Audiophile oddities


Since I changed my beloved YBA 2 preamp to a YBA 1 preamp, my 2 was lying on my work table. Yesterday I opened it up to see what was inside (a really beautifull inside...) but unlike the other time I opened it I went further in the body of the beast by opening those little black tinted box caled "YBA line module" ( I tought I would find some kind of esoteric electronic device...) and what I found was something I never imaginated I could find in a preamp: some kind of ziplock bag with some sort of black little rock (like those in fish aquarium) and absolutely NO ELECTRONIC PART!!! Just a plastic bag full of S**T. I tried to find if they where any electronic device under the board but again their was nothing. I will open up my 1 preamp to see if that is the same thing as the 2 but let me tell you that I'm a little bit disapointed that a profesional conpagny like YBA are using some kind of voodoo things...

dismalonyx
Rocks obviously just there to inflate the units weight, and add to it's percieved build quality and value. Sounds like pure smoke and mirrors. Seems to me I've read several threads discussing odd weighting schemes in amplifiers over the years. Same scam.
I would have guessed the charcoal's a chassis moisture absorber, but not if it's in a plastic bag. And why label it YBA line module? Let us know the company's explanation.
Well I will take a stab at this.It could be loadstone which does have magnetic properties and works on the same principle as the Shatki stone.Difference being ,it is a rock or rocks,cost a hell of a lot less and is more pure than the Shatki as it has not been immusilfied and mixed with glue. I use it on my transformers in my gear in little bags so that the dust and fragments from the rock does not enter the gear.My 2 cents.
Is it possible it is synthetic diamond pieces? I read about a year ago that Yves Bernard Andre (YBA) opens his condensators (hope the term is right) and adds some synthetic diamond dust for whatever reason (sorry, its already a year ago). If someone is interrested, I can try digging out the article...

Best Regards