"PWB Morphic Cable Label" from P.W.B. Electronics, U.K.

"Not your grandfather's cable clip."

INTRODUCTION 

After a year of generally dour news around the globe, there is a light at the end of 2021's tunnel. It came from "P.W.B. Electronics" at around Christmas time, in the form of a curious and colourful pair of small plastic clippy things. 

I'm always happy to see new products developed by PWB, and this one is a first. Perhaps a distant cousin to an earlier product, PWB’s “Spiratube”, it is a treated clip of sorts, meant to be attached to a wire or cable, among other things, with the sole purpose of improving the quality of sound (and other other senses) perceived. 

If I didn’t know what it was (and I didn’t when I first laid eyes on it!), my best guess would have been "earphone organizer?". For that reason, I plan to test it on my collection of earphones! In any regard, I think it’s a brilliant idea. What audiophile doesn’t have cables? There’s a lot of potential there, because there are all kinds of cables (audio and not)… or wire, as the instructions note, on which it could be employed. Who says it has to be audio cables? Could be telephone cables, electrical cables, internet cables, etc.!

This could get mighty interesting! 😊

PRE-IMPRESSIONS

(n.b. These are my initial non-auditory impressions of these devices, from the point of view of a 'feeling audiophile'! For those that can't relate, (ie. everyone else?), this may have very limited interest! But I think it does offer a unique perspective on the product. Still, feel free to skip this section, if you wish!). 

Holding them in my hand, they feel “heavy”, in terms of their energy, when compared to everything else that came in the envelope they were sent in.  As a measure of this, I can sense that I would be able to pick out the Morphic Cable Label devices blindly, among similarly shaped pieces of ordinary untreated plastic. What this finding indicates to me, is that they will have a noticeable effect on sound, when installed and tested. But not necessarily what that sound will be. The green one had a ‘lighter’ feel than the magenta. So, in testing, I expect them each to have a slightly different influence on sound.

WHAT IT IS, WHAT IT IS

A pretty simple device, who's application is pretty straightforward as well. Each Morphic Cable Label Device is a thin piece of flexible (but not readily breakable) plastic, with gold and silver labels on either side of the main body, and curly tips at either end. The device is attached by having the wire or cable curled around the ends. Because the tips are quite expandable, it should be able to attach to any size of household cable.

Like all audio 'devices'/treatments from P.W.B., it works by reducing levels of human tension. Which in turn, has an effect on our qualities of sensory perception. Including what we're most interested in here; our ability to perceive sound. 

GETTING ACQUAINTED 

General Orientation: 

I 'feel-tested' the orientation of a Morphic Cable device in my hand, by spinning it into various positions; horizontal, vertical, in, out, up, down, etc. So in its free (unattached) state, the ‘generally’ most preferable position I came up with, is where the device is oriented vertically, with the direction of the writing on the label  pointing toward earth, and the side with the small square of 'Silver Rainbow Foil", facing the listener. Thus, if it can be installed in exactly this way, on a wire or cable that is nicely receptive to it, that should provide good result. (Unless of course the interaction with what its attached to, necessitates a somewhat different orientation).

Point of Comparison: 

When the Morphic Cable Label device is attached to a cable in a horizontal fashion, it can be oriented so that the gold label faces up, and the silver one down; or vice-versa. I found that with the Gold label toward the floor, the soundstage was smaller, but more precise. With the Gold label oriented toward the ceiling, the soundstage was larger, more vibrant, and with a closer presence…. But with softer, less precise transients. And resulting from that, a bit less engaging, musically. (n.b. A comparable difference may be expected, when the device is on a cable in a vertical position). YMMV.

LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION 

The obvious locations for such a device, is naturally going to be wires and cables. But it doesn't absolutely have to be. If you think outside the wire.... for example, it seems to mate pretty well with wood. Such as when blue-tacked onto this wall shelf below. 

INTERNET ROUTER:

P.W.B.'s inspiration for this device came from one customer's desire to treat the source wire going into his internet router, which at its end, is covered by the housing of the router. This also happens to describe my router, which uses a fibre-optic cable, terminating inside a hinged plastic housing. 

