or bi-amped. More recently however, a need to fit some plugs, and change some bulbs necessitated a review.
I suspect everyone will know that Smart Metal is a highly developed solder that can be applied to metal, and specifically metal contacts on light bulbs, fuses and plugs. For those with the skills, it can be applied to components or circuit boards to good effect, although I do not believe my knowledge or skills in this area equip me to do so. But there is another aspect to Smart Metal, which relates to the iron that is used to apply it.
I was aware that a soldering iron that had been treated in some way would obtain better results with Smart Metal that one not treated. Given the tasks ahead, I applied myself to the task of seeing how far I could go with a soldering iron. First up was the obvious step of applying a full set of Mains Ring Ties and Spiratube to the cable. Next up was to use my previously treated Soldering Iron to apply Smart Metal to the Mains cable, and then to fit a Mains pug treated with Foils, a Square, Smart Metal, Creams, Liquid, Inks and a Violet Magnadisc. Finally, the Iron had Creams applied to the shaft and tip. I considered Foils on the body of the iron, but decided against this as the combination of a grip and the heat would probably displace the Foils very soon.
This all was Clipped and frozen for the necessary two cycles.
It was hard to know how best to assess the effect of this enhanced Soldering Iron on the process of applying Smart Metal, but eventually it seemed best to try it on some light bulbs, and then to replace the bulbs that had been treated with the previous, less treated iron. The bulbs were treated in the usual way, with Creams, Liquid and Inks applied, before Clipping and Freezing them. Sol-Electret was applied to the contacts before fitting.
The result was very pleasing, with an increase in transparency and detail apparent. I suspect that this will be further enhanced as more bulbs receive treatment.
I then moved on to re-apply Smart Metal to Mains Leads, Mains Plugs and Fuses. Again a noticeable lift occurred in both sound and visual products. If I seem less enthusiastic than I have about the Green Cream, it is perhaps because in terms of value, the Cream has a wider range of applications, is less arduous to apply and very great in effect.
If I were in the position of needing to treat a wide range of cables, plugs or bulbs I would recommend the above process very highly. If I were manufacturing cables, or building equipment, I would also make sure my Soldering Iron was as good as I could make it, and I had lots of Smart Metal. I continue to toy with the idea of a kit valve amplifier, and use Smart Metal to build it (also treating every component at the point of assembly). However I am still not sure I have the skills. Perhaps one of us is skilled enough with electronics and soldering to try something of this sort. I feel sure the results could be quite amazing. For myself, I may have to stick to cables and bulbs, and smearing Creams that defy expectation.
Richard Graham
UK
To Buy or not to Buy!!
An article in the recent Hi-Fi News regarding power conditioning, and the Isotek Orion in particular, got me thinking. The aforementioned unit got good a review and it was stated that it added stage depth and width, plus an increase in dynamics. At £320 for the two way model it seemed like a reasonable option. Yours truly contacts Audio T and they arrange for one to be sent to them, so that I can take it home on trial.
When I go down to pick the unit up I ask Nick at the shop whether or not they have any experience with that model, or Isotek in general. The answer is a big fat negatory but, says he, I should get a lower noise floor and increased dynamics, plus an increase in stage depth and width. So far, so good.
At home I use Music Works power blocks and IEC power cables. There are two supplies straight from the consumer unit/ fuse box and I run my Meridian actives through one block and the other electronics through the other. All cables have been treated with foils, creams and Sol-Electret, as have the blocks. All of the electronics have various foils and messages on them. The Isotek came without a power lead so I had to use one that I had spare and was already treated. Everything was powered up and left running for two or three days to allow things to settle down. I was severely tempted to have a quick blast but managed to resist the temptation.
A few days later and off we go. The usual test tracks are put on and I sit back to listen. Well, so far it's OK, no nasties in evidence. There seems to be a little bit more in the bottom end but the top end seems a bit polite. A thought runs through my mind, what would happen if I treated the Orion itself with creams and foils etc? Well, folks, I had an attack of conscience. You see, I hadn't paid for the unit, it wasn't mine to play around with in that fashion. I had to desist.
I persevered for a few days and then thought that I should take the unit out of the equation and get back to what I had before. I did that and left the system on for ten minutes or so while I made coffee and checked my E-mails. Back to the listening seat and off we go. Jumpin' Jehosaphat!, Gee Whillikers and Help ma Boab ( that's Scottish, that one) !! I know that you'll all understand when I say that I got my system back. There it was in all its dynamic glory!! I hadn't experienced extra low noise floors, width, depth etc. when the Orion was in circuit as I already had it in my 'basic', Belted system. It was only in comparison that I noticed that the Orion had squashed the dynamics of the set-up and had rounded every thing off, made it sound polite, as it were. Which do I prefer? Need you ask?
