As I know that there are quite a large number of our customers who do not have access to the Internet, I have compiled another selection of 'postings' which have appeared on the P.W.B. Internet Discussion Group over the last few months.
I feel sure that this selection will be of interest as an addition to this P.W.B. Newsletter.
The P.W.B. Internet Discussion Group can be accessed via:-
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PWB/
10th March 2004 from Bob Benn, USA.
Subject: can you suggest a demo for me....
Hi!
Although I am a new member of the PWB group, I have a number of friends that I think would be open to a demonstration of the PWB products and concepts. I know that I can put a silver foil strip on a CD or LP and that I can apply some cream-electric, and they will hear an improvement.
But then I want to demonstrate the PWB principles and how everything interacts with the music and how unrelated items (such as CD cases and LP covers) when treated can have a positive effect with the musical enjoyment.
So given that I have silver rainbow foils and the cream-electric, what would you suggest would be the surest, and most dramatic demonstration of treating unrelated components to improve the musical experience, and as importantly be able to reverse the process and remove / take away the improvement as proof of the effectiveness of the PWB perspective? thanks in advance for your suggestions....
Bob
11th March 2004 from P.W.B. Electronics, UK.
Subject: Can you suggest a demo for me....
Dear Bob,
The Cream-Electret is very effective and can be used to treat quite a number of things quickly but it is difficult to demonstrate in before, after and back to before experiments because once the Cream is applied, it has done it's job, it cannot be removed. The only way you can destroy the effect of the Cream is to apply another chemical over the top of the Cream - an adverse chemical something like furniture polish.
So, if you want to do before, after and back to before experiments, you have to look at such devices as strips of Rainbow Foil which can be attached and removed, sections of Spiratube which can be attached around cables and then removed and such things as Reef knots in cables which can be tied and then untied. I have found that the Reef knot idea is very good for using in demonstrations as you can tie a Reef knot in two AC power cables, listen, then untie the Reef Knot. Similarly a Reef knot in a single cable. As I have mentioned before, Peter has given remarkable demonstrations using Reef knots on completely unrelated components such as the AC power cable of a vacuum cleaner, stored in a cupboard or the AC power cables of PASSIVE Quad Electrostatic speakers, just standing in a passage way, outside the listening room.
When you come to demonstrate, you will obviously try attaching such as strips of the Rainbow Foil to items where you yourself have had success. But, I will describe what has happened when Peter has given demonstrations (as an example) so that you can be forewarned.
During one demonstration to a group of audio journalists, Peter applied strips of Foil to a couple of items of equipment and played some music. He was met with blank faces - no one appeared to hear any improvement. Peter carried on, applying a few more strips of Foil, playing music between each application - again being met with blank faces. Then when he applied (say) a strip of Foil to
the seventh object and played some music, someone in the audience suddenly said "Oh, I heard THAT. What did you do then Peter ?" Peter replied that he had just attached a strip of Foil to the telephone. The other person said "Well, that is obviously a very important place to treat, why didn't you treat that first ?" So, the next time Peter gave a demonstration, he applied a strip of Foil to the telephone - at the very beginning. Same thing happened again - he was met with blank faces. It was probably not until he applied a strip of Foil to the fifth item that he got a response from someone of "Oh I heard THAT. What did you do then Peter ?" Peter replied that he had just attached a strip of Foil to the glass ashtray on the window ledge. As Peter progressed, more and more of the people present heard improvements.
So, Bob, you may have to apply a strip of Foil to a few various items before you have success. Another thing to do is to attach strips of Foil to (say) five different things, apply a few sections of Spiratube to a few cables, tie some Reef knots in other cables and wires and then listen for a short period to some music. Then, when people have had time to get used to the (better) sound, remove any one strip of Foil, or any one section of Spiratube or untie any one Reef Knot and then listen again. Quite often, letting people's working memoryhave time to upgrade to the new standard and then taking them back down to the previous standard makes it more obvious that an improvement had taken place without them actually being aware of it.
To use the expression I use many times. When they cringe, it is the working memory shouting, kicking and screaming because it had just become accustomed to a better standard and is now being taken below that standard.
The point I am trying to make is that people react differently, in different surroundings to different things being treated. Some people can hear the effect immediately, others take some time and on a few occasions, it is after treating some quite obscure objects which can create the most surprising result.
Some of the unusual places to 'treat' are telephones, water pipes, central heating pipes, gas pipes, aerial wires, doors, windows, mirrors, wall lights, light switches, battery powered clocks, electric clocks, power plugs (of none associated items) and so on.
Even after all the treatments we have done at HQ, Peter and I can still be surprised. Just this morning, Peter applied a tiny amount of the Morphic Green Cream to a small area of a wooden door frame and we got another improvement in the sound.
May.
12th March 2004 from James Takamatsu, Honolulu.
Subject: power plug charge barrier?
I've reading some PWB archive reviews from the late eighties/early nineties and they mentioned a resistor mains plug. Is this a power plug charge barrier or something else?
James Takamatsu
12th March 2004 from Robert.
Subject: Ideas
Hi The latest postings have given me a lot of ideas. Treating five different non-electrical objects in a room. How my own appreciation of PWB treatments has changed; The first time I used the black foils to make the little arrow heads ( if your reading this and thinking I must get some of those they were an early product, superseded, but still effective ) and hearing no improvement in sound quality but left them attached and listened the following day and my strident, vague stereo was now the sweetest most relaxed communicative musical experience. PWB treatments are so simple and effective that I do them sometimes without regard for the consequences! At work one corner of A4 paper is regularly removed, and today the part-time guy asked me why I did this. Sad to say after a long pause my feeble response was "It makes me feel better" so now I'm thinking of some way to elaborate, on this without losing the rapport we have.... mmmm. How to cope with the challenge the PWB products do pose to certain beliefs.
Regards
Robert
13th March 2004 from Paul, Australia.
Subject: Cheap Portable System.
I had an experience with a piece of Spiratube and a small mini system. I was travelling and had a good set of headphones with me. I ended up living in a DJ's house who was away for a few weeks. I had one piece of Spiratube with me attached to my headphones. I began to listen to his personal made compilation CDs through my headphones on his mini system. the Spiratube on the headphones made no noticeable difference in sound, but when I took it off and attached it to the power cord it was quite amazing how full bodied the sound became. There were a lot of songs I knew but did never interest me. but with the Spiratube on the power cord the rhythms and the weaving sounds and melodies really enchanted me. With the listening anymore and have to turn the music off reaction.This was going to be a story for the newsletter but I forgot about it till now.
Paul
15th March 2004 from Tom Marsden. UK.
Subject: Re: can you suggest a demo for me....
Bob, a very effective technique I have used on several occasions is to smear the finger tips of the listeners with Cream Electret. I suggest you first play a short piece of music ( about 30 seconds worth ) 3 or 4 times to fix it in their minds; then apply the cream and listen again. In my experience the response every time has been " it's now much louder and clearer ". Another useful 'trick' with spectacle wearers is to place foils on the rims of their glasses. If you have any Morphic Liquid? also try the effect of cleaning of their glasses with it. My own reading glasses are ,of course, extensively treated and I am reminded of this every time I read the newspaper while music is playing. Mind you, you might invite some very odd looks if you tell people that you put on reading glasses to listen to music - could be something out of the 'Goon Show'!.
