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  Do you believe in Magic?
Audio Magic, that is.

Let's say that Magic is any effect not explainable by known physical laws. Every audiophile is familiar with debates about Audio Magic, as evidenced by endless threads about power cables.

I recently had an experience that made me question my long held skepticism about Magic. On a whim, I bought some Stillpoints ERS Fabric. I installed it in my preamp (which is filled with noisy digital circuitry) and a reclocker (also noisy) and...

Something happened. I don't know what exactly, but something. Two things in particular seemed to change... the decay of notes, and instrument timbres. Both changed for the better. But where did this change occur? In my listening room? Or in my mind?

If the change was in my listening room, then Magic exists. If the change was in my mind, then Magic does not exist.

One of the great Ideological Divides in audio is the divide between Believers and Skeptics. I honestly don't know if I'm a Believer or a Skeptic.

Do you believe in Magic?

Bryon
Bryoncunningham  (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

01-21-12
  Responses (51-100 of 286)
Click title to read one, or click date to read all below it.

01-27-12   Well, i totally expected some would not agree with my somewh ...   Sonicbeauty

01-27-12   It looks like we have consensus: microwave sound effects a ...   Nonoise

01-27-12   Thank you, sonicbeauty, for your last post. it clarifies you ...   Bryoncunningham

01-27-12   Swampwalker, lol.   Metro04

03-03-12   Today i had another encounter with magic. i installed a mae ...   Bryoncunningham

03-03-12   What was the other outlet? regards,   Metralla

03-04-12   Byroncunningham, i believe in john sebastian and magic. i ha ...   Sabai

03-04-12: Bryoncunningham
Hi Metralla - I didn't mention the other outlet because I didn't want folks to interpret my post as "X is better than Y." With that caveat, the other outlet was Synergistic Research's Teslaplex. I also own PS Audio's Power Port and Shunyata's SR-Z1. The PS Audio outlet is currently being used for my computer. The Shunyata outlet lives in the Drawer of Forgotten Toys. It hadn't occurred to me that the Maestro is my FOURTH fancy outlet. That is just silly.

Anyway, with the previous 3 outlets, I heard no difference whatsoever. Zero. Still, I kept the PS Audio outlet and the Synergistic outlet because I like the death grip they have on my power cords. Interestingly, the Shunyata outlet does not have a death grip, which is why it was banished to the Drawer.

Why I heard no improvement with the other outlets and a considerable improvement with the Maestro is a mystery that, in all probability, will never be solved. Hence its status as Magic is unlikely to change.

BTW, I don't believe that these kinds of experiences can be reliably generalized. In someone else's system, one of the other outlets may have been preferable to the Maestro. This is the realm of the occult, where what few "experts" do exist rely on theories, methods, and explanations that are prescientific, to put it politely.

Hi Sabai - Thanks for your acknowledgement that Magic exists.

I haven't experimented with putting ERS cloth around power cords. I should give it a try. I have found that ERS's effects are nearly impossible to predict. I put it most places and I hear nothing but the sound of placebo. In a few applications, I could say with some confidence that it helped things. In other applications, it seemed to hurt things.

I have looked at the Bybee products with some interest. About the Quantum Purifiers, the Bybee website says...

Bybee Quantum Purifiers operate on the quantum mechanical level to regulate the flow of electrons that make up the signal (picture a metering light regulating freeway traffic flow). Current flow within the Quantum Purifier is unimpeded and ideal (think of the unencumbered flow of traffic on a lightly traveled expressway). During transit through the Quantum Purifier, quantum noise energy is stripped off the electrons, streamlining their flow through ensuing conductors. Unwanted quantum noise energy dissipates as heat within the Quantum Purifier rather than emerging as a layer of contamination residue over the audio/video information.

I wish the folks at Bybee would just say, "These work. We don't know why." Perhaps an ineffective marketing strategy, but more honest. Having said that, I don't know why I haven't tried Bybee products yet. They seem like exactly the kind of thing I don't believe in and then buy.

:-)

Bryon

Bryoncunningham  (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)


03-04-12   Hi byroncunningham, i had a bit of the same magic with the t ...   Sabai

03-04-12   Ok, sabai, you convinced me. i will look around for some byb ...   Bryoncunningham

03-04-12   It doesn't cost much to give one a try. you have little to l ...   Sabai

03-04-12   I think the folks at bybee should say, "these work. we ...   Geoffkait

03-05-12   I have to admit, geoff, i don't understand your comment.   Bryoncunningham

03-04-12   No, i don't believe in magic. bryon - if you want to really ...   Ether

03-05-12   I agree that trying to understand their explanations is an e ...   Sabai

03-05-12   Byron c - the word quantum automatically provokes a response ...   Geoffkait

03-06-12   Byron c, i wonder if this also includes synergistic research ...   Sabai

03-06-12   There is no boundary between classical physics and quantum m ...   Geoffkait

03-07-12   i'm surprised to hear you say this, geoff, as the word 'qua ...   Bryoncunningham

03-07-12   I believe there are significant differences. regarding mar ...   Sabai

03-07-12   Byron c - i'm afraid you misquoted me. what i actually said ...   Geoffkait

03-07-12   Does anyone really believe the teleportation tweek can work? ...   Zydo

03-07-12   Since we are already in the magic and quantum realm: http:/ ...   Ether

03-08-12   yes, geoff, i do see the difference. i misunderstood what y ...   Bryoncunningham

03-08-12   I cannot recall a case where a manufacturer attempted to obs ...   Geoffkait

03-08-12   Hi byron, i agree -- completely. actually, i have at least ...   Sabai

03-08-12   Thank you, geoff, for your substantive response. as it turns ...   Bryoncunningham

03-08-12   "i believe that the universe is much cleverer than we a ...   Geoffkait

03-08-12   Hi frogman: you quoted geoffkait regarding knowledge not be ...   Mrtennis

03-08-12   I would like to add another point. most explanations of why ...   Mrtennis

03-09-12   i honestly don't know what you're saying here. who is the & ...   Bryoncunningham

03-09-12   If we accept the premise that most devices and tweaks operat ...   Geoffkait

03-09-12   The description is not the described. the perception may be ...   Sabai

03-09-12   i agree. there is the world and there are representations o ...   Bryoncunningham

03-09-12   I tend to think that anyone looking for "satisfying&quo ...   Geoffkait

03-09-12   My last post in this futile discussion: - rather than argue ...   Ether

03-10-12   Byron, you are exactly correct. imo. "a scientific exp ...   Sabai

03-10-12   Ether, i think there may be some confusion here. geoff is re ...   Sabai

03-10-12   I'm all for well controlled studies, heck i'm even for blind ...   Geoffkait

03-10-12   I would add one final note. i bought four sheets. successive ...   Tbg

03-10-12   i agree. imo, there may be some phenomena that permanently ...   Bryoncunningham

03-10-12   Byron, sorry, my comments above are a misstatement on my par ...   Sabai

03-10-12   Geoff, i never heard a satisfied customer complaining about ...   Sabai

03-10-12   Sakai, you are correct, there may be some confusion here. ...   Geoffkait

03-11-12   there is certainly some truth to this. the history of scien ...   Bryoncunningham

03-11-12   Outstanding post, bryon. beautifully said! best, -- al   Almarg

03-11-12   Somebody didn't pick up on the humor of sabai's remark. i' ...   Geoffkait

03-11-12   Geoff, trying to have a conversation with you reminds me of ...   Bryoncunningham

03-11-12   Bryoncunningham, i think you are right about science ultimat ...   Tbg

03-11-12   in the words of wittgenstein's friend and colleague georg h ...   Geoffkait


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