One doubt in my mind is whether or not a Belted Orion, in my system, would have bettered my current set-up. My gut feeling is that it probably wouldn't, but I'll never know. If you have a mind to go down the power-conditioner route please don't let me put you off from trying, it may work for you and your system. I can only report on what I found.
I am pleased in that I had an idea, tried it, and learned from the experience. I have also prevented myself from spending £320, some of which can be spent on more Belt goodies. I have still to do things like treat the insides of electrical sockets, treat the insides of my CD player and pre-amp and tackle the insides of my speakers. (The last items are far too large to be frozen, standing at about 3'6" high.) Lots of interesting things to do, but I fancy a bit of 'instant gratification', so will probably invest in some Quantum Foils and Cream. When I think about it, I think I'll delay the CD and pre-amp job until I get the Q cream, as I can do that at the same time as the other treatments.
I am intrigued with the thought that recordings made on treated and frozen blank CDs may sound better than the treated originals. It has been suggested that the blank is treated, frozen, recorded upon and then re-frozen. I have two discs that I need to do this weekend and will try this before passing the discs on. One of them is the John Fogerty /CCR disc 'The Long Road Home'. All tracks are re-mastered with a few live tracks added. I've had a quick blast of this already and the sound is very dynamic, although the vocals can be a bit strident at times. Mind you, he never was a 'polite' singer. I'll report back on that one.
The other one is the new Scritti Politti CD, 'White bread…' If you have heard, and liked, them already this is a fine return to form and has lots of low frequency energy going on. Yeah, I know, I'm a bit of a bass junkie.
Actually, mentioning bass, my next-door neighbour and I went to Audio T a few weeks ago for him to audition a Kef home cinema speaker package. They have had a recent refurbishment and now have three demo rooms. The main one, at the front, is kept for home cinema dems. When we went in to hear the set-up we were told that we'd need to remain seated as they have a bass problem in the room and, if you stand up, the bass all but disappears! None of them know what to do about this. It did flash through my mind that maybe a bit of Belting could help to put the sound right. I didn't mention it as I have already mentioned P.W.B. and got blank looks. I have managed, though, to get Nick to take my treated copy of 'The Fifth Element' home with him to try against his copy. He said that it's one of his favourite films. As he was on leave when I called to drop off the Orion, I have had no feedback so far. Watch this space.
Regards,
Brian Hannen
UK
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Postscript to Brian's article.
To expand more on Brian's experience with an audio retailer. I know, from experience, the difficulty that retailers of audio equipment have with ALL 'tweaks' and not just with P.W.B. 'Tweaks'.
If you look at all the tweaks which involve 'treating' things which are not directly associated with either the audio equipment or the room acoustics i.e. 'treatments' to such as Compact Discs, then, for people to believe that they can actually work, that they can actually improve the sound, then they have to be demonstrated.
For the purpose of this article, I will select out the P.W.B. Rainbow Foil but what I am going to describe applies equally to other CD treatments.
The scenario in an audio equipment retail shop is that the retailer is trying to sell the customer (say) a £1,000 CD player, or a £2,000 amplifier, or a £10,000 pair of loudspeakers. A customer enters the shop, looks around at the equipment on display and finally enters into a discussion with the retailer.
If there are no other customers in the shop waiting to be attended to, then the conversation usually becomes quite extended - covering many subjects associated with audio and sound. The customers says to the retailer "My friend has been telling me about someone called Peter Belt and his techniques, have you ever heard of him ?" The retailer confirms that yes, he has heard of Peter Belt. The customers asks "Have you ever tried any of his devices or treatments ?" The retailer replies that yes, he has, because one of his engineers brought into the shop a pack of Rainbow Foil to try. The customers asks if he could possibly have a demonstration of the P.W.B. Rainbow Foil.
The retailer selects a CD and plays it on the equipment consisting of the £1,000 CD player, the £2,000 amplifier and the £10,000 pair of loudspeakers. The retailer then attaches two strips of Rainbow Foil onto the CD and they both listen again to this same CD. The customers says that he thinks he heard an improvement, he thinks he heard a wider, higher, deeper sound stage and more space around the instruments but could not be absolutely sure - maybe he was just imagining it !! - would the retailer take off the Foil strips and could the customer listen to the CD again, this time without the Foil strips on it ? They both listen to the CD again and now the customer cringes - he no longer likes what he is hearing. He says "Yes, now I know, the Foils HAD improved the sound because I do not like the sound now without the Foils attached to the CD."