Tom Marsden.
16th March 2004 from V.R. Sola. USA
Subject: late night listening
Late night listening.
Often many enjoy music in late night periods.
The reasons may be many Quieter environment, less RFI and EMI, lesser electrical usage and lesser power pollution
To alpha and beta brain wave pattern Serotonin, and other hormonal levels, with peace at themselves etc..
But I think in a PWB treated environment the perceived sound quality in the daytime gets closer to late night listening. even with out expensive power conditioners.
Any comments???
V.R. Sola
18th March 2004 from James Takamatsu, Honolulu.
Subject: Bulbs, balloons, etc....
Remembering back about some Hi-Fi show where (I believe) Mission's display included some advertising balloons which May Belt commented that the sound was degraded by said balloons. I had my blood pressure cuff sitting next to me in my listening room (in case playing my Belted stereo system gets me too excited!); I sealed the cuff and stethoscope in a ziploc freezer bag and stuck it in my treated freezer. Greater naturalness (especially in the vocal range), more substantial images, more space. The pressure bulb? The pressure dial? I don't know which the culprit was, but the ziploc bag and freeze technique works again. A fab freebie!
By the way, V.R. Sola's description of the results of Belt treatments being cumulative, linear, or logarithmic never made sense, until very recently. I believe the last few "tweaks" have been in the logarithmic range.
James Takamatsu
17th March 2004 from Bob Benn, USA.
Subject: Re: can you suggest a demo for me....
I realize that I am still very new to the theory and products of P.W.B., but I have a theory of why I didn't hear the sonic improvements that everyone else has obviously heard with the Green Morphic cream
To quote a P.W.B. article.. Because of his latest findings, Ian Russell is now beginning to believe that the outer hairs act differently to the inner hairs. That the outer hairs are under the direct influence of the brain by electrical (ionic) signal. That when the brain wants to hear a sound more distinctly, it sends a message to the outer hairs to become more rigid to 'tune in' to the sound. Alternatively, when the brain is getting too much noise, as in a loud work situation or a loud disco, then the brain sends a message to the outer hairs tobecome limp, to lay flat. According to Ian Russell, it now looks as though the outer hairs are the ears 'fine tuning' mechanism.
I would suggest that audiophiles with golden ears and sight impaired people may have been able to naturally harness the fine tuning mechanisms of the inner ear. For the rest of us, the P.W.B. products and the way they influence the electroionic energy fields within a given listening room and indeed the entire building, allows the outer hairs to become more rigid as we listen and the music becomes cleaner and louder.
Individuals that can not hear a sonic difference in a P.W.B. product or a conventional system upgrade may lack the ability to enable the outer hairs to become more rigid and thus cannot fine tune their hearing enough to perceive the sonic changes. Individuals that are opposed to tweaking a system or applying P.W.B. products may very well 'will' the fine tuning mechanism not to work naturally.
In the case of the Green Morphic Cream, individuals may assume the sound will improved, after all at that cost it should, so they are receptive to the electroionic changes that take place. Some who believe the cost of the Green Cream may be prohibitive may subconsciously inhibit the fine tuning mechanism, and thus not hear the improvements that the Green Morphic Cream actually creates in the listening room, and on the components. In my case, I may very well have a mental block against the Green Cream and never allowed by fine tuning mechanism to work properly. I say that because all of the other P.W.B. products to me are audible and beneficial.
Maybe this is all very obvious to many group members, but for me, understanding the fine tune hearing mechanism helps me understand the theory and accept the real improvements that I now hear since using the foils, cream and red x pen in my music playback system. your comments and opinions are welcomed....
Bob Benn.
18th March 2004 from V.R. Sola. USA.
Subject: few other culprits robbing the sound
Few people think that the metal spring coils used in Bed Mattress, sofa and chairs also produce negative energy. It may depend upon the direction of the coil, like clock- wise or anti-clock wise spiral. (the direction may depend upon whether one lives in the northern or southern hemispheres).
I guess it is easy and in expensive to treat with a small piece of Spiratube and cream Electret, I tried it and I guess it makes a difference, but to be conclusive it should be repeatable by others.
regards
V.R. Sola
19th March 2004 from Bob Benn. USA.
Subject: treating a guitar.
Has anyone had any experience treating either an electric or non-electric guitar? What PWB products did you use to treat the guitar and what were the results from the treatment.
thanks
Bob Benn.
19th March 2004 from Chris Porada, USA.
Subject: RE: treating a trumpet
Hi everyone, Has anyone had experience treating a trumpet? What did you use? How did it work?
Thanks Chris Porada
19th March 2004 from James Takamatsu. Honolulu.
Subject: re: treating a trumpet
Chris-
There is an old newspaper article regarding freezing a trumpet; check the archives from 1999. As for PWB products, I don't remember seeing anything.
James Takamatsu
19th March 2004 from Geoff Kait. USA.
Subject: Re: treating a trumpet
I have not treated a trumpet, but if it were mine I'd use the following, some of which are invisible, others not:
Cream Electret
Sound Has Priority label
Sol-Electret for valves
Green cream
Morphic Liquid
Gold Foil with Red Pen messages
After treatments have been applied, Clip trumpet with P.W.B. Clip and subject trumpet to two freeze/thaw cycles in home freezer.
Regards,
Geoff Kait.
19th March 2004 from V.R. Sola. USA.
Subject: listening chair
Treating listening chair
The 2 sofas in my listening room are well treated with brown ccu clips on each and foils the metal frames .
All these made a significant improvement.
Recently I moved them for vacuuming the carpets. I noticed the 2 brown CCU clips on safety pin. I moved them (relocated) to another place under the sofa cushion.
I noticed several metal coil springs.
I have some Spiratube left over. I attached them to the coil springs. Of sofa
I looks to me some times even moving the Spiratube a little around will make change in our perception of sound. We take the treatments for granted and after some times get acclimatised to them and may not notice much difference. And forget them. Now I think I will attach a small 5mm length of Spiratube to the bedsprings also.
I moved the Spiratube a little., On all my power cords and cables I think it makes noticeable change.
Any comments
V.R. Sola.
23rd March 2004 from James Takamatsu. Honolulu.
Subject: Tapping with Cream Electret Jar?
Hi Richard-
I saw you mention- in the back pages of this discussion group (around '01), using a Cream Electret jar to tap ties and foils in treating a freezer. What can be so "treated"? Should I tap all foils (including Morphic foils)? What about items already treated with Cream Electret?
Thanks,
James Takamatsu
24th March 2004 from Richard Graham UK.
Subject: Re: Tapping with Cream Electret Jar?
Hello James!
