I'm sure that every "Beltist" wonders about the nature of this phenomenon. After having witnessed how everyday objects, be they specially 'treated' or 'non-treated', can have an effect on the quality of their hearing and/or other senses. With questions such as; "Where does this mysterious phenomenon come from?" "Why does it exist?" "And why am I one of the few people in the world who know about it, or can attest to it??".
Well... this article isn't meant to address all those questions! But how about we start with this basic one: "Where does it come from?" Peter Belt, who first discovered this revolutionary phenomenon, initially supposed it was probably caused by EMI activity. Well, of course. That's what a trained audio engineer would be expected to think! But further experiments in the realm, disproved that hypothesis.
That is when Peter evolved to believe that 'the phenomenon' is tied to the very beginnings of our species on earth. That, to put it simply, our senses are 'under tension' as a 'fight or flight' response to the dangers in our environment. A mechanism which allowed us to survive and progress, as a species.
Well, I'm not here to discount that. It could well be a part of the story. And it's a complex story, to be sure. But when it comes to ideologies, I tend to hang on to things I can prove. And the rest is noise. I don't mind saying 'I don't know', if I feel I don't know. And I can admit that I'm wrong, if I find I'm wrong about what I believe. So I'm not going to try to answer the question as to how The Belt Phenomenon came about, why it exists, and all that it encompasses. That'll have to wait for next month, when I finally figure this all out... 😏
What I can say, with confidence, is that there are (observable) 'energy patterns', all around us. I used to think they travel in certain directions, across objects, like the march of army ants. My experiments, such as those consisting of sticking countless little arrows and letters across the surfaces of loudspeakers, and listening to the results of these efforts, convinced me of that.
But when you look through a keyhole, you just see what's in the room... in front of the keyhole. You don't see what's above, below, to the sides, or beyond. I can remember when I used to think the energy patterns traveled directly on objects. That was... until I observed that their effect could be sensed from inches above the object.
Then I tried to see how far I can stand away from the object, and still sense the effect of these 'stickers', or whatnot? That distance grew into several feet, until.... I moved far back enough, that I was on the opposite end of the room! Yet still, the effect of what I had placed upon, ie. the loudspeaker, could be felt. And that's about as far as I can go! I'm not going to jump out the window, to see how far the effect holds!
Or am I?..... 🤔
Why not? I did actually try experimenting in the garden outside. Which consisted of pouring treated water (that is, water where the vessel was treated), into the plants. And lo and behold, it had a positive effect on my sound. So the effects of Beltism do not end at the front door, as I once believed. Not that I think that I can walk three blocks, treat a street pole, then come back home and expect my sound to improve! (Nor have I tried doing so... 🤔).
But I have done 'treatments' in the middle of nature (which I detail in another article), with similar success. This tells me that the effects aren't tied to the home. Successful 'treatments' affect your environment. But your 'environment' could be your car, your home, or the middle of a forest. So I'm also not here to report that I have worked out how far you can be to the treatment you install, for it to have an effect on your senses!
All I can say for now is, I tried an experiment this summer in an alley, at the base of a three-story building. It had no discernible effect, in a listening test on the third floor of said building. However, the same experiment on the inside ground floor of that building, did indeed have a beneficial effect. Which begs the question.... if the 'energy patterns' of this tweak installation are distributing themselves over the entirety of this three-story building.... why does it not seem to have the same effect if placed on the outside of the building?
Now you know why these days, I hesitate to say that the 'energy patterns' "travel directly on objects". In fact, I become more convinced that they're not really "on" anything, but "in" everything! I do mean everything. Everything from a ham sandwich, to the very words I am typing on this screen. That's no joke, either. Little known fact: When I created "The Advanced Audiophile" website, I used/hid 'special pictures' on the first page. The idea being that I would have the only blog in the free world, where simply landing on the front page, will in some small way, improve the sound of your audio system!
But why exactly do I call them 'energy patterns'? Because Peter Belt did? Not quite. Simply because I observed this phenomenon for myself, and don't know what else to call it. Just to use one example out of countless ones, ages ago, I followed Peter's footsteps and applied different colors (of the same object), to another object (ie. black wire). I could repeatedly hear the differences in the sound, that the different colors effected. Consistently so.