But this is the problem for the retailer. Because now he has the customer cringing at the sound of the very £1,000 CD player, the £2,000 amplifier and the £10,000 pair of loudspeakers which the retailer would like to sell to the customer !!!!
The customer also sensibly thinks "I won't buy any new equipment yet, I will try some of these Rainbow Foil strips on my existing equipment first - to see if I can gain the same improvement I have just heard with my own existing audio system".
This reaction of 'cringing' when going back to a previous standard I have tried to explain in my talks. I have described how someone can have regarded the sound of their equipment as 'good' and may have been listening to that equipment for the past 5 years, describing it as 'good' all that time. But, when presented with a better sound (i.e. hearing additional information) - which they now describe as 'excellent', when they go back to the previous standard they can no longer describe it as 'good' - even though they have been describing it as 'good' for the past five years. I have tried to describe how the working memory is part of the survival mechanism and will upgrade itself completely automatically if the new standard or the new information is important. And, will not like being taken below that new standard it has just become accustomed to - hence the 'cringing' !!
Regards,
May Belt
UK
Four Room experiment
In the P.W.B. Yahoo discussion group, Brian Hannen has made a reference to something published in a recent Hi-Fi News. It was a comment about Peter Belt's techniques/room treatments and a particular four room experiment which took place at a Hi-Fi Show over a decade ago.
I will describe this story (to the best of my recollection).
The story began at a Scottish Hi-Fi Show. A very heated argument took place (which, I was told, very nearly came to fisticuffs) between Jon Vizor the editor of the audio trade magazine Private Hi-Fi and Ross Walker of Quad. Jon Vizor was claiming that he (Jon Vizor) had heard Peter Belt's techniques improve the Hi-Fi sound and Ross Walker was saying that, no way, they could not possibly affect the sound. The outcome of this argument was a challenge - that if Jon Vizor could prove to Ross Walker's satisfaction that Peter's treatments could improve the sound, then Ross Walker would pay £10,000 to a charity chosen by Jon Vizor.
( I never did find out what Jon Vizor had to do if he had lost the challenge !!)
At the next London Hi-Fi Show, sponsored by Hi-Fi News, four adjacent and identical rooms were allocated to this challenge. All four rooms would have identical equipment - a Quad amplifier, a pair of Quad Electrostatic speakers and (I think) a Marantz CD player, the equipment would be set up by Quad engineers and all rooms would have identical seating and be as identical in every way as possible.
This listening experiment would take place on the first day of the Hi-Fi Show - the day traditionally reserved for the Trade day and groups of people from the audio industry would be the listeners taking part in the listening trials, therefore there were no members of the public taking part in this experiment.
Martin Colloms was in charge of organising the groups and conducting the listening trials.
The first room was as set up by the engineers. No changes made to that room. This first room was where each group would first listen to the equipment, familiarise themselves with the sound of the equipment and the CD and then Martin Colloms would take them, with the same CD, through each of the other three rooms. The group were given a voting paper where, at the end of the session, they had to grade these three rooms as 1st choice (Best sound), 2nd choice (second best sound) leaving the remaining room as third choice.
Of these three rooms, one was left untouched - exactly as the first (control) room, one was treated with P.W.B. devices (but the P.W.B. Devices had to be hidden, none must be visible), and one room had the amplifier 'doctored' (had the components changed by Quad to make the amplifier sound wrong). So, if the experiment was to be successful, one room should be voted to be sounding exactly as the first room, one room should be voted as 'sounding the best' and one room should be voted as 'sounding the worst'.
At the end of the day all the voting papers were given to an independent assessor.
The results were pronounced "non conclusive", and created some disagreement but were eventually accepted as 'fair' by both Jon Vizor and Ross Walker. The reason why there was some disagreement was because of a quirk in the voting - and this is probably where the lasting impression that the experiment failed (as referred to in the recent Hi-Fi News) comes from.
When all the votes were evaluated, it was seen that there had been a number of people voting that their first choice (the best sounding room) was the room where the sound was supposed to be 'wrong'. If those votes were included in the full total, then the results were indeed 'non conclusive'. If, however, those votes were regarded as 'spoilt ballot papers' and discounted, then the P.W.B. Treated room became the room voted as having the best sound. It was finally decided, by everyone involved, that the results should be regarded as non conclusive, so, no one won or lost the challenge.
I never read the original voting papers which had been completed by the people taking part in the listening experiment, so I do not know if there had ever been references in them about anyone not liking the smell in any of the rooms used for this trial.
