Rain-X as CD Enhancement Treatment

OK Guys...This whole thing is supposed to be fun. Don't get your nose out of joint.

Rodman99999...The Bose issue is a perfect example of the "you won't believe it until you try it" arguement. I posted about the UNEXPECTED good sound from the hated Bose901 speakers when used in a very large swimming pool room. I took the trouble to comment on this because it was so unexpected. We can speculate about why this is so. I attribute it to the large unobstructed reflective wall behind the speakers, and replacement of the Bose equalizer with a Behringer DEQ2496. If I were to do the RainX experiment I would naturally use my "good" system with the Maggies.

Douglas_schroeder...If I told you that RainX on your dashboard would dramaticly improve your car's gas milage, would you think it worth trying?

As I have mentioned before I have absolutely zero problem with CDs and DVDs skipping. Never have with several players since CDs were invented. I never clean CDs (unless I spill coffee on them or something like that. I have a theory that frequent cleaning is the cause of the problems that some folk report. I know that the precision optical devices which are used in my work are dusted off with a soft brush once a year or so. Cleaning is detramental to them, and CDs may be the same.

Douglas_schroeder...Sorry about the "I don't think" phrase. I will try to remember to use "IMHO" which seems to be acceptable :-)

If RainX costs only $2.99 I will try it. I can always use the stuff on my car. (Their washer fluid is excellent). But, probably not on the dashboard.

Eldartford, great response! Thoughtful, considerate, the kind of discussion we can have on thes topics! Kudos! No nose out of joint here; I argue strenuously at times, but I put a lot of these :) in the text to indicate I'm not angry. :) I can get intense, but I try to keep it in perspective (i.e. not wrecking my listening session last night).

I'll take your word for it that the Bose sounds unusually good in that room. :)

If I try Rain-X on my dashboard and my gas mileage improves, would you believe it? ;) Had to throw that one in for fun.

I don't see the analogy as, well... analogous. If you had said, "put Rain-X into the gas tank," then there would be a connection (For any dullards among us, I'm NOT recommending it!). The disc treatment does touch directly (Well, actually, it doesn't directly TOUCH it...)on the performance of the laser assembly, so the issue is direct, not peripheral, as in the car dashboard illustration. For that reason, no, I would not believe you if you told me that it improved mileage. However, if you discussed an adjustment relating to the engine or drive train then I would be without evidence to contradict you unless I tried it out. That is the situation with the disc treatment. It does touch (there we go again...) upon the operation of the laser assembly.

Yes, I would have nothing to say about the optical gear you work with. I also do not repeat the treatments on CD's. It is permanent from my experience, one treatment is "eternal". :) I tested that as well, pulling out discs that had been treated three years ago and re-treating them. Zero additional gain, zero additional audible improvement. This was consistent with my thinking that the gain comes from the initial treatment. Either removal of a coating or making the surface more highly reflective (or both) contributes to the advantage of treating them. In my experience it never needs repeating.

My discs have remained in perfect condition, and some I have had treated for more than five or six years. I wrote an article about Jena Labs' disc treatment product, but was cleaning discs prior to that. I have used a variety of treatments, from simple washing with dish soap and water, to "mystery" solutions, and have used the aforementioned Jena Labs system, which they point out is not a polish, as well as Turtle Wax. If anyone wants to use car polish, I will add a disclaimer that it's not designed for CD's. If you are anxious about potential damage to discs, then use only "approved" solutions by audio manufacturers.

I have found typically two very discernible levels of improvement; one level from cleaning type activites, and the other by polishing type activities. Frankly, now I simply skip the cleaning step and go right to the polish step. The results seem to be the same as if I had cleaned prior to polishing.

Eldartford, I am impressed that you are willing to consider a test. You are more open to practical discovery than I gave you credit for. I would urge you, however, to try two differerent "tests".

#1 Do your critical listening at the level desired. Then, use a harmless cleaning solution, i.e. Dish soap and water, or an audio industry cleaning solution. Conduct listening comparison test. Then, return to the "shop" and polish the disc, with either Rain-X or polish. Once again conduct listening session.
-I'm not sure of your rig or of your (I say this sincerely, not jokingly) hearing acuity, but I believe you should easily hear improvement with the second step for sure.

#2 Remove the cleaning step from the test. Simply compare the polished and unpolished disc. In my experience the polish is the key to the result. And it is with this method that the effect becomes most noticeable.

I would be very interested in what you discover. I think the distinction in sound is so great that I do not need to tell you to approach the test "with an open mind." If it works as it has in my system, the difference will be immeditate and significantly noticeable. You may want to conduct the test with others, i.e. family members, as well once you have done it. :)

At high velocity where aerodynamic friction becomes significant, it may be true that the smooth surface presented by Rain-X on a windshield may increase both maximum velocity and gas mileage.

Douglas_schroeder...FYI...I was urged by Sean, of fond memory, to try something other than zip cord for speaker wire. He loaned me some audiophile-approved wires to try out and I did a listening test. With two speakers side by side, one wired with zip cord and the other with the speaker wire, I did seem to hear a difference, and thought it was probably a very slight improvement. As a result I bought some Goertz wires.

On the other hand, my evaluation of a Cryo-treated AC outlet produced the opposite conclusion.

My mind is indeed "open". How many audiophiles would consider using Bose 901 speakers!!!