Hint: It's what you think! Broadly speaking, brighter colours brighten the sound, darker colours darken it. The different colours, like sound waves, can be compared to different "frequencies". It's the same for different materials, as well. Which is also what you might think. Broadly speaking again, harder materials 'harden' your sound. Softer materials 'soften' it. For this reason, I would judiciously avoid metal audio stands, with glass shelves! They're more likely to make a trumpet sound like it's made of glass, rather than brass.
That, I think, takes care of the 'energy' part. All objects, if I haven't made clear, have an inherent 'energy'. Which, to an audiophile like myself, could also be thought of as a "sonic signature". It's well known that audio components have a 'sonic signature'. But, to The Belt Phenomenon, they're "objects" too! This "energy" an object 'holds', isn't necessarily static. It can change.
For example, freeze the object, and you've changed its energy signature. It now won't have the very same effect on your senses. Shine a light on the object, and guess what. You've done the same. Turn the object over. You've definitely changed something there! Just move the object a little, why don't you.... that changed something, also! But they're probably changing in small ways on their own... just by way of changes in room temperature, or whether it's dark or light outside.
Myself, I can hear differences depending on which way a battery is facing. Or which side a piece of paper is facing. Or, as I shared once on an audio forum, which side the Rega turntable's glass platter is facing. One side was definitely better than the other. They all screamed that I was nuts, to think there would be a difference. Of course, no one bothered to actually try the experiment on their turntables, to see if there was anything to it. But hey, what else is new? 🙄
You can't, and I can't, hear all changes naturally occurring, in our environment. I'll bet they are happening on a molecular level, as well. Meaning, their 'energy' is probably moving or changing form, without any outside stimuli. But if so, if there are no perceptible changes to be had, that is of no concern to me. It's challenging enough to find every day things or ways to manipulate 'The Energy', to a degree that is perceptible on the sense of hearing. To say nothing of how challenging it is, to also ensure that changes brought about are of a quality that is truly beneficial to music reproduction. Keeping in mind that not all audio researchers agree on what those qualities are, either. So there's that.... 😒
Now as to the 'patterns' part, that's real interesting... remember those little arrow and letter stickers I was talking about sticking on loudspeakers? They helped show me how this 'energy' we speak of, can be manipulated. Not once or twice, but, consistently. There are six sides to a speaker, and four directions to an arrow. You do the math. But don't count just four arrows to a side. That's only how I started out... How's this for math?:
This player took over 125 of those little "stickers" I was talking about... And though it's been at least fifteen years since, I can still recall what a profound effect it had on my sound, at the end of the experiment. Without even having to play anything on the player itself!
Though it may look like I went crazy with the arrow stickers... there is actually a method to the madness. They are not just grouped in specific patterns... but in patterns within patterns. Each arrow drawn in a particular direction. All of which were drawn on a 'particular' side of the paper. Starting from a 'particular' end of that side of the paper. Then the scissors were held in a particular way, cutting the paper from a particular direction. Finally, the 'sellotape' used to affix the 'stickers' to the object, was carefully pulled from its dispenser, and applied in a particular way. (Hint: The way in which it came off the roll).
In case you're wondering... the paper wasn't 'treated' in any way. Nor were the scissors, the Sharpie, or the tape. It's all stock. Not that it wouldn't have improved things, to 'treat' the tools first, with some P.W.B. devices, for example. But my goal was just to observe the effect of the patterns. Also, to see whether the conventional wisdom of "one treatment per device" would hold, in the face of dogged determination.
I'm making the experiment publicly available, but... I don't expect anyone to be able to reproduce my experiment (as is). Even if they were crazy enough to try! Even I wouldn't, today! It took a good bit of time to work out a "workable" pattern structure (that might yield a good sound). This was helped greatly by the fact that by this time in my 'audiophile career', I had long since learned how to 'feel' changes in this 'energy' I speak of. This is how I was able to work out patterns that worked. I originally starting doing the patterns with letters of the alphabet. With comparable results. But try then figuring out which direction an "O" is facing!
So with 4 possible directions to point each arrow, it just takes seconds per tag to determine the right direction, by feel. Just out of curiosity, I did a brief calculation, to figure out how long this disc player cover would have taken to treat, if I had to do actual listening tests, to determine what effect each direction for each arrow, in each pattern, would have on the sound. If you're curious, the answer is: 217 years. That's without bathroom breaks. Give or take a millennium. Good thing I had the good sense to try this after "The Awakening"!