Regards,
May Belt
UK
Deal or No-Deal
When Hi-Fi News and May Belt address the same issue, in the same month one realises two things. Firstly, an air of desperation is percolating through the offices of Hi-Fi News, and such hypocrites as Ken Kessler are given less room to drool on American exotica (or Musical Fidelity product), and more space is given to the issues that currently preoccupy the audiophile community. Secondly, the complex system of manufacturer-dealer-customer is shifting, but as yet we don't know whether this is for the better. I would like here to consider some of the issues, and what we may want as consumers.
One can always see poor work occurring each level of the industry. Manufacturers, in many, many ways deserted the consumer some time ago. Greedy for royalties from new formats, new codings, or new cables, their tussles leave many nervous about buying into any of it. Whether DVD-A, SACD, HD-DVD, BluRay or HDMI is your concern, you are likely to hold on to your money, or stick with the tried and trusted. Consequently, is it any wonder that analogue sales have increased? The dealers are paralysed by the technological minefield, but also by the poor implementation of new developments, such that work relating to HDMI leads and sockets is excessive and fraught with complaints.
In the past, I have had little time for dealers. Some of the dealerships in London, including some apparently well thought of shops, have appeared arrogant or dismissive, smugly talking as if I either didn't know anything, or was crazy if I thought I did. I don't think I am alone in this. So in addition to the betrayal of the consumer by certain manufacturers, there have been similar issues with dealers, and public has now turned away from them. In the recent Hi-Fi News piece on this matter, the use of the Internet for sourcing equipment, as well as affording the opportunity to find excellent old equipment on eBay, allowed the dealer to be bypassed. Hi-Fi World has demonstrated quite persuasively that many products from the past (including 1980s CD players) may be at least the equal of new products, even from the same manufacturer. I find this re-reviewing of old products and comparing them with contemporary ones quite refreshing, and ethically compelling. As familiarity breeds contempt, we can all find ourselves longing for difference as much as improvement, and can easily be swept into purchasing something new with minimal praise from magazine or forum or dealer.
All of this leads to some consideration of how to proceed in the minefield of purchasing the products that one might want to enhance with P.W.B. devices. It leads me to a consideration of the need for ethics to enter into the process, and this is where I think the right sort of dealer is priceless. Whilst the dealer is still vulnerable in the current climate, they might be able to hold wider views, maintain greater independence from some of the marketing forces, even if they are more vulnerable to economic pressures currently. I have been fortunate enough to find a very good dealer on the South Coast who has a high degree of integrity, matched only by his intelligence and common sense. Transparent almost to a fault, he pours scorn on the manufacturers whose service to dealer or customer is very poor well before any 'after-sales' service might be needed, and guides decisions with reports on reliability. Devoted also to the search for a good sound (or good picture) that really satisfies is a considerable bonus. As a greater bonus - and I see this becoming more important in the immediate future - he also has very good IT skills, and can advise on the increasingly prominent issues, such as servers.
But there are other aspects to consider. My dealer is very tolerant, and is indeed rather interested in my Foils and Ring Ties. Whenever anything is done actually in our home, he often notes how good the sound is, quite spontaneously. I gave him some basic P.W.B. products, but never got a response. I wondered why, but got something of an answer when I demonstrated the T Amp to him. Like many of us, he was suitably impressed, and I suggested he might want to sell them. Apart from the stylistic aspects, it was clear that he wouldn't be able to do so, because the amplifier was just so cheap, there would be negligible profit margin, and thousands would have to be sold to make it worthwhile. Further, that would necessitate a totally different way of working with high volumes rather than offering high quality advice and service. I could see that no matter how much the P.W.B. devices improved things for him, it was difficult to consider how they could be incorporated into his work.
I could then see how both the popularity of the many Tweaks that are commercially available was both fuelled by an industry that has lost its way, but then quite a problem for it, unless they could be incorporated into the products at the point of design and construction. The shift needed to achieve this is enormous, and one can empathise with the dealers who are rather stuck in the middle, trying to sell ill-conceived products, but not really in a position to manage the economics of a different approach. Hopefully some of this might percolate back to the manufacturers, but some might already be going the way of the dinosaurs, and not really be capable of change. But there may be hope…
As the T-Amp has shown those of us who have tried it, hope might come from a different source. I could suggest that it is China, but I am actually suggesting instead it is the IT industry. From what I have been hearing, some of these guys are starting to get very close to the high end, particularly in term of graphics and video processing. The implementation of Class D amplification (as in the T Amp) shows enormous potential. I am often amazed at how good some of the computer speakers/amplifiers are becoming. These IT companies come at the problems of sound reproduction rather differently, and with their huge ambitions, might be open to those ideas that are not completely shrouded in old ideas from 'Electrical Engineering Christmas Annual 1955'. Paradoxically, it may be our ethical dealers or distributors will still need to guide us through the newly emerging technologies and products. (The distributor for the much-lauded NuForce amplifiers told me a great deal about the problems of them interfering with radios and going into 'meltdown' if loudspeakers' weren't connected. I have not seen this in a review.) And although the great thing about these new products, whether discs or equipment, is that P.W.B. products will still be applicable, and still transform them, we continue to need those with enough respect for the customer to reveal the wider issues.
