Deep into the most ungodly hours of the night, I have been doing a lot of messing with the Mekon these days. Aka "Belting". Of this, I am reminded of a line in an old Depeche Mode song; "Though we may be the last in the world, we feel like pioneers...". I've made many breakthroughs of recent, and have learned some pretty amazing things about how our perception of sound can be subtly or not so subtly affected and influenced, simply by manipulating ordinary things in our environment. Of which I feel certain I am alone in knowing!
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"PWB Morphic Cable Label" from P.W.B. Electronics, U.K.
"Not your grandfather's cable clip."
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! 😊
(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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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”. 😃
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.
'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!
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! 😃
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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. 😔
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". 😁
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.
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| "PWB Fractal Label" from P.W.B. Electronics, U.K. aka "The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow." |
INSY vs. OUTSY
A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, a group of elite Jedi fighters were training to use a mysterious "force", to aid them in their quest for security and a better life.
On this planet, not so many years ago (roughly 10), I embarked on a series of audio experiments that involved aligning slotted screws on light switch plates (link), so that they were 180 degrees vertical. This was, naturally, an idea from Peter Belt, of P.W.B. Electronics. One which I sought to validate or invalidate. Of course, like all P.W.B. ideas on improving perception of sound that I have ever tried, it worked. Actually, I knew that going in. I was already an experienced “Belter” by that point, and I had already done the screw alignment thing elsewhere.
Apart from the improvement in sound, what I noticed each time that I aligned the screws, was that my throat would start to create saliva. A kind of tension in the throat feeling.
Of course, like most everyone at first, I didn’t think too much of it. Strange though, that it kept occurring right after that specific event of "turning the screw”, and even if it didn’t happen every time, it happened over and over again, as I went throughout the house turning screws on all the wall plates.
I have since experienced this very same feeling dozens of times or more, over the years that have passed. I didn’t know it then, but this was one of the most earliest times when I finally started becoming conscious of the fact that the things I would do during my audio research experiments, could be felt before they were ever heard.
Another early example of this, was after I initiated some sort of tweak. It didn’t have to be a P.W.B. “Belt tweak” either. I would go to hit PLAY on the CD or cassette player, and I’d get a funny feeling. A premonition, of what the resulting sound would be, just before hitting the PLAY button. Whether that "premonition” was a good or a bad feeling, it was almost always spot on. Again, as with the screws, I didn’t quite join an association with the audio-related change I was effecting. By way of my logical thinking, I just thought it was a strange coincidence, until I could be sure there was a connection.
Well now I am sure there is a connection. I have been for years. I use that connection all the time now, when attempting improvements in my sound. In fact, I still get that “throat saliva” feeling (a symptom of anxiety and tension). But only on occasion, and only under specific conditions. I have yet to determine if there’s a pattern for the saliva condition. But, for example, it recently happened when the polarity of my speaker wires was wrong. I fixed the polarity and that stopped the whole throat salivation feeling.
Sometimes I’ll be setting my equipment up and feel some anxiety, and I don’t know why. Then I take an educated guess, switch the speakers or the speaker stands around, and that’s what it was. (Yes, paired items do reflect a difference, when switched from left to right and vice versa). Or, like today, the feeling of unrest was due to 3 pieces of "Fun-Tac" putty adhesive under one speaker, placed in a triangular fashion, that did not match the 3 pieces under the other speaker, placed in an upside down triangle! This has been a "game-changer”. Not just for my hobby, but for my life. I can’t help but make comparisons to the mysterious "force" effect, from the Star Wars trilogy. Because now, that’s me. I am “Obi-Wan Kenobi” in audio terms, and I can feel the "force", that is all around us, imbued in all things. But don't worry, I will only use it for good (sound), not evil!
For example, I can pick up a rock, or a glass of water, or scotch tape, a book, a pencil, a USB key, touch a wall… whatever… and using "the force", in a couple of seconds, I can determine that object’s “energy character”. Suffice to say, this is a great help in audio research experiments. I could, for example, approach an entire box of phono cables, that would take a traditional audio researcher countless hours to listen to, to determine the best sounding cable. Picking up and tossing each cable on to the floor, I could go through the box in a minute or two, and narrow down the best choices for trial, before listening to anything.
Now, I don’t mean to make it sound like it's as easy as 1-2-3. The process is usually more complicated than just grabbing something for a second. Because, for example, I came to realize that the energy patterns change depending on which hand (or finger) is used to touch the object. Or when the item is changed from one hand to another. But in this case, the pattern merely -switches-. It’s not a random change, either. Like most of these sensations I'm dealing with, it’s a predictable one. More or less, I’ve learned to discard such “extraneous information”, and get a more meaningful reading of the energy patterns inherent in a “thing”.
But wait, don’t back out of the room just yet! I still do traditional listening tests! I still need to know just how my “feeling tests” correlate with the listening part. But there is always a connection between the two. And, over 10 years and hundreds of such tests later, I now know it is not a coincidence.