So I think that example makes clear; this all has to do with patterns. It's about the way energy naturally travels over objects. And not going against the flow of that energy. Everything in our world is imbued with these natural energy/patterns, that affect human senses, in different ways. Some are (naturally) not that bad, in their effect on our sense of sound, (etc). So they might have a beneficial effect, without any special treatment or modification. Most are not good, though. And some that are not so good, could become better. Just in the way they are positioned, in relation to the way we are. Generally speaking, the more adverse something may be, to our senses, the greater benefit it can bring, if treated properly.
I could take as one example, the old ballasts (from fluorescent light fixtures) I found, in my stockpile of junk. Just about to toss them, when I thought... "Is this something that could improve my sound? I should 'listen' to it!". The ballasts themselves all responded.... "You should! You might be surrprisssed!", in a sing-songy voice. Weird, huh? 🤔
Of course, they were right. 😉 They did improve my sound, quite nicely. Without me having to do anything to them, in any way. Other than how I chose to 'install' them. That is, with the back plates facing upward, and the writing on the label lettering (on the bottom), facing away from me. This is important, because if I were to get either of these two choices wrong, it would have the opposite effect, than that desired. Tension would increase, and the sound would deteriorate, rather than improve.
The other difficult, but important thing, was choosing the location of placement. One went under (the middle of) my sofa, the other under (the middle of) my bed. There's quite a bit of energy stored in these things, and while they may not be lighting up fluro tubes any longer, it's nice that this energy can be put to some good use! Everything I have that makes music, agrees.
Another thing I found to have an inherently good energy, without even 'treating' it in any way, is a motor. I noticed that when I was repairing a fan motor recently, just from holding it in my hand. Unfortunately, the 'good energy' is only with the spindle facing downward, and the side with the wire leads facing me. This makes it awkward to lay flat on the floor. And if it sits at an angle, due to the spindle, it won't sound quite right. Nevertheless, I stuffed it in the bottom drawer of a cabinet, and what it's contributing to my sound is quite something. With all sorts of details coming out of well known music, not heard before. And so... another dead motor avoids the dump!
Of course, the good folks at P.W.B. Electronics have their own ways of making all these energy patterns play nice. I say thank goodness, because even after decades of this phenomenon being known, pretty much no one else is trying! Which leads back to the question... where does it (the energy) come from? Among other things, I can recall back when I might speculate that it could very well be, the 'life force' energy that the Chinese call "Chi" (or "Qi", if you'd rather).
Many Westerners might scoff at this and brush it off, because it's nothing you can see. Well, you can't see 'air' either, really, and yet.... 😒. Expert healers learn to manipulate this energy, and the whole practice is sanctioned by their government. Because it's basically a cheap form of health care. I mention this because, the 'hands off' healing process they engage in, does not seem all that dissimilar to the way that I can place my hand near (and not necessarily on) an object, and determine its relative level of energy. Still, I don't know and can't say, if we are both dealing with the same 'energy'.
I have a friend who is a Tai Chi master. And one time, he was demonstrating two styles of Tai Chi, for me. Neither of which I knew anything about. One was the "Qi Gong" style. The other was called the "Chen" style, I think. All I knew, was that when he was demonstrating the two, I found that I could actually sense not only an energy' from this, but a difference in the 'energy signature' between each style. And this, while seated several feet away.
I was not expecting to experience this, as audio and Beltism was the last thing on my mind. Also, because it was the first time that I sensed this energy, from a visual perspective. Rather than a physical one. I rarely use this 'sixth sense', but I know now that I can. I can, for example, scan the corners of a room, visually, and determine the relative energy levels present. This sometimes helps me locate things, for best effect. The 'energy' that was sensed during the Tai Chi session, or if I'm 'scanning' a room, is the very same phenomenon that comes into play, when I do "Beltist" type audio experiments and tests. Though it has nothing to do with sound, audio, and the like. As for whether it's the same thing the practitioners of "Chi" are dealing with, well... that's for them to know, and me to find out!
