I reached the two week mark today. The evidence is clear that the E-Mat effectiveness increases over time. I am using six E-Mats, to review, 1 on the main power panel, 1 on the audio subpanel, 1 under the Bryston BIT-20 isolation transformer, 1 under the Ear Acute CD player and 2 stacked under the pre-amp/phono pre-amp.
I am stunned by the improvement in sound. Just the improvement in resolution/clarity would be sufficient. So many details and performance characteristics are illuminated that I never heard or previously paid attention to. The music's the same but there is so much more to it to enjoy. Actually, some recordings I thought were just okay are now fascinatingly interesting because I can hear subtle dynamic and rhythmic shifts that were previously obscured. I thought I needed a high end new speaker to hear those details but now I don't.
Frequency extremes are better in a way that Frank describes as "a lower noise floor." They just pop more.
When I put my ear to the speakers, they are quieter. I have 98db sensitive speakers and what today is considered large, hissy tube amps (well with a signal, without a signal their almost silent). This hiss is way down in level. From my seat 13' away, there was no hiss with a signal.
The only parameter I can't resolve is the stereo separation of early stereo recordings, especially jazz (many on Contemporary label). My 1956 to 1958 recordings are now mostly left and right channel with a hole in the middle unless there is a soloist recorded in the middle. Mono and more modern stereo recordings don't have this problem and completely fill the center between the speakers. Has anyone else noticed this effect? It maybe that those early stereo recordings or my speakers are not good at filling in the center for those recordings and E-Mats just clarify the recording technique.