Still, I couldn't really attach the device to the very end of the cable, where it enters the router jack, with that housing in its closed position, since it would interfere with the latching of the housing. But this could be done, if the housing that covers the cable's end, were left ajar.

Then there was the question of "There are two colours... which colour to choose?". I ‘energy-tested’ the green one by placing it against all of the cables on the back of my router, including the power cable, and it mated best with the fibre-optic cable, carrying the internet line from outside the building. I didn’t test whether the Morphic Cable tag should be applied at the wall end, where the Internet cable enters the building, or at the router end, where it enters the router. 

That is because many, many moons ago, I have established and lived by ‘rules’ about such things. Which is that, treatments should always be applied to the input end (generally as close to the input itself as possible). Here, this means the router end. Also, that any sort of writing (as on the cable or on a label), should always follow the direction of the signal. This means I apply the Morphic Link Cable Label device with the writing on the gold label in the direction of the input jack on the router.

That still leaves whether the gold label should be facing moon (top) or earth (bottom). Once the device was placed on the fibre-optic internet cable, just before the router end of it, I determined by feel, that it is best turned so that it is positioned to where the Silver Rainbow Foil is facing the surface of the desk (earth). 

Now, although I did try 'feeling' for every position possible, and although what I described above was determined to be the best position, it still didn’t ‘feel’ quite right, inside me.  Something was slightly off… maybe the colour wasn’t the best fit for this application? Wasn't sure yet....  but what I was sure of, is that the sound was leagues better than before applying the Morphic Link Cable Label! 

Everything was clearer, with the overall resolution noticeably higher (as though an “HQ” or “HD” label got slapped on to the music!). Bringing out more details and simply, more music.

Now… to fix that slight “off” feeling! 

Next I tried the magenta version in the same fashion but… that didn’t solve it. Then I tried something I didn’t think would work… I moved the device much further down the cable, nearer to the wall, closer to where it exits out of (or comes in from, depending on your perspective!) the room. I could tell, just by placing it there, that this was right. That slight feeling of tension was mainly gone. Listening to the same song again, confirmed it. The sound was now more rounded, natural, leaving me with that “peaceful, easy feeling” during the listening session. 

In conclusion, I can confirm that an Internet router cable is a good location for this device. But as to where it should go on that cable... I don't feel that's really conclusive (yet?). On the middle of the cable? At the wall where it exits the building? Or the normally presumed best spot, which is at the router end, as close to the jack as possible? Perhaps this is more of a "YMMV" situation. Or perhaps I might find the router location best, if I try moving it back there again. I just don't want to move it now, because the sound is too good! Fortunately, I have a second one (in magenta), to test other locations with.... 

FURTHER NOTES ON THE SOUND: 

Some time later, I had a more careful listen to the sound of the green Morphic Cable Label device, situated somewhere around the middle of my internet fibre optic cable. As compared to the sound I was getting before installing this device, the soundstage is definitely wider than before. That ‘rounding’ of notes that occurred when I first installed the Green cable tag, has become much ‘rounder’. Hence, now, the sound is very warm, and very sweet. Listener fatigue, this sound suggests, will be impossible. It could be argued by some, there is less detail, in this type of change heard. Notably in mids and highs. 

But the fluidity of the music, which carries you along and lets you hear the layout of familiar songs in ways you’ve never heard before, tells a different story. One that could be entitled “This Is Right”, or “This Is Something Special”. 😃

KEYBOARD:

Noting a computer keyboard was mentioned in the instructional leaflet that came with the devices, I thought that ought to be an interesting location. I have never treated a keyboard before. Or even a USB cable, to my recollection.

THE SET-UP

'Feel-testing' different positions, I ended up with the device at the USB input end, with the writing on the gold label in the direction of the USB input (same as the router). But this time, I preferred the Gold label facing up, on top of the cable. (Though neither up nor down felt perfectly right to me). The feeling I got after applying the tag (but before listening to the result), was curiously, not the same as with the router. 

Within a second or two of applying it, I started feeling ‘sleepy’! (In that, my eyes wanted to close, my body wanted to shut down). This is really not a typical reaction for me in such a test… but it is a desirable one. For I know what this means… I will be sucked into the music. And upon the actual listening test, boy, was I not wrong about that!

