(Jolida) Black Ice Audio Foz SS-X Sound Enhancement


I could find only a few reviews of this device and a few forum entries here. They were all favorable. I sorely needed the bass enhancement circuit for my Maggie 3.7s. I have a Marchand X.26 crossover handling them and the sub but the integration was not ideal. The pre and amps are Cary Audio Class A mono blocs. The source is transparent and very revealing. I did not want anything to upset the glorious sound of the tubes. I also needed something to offset my small-ish listening room. The Maggies ’stand watch’ but I can’t get the distance I need for them to bloom. The SS-X seemed to fit the bill - tube driven, clean specs and a solid designer pedigree. I respect Jim Fosgate.

I ordered the SS-X on the strength of his engineering expertise, particularly in tubes, viz-a-viz Jolida. Not having heard the device it could be considered a leap of faith or a plunge into disappointment. I held my breath.

Straight to the chase: Maggies now have a sweet bottom end, the sub has been dialed back and has disappeared and the top to bottom synergy is spot on and very satisfying.

But wait, there’s more...

The spatial imaging adjustment: Well, I listened to several of my favorite studio recordings. Clean, thankfully. I then put on a nightclub recording of the late Ben Webster live in Amsterdam. I nearly fell out of my chair. The speakers disappeared and I was looking around for the cocktail waitress. The drum kit, the piano, the double bass were all present in the venue with all of its ambiance and Mr. Webster was doing what he did so incredibly well: swinging the audience ala Ellington with that big smooth sax. You could hear everyone present as if you were sitting there.

I’m still waiting for the cocktail server. Incredible device and worth every penny and the anticipation.





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There is nothing worse than speakers that won't work with the room.  I've said this many times, but in a normal domestic environment without a huge amount of placement flexibility, it is a total crapshoot in finding a speaker.  But when it clicks with the room, a whole world opens up.  Believe me, I know.  I had the Harbeth Monitor 30s and I so wanted to love them, but it sounded like everything under 100 hz was missing.  Then I tried the Opera Callas Monitor and it sounded perfect.  The errors in the speaker complimented the errors in the room.  My guess is you will eventually abandon this product and try for a better matching speaker because you won't be able to deal psychologically with inserting a $400 box in between all your expensive components.  Part of the audiophile mind.  Maybe not.  Try to enjoy.  
Thanks for the comments. Good observations.

It would be really hard for me to give up the Maggies. I wanted them in the worst way since the early salad days when I first heard them powered by Audio Research. I knew I wanted tubes and Maggies. I was finally able to buy them in mid 1990 after I acquired the Carys. They were the last in the chain of my build.

Actually, they were never intended to stay in my office at home. They sounded tonally great even without the bass and imaging. It was always my intent to move them into a different area but that option never happened. Family issues precluded that move. In the intervening years, I wasn’t necessarily suffering from the lack of bass and imaging, I just missed both. My prior speakers, Celestion SL700SEs, would disappear and image like crazy in that other area, but no, I just had to have the Maggies. Well, to be fair, the Celestions suffered a catastrophic loss too painful to recount. I decided to opt for the Maggies rather than replace them.

This product brought it all together. I’m under no spell. I know it is signal/phase manipulation, but I accept that. It is well-executed, the build is exemplary and the sound very satisfying, such that, the compromise to absolutism is more than amply offset by the glorious compromise it is.

Bottom line is I get to keep my Maggies with their seductive mids and now have the warmth in the bottom with the imaging I was missing. To directly address the responses to my post, I’ll take that compromise for sure, even though I don’t view it that way at all.

I’ve been into this hobby since boyhood with soldering iron in hand and I have heard enough to know immediately what I like and don’t like; hence, despite the room acoustics, I kept this system this many years. This, I like, and my compromise is over.

I posted this as I suspect others may be in the same dilemma and need this capability. It may merit consideration. It truly is a great tool.

Now that I have shot my 5 (posts), I’ll return to the music and anonymity.

Best and happy listening to all!
Comments/advice greatly appreciated. I like to own ANYTHING that is quality first. Audio has never been an exception.Jim Fosgate has the kind of reputation that holds up to my expectations. Eventually, I will buy one of these.
Ok, get ready for an update in the coming days. I should receive the unit this Thursday, and am anxious to give it a listen. My system isn't quite complete yet, as I am working on an amp project that will take some time. In the interim, I am getting by with less than a great power amp. Regardless, I feel that the new unit will make it's impressions known enough for me to decide what I hear from it. Seems that it had some intent for headphone listeners as well, and that< is where I do have a leg up for some more serious listening. More later, less sooner.  
 The unit came in a day late, courtesy of a snow storm. Then, living in Wyoming generally means that a product needs to warm up for at least an hour. Finally, I plug it in and turn it on for a few minutes. Like others that stated a bit about the quality, I concur. Thank god this isn't some crappy little black box. I am pretty impressed. The packing was righteous as well. My wife is sleeping so, headphones first impressions. After a bit of fiddling with the controls, I was surprised to learn that just a bit more bass on my ZMF Ori phones was used. Not much, just something that I preferred. I am listening to U2, Joshua Tree. Listened to it last night on speakers, and said to myself, "Oh yah, this is the album that can have a little or more midrange bite." The Ori phones put this sort of thing right back in perspective for me. Glad that I own them. Then I am adjusting the dimension control. I have listened to more than my share of this kind of stuff, and am skeptical after being fed anymore placebos. As I used the control, I realized that yes, there really is something positive going on, and thank god again, it is variable. Too much is just that, too much. For this recording, about a 1 o'clock position gives me for the first time, a worthy impression of headphones not feeding your ears a little miniature rock band smack dab between your ears. I may sell the rest of my system... who needs more? But just kidding folks, I will accidentally wake the wife, and continue listening through speakers. So far, there are no regrets for the price paid, nor the real estate taken by this unit. Thanks Jim Fosgate.