Next up, was the aptly-named Synergistic Research "Black Box."

This is a 4Kg passive device, measuring 24cm x 24cm x 20cm and described as a "Broad Spectrum Low-Frequency Resonator Array with UEF Tech that effectively eliminates bass nodes, while expanding your room's ability to accurately portray low-frequency information and spacial content!"

Quite a tall order, for a small black box, which can be placed anywhere within the listening room and is not connected to anything!

It costs £1995 and again, I struggled to appreciate exactly what it was doing in the context of my room, my system and the tracks that I had chosen to evaluate these accessories!

Synergistic Research state that " Working from the principle that all frequencies in the audible bandwidth are linked through harmonics, the black box balances low frequencies, mid-range and high frequencies through a mathematically-derived algorithm based on tuned sympathetic resonance. So when you get the phase correct at 20Hz for example, it clears up every multiple of 20Hz so, 40Hz, 80Hz, 160Hz and on."

Perhaps if I had not already invested significantly in room-tuning, I might have been able to appreciate the "Black Box" and it's contribution.

Apparently, it's effect is enhanced by the application of Synergistic Research's HFT speaker kit, so this was the next thing I tried.

image4 by , on Flickr

I've seen some of these SR products talked about at various times but never tried them.

I prefer to spend my money on their fuses, which I know work well.

Keep telling us... what's next?

Sorry - Forgot the photo!

image3 by , on Flickr

To be continued .............................

My dinner's on the table!

A close-up of the ATM Acoustic Module - said by Synergistic Research, to "supercharge" the performance of the FEQ Carbon Acoustic Field Generator!

image2 by , on Flickr

SR Purple and Master Fuse.

Discussed much on this forum and with it's fans and detractors!

I had no experience of either, but my system is heavily populated with SR Orange and Red fuses in both 13amp mains plugs on power cords, as well as internal casework fuses (5 x 20mm) in all my kit.

For example and seemingly, in line with forum thinking, the Orange fuse works well with power distribution and power supplies - I have a T5A and 2 x T1.6A internal fuses in my (Vertex) Alexiea PSU2 Balanced Mains Distribution box and Quiescent 300VA Balanced Mains Distribution (I need a total of 8 balanced power outlets for my dCS 4-box digital front end, Mutec Ref 10 SE-120 10MHz reference clock, D'Agostino Momentum HD preamp (fitted with T1A internal Orange fuse), Whest Titan Pro phono stage and Aurender N20 server/streamer.

The other 4 outlets are direct mains, unlimited (albeit filtered by an internal Vertex Silver Jaya Plus), which feed two balanced power supplies for my network components (Coherent QP2 and Plixir Elite BDC dual outlet LPSU's), turntable motor control and one to slave the supply from the Alethiea PSU2 to the Quiescent 300VA mains distribution.

So, I'm familiar with the contribution that a liberal smattering of SR Orange and Red fuses can make in a well-sorted system!

I was quite excited to try out the Master and Purple fuses, based on the forum feedback to date and the Master Fuse certainly didn't disappoint! Placed in the 13amp plug of the Coherent BD mains cable feeding power from the wall to the Alethiea PSU2 balanced mains distribution, it seemed to "supercharge" the performance of all the other SR fuses in circuit and was definitely a "wow" moment when listening to music for the first time with the Master Fuse inserted.

Detail and soundstage seem enhanced, but not at the expense of any added brightness or edginess to the sound, which was supremely relaxed and yet natural and convincing. Frequency extremes appeared extended and dynamics greatly enhanced!

£595 for a fuse, definitely exceeded my "sanity threshold" for a component that is inherently designed to fail, but there was no mistaking the beguiling sound that was emanating from my system, with no added grain or harshness, as some have suggested, although I can understand the caveat about not using more than one Master Fuse per system and where it should be inserted for maximum effect!

If you treat it as a £595 accessory upgrade to the system, then it certainly makes sense and justifies the expenditure for the benefits imparted.