THE SOUND

As soon as the music played, I was totally absorbed by it, frozen in place, eyes wide shut. The 'stereoscape' (aka soundstage) was larger, but otherwise, I’m just not sure what changed, on a 'technical' level. I was too engrossed in the experience, to be able to analyze it that way.

So yes, the keyboard is a good thing!  In fact, I was surprised this little device could have that kind of an effect. Assuming it can be achieved as easily as I did, this character of sound is exactly what an audiophile should want, and need. When you can produce a sound where it doesn’t even matter what the frequency profile is, or anything like that, because you’ve experienced a deeper connection to the music, then that’s all you really need. 😄

After at least another hour of listening to my familiar music, my initial findings did not change, they were only reinforced. The keyboard installation produced a tonally rich, warm, sweet, expansive sound. Moreover, a low-tension sound, that puts a new perspective on familiar material in my music collection. 

n.b. In my personal opinion, the way this device (or any, really!) is oriented, can have an influence on the final result. For example, one orientation might give a sound that has less 'sparkle' (ie. on piano, strings), but a more natural, fluid sound. Another might have greater top end detail, but give a more 'analytical' sound. And I'm sure a balance between the two can always be had! 😃

MOUSE:

I tried attaching the Morphic Cable Label to the input end of a wired optical mouse on one of my computers. Sonically speaking, that proved to be a special location as well! If it wasn’t the best overall, it was in the top three. It gave a warmer sound, but with no lack of definition or engagement.

SPEAKER WIRE:

After 'feeling' the difference between red and black terminations, I attached the (magenta) Morphic Cable tag to the red (+) speaker wire, at the input end, behind the speaker. It was positioned just before the plug, with the wording on the Gold label in the direction of the speaker. I felt this was a good location to experiment with, as it seemed to produce the best sound yet, among the objects tested in that room. Sound: strong, well balanced, good definition and soundstage.

AMAZON FireTV:

Because, why not? The Morphic Cable tag was clipped on to the end of the USB cable, just before it enters a USB (5v) power adapter. The other end of which is connected to my Amazon FireTV streaming box. The lettering on the Gold label is directed toward the power adapter. Sound: Overall positive results, but perhaps not as beneficial as the loudspeaker. 

AMAZON FireTV Part 2: FireTV vs AMAZON ECHO:

In addition to the FireTV, I tested the Morphic Cable Label at the end of the power cord that leads into one of my Amazon Echo smart speakers. I did comparisons between the two units a few times (carefully maintaining the same configuration each time).There is definitely a consistent but different sound signature between each device. The FireTV has the larger, fatter sound. The Echo has the smaller, but more precise sound. Both had the lettering on the Gold foil in the direction of the respective units, with the Morphic Cable device oriented below the cable.

POWER CORDS:  

Instead of an audio cable, or a telephony cable, why not a power cable? Doesn't that open up a lot of possibilities?! These devices can be married to any machine with a power cord. Doesn't have to be an audio component. Could be... say.... one of my coffee grinders?....

After attaching the Morphic Cable Label tag to the end of the  machine's power cord, I did a brief non-auditory 'feel test'. The energy feedback didn’t feel particularly great. So I really wasn't sure this would be a good installation. But upon listening to the result, I liked it better than I thought I would. 

Yes, the soundstage was small (this is what must have thrown me off, during the ‘feel test’). But the rhythm and tonal balance, were enticing. As though the players got better during the intermission, and started making beautiful music together. There was a more natural feel to the sound, than many of the other locations I had tried. Even if it was less obvious than those other locations, that the sound has improved as much.

Of course, there are going to be variations here, depending upon device you plug in. Perhaps even the colour of the ac cord (mine was black). Since the grinder wasn’t ever turned on for this test, I still think any AC powered device is going to be a safe bet for one of these cable label tags. And it's entirely possible, the sound could get better, if the device is operating!

EARPHONES:

For someone that loves wired earphones, these cable devices become quite an interesting prospect. Quick pop quiz: How many audio enhancement devices for wired earphones, can you name in under 5 seconds, that are not made by P.W.B. Electronics? Exactly! Zero.  😀 

Now, it's one thing to employ P.W.B. devices in the home, to treat a variety of things, that will enhance your sound. That's terribly easy to do, with such a vast array available. But what if you want to improve your sound on-the-go? You can't 'treat' the world! But you can easily attach (and remove!) a Morphic Cable tag to any pair of earphones, you happen to fancy for use, on any given day. For someone who has about four dozen earphones, this becomes an interesting proposition indeed. Even a taste of the PWB-enhanced sound while out and about, is better than not!