If there’s anything I would like people to take away from my story (besides “He’s cray-cray…. Just back up slowly and get out of the room!”), it’s to listen to those “coincidences” you may be feeling. For you may find, after time, there may be a connection with the feeling, and the event.
As an example of that, I was on the couch watching a movie one time, and all of a sudden, I feel a drop in inner tension. I may have heard a slight noise, but I didn’t know what happened. I looked over to my left, and indeed, an AC adapter had fallen out of the wall outlet, taking two or three wires out. That was not a coincidence, either. Every time I pull a plug out of an outlet or extension, that very same “drop in tension” feeling occurs.
This is because anything plugged into an outlet, is creating tension within us. And no, it's not an electrical phenomenon, ie. EMF/RFI. This will occur even if the device is not being powered, or the wire is not connected to anything. Because any one thing joining another, creates a certain tension. (It is why I recommend not to push speakers and stands right up against the wall, but to leave a tiny gap so that the two objects don’t touch).
I’m sure it strains credulity for many people, to say you can feel “energy” in objects by touching them.
Well, let me go a little further than that. This "force", these "energy fields" that I am sensing (that we are all sensing at all times, conscious or not), are not just within objects or hovering over them. They are around them. Meaning, they project out. How far out? I don’t know. I didn’t test them from outer space. I only know that I can sense their projection from one end of a room to another. For all I know, it is, like everything else in the universe…. Infinite, or nearly so.
Here’s an example of that…. One time, I was watching a friend give a Tai Chi demonstration to a group of us. He was showing us the two different styles of Tai Chi he learned. All of a sudden, I could sense changes within me, when he switched over to the second style. (He didn’t announce the switch). Of course, I had no idea that was going to happen. But it felt just like with the audio experiments. Where I would effect a change with a physical action, and feel that change within me. Except this time, I wasn’t touching any object, to feel the changes. I was simply using my sense of sight, and that by itself, could create perceptions of feeling, much as with the audio experiments.
Since then, I’ve corroborated this effect countless times.
For example, I can look at words or pictures on a computer screen, and feel specific kinds of energy from looking at specific pictures or words. (And btw, after copying and pasting the words or pictures in the digital realm, its energy will change. Even though the content itself does not). Concluding that the constantly varying levels of tension within us, change not just by the presence of objects in the environment, but by looking at them! Ok, it may not quite be “Schrodinger’s Cat” but… did Schrodinger have a mouse, perhaps?
Another example might be where I am ordering three components on a shelf of my audio stand. One of them is a DVD player that is the most heavily treated audio component I have ever done. It has over 150 treatments done to it! So I put it on the bottom, then stack two components on top of that. But without bothering to listen, I can tell by feel, that this was not an ideal arrangement.
So how should they be stacked, I wondered to myself? I only know that I am not about to run listening tests on each of the possible ways to order these components! I didn’t even want to take the time and trouble to physically change them around, and feel the changes. So instead, I just looked at the components, and after doing so, some mysterious sort of sixth sense feeling (aka "the force"!) seemed to suggest to me that the treated player should go in the middle. So I tried it that way, and the feeling feedback from that particular order felt more or less right. It gave a more restrained sense of tension.
My logical mind however, did not at all suggest that putting the treated player in the centre of the stack was the best option. Experience, if nothing else, told me it should be on the bottom. I would have reasoned that on the bottom, the object with the “good energy” acts as a foundation, and has a better chance to influence the objects on top it. Not the case, since the middle position gave the better feeling. Upon listening, as always, that feeling was confirmed. The sound had improved, but not in a way I’d expected. Instead of the expected richer sound with greater resolution, it was a more integrated sound, with greater ability to convey that elusive sense of ‘musicality’. A sound that was more captivating, than incisive. The kind of sound I never want to change, in the rare times I stumble upon it.
But all that aside, trust me, there are definite drawbacks to being the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” of the audiophile world. As my friend Morrissey would say, “It’s lonely on a limb”. When I started out here in the online part of the audio community, some thirty years ago perhaps, I was already right out there on the bleeding edge of “audiophile loonies”, as they might have called us. I had my green “CD Stoplight Pen”, my red LED big-digits Tice power clock, and no dogmatic technophile was going to tell me what time it was, in audiophile land!
But, at least I could say I had a few audiophile friends online, who heard the effects of things like green CD markers and other avant-garde audio gadgets, and whether they understood them or not, they were on my side of the ideological fence. They knew there were things people could hear, that science couldn’t explain (at least not with their tired old “sugar pill” theory). And so long as it improved their sound, they accepted that, whether they felt they understood the science behind the tweak or not.