Another thought I used to have, as to the origins of The Phenomenon, was.... what if it comes from outer space?? Maybe it dances on the back of cosmic rays? Like a hip surfer dude, clinging to a surfboard? {insert Dick Dale surf guitar music here}. We're all surrounded by that stuff all the time, aren't we? Cosmic rays or not, there was a time when I was more or less convinced, that it was part of the universe. It 'had' to be part of what makes up the fabric of our universe. Maybe something from the very beginnings of time. The "Big Bang".
But... does it? Now, I'm not so sure. In fact, I'm (almost) sure it's not. Even though I'd be the first to say...
"If you think you understand Beltism.... you don't understand Beltism".
I say that, because one time, while it wasn't looking, I secretly followed the energy home. And its home, "it appears", is in the very opposite direction of outer space. Did you guess it by now? Yup. It's the earth! Good ol' terra firma. I wouldn't say that, if I didn't have a good reason to. It isn't a conclusive observation, after a drunken bender, for example. It comes after years and years of 'accidental' observations. Meaning, I couldn't help but notice... the 'energy' of which I speak, is 'lower', the lower you go.
And when I speak of "lower" Beltist energy, I'm not necessarily speaking of its 'frequency'. But of its effect on a certain kind of human tension. If I can find a way to lower the energy, I can feel a bit of a release of tension. Therefore, to me, "lower energy" = lower tension. And to an audiophile, the more it lowers tension levels, the better your sound gets. But, and this should not be diminished, this has benefits even for non-audiophiles, who don't even care for music.
These observations include me ripping leaves off the tops of trees that were hundreds of feet high in the air. Then comparing said leaves, to the ones at the bottom of said tree. The bottom ones "sound better", to put it one way. This, I found, could be repeated every time, in every possible way. The bottom leaf of a house plant 'sounds' better than the top leaves. The soil, even better!
This observation is in no way limited to plant life! The P.W.B Electronics Christmas card, sounds better on the floor, than on a table! A P.W.B. foil, sounds better on the ground floor, than it does on the third floor. Better in the basement, still. A component plugged into an array of vertically oriented RCA phono inputs on the back of an amplifier, will likely sound better in the bottom inputs, than one of the top ones. Even on a horizontal plane, top and bottom matters. e.g. As I move my fingers from the top row to the bottom row of a computer keyboard sitting on a desk, guess which alphanumeric key on the keyboard has the best energy?
Wrong! It's the spacebar! ☹️
But that does not mean that if you add some spaces to your mp3 filename, the music will sound better. Because I find that actually hitting the key has the opposite effect. The energy 'rises' then, and feels worse. Of course, there are ways 'under Beltism' to make an mp3 file sound better. But that ain't it. To be clear, it isn't just "up and down" that matters, as the energy is still directional, in all senses. And that can change, depending on your position.
For example, if I have my left palm open toward me, and I touch the tips of the fingers on my left hand with the index finger on my right, the 'highest' energy is in my left hand pinky finger (on the utmost right). Then, with each finger that follows right to left, the energy gets lower. So that my left thumb has the 'lowest' energy.
However! If I flip my left hand so that the palm is facing away from me, the energy received when touching the same fingers with the same right hand index finger, changes. So that now, my left hand thumb has the 'highest' energy, and the left hand pinky, the lowest.
But... the 'energy scale' does not feel the same, as when the palm is facing me. When the palm is facing away from me, the energy feedback from touching all fingers shows an increase in tension. So it makes sense that, when I hold both my palms up facing away from me, more tension is created by that energy, than when I hold them up facing toward me.
But it may be interesting to note, that when I bring my palms together, in a 'prayer' gesture, there is even less tension than when they're facing me. So is there a 'spiritual component' to this? No! For when I release the palms and simply hold my hands by my side, tension is lowered further, thus the energy is better still. That seems consistent as well, because that gesture makes them lower to the ground.
But, enough about body parts, this is about audio, after all! Directionality comes into play in all aspects of sound (/senses), and as a subset, audio sound and equipment. As every room in a home, and every side of every room, has its own 'energy signature'. Therefore, there is always one room and one side of one room, that will make a better 'connection' with a hi-fi system.
That is, apart from the aspect of directional acoustic waves in a room. One thing that differentiates this 'Belt Effect', is that it will be heard on headphones, as well as acoustic loudspeakers. (Although, the reverse may be true as well.... ahem). When it comes to the stereo itself, say, an amplifier where all of its inputs are oriented horizontally, as most are, there is going to be a difference between the leftmost input, and the rightmost inputs. All else being equal.
