Thoughts on Neutralaudio X-Drei, wrt BSG QOL

Based on the limited descriptions that are available, QOL and X-Drei seem to me to be intended to do two completely different and unrelated things.

QOL appears to be intended to somehow extract/recover/restore information, apparently phase-related, that "is already present in recordings, but [is] hidden in conventional reproduction."

X-Drei appears to be intended to reduce, modify, or otherwise make more benign, ultrasonic and rf frequency components of the signal, that might be difficult for the power amplifier and/or the speakers to handle without audible side-effects. In looking at the signal waveforms shown in their writeups, keep in mind that what distinguishes the sinusoidal, triangular, and square waves that are depicted as inputs are high frequency harmonics. Although they don't show time scales in any of the diagrams, those harmonics are presumably at ultrasonic and rf frequencies, because presumably the device would not be designed to alter harmonics or other spectral components that are below 20 kHz.

I would therefore expect the effects of X-Drei to be highly dependent on the particular amplifier and speakers that are being used, and on how gracefully they would be able to handle those ultrasonic and rf spectral components in the absence of this technology.

IMO.

Regards,
-- Al

The lack of detailed technical information on what these devices are doing makes saying anything about them very speculative, at least without hearing them (preferably on multiple systems). But fwiw:

02-15-12: Spiritofmusic
Since they work on different facets of the signal, what is your hunch as to how they might work in series ie one after the other between pre and pow? And if you feel this might be positive which sequence would you choose?

I suspect that each would have its effects independently of the other, and regardless of whether or not the other is present. Along the lines of my earlier comment, based on the available information I suspect that the effects of the X-Drei would be more system dependent than the effects of the QOL.

If both devices were present, my instinct would be to put the X-Drei first in the chain. Putting it somewhat simplistically, I envision the X-Drei as "cleaning up" the signal, and the QOL as adding something to the signal. So it would seem to make sense for the QOL to operate on as "clean" a signal as possible.

02-15-12: Onhwy61
I would be interested in your opinion of the QOL's oscilloscope data as provided on the BSG website.

I agree with your comment in the current QOL thread, which essentially says that the device is definitely introducing a significant stereo component onto the mono signal. As you may realize, the oscilloscope display is what is known as a Lissajous pattern, with one channel (left or right) driving horizontal deflection and the other channel driving vertical deflection. The QOL device clearly causes the two channels to become significantly different. Not enough information is presented to be able to say much more than that.

Regards,
-- Al