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Rain-X as CD Enhancement Treatment

I have used the Auric Illuminator treatment on my CD collection for several years now. I am a believer in the AI, and repeated A/B tests of identical treated/untreated CDs bore out significant improvements after treatment with AI.

I ran out of the fluid and my marker dried out, so I was searching for mew treatments on the market before buying another AI kit or choosing something new. That's when I ran across this article by Greg Weaver at Soundstage, where he talks about having used Rain-X and a green marker(Staedtler Lumocolor 357, price about $3.00) as a treatment on his CDs to great effect.

http://www.soundstage.com/synergize/synergize200005.htm

Being the complete geek that I am, I had to try it for my self. I found the marker at Office Depot, and picked up a little bottle of Rain-X for $2.99. I treated a couple of CDs that I have ended up with duplicate copies of (Grant Green's Green Street, Frank Sinatra Sextet Live In Paris)and tested the Rain-X/marker treated vs. untreated disks.

Well, low and behold, the treated disks sounded notably improved; the music was clearer and louder, especially the midrange, the soundstage was larger with better definition and separation of instruments and the bass was tighter and deeper.

I can't say that the Rain-X treatment was or was not better sounding than the AI, but at the least very it is close, for a fraction of the price.

Has anyone else ever tried the Rain-X treatment?
craig_hoch
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
The head of the laser is only microns from the surface of the disc. (a hair is many, many times thicker.. even the tiniest particle of ash or soot is several times bigger than the gap)
The laminar flow of air around and between the head and the surface is important too. A smooth disc will allow a smoother airflow.
If you do not believe in this, I can make up better nonsense. However, a LOT of folks have experienced the difference between a treated disc, and a non-treated disc. So something real may be happening. (besides suggestion)
larryi
1,972 posts
 
I wondered about the airflow issue that you mentioned. But, it could also be an optical issue. Certainly other treatments tout the improvement in the optical characteristics of the surface of the CD.

One more thing, RainX leaves haze and streaks (on windshields) unless very vigorously buffed. I would be very carefull about the buffing process. I would only use tissue paper made for cleaning glasses (facial tissue has fibers that will scratch plastic, hence, the need for quite expensive tissues for glasses). Camera lens tissue is also a possibility, but that stuff is WAY expensive and too small, thin and delicate to use easily.
thorman
1,262 posts
 
I am still using ( sparingly ) Armoral.....
psacanli
535 posts
 
I don't wish to appear negative-and I have not tried Rain-X except om my windows where I was an early adopter and still love it-however; Rain-X is specifically designed for use on glass. It is worth enquiring the manufacturers opinion on its suitability for plastic.
shadorne's avatar
shadorne
7,333 posts
 
So something real may be happening. (besides suggestion)

If something is happening and you are getting improvements this way then it suggests an issue somewhere. Perhaps jitter is getting into the DAC of the CDP and this is partly created by minute changes of the laser (smooth versus not so smooth). Ed Meitner claimed that cryogenic treatment of CD's helped - however, IMHO, this all sounds like a band-aid solution. To my way of thinking, a transport should not be so finnicky as to require all this extra special CD treatment simply to play a digital CD properly - a CDP player should be more robustly designed than that.
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