In nature there are differing types of relationships between organisms - parasitic, commensal or symbiotic. Having felt for some time drained of good will by the parasitic activities of manufacturers and magazines, recently, there has been some change, and the hope of a more mutually beneficial symbiotic link, even if you have to look for it. I'm sticking with my dealer.
Richard Graham
UK
Computer World
At a time when we might be buying more vinyl, there seems a real possibility that the disc as a medium for music or films is nearing its end. As someone who abandoned vinyl long ago, because of the issues of tracking and surface noise (not great with piano or classical voice), and who frowns every time a CD case acquires a crack, I have mixed feelings. If we can move towards higher bit-rate downloads - at least Lossless or higher resolution - then there may be little to fear. Even as the situation currently stands, there can be a number of measures to help. But we might need to step back first to consider the issue of information on recordings, and the factors that influence our perception of them.
A recent letter to Hi-Fi World indicated that for the author, the emotional experience of listening to a piece of music transcended issues relating to equipment. The obvious examples are the childhood or adolescent thrill of hearing certain songs on a cheap transistor radio, or at a fair, or the hearing of 'our tune' at a dance or disco. But I have been surprised by other experiences. A few years ago I was much taken with the Minidisc, and got a nice little player, and spent many a long hour listening to it. With suitable P.W.B. devices, it was really great, and I have fond memories of revisiting Pink Floyd albums. Looking back, not once did I frown over the poor compression from the then very new Atrac system. Then came a few showpieces - literally. First, I believe Bob Stewart wowed everyone with a Meridian system at a show - possibly in the States - only to reveal he was playing MP3 files (Meridian DVD players will play MP3 tracks, if not SACD discs….). This was a shock to those that denigrated anything digital and compressed. Then Wilson Audio, of Puppy fame, used an iPod as a source at a later show, again to very good effect. This highlights a number of issues for me. Firstly, the preoccupation with bit rates is unhelpful, as it is only part of the story. Anyone who has heard the allegedly high resolution formats will know that they do not blow you away, and changes elsewhere might reap better rewards. A lower resolution source might sound better if the information that is there can get through. Secondly, the experience (I'm not sure that 'perception' is the right word) of music does involve factors fundamental to the communication of emotional states, and our current state of mind is a very prominent factor. Of course, this is exactly where the P.W.B. devices can play a part. Now you may be more or less interested in the theories underpinning their development, but it has been a consistent aspect Peter's thinking that anything that interferes with the reception of musical information limits the experience. This is independent of bit rates, jitter, or power supplies.
I mention these as I have had some good experiences of downloaded music, and would wish to share some of this to think about the issue further. I want also to address the issue of using a hard-drive as your musical source.
I may be a sheep, but I am definitely in the Apple pen when it comes to portable music these days. I did previously own a rather good player from Creative, but the software was awful, crashed frequently, and would not allow Lossless files. After playing about with an iPod, I realised that high rates of compression (e.g. 128k MP3 files) caused lots of aural anomalies with some of my favourite music, and was more suited to pop music. Higher bit rates were better, but the anomalies were only extinguished by a Lossless conversion. Apple were quick off the block with theirs, and it works very well with later iPods. iTunes was also a joy to use, and I have never had a problem with it. Ripping discs with Exact Audio Copy, and converting them to Apple Lossless files proved the best way of converting discs to high quality files for the portable. What remains interesting is that this leads to files that are very revealing of changes at a P.W.B. level. My recent, wider use of Morphic Green Cream has led to sonically superior Lossless tracks. That much is understandable. But I feared that if I used downloaded files, I could not know or treat the source, even though my computer, and even the hard drive had been treated.
Matters were then worsened by two pieces of knowledge. Firstly, there is exclusive material available on iTunes (and other sites). There are the fabulous BBC Podcasts, but terrific stuff like 'Goldfrapp - Live In London' that I cannot find elsewhere. As one can convert these files to CD format to play on the CD player (MP3 played on the disc spinners without PC conversion can also sound great) I have been very tempted. Secondly there is the now legendary DVD-Audio disc of 'Dark Side of the Moon' which can be downloaded from the internet, and many report it is just great (it is!). So I quickly caved in, and spent a few pounds on iTunes, and then converted the files up to the CD format, and played them. The results were not bad, but as good music is good music, and for anyone who enjoys Goldfrapp as much as myself, it is worth having for now. But I still wanted better sound.