I have never had a mains fuse blow in my system and apart from Martin T, who trashed one, reconnecting a power amp, some time ago, I have only read of SR fuses blowing, online, and that seems to be confined to users in the USA, where all sorts of anomalies seem to befall their wanky mains system (brown-outs, surges, etc.). By contrast and barring lightning activity (when for safety's sake, I disconnect my hifi from the mains), the UK grid is pretty stable and reliable, in my experience. I know of some in older properties, where that might not be the case. However, in my 10-year old house and as analysed and measured by Tony (Coherent Systems) during a mains masterclass demonstrated to Wammers at one of my bake-offs, my mains quality has been judged as "good" without any addition of separate rings/dedicated spurs!

So, a big "thumbs-up" for the insertion and performance uptick presented by the SR Master Fuse!

Next up - the Synergistic Research Purple Fuse ............

Now, I have read Tony's comments, as confirmed by John, regarding the use of SR Purple fuses in certain components. I have also studied Martin T and others, very positive comments regarding the SR Purple Fuse, deployed in digital hardware (DAC's and DDC's), so this was my starting point.

I was really enjoying the sound of music from my system with the SR Master Fuse and SR FEQ Carbon Acoustic Field Generator in circuit and was beginning to wonder, how much better can it get?

I started by putting an SR Purple Fuse in the 13A plug of the mains power cord, feeding my dCS Vivaldi Apex DAC (fitted with a T1A internal SR Red Fuse).

Chosen tracks in rotation, I initially had the feeling, as expressed in some quarters, that I might have "over-egged" the pudding!

Frequency extremes, as well as dynamics and a lower noise floor were evident, but had the system balance been tilted in a negative way? I decided to move the Purple Fuse to my dCS Vivaldi Upsampler Plus (a Digital to Digital Converter).

Nothing much changed, audibly for me, so I tried a purple in two more locations. Replacing the Master Fuse in the first plug from the wall. This was a backward step, I felt, and something definitely went missing in the process!

Finally. I replaced the SR Orange Fuse I have in the mains plug of the Coherent BD power cord that feeds my D'Agostino Momentum S250 MxV power amp, from a separate mains wall outlet (D'Agostino doesn't recommend mains conditioners with their power amps, so I followed Dan's wisdom and power straight from the wall).

Again, I felt that with the Purple replacing the Orange 13A Fuse, something was different and not to my preference (I also have a T10A SR Orange 5 x 20mm internal casework fuse in the power amp).

With extended listening, I think that a single SR Purple fuse found its rightful place (in my system) in the mains plug of the Vertex Roraima HiRez power cord, that feeds the Vivaldi Apex DAC.

The SR Purple gave me the greatest challenge in finding an acceptable location for its many positive virtues, which I was determined to exploit. The reason being, that Byron had given me one SR Purple 13A fuse, free of charge, due to a cock-up, when the box of goodies was first delivered.

After Byron had left, I started to unbox the various bits and pieces and discovered, to my horror, that the boxes containing the SR Master and Purple Fuses, were empty!

I checked and rechecked the foam inserts, but, no fuses. I panicked and thought, "he's never going to believe me" and sure enough, when I phoned him, he was adamant that he had put them in the boxes, but would check his inventory, all the same!

I was greatly relieved, when he phoned back later and informed me, that he had located both fuses, which he had put into plugs for his event at Shinfield.

He was most apologetic and being the decent guy he is, said that he would drop them off, plus an extra Purple fuse, for me to keep, gratis, due to his embarrassment! He made a special early morning journey, to my home the next morning, a Sunday and his 48th Birthday, to deliver the fuses by putting them through my letter box, without disturbing me! What a guy!

So, you can understand my motivation for wanting that single Purple fuse to work for me in the context of my system!

As the weeks have passed, it seems to have settled down, powering my DAC and that's where it will remain, with the Master Fuse, trickling it's goodness down to all the SR fuses distributed throughout my system!

At this juncture, thanks for reading so far, but I'm going to take a break, before continuing with my tale and introducing you to the delights of the Synergistic Research UEF Performance Enhancers (£295 a pop and consisting of a small carbon housing, terminated with an RCA phono plug, Ethernet plug or BNC plug, designed to be inserted into vacant ports around the system (also network switches in the case of the LAN-terminated Enhancer and designed to kill noise)!

