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Fun Little Project for improving Dynamics

Fun little project, or Tweak that will improve system dynamics, soundstage, frequency extremes.

Try using Amethyst crystals. Get them in small sizes and unprocessed. I bought a pound on EBay for $10 including shipping.

To clean the unprocessed crystals prior to use, I soak the crystals in distilled water with Aquarium salt. Mixing it to become a strong sea salt mixture and letting them soak for about 8+ hours.
Then pour off the sea salt and soak the crystals with 90% or better alcohol for about an hour. After that, drain off the alcohol and rinse well with just distilled water.
Finally, let the crystals dry in a bowl in the sun.

Start with placing small amounts (25-40 crystals) in the plastic baggy things and tape the bag over your Circuit breakers to your system or on top of power cables IEC/Male end.
You can even buy at Radio Shack small project boxes. When using these types of boxes I put a lot more of the crystals in them.
You can use Blu Tack or 3M tape to stick these project boxes to outlet strips, junction boxes, over outlets, etc.

For reasons still unclear to me, it may take a few weeks (perhaps as much as 4 weeks) to sound good.

But, when it does, the dynamics will improve and so will the overall sound stage and frequency extremes.

Please note:
Too much of the crystals may actually surpress the dynamics, but with the baggies you can experiment with how much of the crystals to use.

I have experimented with all kinds of different crystals, from Topaz, to Tourmaline, to Quartz and etc. The Amethyst crystals seem to work the best.
128x128ozzy
cbw723
89 posts
 
Sebrof, the problem with your argument is that it applies to almost everything we audiophiles do to improve our systems. "I tried a new speaker/amp/preamp/DAC/speaker cable/interconnect/power cord/what-have-you and it made my system sound better/worse." At some point we have to trust our perceptions.

I'll grant that the crystals sound loopy, but so do about 90% of the tweaks I've seen advocated here and elsewhere. As a natural skeptic who has entered the audiophile world, I've had to learn to withhold judgment on a lot of claims that seem both unlikely and exaggerated.

That said, I'm not buying any Amethyst crystals until I see a lot more "evidence" of their positive effects.
sebrof's avatar
sebrof
735 posts
 
Thanks cbw. But I'm specifically addressing the part of the post that said he had no idea how or why it worked. Those are the things im talking about. Preams and speakers are in the signal chain, there is no mystery why or how they would change the signal.
It just seems that too often we are willing to completely disregard the most obvious and also most likely explanation. I guess that makes the hobby more fun for a lot of us, the mysteries and experiments and all. I guess I'd rather get to the bottom of things.
Again- the crystals may work, but there is no evidence to support it to my knowledge. And there is information to support that he who added crystals would hear a difference. Let him do as magfan suggested, have someone remove the bags. My guess is he would not be able to tell.
ozzy's avatar
ozzy OP
3,650 posts
 
I posted this little project for those of us who like to experiment. For very little expense each Audiogon tweaker can try it for themselves. Just for fun. I've got to admit, it seemed like a strange idea to me also.
But I tried it, and I'm impressed. Why should I conduct all of those blind tests when I am satisfied?

Sebrof, don’t try it, I really don’t care. But, perhaps for a measly $10 bucks and an open mind you will be back posting how unbelievable this tweak is.
Them maybe you can explain to us why it works...

If you can’t tell any improvement, I will buy them from you.
ozzy's avatar
ozzy OP
3,650 posts
 
I posted this little project for those of us who like to experiment. For very little expense each Audiogon tweaker can try it for themselves. Just for fun. I've got to admit,it seemed like a strange idea to me also.
But I tried it, and I'm impressed. Why should I conduct all of those blind tests when for me I am satisfied.

Sebrof, don’t try it, I really don’t care. But, perhaps for a measly $10 bucks and an open mind you will be back posting what an improvement this tweak is.
Them maybe you can explain to us why it works...

If you can’t tell any improvement, I will buy them from you.
sebrof's avatar
sebrof
735 posts
 
Ozzy - You read into my posts that I am saying there is no way the crystals can work. I am not saying that.
I read into your posts that you are saying there is no way it can be anything but the crystals changed the music. I'm saying I disagree with that, that there is another (IMO more likely) explanation, and that so often on these forums it is completely disregarded as if it does not exist.
I won't try the crystals because I see absolutely nothing to lead me to believe they do anything.
Testimonials? - Google "magnetic bracelet" and read the testimonials of the people who could not walk... I don't believe in these either.

What you are experiencing could be this, or it could be that. To support "this" we have hundreds of testimonials. To support "that" we have a very large pile of information. I'm putting my money on that, until something is added to the this pile.
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