I fitted the magenta Morphic Cable Label device to my Faaeals, and it certainly did improve the sound of the mp3 player! I'd say roughly?.... by approximately 50% better. But, if I were to compare it to some of the better home-based locations I found for the Cable tags, I'd say those are probably a wiser choice, at home. 

Unless, as I often do, you listen to your mp3 player or even cell phone, at home! And when not at home, this one's a no-brainer. If the Morphic Cable Label tag is better than PWB's 'Spiratube', as suggested (mind, I have not yet compared the two!), then there is no better way to enhance portable sound, than this.

PICTURES:

The instructional leaflet that accompanies the Morphic Cable Labels also told of an idea that involves attaching one of these devices to the wire that holds a picture or a painting on the wall. So I had to try it out for myself, of course. Starting by attaching the tag to the middle of the wire, with the Gold label facing the wall, and carefully hanging the painting.

You might think this an odd selection, but in fact, what I heard in this brief test, was very promising. I would say it competes with the loudspeaker installation. The loudspeaker had a 'larger' sound, but the painting had a sound that was a bit more accurate, and the music had a good flow (to the Linnies among us, that means "PRAT"!). It occurs to me that fitting it to a larger picture or painting, might yield a better result than even the loudspeaker. Definitely something worth experimenting with.

CLOCK:

And what does our little 'morphic' friend say to clocks, I wonder? I have a small 5v AC-powered LED clock, to which I fitted a Morphic Cable Label at the end of the power cord, which inputs to the clock. 

In this brief test, I would at least have to say the results were markedly different, to what I heard in tests with other objets. With the clock, the sound was the most engaging (up to that point in the test series), but the least accurate. ie. To where the definition of instruments appeared blurred. 

I'd put a bookmark on this one. For just the fact that it can produce a different type of sound. Because if you match one of these with the right audiophile and the right clock at the right location... it might just produce some special surprises. 

WIRELESS BLUETOOTH ADAPTER

Another brief test idea, was to fit the Cable tag somewhere on a bluetooth adapter unit (that I use to send a newschool bluetooth audio source, to an oldschool vintage desktop stereo). That 'somewhere' location was an obvious one. On one of the RCA phono cables, connected to the adapter. Specifically, the red-plugged cable, just before it enters the input of the bluetooth adapter. 

I'd say the results were 'good', but a bit better when the Morphic Cable Label device was positioned vertically on the phono cable. However, this was not considered to be as good as some of the other locations mentioned. That's not a ruling on all devices with RCA phono cables; only on this one!

WATER TANK

As a last minute addition, I decided to briefly check out some areas I had omitted, such as the refrigerator cord, the hot water tank. The refrigerator cord wasn't the hot spot that I thought it would be, and a degradation of sound quality, to what I already achieved. This could well be due to factors such as the colour of the cord (beige), the shape (flat), or the fact that it was an extension.

Didn't have too much luck with the hot water tank either. It's not a full test, because I couldn't easily access the entry points of the water pipes that eventually lead to the tank. I tried 'feeling' for a good spot where the pipes that come out of the wall near the tank are located, and also the end of the brass or copper pipe leading into the tank. The end of the brass pipe leading into the tank was 'ok' I guess... but none of this really 'spoke' to me. (None of it suggested, by way of feel, that it was an improvement on what I had).

So I went lower.... There's a brass exit pipe near the bottom of the tank. But its too short and wide to fit the MCL device. And anyway, it seemed a bit better when I went a bit lower... about an inch lower, to the very floor underneath the bottom tank valve. Specifically, I rested the device on a plastic basin that the tank is sitting on. And more specifically, it felt better as I moved the device further from the tank, than closer to it (but leaving it in the basin! See blurry photo above, for an idea!). So to recap, the Morphic Cable Label is now underneath a brass spigot at the bottom of my hot water tank, and about an inch or so away from the edge of the tank. 