Basically you tap any foil, tie, magnadisc, or Spiratube (and there may be others I've missed) that can have Cream Electret applied, after the Cream has been applied. I forget how effective it is, but always do it.
Similarly, tapping the ink line/disc with the chunky pen used to apply the ink is also good. I usually tap with the cap, but there may be even more benefit tapping with both ends.
The tap is a small energy shift that seems to assist that establishment of the better pattern in an object. Other methods have included changes in heat too.
As another tip, dial your own telephone number and then tap the mouthpiece of the phone with the red pen. Really seems to 'harmonise' treatments.
Richard
24th March 2004 from Chris Porada. USA.
Subject: RE :treating DIY speakers while building
Dear P.W.B.'ers,
I am soon going to begin building an amplified sub woofer to add to my audio system and was wondering if anyone could make recommendations as to what treatments I should do while constructing the cabinet and while installing and wiring the amp and the woofer.
Thanks for any tips,
Chris Porada
25th March 2004 from A. Martherus. The Netherlands.
Subject: Re: RE: treating DIY speakers while building
Chris,
There are so many things you could do! Next to creaming, foiling and writing messages with the Red 'x' pen on EVERY part, panel, etc.. you could think of:
- the freezing process (twice) of speaker units, electronic parts, cables
- tying reef knots in the cables
- use an uneven number of screws to attach the speakers, panels etc.. to each other
- align all those screws (horizontally)
- use three feet
- avoid 90 degree corners, so on the inside of the boxes you could place triangular bars/beams (I don't know the English word for those lengthy pieces of wood you can buy in every do-it-yourself store) into the corners of the box.
- use as little damping materials as you dare, or try removing it all.
Well, we could sum up every single P.W.B.-treatment you're aware of...
Regards,
A. Martherus
26th March 2004 from Tom Grande. USA.
Subject: Re: Tapping with Cream Electret Jar?
Dear James,
Just to expand on the reply to your question about tapping - Dr. Graham and Phillip Turner each wrote a piece on quantum cream (and foil) describing these products and the wonderful results that can be obtained by tapping. It can be accessed through the P.W.B. web site by going to the Newsletter section and bringing up Vol.. 00, No. 8. The write-up is a few pages down under the New Products section. Also see the very informative description of quantum cream and foil by clicking on the link to that item in the P.W.B. price lists section (the description is not available from the products section of the site, however).
My understanding is that Quantum cream is similar to Cream Electret but more specialized and particularly suited to interfacing P.W.B. products and foils (particularly Quantum foil) to the objects they are attachedtoo. I've experienced great enhancements to the sound by smearing a tiny amount of quantum cream to the standard rainbow foil on a CD, super-wiping and then tapping with the jar. The more people observing the tapping the better the results (you can even go back and tap later if there are more people available to watch!) The cream is extremely cost effective (only $18 US currency even with the recent price increases due to the strength of the British Pound!)
Sincerely,
Tom Grande
26th March 2004 from James Takamatsu. Honolulu.
Subject: Re: Re: Tapping with Cream Electret Jar?
Hi Richard-
Thanks for the tips. I'll be sure to try the "tapping" to see the results. I don't have any PWB pens yet, but I did try a Staedler red 313 pen, and I didn't get the results others have (My local stationery store only had the ultra fine tip pen on hand. I don't know if that may have affected things; the sound got generally thinner and brighter. I tried a fat tipped purple marking pen- drew a straight line on the edge of a couple of floppy discs- and the sound got noticeably slower paced, the sound stage compressed, and rolled the highs. I had to scrub the purple ink off those discs! (The point being, of course, not if it sounded better or worse, but that the sound changed at all).
Thanks again,
James Takamatsu
29th March 2004 from Gary Lee. USA.
Subject: Gold Message Foil
When writing messages on the Gold Foil, does the message have to be in a continuous line on the same plane? For example, here is a message I put on my CD recorder:
MARANTZ PRODUCES EXCELLENT SOUND O.K.
But the first time I tried to write the message it had to be written like this:
MARANTZ PRODUCES EXCELLENT SOUND O.K.
That's because it wouldn't all fit the narrow width of the Gold Foil. There is a limit as to how many words can be fit, especially when using the Red X Pen. Though the Red X Pen has a fine point, it is sufficiently broad to limit how small letters can be written.
Should the Gold Foil be cut lengthways, thus allowing long messages to be fit on one line? I'm so used to cutting the Foils across that it seems odd to cut it lengthways, but it could be done. Anyone with thoughts or experience with this?
Also, I'm eager to try the Present Foil. Is it cut on the lines between the letters, or does one use 2 or 3 mm pieces?
Thanks. The new Newsletter is most interesting. Does everyone stop and read at least part of it after retrieving it from the mailbox? I always seem to.
Gary
31st March 2004 from Tom Marsden. UK.
Subject: Newsletter/New product
Thanks Richard for the latest Newsletter and to all the contributors. Hard to believe it is 10 years since you produced the first Newsletter. I can only begin to imagine the effort and number of hours you have put in over the years to help bring to the attention of hi-fi enthusiasts the gains in sound quality that are there for anyone willing to embrace PWB techniques. I am sure May Belt will give due recognition when the Peter Belt story is written. I first became aware of PWB , probably you likewise, with the articles written by Jimmy Hughes in HI-FI Answers but where is Jimmy Hughes now ? Since those early days the power of PWB products have increased beyond belief and what opportunities he would have today. I suspect Jimmyis probably fully aware of what is going on - with sneak logon's to the web site - but is gnashing his teeth in frustration at being censured by his pay masters. What is astonishing to me is that the spring from whence these products/ideas come to the surface shows no sign of drying up; indeed it seems to the flow is increasing ; which brings us to the new 'Present Foil' and the experiment that came with the Newsletter. 'The Experiment'. How can one explain it to another! Anyone unfamiliar with PWB and being shown the experiment and told it would make music sound better would surely gaze in disbelief and most likely feel their intelligence was being insulted. After all what can be more stupid than to believe that the sound in your room will improve if you take a rectangle of plain paper, put five pin holes in it ; place it over a photograph of a four legged animal and then put a aspirin over the centre hole and then place the combination on top of a loudspeaker. Surely anyone who claims to hear a difference must be bonkers . Well, include me in the bonkers brigade. Initially having put the device on a loudspeaker I couldn't hear a difference but when it was removed I heard what seemed like a fine sand paper quality had been introduced into the sound and that sand paper didn't clear until the device was replace on the loudspeaker- it is still there now . It was now time to try out the free sample Present Foil. For listening I was using the Sacd of the Gergiev recording of the 'Leningrad' symphony . I have a up market Sony Sacd player but I am not yet equipped for surround sound., however, the player can be switched to give the higher resolution on stereo. For the test I was using the CD layer. This Sacd I have been listening to quite a lot in recent weeks and seemed the most suitable choice. After putting a strip of the new foil on the jewel case and playing the disc it became obvious that this was another top of the range product from PWB. The tonal colours became much more vibrant and it seemed as if time had slowed because hearing different layers of the orchestra was much clearer but more importantly was the feeling of involvement with the performance which produced a inner glow of pleasure with every note having extra significance. This was, without doubt, way above every other previous listening of this disc. Having experienced the qualities of the 'Present Foil' I e-mailed for a new type CD Electret Disc for evaluation . When trying this out , I again chose the same Sacd. and waited expectantly as the player was started. The immediate impression was that my loudspeakers had had a major upgrade which produced a much deeper and wider sound stage and the sound quality was phenomenal ; the apparent increase in dynamic range had me shaking my head in wonder. Top quality Hi-fi is often equated to standing outside a doorway and listening into the recording venue. With the new Electret disc this has changed ; now you are standing inside the doorway and getting a feel of the ambience. The Electret Disc was sent on approval and I approve so much it is staying here. This new disc is a very pricey item and one has to consider other priorities. After all for the cost of this product, these days you can buy a good quality SACD player; but having said that the sound quality will be less than when using the CD Electret in a CD player. I speak from my own experience.