So consequently, after much head scratching, and knowing that my treated PC would already burn superior discs, I knew the only place to go was to treat the recordable discs themselves. This has been reported on the forum, but I thought I would detail what I did. Firstly the disc is frozen. When thawed, Rainbow Foil is applied, and then Electret Cream, then Morphic Green Cream, and finally Morphic Liquid applied. Purple and Black inks are applied to the edges, which are then tapped, before I write a few messages on the disc with the Red X-Pen. The disc is then Clipped, and frozen again. This results in a far superior disc of the downloaded material. I have chosen not to do more as yet, as I do not trust the discs to last. The same principles apply to any other sort of disc you might make, either audio (I record the classic gigs from BBC 6 Music, for personal use of course) or video on DVD.
Of course it might be better to bypass the disc stage altogether. Some may follow Wilson Audio and use a portable player to very good effect. So far I have taken a different path and have experimented with external hard-drives and Kimber USB cables (not that expensive) going into a Head Room DAC, via the computer (tiny laptop in this case). All of these components need treating, and there is a specific pattern of Ring Ties for USB cables. But when in place, the result can be very impressive using the Lossless files. I have yet to try Airport Express or Squeezebox type products directly into a good processor, but may do so soon. Higher bit-rate Internet Radio is emerging, and in addition to the downloading possibilities, one is literally spoilt for choice. If this choice can be matched with quality, the future may not be so bad, and I will no longer have to spend so long sticking Foils on discs! To be continued……
Richard Graham
UK
P.W.B. Dictionary of Perceived Ideas
Julian Barnes' novel Flaubert's Parrot draws attention to Flaubert's Dictionary of Received Ideas. In this dictionary Flaubert took the misconceptions of his age that irritated him the most and mercilessly made fun of them, resulting in a compendium of finely judged pearls of unwisdom.
Inspired by this concept, I have attempted below to capture some of the concepts which by now will be only too familiar as infamously misrepresenting what the discoveries of P.W.B. Electronics are actually about.
Unlike the established dictionaries of modern times, this dictionary does not follow the convention of alphabetical order.
P.W.B. – stands for Power With Belt, the watchword of an increasingly popular cult based in Leeds, England.
Scientifically discredited – the absolute certainty that what you have experienced is pure, unadulterated nonsense (usually the prerogative of magazine editors).
Morphic Resonance – a peculiar feeling in the stomach that Hi-Fi reviewers get, when listening to expensive Hi-Fi equipment which sounds awful.
MP3 – Must Play Three times to understand the lyrics.
Rupert Sheldrake – discredited mad scientist who has taken to writing pot boilers.
Cryogenic Freezing – method of improving sound by making all the molecules in a CD line up, like in a block of ice.
What Hi-Fi – popular magazine which has charted the continual improvement of audio technology over many years.
iPod – America's answer to P.W.B. Electronics.
Rainbow Foil – sticky plastic strips used by P.W.B.'ers, which reduce the value of second hand records and CDs
Purple Pen – P.W.B. alternative to "Green Pen", which is even more effective at cutting out the stray light leakage from the laser on CD players.
Red 'x' Pen – P.W.B.'s answer to the iPod.
Clip – small gardening tool, effective for removing mites from domestic plants or, in exceptional cases, trees growing in the wild.
Ken Hyam
UK
In Good Shape
Whenever applying P.W.B.-products, I try to do this with another person, favourable also audiophile. It is always nice to invite someone who has never heard the P.W.B.-effect in his life. So, a friend was invited who could not hear (yet) the improvement of the Silver Rainbow Foil in his system, but remained open minded. This time, we listened to the effect of White Spiratube around the speaker leads. After attaching this, the sound space expanded, there was more life, the instruments were much better identifiable and the treble much clearer. In one word, more enjoyable! It didn't matter if the source were analog or digital. Of course (?), after we removed the Spiratube, the sound became flat and dead, instruments became veiled, harder to recognize.
According to May's advice I "spiratubed" gas pipes and electricity conduits et cetera, prior to this exercise.
But! Some of the pipes are far too big in diameter. Should we leave them alone? No, of course not. Did May not encourage us to experiment? I took some insulated solid core copper wire, and spiralled this around the bigger pipes in my house. You should know this is an ordinary, stiff electricity cable; we call it in Holland "installation leads".