I don't know if I've tested at some point to see which side of a component might be consistently better. But if I did, I don't recall. Perhaps I hesitate to give a definitive answer on this, because it could depend on which way the component itself is oriented (with respect to the listener - not just the room).
But because there are differences in sound qualities to be had, depending on where the input/output jacks are located on an audio component, I don't necessarily plug a device into an amplifier, according to its label. For example, if I find the rightmost input has a better 'energy' than the leftmost, then ie. the CD player will go into that one. Instead of the one marked "CD".
Might confuse things a bit at first, but for me, better sound is more important than getting all your ducks in a row. For similar reasons, the best audio stand out there?... is no audio stand! Having the components directly on the floor, is generally likely to yield the best overall sound. (By that I mean, where it counts...).
Not only because you're eliminating the negative (energy) impact of the stand itself. But because of the positioning, of the components. Of course.... this is not very practical, is it! You'd need a lot of room to have all your gear on the floor. Not to mention the difficulties of bending down, every time, to access it.
So, while I do have a number of treated objects that I keep on the floor of my place, to improve my sound (almost all of which are not audio devices), I still have to have much of my gear on stands. Nevertheless, it "stands" to reason that, your most beloved components, might do better on the lowest/lower tiers of your audio stand. As the further you go from earth, the worse it gets.
Now, I am not advocating that we all live on a pig farm, and then, our audio sound will be good. But... what if we could bring the pig farm to us? Sorry, I mean... "the farm"? For example... I have a friend who has a vegetable farm. I had her give me some of the soil, from her farm. I laid out the soil across a flat surface, then took a piece of packing tape, about 6" long, and lightly 'dusted' the tape, with the soil. Then, placed said tape, in a particular vertical fashion (two choices here), under my loudspeaker.
And there you go. "Farm fresh" sound! Yup. It did some good things to it. I wouldn't go crazy with this, but... it's an easy enough thing to experiment with. I suppose it could work with regular old house plant soil. I just didn't try that one. And by 'work', I don't mean "sound the same". I'm sure different soils 'sound' different.
So it's one thing to place audio components on the floor, in order to achieve a better sound. But what about the floor itself? Could that be used to improve our sound? You do know where I'm going with this already, don't you?.... Yup. Treating the floor. Gives a new meaning to the phrase "floor treatment". This floor treatment however, is an attempt to 'improve' the energy of the floor, and everything on it. You 'improve' that energy, by doing whatever it takes, to favour your body's relationship to it. aka "lowering tension".
For most, this means using a P.W.B. audio treatment device, on the floor itself. I suppose some things that could work here, might be... P.W.B. foils, creams, and the like. It might be best to choose "discreet locations". Where people would not walk on. Such as, under a fridge. A rug. A Barcalounger. That ugly statue no one ever moves. But that's relative to what objects are in your home.
Where is the best location relative to the way the energy travels? Well... I have long since found that Eastern locations in the home, have the best energy. That is... until this summer, when I did an experiment in front of a door... and that door was situated on the West side. At that time., I found it a better location than the East side.
So, is the West the best? Jury's still out, on that one! It could just have been because it was the exit door to the building. Speaking of which, doors themselves, have a particularly peculiar energy. So maybe, the floor, relative to the door, might be best. I say 'peculiar' because... I found the better energy spot on the outside of my front door, as opposed to the inside. But not directly near the door, as I would have expected! Rather, the better spot was about a foot away from the door. I noticed the same thing, with the kitchen door on the opposite end of the house.
Door handles have an even more particularly peculiar energy. It's like… a deeper energy? Well, let's just say it's not the same as the door itself. I'm not sure if they would make good locations, to do 'treatments' on. I haven't tried.
Fridges also have a very special 'energy'. I think that's something that's already well known, in the world of 'the Beltists'. It may be why I found a good spot in front of the fridge door, as well. Under the fridge is a good location too, for a Beltist 'energy tweak'. But I save my best treatments, for the back of the fridge (on the outside), or back of the freezer floor (on the inside). If a fridge is good, then you would think a stove is even better!
Doing something to improve the energy signature of a stove, should create a nice 'warm' sound, should it not?! Well... I don't know. Last fall, I 'scanned' my stove (while it was cold). That is, feeling around to see if I could 'spot' good locations that gave good energy feedback. I found none. Maybe that would have changed once it's heated up. But that gets a little tricky... I did however like the energy I was 'reading' from the floor, in front of the stove - if that's anything. We'll mark that one; "to be determined".