Tom Marsden.
2nd April 2004 from Richard Graham UK.
Subject: Re: Newsletter/New product
Tom,
It's good to hear how someone else found this 'new generation' stuff. It is very unnerving, even for the hardened PWB user, to do the experiment, and then feel compelled to leave it in place because it helps. But I am so impressed with the Foil and Disc. I leave my photo wallets in the same room as the Disc, and the benefit to the sound is awesome - when I am in the car! It really does seem to enhance all devices and objects in the room.
You also echo my feelings about the Hi-Res formats, although I only have experience of DVD-A. Without any shadow of a doubt, these devices make every CD better than an untreated DVD-A. But put the two together - a true heavenly marriage.
Richard
2nd April 2004 from John Tverdik. UK
Subject: Re: Re: Newsletter/New product
Richard, why can't I find anything about the four-legged device in the products or price sections of the web site?
John
6th April 2004 from Richard Graham. UK.
Subject: Re: Newsletter/New product
The official title is ' "Friendly" Four Legged Stance Device ', and if you have the Newsletter, I found it a quarter of the way down the second side of the price list that came with the Newsletter.
I had rather hoped May Belt would have directed you to the correct page of the web site, but given that these things are just great, I thought I'd spare you further delay. We can only hope that May and Peter aren't slacking, or, God forbid, recovering from a rather too wonderful time elsewhere.
Richard
9th April 2004 from James Takamatsu. Honolulu
Subject: Wood floor- treat one or all?
I'm planning on PWB treating a wood floor. The floor is made of thin planks (maybe 2" wide) of hardwood. Do I just treat one piece of the wood flooring or do I do each and every piece?
Thanks,
James
13th April 2004 from Kevin Kehoe. UK.
Subject: Re: Wood floor- treat one or all?
It so happens I am presently lifting an old carpet to decorate before having a new one fitted. The same thought occurred to me and I have a sinking feeling I know what the answer will be! The best result possible will only come from treating each plank as an individual item. In my case each floorboard is about 4.5" wide so it is not as daunting as your situation. Even so, I will only put a smear of Electret cream followed by clipping on each plank and leave it at that. Even if you only treat every other board to a small degree you should get a significant return for the effort. Other timbers worth some treatments are those that support the roof-if you have access through a loft entrance that is. This is something I have yet to carry out in the present house but brought some improvements to sound when I treated the previous dwelling.
Kevin.
14th April 2004 from Chris Ingram. Hong Kong.
Subject: Re: Wood floor- treat one or all?
Hi James,
Here is an extract from a short article I wrote entitled "Bizarre PWB" for the 2003 Vol. 5 No 2 PWB Newsletter. Hope it helps.
All the best,
Chris Ingram
"That journey recently had an interesting and exciting twist for me. I live in an apartment which has flooring consisting of many strips of solid timber laid on top of concrete slabs. Reading the Morphic Green Cream instructions and the recommendation to treat wood, I asked May whether it was necessary to treat each individual wooden strip. The answer I feared came back. Yes, it was. I proceeded to treat (Morphic Green Creaming each strip followed by Quantum Clipping, with the latter adding considerable enhancement) a section representing about 25% of the listening room with stunning results. A horrible thought then occurred to me. How would this wonderful treatment be affected by the weekly floor polishing? May advised that a subsequent chemical application such as this would neutralise the treatment. The flooring could only be cleaned with water. There is a doubt in my mind as to whether chemicals in my domestic water (e.g. chlorine and fluoride) will also have a detrimental effect. I am yet to experiment on this point."
14th April 2004 from James Takamatsu. Honolulu
Subject: Re: Re: Wood floor- treat one or all?
Thanks for the help, Chris and Kevin. I guess I could start treating the floor in steps and see what improvements would be sufficient. Maybe treating under the area rug or sofa where it wouldn't be cleaned as often, or maybe some rainbow foil near the corners of the room where people don't normally tread.
Thanks again,
James
17th April 2004 from Tomtweak. USA.
Subject: Quality of Equipment
I am fortunate to own a speciality audio store and I have the opportunity to experiment with all PWB products with different levels of equipment. While most of us can hear improvements when we treat a boom box, the better the equipment the larger the improvement. I recently demonstrated adding a Morphic message to the side panels of Marantz's new reference products. The customer was more than amazed but what really amazed me was when a customer outside of the room asked what change I had made to the system as he heard the improvement in sound from the hallway. I will have the opportunity to compare a totally treated Marantz SA14V2 to an untreated one. Fortunately I have a large treated freezer so I can include freezing the SACD player as well. I will gladly post the results when I'm done. I'm very guilty of reading all the posts but not contributing. I hope to change this in the future for I'm totally convinced of all PWB products. The only problem I have with some of the PWB products is clarity on applications. For instance the new paper with the 5 holes attached to speaker wires and interconnects. How can you attach the 5 hole paper to interconnects that are hanging down from your equipment. That's were Richard and May really can help us all. I hope everyone who reads the posts in this chat room has tried the 5 leg photo with the 5 hole paper and the aspirin. It's a freebie and works.
Good Listening,
Tomtweak.
20th April 2004 from Geoff Kait. USA.
Subject: Re: Quality of Equipment
ditto tomtweak's comments regarding the 5-hole paper; I find a 3 inch length of Scotch tape over the middle of the 5-hole paper + aspirin works well for "difficult" objects like cables, book spines, vertical panels, etc..
Geoff Kait
20th April 2004 from A. Martherus. The Netherlands.