Guess what? A noticeable improvement in my sound quality took place, very similar to the one with the real Spiratube, but smaller. How does this work? How does the Spiratube work anyway? I honestly don't know, but mankind already discovered the power of spirals far earlier than we're aware. It is known that farmers put spirals around plants and trees that didn't grow as good as the other plants, with good success. So, you can state that the spiral shape enhances the energy flow of anything that passes through.
This is not always good: when you sleep on a mattress that contains metal springs (coils), it is not good for your health. Irregularities in the earth magnetic pattern are amplified by the spirals, and your body will not recover enough during the sleep, because it is constantly adjusting to the wildly varying magnetic patterns.
I tell this to all my patients who suffer any chronic illness. You cannot recover of severe illness, when sleeping on such mattresses or in beds with metal frames.
There is more. I found out that the shape of things represent energy. Yep, beneficial or detrimental for the human senses. Maybe something can be done with this knowledge here; I just wanted it to share with you. There is a lot more to be found when you read what the German "Baubiologie" society has to say.
1. Shapes that are beneficial to
life
Peter Belt already states that right angles are detrimental for our senses. Even the building you live in has to be treated. But are there forms of things (loudspeakers, buildings) that are beneficial of themselves? The answer is yes. They have to be rounded or pointed, but with the point upwards, never downwards. Did you ever wonder why all ancient churches and cathedrals have such appearance? Back then, mankind knew by instinct what is good for mankind. There is much, very much to be learned here, knowledge that simply has been forgotten by modern science.
2. Forms that are departmental to
life.
The figures shown above are detrimental for life, so, also for sound quality. Never buy loudspeakers that have one of these shapes. Furthermore, if you are looking for a new house to live in, take the right shape in mind.
Knowing this, we should experiment with our spikes pointing upwards. Also, when applying a triangle shaped foil, do this always with the point upwards. And, when you are into loudspeaker building or designing, choose the right form. The same applies of course, when you are choosing artworks for in the listening room.
Arkie Martherus
The Netherlands
Quality and Quantity
Usually quality and quantity are perceived as alternatives. In the case of the PWB Improvement Pack for MP3 Players, they go hand in hand.
You get a selection of no less than 10 of PWB's top-flight foils and a generous helping of Morphic Green Cream to apply with them. Each foil is provided in a mini-strip - enough to apply three or four cuttings to equipment surfaces, enough to treat, for example, your MP3 player, mini-speakers and a bit left over for connections and headphones. So, for a very reasonable price you are getting a hugely intense package. It provides - at one go - the fruit of years of PWB research and development.
It is difficult to imagine until you taste it and see. I was already very impressed with my Creative Zen Vision - about the size and shape of a pocket calculator but with plenty of gigs. on which to record music, photos and video. With excellent software for creating and transferring appropriate file formats, it is very user-friendly. I was quite pleased with the sound through headphones, but disappointed with the amount the volume has to be cranked up when you connect to a speaker system. A friend's I-River has a separate output for connecting to loudspeakers and plays much louder at lower settings through active speakers.
So what happened when I applied the new Improvement Pack?
1. Through headphones
The already good, clean sound was now much fuller and more convincing. It was possible to track each instrument in a rudimentary soundstage (admittedly still pretty much inside the head - but it's hard to avoid that with phones). The vocals appeared deeper and richer. I was listening to a Johnny Cash album, which seemed to lose nothing through the WMA format (Windows Media Player's default for ripping music, though it will do MP3 if you tell it). I found that I just had to listen to the end of the record - the whole 12 tracks, even though I had planned just to sample.
The clues that keep the hi fi detective riveted were there, like the tiny squeaks when Cash just touched the bridge of his guitar without yet playing a note.
2. Through the JBL Creature active loud speaker system
Once the improvement pack was applied to the already well-foiled Creature, a new phase of listening opened up. Magically, the volume problem seemed less of a nuisance. I still had to pump up the plus touch button on the Creature, but now I sensed it did not matter. It does have plenty of reserves and is fully equal to the task. The only thing is I have to remember to touch the minus button before playing LPs, or the Creature will make even the most intrepid listener jump, by shrieking at the top of its voice!
The jazz album, Art Pepper meets the Rhythm Section played well - really atmospheric. Interestingly, the hefty thrumming of Paul Chambers on base sounded reasonably clean. Art farmer's immaculate alto sax came over in all its breathy, angular coolness.
Johnny Cash's train noises on Orange Blossom Special sounded strange and immediate, less of a gimmick than an all out attempt at sounding like a hooting train. It is a brilliant song, its slow, rolling rhythm strangely at odds with the line about "the fastest train in the land."
I then listened to a recently acquired Hip Hop track and was impressed by the ease with which I could follow the rapid rap lyrics. The laid back beat was full and pleasantly hypnotic to the mind.