Also, coming up, another "left field" resonator device, the French Neodio Origine B2 puck, designed to sit beneath system components as a footer or atop casework to combat vibration and add damping. But, there's more to it than that, and it's apparently all about water molecules in the room and the B2 itself and how it interacts and stabilises the sound!

It really is "One Step Beyond" (for all the Rod Serling fans out there) and this is probably the only internet forum where such a post might not be met with derision and cries of "snake oil" and such like!

Also, my take on the Quiescent Apex Couplers.

Stay tuned folks!

image0 by , on Flickr

Which correlates nicely with improvements in my main and second system

I do nothing (recent) and they both continue to improve

Further adventures in The Twighlight Zone! ............................

Up next (Day 7) was the French designed and sourced (No UK Distributor) Neodio Origine B2 Acoustic Purifier, with which, the designer claims you will hear:-

* A "broadband" effect that enhances timbre over the entire spectrum without a marked tonal signature

* A more faithful dynamic rendering of the sound, characterised by a better definition of micro-information and an absence of saturation on loud notes

* A sound image that extends substantially beyond the framework of the speakers, giving the impression that the musicians are in the room

* You will experience the sensation of reconnecting with the essence of a recording

* You will experience the pleasure of sound quality that focuses on the music, rather than analysis of the sound

Bold claims indeed, but we are talking about the French, after all!

Where it gets weird is when the Neodio website starts talking about water molecules in the air and in the B2 itself and how the B2 takes a little while to settle and "couple" with it's environment!

I suppose we inhabit a world, where we are at the mercy of our environment! RFI and EMI pervade our listening space. Parasitic vibrations inhabit not only the supports which we place our equipment on, but also within the equipment itself (PCB's, components, casework, wiring) which is probably why we find accessories like grounding boxes and footers like Black Ravioli, so successful in allowing us to mitigate these harmful environmental effects and get more enjoyment out of listening to music, played on our systems!

Water molecules in the air and how that affects our listening, I had never considered before, but, what the hell, I'm game, so let's try an accessory which claims to clean up the sound!

The B2 can be used as a footer (max weight - 30Kg per B2) or as a vibration "absorber" very much in the mould of HRS damping plates or the Artesania pucks from Spain.

We have all probably tried the "cheap and cheerful" option of placing door stops on our kit to damp any casework vibration and experienced the improvement in performance that brings about!

The Neodio Origine B2 is not cheap, at £209 each (set of 4 will set you back £836) but it's recommended applications are versatile and include:-

* 1 B2 on top of each speaker, head downwards, centred at the front

* 1 B2 on the floor, in front of the speaker, head downwards

* 1 B2 on the floor, as a support for the speaker cable, where it touches the floor, coming from the speaker

* 2 B2's under the power strip

* 1 to 2 B2's on top of the equipment rack, near the vertical posts

* 1 B2 on top of a piece of equipment, at the rear of the mains input side

* 3 or 4 B2's under a piece of equipment or speaker, acting as footers

I decided to deploy the set of 4 I had to play with, by trying two of them under the speaker cable (where it would touch the floor coming from the speaker) and on the front of the TAD speaker stand (wood) where it extends beyond the vertical plane of the drive units.

I wasn't able to try them on top of my speakers, due to the TAD's having a curved surface. Under the Quiescent 300VA balanced mains conditioner also proved problematic, due to its inaccessibility, behind one of my Stillpoints ESS racks. In any case, it is supported on a trio of Stillpoints Ultra SS footers, on a bamboo chopping board for vibration control.

My main (Vertex) Aletheia PSU2 balanced mains conditioner/distribution unit also sits on a quartet of Stillpoints Ultra 5 footers in conjunction with a Stillpoints Component Stand.

I tried a few "left field" locations, dotted around the room and on top of my Aurender streamer/server and power amp, but found them most effective under the speaker cables and on the TAD speaker stand.

Damn, if these things don't bring something to the table as well!

The soundstage was certainly extended (working sympathetically with the Synergistic Research FEQ Carbon Acoustic Field generator) and there was an added sense of "rightness" about the sound of music, playing with the Neodio B2's in place!

I certainly preferred the music with them in the system.

So, another positive from Byron's box of "Voodoo!"

image2 by , on Flickr