Subject: acoustically friendly lacquer
Hello,
I'd like to respond to something May described in the Newsletter. She described the 'acoustically friendly' lacquer on the cones and boxes of the new Sonus Faber loudspeaker. Before I ever heard of PWB -only one year ago, shame- I tried to tweak my stereo equipment with better components. It kept me busy for about ten years. Just take out the bad electrolytic, ceramics, op-amps, and replace them with something 'audiophile'. That worked, indeed, but I was not yet satisfied with the sound. Then, in 1998 I discovered C37-lacker. With this sticky goody, I treated my loudspeakers, but also pickup arms, cartridges etc.., even the CD-players drive-unit and, because it worked so wonderfully, I also treated every transistor. It has a drying period of 4-6 weeks nonetheless. This lacquer is made by a man named Dieter Ennemoser and if you read his home page http://www.ennemoser.com you can imagine why this works, mechanically. The resonance's are shifted towards frequency-bands where the brain automatically suppresses them, for they are the same frequencies as our bones resonance frequency. It sounds very reasonable and indeed, it works, so, maybe Ennemoser is right, right? After I applied the lacquer, there was immediately a huge improvement. The sound became Alive. Instruments seemed Real, even synthesizers sound like piano's, wonderful! And the voices and the 3D-image...
Moreover, this was BEFORE I even heard of PWB.
In hundreds of years, many people have struggled to make such a lacquer to recreate a Stradivarius from an ordinary violin. And they have all a 'secret ingredient'. So, what is this secret, 'acoustically friendly', better said, friendly to the ear, ingredient in Ennemoser's C37-lacker? I will tell you, it is ground bones, and I believe even human bones. So, in fact our lacquered music system is, yes, a little stiffer and if it resonates, it does so at the Ennemoser frequencies. However, because it is covered with a bit of human remains, our system becomes friendly to our senses! Now where did we hear that…?
Since I learned about P.W.B.-devices, I think I finally truly understand how it works. And, I realised there are more people in the world, doing a 'Belt'-work of art. The only difference is that Peter does research continuously and the others stop when they found something hat works. E.g., here in Holland we have an inventor named Henry van der Heide. He could be the PWB of our country, for I suspect he is equally brilliant. Van der Heide was a technician at the NOS (Dutch BBC) and discovered among others that "information can be transferred, and recorded, in sound and that information is carried by gravitational waves" So, you could transfer the message 'vote George Bush' through a piece of music!!! Fortunately, this technique is not worked out. But it seems similar to writing messages with the Red 'x' Pen. And "metal is a bad conductor (for information transfer) as are plastics and chemicals in capacitors; a better material is carbon, because it is closer to humans" Later, our Dutch pride Aalt Jouk van der Hull bought his technology and developed The First interconnects, made out of carbon. Also, our inventor Van der Heide could 'order' or purify pictures, slides, movies and sound; so that the viewers had a picture/sound quality as good as they have ever seen or heard. Pictures of sunlight shining through the trees looked real and bright and the sound quality of a simple Philips CD-player was like heaven. He even used Homeopathy to achieve these results.
Does the above look familiar to all of you?
17th April 2004 from Andreas Makrides. Greece.
Subject: Re: Quality of Equipment
Well, if I have understood the instructions clearly, you have to pass the interconnect through the center hole.
At least this is what I have "discovered": The center hole can be too big in order an interconnect or a jack to be able to pass through it, and I could say, it is better for the cable to have a bit of air around it to "breath" (not to have a hole too small).
On the other hand, I was astonished to hear the change of the sound, after I had apply the 5 hole paper to the three Goldring cones that support the self under my record player. You could guess an alteration (in the case of interconnects) to be due to some known law, and I found no difference applying a 5 hole paper around a pencil, or a pen. But it worked brilliantly around the cones, and even at the floor, around the cone-screws of the speaker stands (with the tip of the screw at the middle of the center hole).
Mysterium my friend!
Andreas
20th April 2004 from P.W.B. Electronics. UK.
Subject: New Generation Devices
Tom,
You can attach the five hole etc. device to a cable using such as Blu-Tack (a removable adhesive). The purpose of the five hole device experiment is for people to experiment with a lot of them in different positions to begin to realise just how so many things in the environment are a problem. It is because Peter realised that it would be impossible to 'treat' all the book spines, all the CD case spines, all glass and transparent objects, all wood, and so on in the listening room that Peter has worked (for a long time) on trying to produce a device (the New Generation Electret Disc) which, when used as described, will alleviate many of the problems caused by the things listed. However, the New Generation Electret Disc Device is in addition to all the other P.W.B. Techniques you have been using - things just get better !
And, Andreas,
You have read the instructions incorrectly. You place the five hole etc. device on the centre part of an interconnect - not, as you have interpreted it - the interconnect through the centre hole of the five hole device.
May Belt.
20th April 2004 from Paul. Australia.
Subject: C37-lacker
Yes, I have come across that web page in my Internet surfing. Good to hear from someone who has tried it and liked the results. I will have to put in an order for some when I built my next speaker project. Using bones to make violins is nothing new. I have lived next door to a violin maker, and he would make the glue by boiling bones for 12 hours I cannot remember the next stage in making the glue. I am guessing in the old days the lacquer was also made with a similar process which is now no longer remembered. But wait till I tell him It might be better if he uses his grand mothers bones, Now that's getting a bit scary. Perhaps it is more the crystalline calcium structures which may mimic ancient cosy warm water based living environments such as in caves when life was still in its elemental stages. But you would have to ask peter or may about that one they seem to have got the earliest water based environments sorted. So perhaps just the bones from your favourite dog will do''' Here Roxy.
And it is good to hear from you too Mr Tom tweak, I have been wondering about the effects on different classes of equipment! I have just upgraded my amp. It came to a point where my old amp although improvements could be made using PWB treatments, It was still just more of the same inadequate sound. Now with my new amp I now know I had bad imaging, no sound stage depth. edgy trebles and a missing octave of Bass which I had previously blamed on room acoustics. Quite simply too much of a job for PWB treatments to cure alone. Having said that due to discovering and using PWB devices I was in fact very happy for quite a long while and quite lost my need for spending hours on tweaks because everything was sounding so good already from the treatments alone. But the time came when my ears said more. I think for this reason alone the Hi-Fi Companies do not need to fear PWB devices as equally treated devices will still maintain their relative sound quality separation. And if what you state is true that the effects are greater the better the equipment which makes sense after all, as there is more intact information to improve upon, then there is very good reason to have a devoted Belt device shelf space sitting right along side the exotic cable interconnects section in any serious Hi-Fi store.
Cheers,
Paul.
1st April 2004 from Andreas Makrides. Greece.
Subject: Re: New Generation Devices
May
It seems that I was led to a discovery myself, through the incorrect reading of the instructions!
I hope that someone could explain the changes that occur thus to the sound: At least there was an improvement in passing the FM aerial through the center hole!
Nevertheless, I would like to ask a question: You write to your article: "All these energy patterns, prevent the sense of hearing from creating stationary energy patterns on the objects within our environment". How can our sense, create energy patterns on the objects? Isn't a sense, a perceptive (passive) phenomenon? If I have understood incorrectly again, excuse my poor English!
Another idea that I believe could be explained further, is the connection between the photosynthesis process and the four legged animals, since the latter do not share the benefit of photosynthesis.
Andreas
21st April 2004 from A. Martherus. The Netherlands.
Subject: Re: New Generation Devices
Question 1.
Maybe you created something like a coloured ring tie. Read the instructions about them on the P.W.B.-website. Some cables benefit of a white centre.