The Feel Good Factor
To sum up then, I found startlingly good results from applying the Improvement Pack, both in the clarity of perceived sound and the pure enjoyment derived from listening to music on the tiny player with the brilliant name, which it now fully lives up to - Creative Zen Vision!.
As always, with PWB, there is somehow more to the experience than just the sonic improvement side. This "feel good factor" needs further comment and, perhaps, another article to attempt.
Kenneth Hyam
UK
Explanation behind Kevin's Cartoon.
Kevin's Cartoon on the opposite page has been inspired by Brian Hannen's experiences with P.W.B. "Smart Metal Treated' magnets and therefore I have copied Brian's 'postings' from the P.W.B. Yahoo Chat Group.
*****************
Can anyone in the UK recommend a supplier and let me know what size and strength of magnet to get, please?
Brian Hannen.
The small, round solid magnets should have been available at your local Hobby shop. These are the small disc magnets which are fitted behind such things as fridge magnets.
You can get a packet of 50 small disc (14mm in diameter) magnets for under £2.50 (two UK pounds 50 p).
Some further information regarding the small magnetic discs.
Using Google, search for HobbyCraft (in the UK) and on HobbyCraft site click on Store Finder. You will get a map showing the location of all the HobbyCraft stores in the UK and if you click on any one of the cities, you will get the address and telephone number and location of that particular store. The HobbyCraft stores should have the packets containing smaller amounts of the disc magnets (i.e. 20 per pack or 50 per pack).
Or, alternatively, you can go direct to a supplier of the small ceramic disc magnets. :-
Abel Magnets Ltd,
42, West Don Street,
Sheffield S6 3BH,
Yorkshire,
Tel 0114 249 5949 - infor@magnetic-paper.com or go direct to the ceramic disc magnet page.
www.magnetic-paper.com/shop.asp?ID=11#cat57
Abel Magnets Ltd sell Ceramic Magnetic Discs 14mm diameter in packs of 100 @ £6.49 per pack (described as suitable for Craft). They also sell slightly larger diameter size disc magnets.
Regards,
May Belt
UK
I was not at work today so caught up with treating magnets with Smart Metal. I bought 100 from Abel and thought that I would have plenty. Wrong!! Every cupboard catch in the kitchen and on the fitted wardrobes takes magnets. By the time that I'd finished that , plus doing all the radiators , fridges and other white goods I didn't have many left. I had treated the garage doors (6, one in each corner, plus one on each runner) and also the dexion racking. Get a car in there? You must be joking.
Brian Hannen
UK
Cartoon
A Natty (D)read
For as long as I have been interested in music, I have had a weak spot for reggae. There is something about the rhythm that I cannot resist. So, when I read about an introductury guide to reggae music a few years ago, I had to buy it. The book was one of a large number of "Rough Guides". There are Rough Guides about travel (various destinations) and about music (various styles and genres), and as I have not read any other Rough Guide, I cannot vouch for their quality, but Reggae - a Rough Guide by Steve Barrow and Peter Dalton is excellent.
Not until I started reading the book, did I realise how little I knew about reggae. I had a view about music formed by listening to rock and pop. Self contained groups writing their own material, performing without help from sessin musicians were "the right thing". OK, solo artists without backing bands could be allowed to use session musicians on their recordings. I did not particularly care for vocalists performing songs written by others and backed by session musicians. (A rigid view such as this is of no use if you want to enjoy music, as I have learnt.)
Bob Marley and the Wailers did nothing to challenge my view; they were introduced to the world outside Jamaica as a self contained group performing Marleys own songs by their record label, Island. However, reading things such as Culture being a vocal trio (A vocal trio? Who played the instruments? Ah, they must have a backing band! Surely they cannot be using session musicians...) or (in a review) that Tapper Zukie performed almost in a trance over tapes (Pre-recorded tapes!?) on his album M.P.L.A., got me wondering. But even then I didn't really believe what I had read.
Now, I am older and wiser, and I have read Reggae - a Rough Guide. It is a lovely introduction to the world of reggae for people like me, with an interest, but no real knowledge. It covers the development of Jamaican music through the different stages from the early influences through ska, rocksteady, early reggae, roots, dub, dancehall to the newer digitalized "ragga" rhythms. Important artists are presented, as well as producers. All the different chapters contain recommended albums.
If you would like to learn more about reggae and its basics: rhythms, versions, producers, session musicians (!), singers, vocal trios, deejays, sound systems and even self contained groups (there are some), look for Reggae - a Rough Guide by Steve Barrow and Peter Dalton. If you cannot find it in a store, try the Rough Guides website:
www.roughguides.com
Regards,
Mats Lindberg,
Sweden
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