And believe it or not... upon listening to music (I used Randy Newman's "Last Night I Had A Dream" as the test piece, for its piano intro), this was interesting. The image and soundstage wasn't the largest I'd heard, but control and precision were better than what I started with, before this round of tests. This translated to a pretty strong attachment to the musical performance. 

In other words, I was getting into the music more than before. And this was a quality of sound I could definitely live with! It was hard to fault, just on a tonal level. No lack of sparkle in the top end, for example. A bit lighter bottom end perhaps, but the definition in bass notes had definitely improved. I can maybe describe the sound this way: when playing music, it sounds more like you are listening to the master tape, than a transcription. 

I'm not crazy about leaving the MCL in that dusty location. There might even be better floor-based locations, such as in the Eastern most part of my place... But after briefly trying a couple of such locations (including under the fridge!), I couldn't 'feel' any. What can I say, I'm a slave to the sound. 😔

FLOOR vs. EARPHONES:

Here's what I wanted to know, though: Because I was in the hallway for this, I was listening to an mp3 player via wired earphones, as the source for the test. "Normally" (is anything 'normal' in the world of Beltism though?!), you treating the source of the music is likely to be more effective than an unrelated object. So what happens if I take the MCL device from the floor near the hot water tank, then install it on the earphones I am using for the test, while still standing in front of the hot water tank, as I did in the prior test?

Well, I'll tell you: the sound was better with the MCL device on the floor near the hot water tank! Again, that wonderful control and precision was better, in the previous test, than the current one, where it was installed on my earphones. 

Of course, as I expected, when I returned the device back to the floor of the tank, it just wasn't as good as it was before! (I don't know why, but the devices always seem to sound better upon the first installation. Again, it's a whole different set of rules and expectations for Beltist devices!). But, I can say, that though not as good as before, it was still better on the floor near the hot water tank, than what I heard when I returned it to the end of the earphone wire. 

What I learned or confirmed in this brief round of last-minute tests, is that the Morphic Cable Label (and also the Spiratube that preceded it), are responsive to changes in location and installation. Which means, choosing the right one, through experimentation, can yield a sound that may bring a whole new experience and relationship with your music, you didn't have before.

The reason I include PWB's earlier cable-enhancement product, "Spiratube" in that equation, is because when I went to install the Morphic Cable Label tag on my refrigerator cord, I noticed I had already a bit of Spiratube on there. (I removed the Spiratube of course, before testing the MCL tag on the cord). 

But because the MCL tag didn't yield particularly good results there, I wondered if perhaps the Spiratube wasn't a good match there either? So I had a listen with the Spiratube on the fridge cord, then transferred it to the black power cord on the coffee grinder, mentioned above. And that proved to be exactly what I suspected: the Spiratube did perform better on the black power cord of the coffee grinder! 

In fact, the change in sound was exactly the same signature as the location near the hot water tank. Which is, that it offered more control and precision to the music. I have since heard the benefits of this greater control and precision on my full hifi system, my TV, my desktop computer, my mp3 player and my cell. I note that in both cases where this greater precision was heard, the objects that the Morphic Cable tag and Spiratube were applied to (the power cord and the plastic basin), were both black. Coincidence? If I've learned anything about Beltism in nearly 40 years of playing around in it, I'd say... "eh, probably not". 😁

CLOSING REMARKS

After living with this for about two weeks now, I can honestly say, that since having the opportunity to play around with the Morphic Cable Label tags, my sound has never been better! I know this, because I am hearing new information on old and very familiar songs, ie. Paul Simon's "Diamonds On the Soles of Her Shoes". 

Information that offers a new perspective on old material. New musical textures, new dynamics, new reverb, and even sometimes, new melodies, not observed before. And by this, I mean I heard this information on a cell phone, with a $10 pair of earbuds. 😳 

And since it's actual new musical information, that means I never heard it previously on any of my full-size hifi systems! And it's not "simply the result of a heightened and more alert state during an audio test", as the 'objectivist' trolls on the boards like to argue. 😒 As this experience did not change in the two weeks I was listening to and rediscovering my music, with the Morphic Cable Labels in place. For such a versatile product at such a reasonable price, I think I would call that a very good value!

- The Advanced Audiophile.