Question 2.
According to Sheldrake and even quantum-scientists will admit this: in Nature there does not exist a passive receiver. As soon as you look at or hear something, you have "reached out" and influenced the signal.
Question 3.
I don't know. The dog is higher in evolutionary ranks than a leaf??
Martherus
21st April 2004 from Heiko Eingender.
Subject: Re. acoustically friendly lacquer
Hello A. Martherus,
thanks a lot for your very interesting post! I am also using C37 with very beneficial effects on cartridge, cantilever and cones. I have found that C37 with an additional Electret cream treatment after properly drying works extremely well. It can completely transform the performance of a cartridge. Where from do you know, that there are ground bones in it? Once I made the lacquer extremely thin and I could observe some light and extremely fine "dust" which deposed in the bottle. Perhaps this is actually the bone dust? I have a pound left which we used to feed the cat as supplement and I am pondering to fill the carbon tube of my self made schröderclone-tonearm with it...
Best Wishes
Heiko
21st April 2004 from P.W.B. Electronics. UK.
Subject: friendly lacquer.
A. Martherus,
The reason why I made the reference to the 'acoustically friendly' lacquer was to make people aware of the general things used in the manufacturing of audio products which may have other explanations as to why they were being described as 'improving sound' than the strictly conventional acoustic explanations which are usually put forward by engineers. My reference was also prompted by the latest reports of loudspeaker drive unit cones made from wood, where the wood had previously been soaked in sake. And, this followed from Ron Adamson's posting that he had remembered improving the sound from his loudspeakers very many years ago by 'creaming' the drive unit cones with P.W.B. Cream-Electret. I was going to add to this reply the recommendation that whatever you chose to use (lacquers and so on), you should apply a small amount of Cream-Electret to it - when Heiko has already beaten me to it !!
Engineers who find that when they use certain lacquers or use certain adhesives they can get better sound, usually struggle to find an explanation from conventional acoustic theories - and end up claiming that the lacquers are (somehow) improving the frequency reproduction or, in the case of adhesives (somehow) dealing with vibrations. Improvements in the sound may have nothing whatsoever to do with any of the conventional theories but may be because of how the human being is reacting to the different chemicals and components used. That is the point I had intended to make.
Regarding your description of the message 'vote George Bush' which did not work.
I would not expect such a message to work. Such a message does not 'tap into' the Morphic resonance of universally used beneficial language. For Morphic resonance messages to work for human beings, they have to 'tap into' already established, strong, beneficial energy patterns which mean 'safe'., 'secure'., 'peaceful'., 'friendly'., 'good'., and which have those individual meanings whichever language is used. These reassuring energy patterns were established long ago in evolution.
May.
21st April 2004 from A. Martherus. The Netherlands.
Subject: Re: acoustically friendly lacquer
Hello Heiko,
I'm using the same method: C37 lacquer on my Linn K-9 cartridge and Cream Electret on top of that. Marvelous improvements indeed. I even got rid of nearly all of the tracking problems at the end of a record. No more audible distortion! How do I know what Ennemoser is doing...? I really don't remember where I read this. At the time I couldn't order the lacquer (only in large quantities) I tried to read all I could on the Internet about C37. And that is a lot:) There was also a user's forum. Anyway, that is not important, maybe he wants to keep it a secret. You're not serious about filling your tonearm with (animal) bones? C37 plus Cream Electret should be enough. Maybe a beneficial message with the Red 'x' pen?
Greetings,
Arkie Martherus The Netherlands
22nd April 2004 from A. Martherus. The Netherlands.
Subject: scientific experiment ESA/Soyoez
Hi all,
First of all I'd like to thank May for her clarifying answers.
Since we have a Dutch astronaut in space, my attention was drawn to one of the many scientific experiments they are performing. One experiment is about a theory of Albert Einstein of 1916. A large object like the earth will warp the space-time continuum. Scientists developed a system of four little balls and a gyroscope to measure this in space. In addition, some scientists suspect since a few years, that rotation of an object also warps the space-time continuum. I hope they will succeed in their measurements and this will become common knowledge.
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/delta2_gpblaunch_042004.html
Why do I bring this up?
It just reminded me of a guy named Peter Belt, who already knew years ago, that rotating objects like a spinning CD, affect the space-time continuum and worse, that it can be "measured" by our own ears. Better said, our senses become disturbed because of the warped space-time.
On top of that, he developed a "cure", the Silver Rainbow Foil (and many more).
Arkie Martherus The Netherlands
25th April 2004 from Richard Graham. UK.
Subject: Re: Quality of Equipment
Over the years, I have moved from 'budget' models, to higher end stuff, and absolutely agree that you can go to staggering levels with the right combination of equipment and PWB devices. I am still shocked by how amazing the New Generation Electret Disc is, and of how this so surpasses the paper/aspirin device, it is unreal.
We went to the opera last night in London, and afterwards came home and switched on the TV. Now most people would think the sound you obtain at home should be much poorer than live sound. We were also fortunate enough to hear a good 'Rosenkavalier' at the Royal Opera House; the reviews acknowledge that the orchestra is on top form. Yet on coming home, the sound of our satellite box through the system was far better. Indeed, I kick myself for not taking the Electret Disc into the opera house. This creates a rather different problem of course, but what an astonishing difference. I will also urge you to try the related 'Present' Foil if you don't wish to go the whole distance of getting an Electret Disc. It really is worryingly good.
As Tom recently showed, these items make ordinary CDs sound better than the High-Res. formats, but bring the two together...
Richard
22nd April 2004 from VR Sola. USA.
Subject: spinning discs and ceiling fans.
A year ago, I attached piece of rainbow foil and other foils to all the ceiling fans, a pedestal fan and to the auto radiator fan blades and creamed the motors. I think they all produce subtle changes.
The paper with five holes, I used a thick paper and a white card board, made holes with a hole puncher (office supply) and used only aspirin tablets. Attached using a double sided tape. For fun try it on T.V. Power Cord, Video cable and the satellite or cable TV Cable. Soon I will experiment by substituting aspirintablets with real plant products such as herbal supplements such as Ginko, other capsules such as Co enzyme Q10, and a animal product such as fish oil capsule. Who knows they may work!
regards
VR Sola
27th April 2004 from P.W.B. Electronics. UK.
Subject: New Generation Devices
Andreas,
I started a reply to you but it has already reached three pages long with no end in sight !
The subject touches so many different areas and the world (including the world of Nature) is a pulsating, dynamic world - not a passive (only receiving) world.
Regards (for the moment),
May
26th April 2004 from Andreas Makrides. Greece.
Subject: Re: New Generation Devices
Martherus
As it is obvious by now, that I cannot hope to receive an answer by May, please give me your comment on the following:
If "as soon as you look at or hear something, you have "reached out" and influenced the signal", then, does the extra musical information that someone receives by applying the PWB products, is a by product of our mind?
At the end, do we all hear the same musical piece?