But this? Well, friends, this is different. This is where even what were once my brothers in arms on the audio forums, did not want to admit they knew me, or were associated in any way. There were the objectivists, there were the subjectivists… and then there was me! They didn’t even know what category to stuff me into. So they just labelled me “the audio witch doctor”.
This was not me saying “I bought a weird audio product that has some sketchy reasoning behind it, or simply no previously established modus operandi, and I swear it made a difference!". Because I know that some other people also bought that weird audio product, and maybe it was even reviewed in a magazine or two. Instead, this was me saying “I can feel specific modes of energy and degrees of tension by touching or just looking at things”. It’s the point where everyone leaves the room, and I’m standing on the podium speaking to my own echo.
Then, out and among the other members of the global audio community, the question becomes; “How do I convince someone who has no clue about any of this stuff? Who has already built up decades of prejudices, most likely based on conventional (Western) belief systems - which says and knows nothing about “energy patterns” that affect human senses? Who not only is not at the level of where he can feel changes that affect his perception of sound, but probably cannot come anywhere near my level of listening skill, slowly built over a forty year interest in audio, when it comes to just registering fine differences, regardless?”. It’s like convincing a man blind from birth, that yes, every object has a different “color”. He has no present way of validating that for himself, so he falls back to the default trigger; “It sounds like rubbish, I don’t believe you”.
When it comes to being able to “feel” changes before you hear them during (and outside of) audio tests, last I checked, no one is saying this. But… eh, perhaps not quite. There was a fellow I read of, name of “Frank Tchang”. He is notable for having designed small singing bowls, for audio use (similar to Synergistic Research's "Acoustic A.R.T. resonators"). They act as a room treatment system. To me, he is notable for one particular thing: he was said to have said something along the lines of, “Listening is a crutch for those who can’t feel”.
In keeping, I had read that he tested locations for his resonator bowls by feel alone. He is, in fact, at the time of this writing, the only other person in the audio world that I know of, that has at least a comparable ability to mine. So I am not completely alone on this (whew! Thought I was going crazy for a minute there….!). But… I doubt we have the same abilities. I’ve not heard of him applying this phenom to sight, for example. And, as individual “researchers”, we’re going to go in different directions and gain different abilities. Like anyone with anything.
The other drawback to all of this, is a heightened sense of tension. Without which, I would not be able to do what I do. So it is a double-edged sword, for me.
Thankfully, I am not constantly feeling gnawing tension, on a conscious level, during everyday activities. That would be unbearable. But when I am focused on the listening experience, during tests and experiments, then I do feel those states of tension. It can also occur randomly, but it’s manageable. (i.e. I’m not thinking about audio but packing away boxes for housekeeping, I tear off the label from the plastic container, and without warning, I can feel a slight "whoosh" of tension lowering. Regardless of whether the label contains a bar code or not).
My argument, is that everyone is feeling these same states of tension. (Else, the other theory being, I am not made of human!). It’s just that I did enough audio experiments, in a particular niche of audio, to develop consciousness of what we are all feeling. Every. damn. day. of. our. lives!
As you might imagine, this condition also makes me particularly critical of audio systems. So don’t invite me to listen to yours. I might not like it. And I won’t be shy about telling you so! I’ve heard half-million dollar systems at audio shows that I thought sucked (for the money, especially). Why, because for however majestic and powerful it was otherwise, their sound was ultimately not natural, and creating tension. It didn’t move me like a properly musical system can.
I’ve even put together systems for $500 that have a more pleasing and natural sound, producing lower levels of tension. It’s not easy, but it’s doable. The difference is, before “the awakening” (discovering "the force"), I could tolerate bad sounding sound systems. Didn’t sound good, so what, it wasn’t going to kill me. Now, it feels more like it might!
I was listening to my TV recently featuring a conversation with David Letterman, on some Bose satellite speakers I installed…. Which I’m sure sounded perfectly fine to anyone else. Put on a critical ear, and maybe you might say “They have slightly peaky upper mids, so what? Adds clarity”). Anyone else would have listened to the show, and that’s the end of it. But after a few minutes, I could no longer stand to listen to this, because of the tension created by those little Bose speakers! (And I knew very well they were the source of my unease, after I later modified them to behave better. Which I detail in the article “Home Cinema For The Minimalist Audiophile".
Much of that tension created by the speakers was eased somewhat, by simply placing the Bose cubes on their sides, rather than upright. The reason for this, is because Bose in their infinite wisdom, placed the drivers so that the usual voice coil terminations, pointed toward the right - instead of downward. Like all other speakers in the universe. You’re dealing with magnets here also, and that’s especially nasty stuff! So in its original unmodified state and upright position, the Bose speakers are creating tension. I might not notice it much, when cleaning house. But when playing something (like dialogue on the TV), that tension is literally amplified. Making me an unhappy camper, after a while. No one ever said being an "advanced audiophile” was going to be easy! Hey, it’s hard enough just being an audiophile these days!
May the force be with you!