To be sure, I have a lot to learn about how directionality affects our senses. Both the direction of objects relative to us, and us relative to other objects. I'm training myself, by seeing how reliably I can tell the left earpiece from the right, when installing earphones, without the benefit of looking. ;) I'll take it a step further and say, I have a lot to learn about all this stuff, that dictates how our environment can and is constantly affecting our sense of hearing, and such. (In fact, I may not have enough of a lifetime, to learn about the "and such"!).
I think it's safe to say, most people don't ever notice those constant changes in both tension, and the quality of sound they're hearing, as it occurs quite naturally, and quite subtly. I don't blame them. It can take a long time before you can confidently identify those changes. Even so-called 'audiophiles' may not, because they're trained to hear other kinds of changes.
Even for me, a "so-called advanced audiophile" 😏, hearing non-audio changes in sound, does not come naturally. Or frequently. Because I'm not used to doing "listening tests" on everyday sounds. But yes, there are certainly times when I have improved my sound through some 'Beltist' means, enough that I can hear the specific changes (in my hearing) introduced by that sound. ie. I might notice the differences in the sound of water flowing from the bathroom tap.
For this reason, I have always argued against blind/AB/ABX/ABC/Double-blind/Triple-blind/Quadruple-blind etc. audio tests. Because that requires a different sort of self-training altogether. As it is an inherently different experience, than a normal sighted listening session. For those who don't have such training and experience with those controls, only gross changes may be recognized. Could this be the reason people think loudspeakers are the be-all and end-all of good sound??
When all is said and done, I like the fact that I still have a lot to learn about the wonderful world of Beltism. Whether it's through the use of audio accessories from P.W.B. Electronics, or whether it's through my own experimentation. I almost always find that when I embark on such experiments, I learn something new. Which tells me there's a lot to learn. Limited only by time. It must be that, which has held my interest in this pursuit for decades running....
Well, at the home of The Advanced Audiophile, we believe in recycling. At least, if it can improve our sound. And uh... little known fact: dead batteries = better sound. So I like to keep mine in a little box, for future use.
It seems I might have covered a tweak like this in one of these articles, many years ago. But if so, this method is a new one, with more recent thinking behind it. I'd be the first to say, it's far from perfected, but... it's a start.
The photos below, show how the batteries would be oriented.n.b. Double or triple A's could be used here. I did not test to see which size sounds better. But I tested each by 'feel', and found the AAAs to have a better 'energy'.
The Atomic Kiss Method:
Tape two AAA batteries at both ends of an RCA interconnect patch cable. Like so: The batteries are to be placed on the cable, just before the connector. Both batteries are to have their + terminals facing toward the opposite end of the cable. The batteries are to be located just before the plugs of the connectors. The wires are in between, sandwiched by the batteries, and held on to the wire with electrical tape. Repeat same orientation at the other end of the cable. (n.b. The same method could be used on an AC cable as well).
Correctly done, this produces a thick, slow, rich, luscious, smooth, dark-ish sort of sound. With a lowered tension energy signature, as a bonus. Some may not like their sound getting darker, though. Fortunately, at the offices of The Advanced Audiophile, we have solutions for everybody...
The Atomic Kiss Method - With Cheese:
There are several ways to counteract the 'darkies'. Here's one... same formula as above, but tie a reef knot in the centre of the cable. Of course, if you have snake hose cables, like some of my interconnects, this ain't gonna work. It's best for your garden variety audio or video interconnect cable. This sound may not be as large or luscious as the method above. But, it is still an overall improvement, and more balanced, between highs and lows.
1) Start by forming a simple knot, then threading the cable twice, around the knot, and then it goes under the loop. As pictured:
Finally, the reef knot is made smaller, by pulling on the plug end of the cable, while gripping the top of the knot. As pictured:
"Cream Electret", for those not in the know, is a long-standing audio product from the audio wizards at P.W.B. Electronics UK. A cream, as the name implies, that has the ability to improve sound quality. By helping create more 'benign energy patterns' on objects, that lower a certain kind of tension, and in turn, allow senses to heighten. Circular Application:
"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.