Andreas
27th April 2004 from Bernard Knoop. The Netherlands.
Subject: Treatment inside
Hello.
I treat mine equipment with a lot of foils ,creams etc.. But I did treat the inside only with Cream Electret. What can I do more inside equipment? Is it necessary to use all the foils/cream outside also inside?
With kind regards
Bernhard.
27th April 2004 from Ulf Osterbrink. Denmark.
Subject: Re: PWB treatments.
Hi,
once again my question....
Has anybody tried Belt-Devices on Computers or Laptops??? Where to put them?? I tried Spiratube on the power cable but could not recognize any differences.
Greetings
Ulf
27th April 2004 from James Takamatsu. Honolulu.
Subject: Smart Metal trials
I just started experimenting with PWB Smart Metal. It's difficult to put into words the results of doing a few (relatively) simple tests.
I first tried the Smart Metal on the magnet ring of the speaker. The Mordaunt Short MS-30i has a pretty decent sounding tweeter- smooth, balanced, slightly soft at the top-end, but nice and inoffensive. The 8" woofer, on the other hand, lags behind the tweeter in both speed and performance. I started by treating the woofer per PWB instructions, then reattached the woofers.
The difference was startling. Not only did I notice the lower noise floor and greater neutrality of the woofer section, but the tweeter now sounded horrendously harsh and irritating by comparison. It brought to mind the violin comparison in the "Challenging the Conventional" article written by May Belt. It wasn't that the tweeter got worse, but the woofer was just so much better; I was forced to treat the tweeter (which was a bit of a pain, being attached with those 5 point "star" head screws). After the treatment, the tweeter was improved exactly as the woofer had improved.
I went on to treat the CD (AC power solder joints and two circuit joints, and the power amp (AC and input RCA connectors). The sound now is more transparent, faster, quieter, smoother, etc.. All good things, but the real difference is the "human-ness" of the voices, and a certain "logic" or order to the music. Again, hard to describe, but understandable when you experience it.
James Takamatsu
Subject: Re: PWB treatments.
Hi Ulf-
I used Cream Electret on the monitor's screen, and on small areas of the outside of the CPU tower, the underside of the keyboard, the printer and all the power cords. I also used the standard rainbow foil on the underside of the keyboard, a Morphic foil (I think I used the "Comfort" foil) on the top edge of the monitor's housing, and Spiratube on the power cord. I ended up replacing a freeze-treated Absolute power cord for the CPU original cord. And I "Smart Metal-ed" the power strip's AC connecting pins.
James Takamatsu
28th April 2004 from Andreas Makrides. Greece.
Subject: Re: PWB treatments.
Hi Ulf
For the Laptop:
1) Real Foil at the back
2) Reef Knot and Spiratubes on the cable
3) If you can open the hard disc and detach various part (like dvd) of the laptop, extract the barcodes or erase them with the red 'x pen.
4) Freeze effect foil on the hard disc
5) Cream Electret on the metal parts of the dvd
6) Write a message FLOW> O.K. and stick it in the drawer of the dvd.
7) Sol Electret on the screws
Unfortunately, the computers have a very bad influence on the sound, and I am afraid, that without opening them you cannot do many things to improve the situation.
Andreas
3rd May 2004 from P.W.B. Electronics. UK.
Subject: New Generation Devices.
Andreas asked me,
You write to your article:
"All these energy patterns, prevent the sense of hearing from creating stationary energy patterns on the objects within our environment". How can our sense, create energy patterns on the objects? Isn't a sense, a perceptive (passive) phenomenon? If I have understood incorrectly again, excuse my poor English!
Another idea that I believe could be explained further, is the connection between the photosynthesis process and the four legged animals, since the latter do not share the benefit of photosynthesis.
Andreas,
Here is my long awaited answer.
Andreas,
I find it extremely difficult to describe 20 years of thinking in just a few sentences, even in a few paragraphs.
I will have to be oversimplistic to attempt to describe a very complicated subject.
You have to combine the subject of how human beings evolved to where we are now, with Sheldrake's Morphic resonance energy patterns.
In order to survive, Nature must have programmed creatures to sense/monitor their environment every millisecond of every second of every minute of every hour of every day. In order to detect movement Nature must have dictated that the early creatures had to take note of certain co-ordinates (taken from the many different energy patterns which existed at that time). Let us imagine that there were (hypothetically) at least 20 different co-ordinates which the creatures had to read/sense and then take a mental photograph of them. This mental photograph was then stored in the working memory. The next millisecond, the creatures had to again read/sense the same 20 co-ordinates and take a mental photograph which was then compared with the previous mental photograph. If any of the 20 co-ordinates had changed, this then alerted the creature to the fact that a change had taken place within their environment. Each subsequent millisecond the 20 co-ordinates were read/sensed because the creatures had to determine whether any predator was moving towards them, moving away from them, or staying parallel with them and to decide what action to take in order to survive (the well known flight, fight or freeze). To be oversimplistic, the creatures had to be able to establish a reference point (a stationary point) from which to determine when and where any changes took place - what Peter and I call the 'x' point - and that all these things were happening long before the senses as we know them evolved but that we (human beings) have still retained (through evolution) many of those ancient abilities.
What Peter and I believe is that objects in the modern environment, with their different energy patterns, are not allowing us to determine the correct 'x' point (a correct reference point), which means that we cannot resolve our environment correctly, which means that we remain under tension. One very good example, if one was needed, is the moving and alternating AC power energy - this particular energy pattern was never available when the early creatures were evolving !! Who knows, in this modern environment, we may be presented with hundreds of pseudo co-ordinates which cause confusion and which we cannot resolve. It is not that our sense of hearing is creating energy patterns on objects, it is that the objects themselves have different energy patterns which our sense of hearing (as well as our other senses) are struggling to resolve but cannot - the sense of hearing is a far more complex system than being a mere receiver of air pressure waves. What Peter has discovered are ways of creating, on objects, via our devices, particular 'friendly, reassuring' energy patterns which allow us to relax more. Because, when you think about it, Nature could not allow creatures to be constantly 'on the alert' - it would be too wasteful of energy - there must also have been energy patterns which meant "it is OK, you can relax, the danger has gone away". And Peter and I believe that the early creatures learnt to communicate with each other (long before the senses of hearing and sight developed) and to send each other 'danger' signals and 'reassuring' signals - so, the early creatures would have been 'looking out' for both danger signals AND reassuring signals and we (human beings) are still continuing to do that. So, the senses are not passive, they are interacting the whole time with our environment and, we believe, there are other ancient 'senses ' within us which do not come under any of the descriptions of the five known senses - touch, smell, taste, hearing and sight. So, Peter and I believe that (with acknowledgement to Sheldrake) basic Morphic resonance patterns appertaining to living things were established millions of years ago.
