I have tried a few different approaches to ionizing treatment. All produced an effect, some good, some not so good.
Picked up several tourmaline crystals at a flea market (each about the size of a hens egg) for ~$6.00. These generate negative ions when heated. Placed these over the power tubes on my amp and heard a small change - cleaner treble, but also colder and a bit harsh.
Tried a consumer type room ionizer, heard open relaxed, detailed treble - very complimentary. Later tried pointing the ionizer directly at my components (on highest setting) and got more detail, but that cold hard treble was back.
IMO - it works. Just need to find the right balnce, setting, room position, etc. |
AM stations have to reduce power at night per FCC regulations
http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/why-am-radio-stations-must-reduce-power-change-operations-or-cease-broadcasting-night
I've noticed, listening to AM station, that at about 6PM signal rapidly dropped (more noise). Perhaps there is a quiet period of few hours after 6PM when stations already reduced power but propagation is still not as good as it is at night. |
Peak generation and load is during the day. Therefore, most base loaded generators are operated during the day and not the evening. Therefore, more distortions, noise, voltage and frequency variations during the day. So yes, it is better at night in countries that have stable electrical systems.
enjoy |
The Stein Harmonizer is amazing by the way. I wish I could justify the steep price. Not sure what they're doing but they're doing. |
I've used an air ionizer for many years now and can't really say whether it's had a positive effect or not. I know it helps keep the air cleaner as I have to clean it once a week (it's truly amazing just how much icky stuff it grabs reminding me just how bad the air quality is in LA).
As for moisture in the air, this has been discussed for many a year now and there seems to be some validity to slightly denser, moister air sounding a bit better than drier air. Too much moisture and the drivers can be adversely affected. No real happy medium that I'm aware of.
I'm just not ready to subject myself to some trials for the moment but would like to hear what others have experienced.
All the best,
Nonoise |
Unfortunately for that argument the SteinMusic Harmonizer is not an ionizer. Not that there's anything wrong with ionizers. |
Yes I'd like to revisit this thread 7 years later. A friend told me he's been experimenting with purifiers that ionize the air, this after reading some reviews of the Stein Harmonizers. Well he brought over a commercial ionizer and low and behold the sound in my listening studio became more relaxed and the soundstage expanded.....this after about 30 minutes once the unit was turned on. Wow....
Go on-line and you can get these ionizers for $50 - $300 try it out if you don't hear anything return it. It's the same principle as the Stein Harmonizers at a fraction of the cost.
(Dealer disclaimer) |
I'm not sure my brain is ever relaxed :-)
I did notice that my ceiling fan affected the sound dramatically when on high. The bass was muddy and the system lost focus. Seriously. |
Your brains more relaxed at night ,ionizers have no effect on sound.And yes AC line in most places has less noise at night.humidity effects sound after all you are moving air when air is full of water it reacts diferantly. |
I think the sound of my audio set up improved when I added a humidifier to the forced air HVAC system, used during the heating season of course. This was before I was aware of tweaks, and it took me by surprise. And no, I have NOT determined the optimal humidity level for sound enhancement!
But wait, isn't it DRIER in the mountains???
|
Here's a little piece of useful info.
Ever notice how things sound on a misty or foggy night?
Turns out that if you spritz your listening room to make the air a little more moist, the sound will improve.
The denser the the medium, the faster sound travels. A room that has more moisture will sound better than a dry room.
Hey, I thought it was BS until I tried it. I usually approach these tweaks with skepticism but when I hear it with my own ears then I think, hey, why not pass it along. YMMV. IMBFOS. |
I find that my system sounds it's best on Sundays, with the emphasis on day.
Logic would dictate that it is related to the power grid. But I wonder if industry being lighter on Sunday also contributes (which would also relate to the grid). I've also noticed that traffic is much lighter on Sundays, it's much more quiet outside.
I'm not sure, but I am sure it's better on sunDAY. |
I not sure I buy the argument that power is cleaner at night. With the average working couple, all chores are completed at night. I would guess that dishwashers, washers and dryers, microwaves, and televisions all have increasingly more night use than ever before. Depending on your community, factories that run three shifts utilize the same electric use as in the day. When I owned the Monster AVS2000, the digital readouts indicated that the power fluctuated more at night - especially up until 9pm. I found the same up and down voltage at night on an older Tripplite 2400. Besides, the better line conditioning units should somewhat equalize the difference. I would love to find out if anyone actually has run an ionizer in the listening room and what effects if had if any. |
You forgot .............. YOYO !!! REALLY............. |
The AC power is cleaner at night. Therefore your system performs better with less line noise.
This has been discussed many times before, so you could do a search to determine more detailed information. |
Good points! I tried something like that once. Since vacuum tubes sound so nice and systems sound better in the mountains, I figured I'd go all the way and listen in a vacuum. Nothing, nada, nix!!! I still can't figure that out ;-) |