Now we have to jump to one side and look at plant life. Again, I will have to be outrageously simplistic. By the time the early creatures emerged from the dark depths of the oceans, plant life had already established Morphic resonance patterns of how to 'deal with' light energy (again with acknowledgement to Sheldrake). But this was not just passive photosynthesis. Plants also developed different means of propagating, different defensive mechanisms and, when creatures emerged - how to make use of different insects and animals We believe that Nature makes use of energy patterns which already exist so, she could have used a combination of the way plants 'deal with' light energy and the already existing 'hearing' sense when the early creatures emerged from the oceans and had to 'deal with' the (new to them) energy of light. We believe that Naturemade use of parts of the already existing hearing mechanism to create a primitive 'seeing' mechanism and this was so successful from a survival point of view that the sense of sight was given priority.
Now, looking at both creatures and plants. Both types are 'linked' to their past and use particular mechanisms to achieve this linking.
Peter and I believe that when the human (Homo Erectus) evolved, standing up on two feet gave humans one main advantage - and that was to develop a more sophisticated brain but, in doing so, we lost some of the 'linkage' to the past - which animals retained via their four legs and tail.
We believe that the energy patterns (co-ordinates) which were initially used by the early creatures were all natural - there was nothing unnatural millions of years ago but, in today's modern environment there are thousands of man made objects and materials which have no 'link to the past' because they have no past.
Let us have a look at a few concepts. As I have said before, I regard concepts as stepping stones, they allow you to explore, providing you remember to put up a marker flag at the point where you are starting.
If you look at a man made, modern object, in the modern environment - yes, light energy enters it but the man made object does not 'know' how to deal with the light energy - it does not have a link to the past ! And, because the object does not 'know' how to deal with the light correctly, we (human beings) cannot resolve the energy pattern produced by the object - so we stay under tension.
I do not have great knowledge of medicine but I understand that sometimes, when a person is injured and has many serious injuries, the brain shuts off the pain signals coming from the injuries and concentrates all it's energy on survival. When the brain decides the person is safe, the pain signals are allowed to resume.
Imagine now a Compact Disc, or vinyl record or audio tape with a wealth of information stored on it (a far greater wealth of information than anyone has so far realised). This wealth of information is processed perfectly adequately by the audio equipment and is eventually presented into the room and this information reaches the person's ears. But, the human being's body and mind is struggling to resolve the numerous and conflicting energy patterns in their environment, searching for 'reassuring' energy patterns, so the brain says to the hearing mechanism "Hold on a moment, I will have to put you on low power until I can resolve the environment". If, however, you can superimpose on the man made objects and materials in the environment a 'friendly/reassuring' energy pattern, then more of the brain energy can be released and the brain can return to the hearing mechanism saying "Now, what was it you were listening to, I have more power to devote to you now ?"
Again, as I have said many times before. If you can 'treat', with P.W.B. Devices, many objects in the listening room (objects which could not be associated with the actual audio signal nor the acoustic air pressure waves) and get an improvement in the sound, then this improvement in the sound means that you are hearing additional information. But, where has this additional information come from ? The only answer seems to be that this additional information has been there, in the room, all the time you have been trying to listen - you just had not been able to 'hear/perceive' it before 'treating' the objects.
Now, to your original question Andreas.
Peter began to ask the question. "If the modern objects, in the modern environment have no 'link to the past', how can we provide one ?"
We have known for some years that a specific number of holes pierced in a piece of paper was 'beneficial'. It would seem that light travelling through these particular holes creates a specific energy pattern which we do not react adversely to. So, Peter linked the five holed piece of paper with the image of a four legged plus tail animal to create one 'link to the past' and then added the aspirin tablet. The basic chemical now used in aspirin was created specifically by the bark of the willow tree to give the willow tree a specific advantage. So, he used the aspirin tablet, with it's link to a tree which HAS learnt to 'deal with light', which in turn has another particular 'link to the past' and then placed this combination onto a piece of equipment. The result is the experiment he has given to people to try for themselves. If you can hear an improvement in the soundwhen attaching this combination to an object I.e. you can hear additional information, then this should show people just how much they (human beings) are sensitive to different energy patterns in their environment and just how this sensitivity can affect their hearing/perception.
In a recent posting, James Takamatsu referred to my description in my paper "Challenging the Conventional" of the playing of a violin to illustrate how the working memory upgrades itself automatically to new standards and that you cannot then go below that new standard without cringing. Another description I often use is what I call "the ticking clock effect' to illustrate the points I have just been making. This was more common many years ago when most rooms had a wind up, loud ticking, mechanical clock in it (not like today when most clocks are quiet, electrical or battery ones). You could be totally engrossed reading a book when all of a sudden you looked up startled. But, when looking around, you could not see any reason why you should have been startled because nothing appeared to have happened. Then, you realise that the clock had stopped ticking. Your body and mind had been, subconsciously, constantly monitoring/sensing/reading your environment every millisecond without you being aware of it whilst you were quietly reading. Then, you were alerted because your brain had realised that something had changed from one second to the next. The clock had stopped ticking.
I have two articles amongst my archive material which you may find interesting.
The first one is by John von Radowitz entitled "Deadly fish uncovers hidden human genes."
"Unlikely similarities between people and the Japanese puffer fish have uncovered almost 1,000 previously unknown human genes.
An international consortium of scientists said yesterday it had completed a draft blueprint of the genetic makeup of the puffer fish, Fugu rubripes. The sequence contains roughly the same number of genes as the larger human genome, but they are much more densely packed.
By comparing human and puffer fish genomes, the scientists were able to predict the existence of almost 1,000 unidentified human genes. Most of these genes, yet to be located in the human genome, have unknown functions, the researchers reported in the journal Science.
Dr. Samuel Aparicio, of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Mechanisms in Disease at Cambridge University, said: "For the first time we are seeing the overall differences, as well as the similarities, in the protein parts that make up fish and man.
When we matched the predicted Fugu proteins directly against the human genome sequence, for 961 cases we found that there was a match in humans that didn't overlap an already predicted or known human gene.
This flags up for geneticists the position of potentially novel human genes. Direct comparisons of the fish DNA show more human genes will be found by comparing fish with man.
The puffer fish sequence is helping to find previously undiscovered features of the human genome - a process compared with the decipherment of the Rosetta stone."
**************************************
The second article was published in the Independent (a British Newspaper) in May 2002.
It is by Roger Boyes and entitled "It's not easy being green - just hear your plants scream."
"Tread softly in the garden and pluck that rose with care: flowers cry when cut, cucumbers squeal and even healthy fruit gurgles according to new acoustic research on the stressful life of plants.
The findings, released by the Institute of Applied Physics at the University of Bonn, could have important implications for farmers since, with the proper eavesdropping device, one can now distinguish between healthy and sick vegetables. Talking to plants, it seems, is not as rewarding as listening to them.
The Bonn scientists have developed laser-driven microphones that pick up sounds inaccessible to the human ear. When a leaf or a stem is sliced, the plant signals pain (or perhaps merely dismay) by releasing the gas ethylene over it's entire surface.
Doctor Frank Kuhnemann of Bonn University has been trapping the ethylene in a bell jar. The gas molecules are later bombarded with calibrated laser beams, which makes them vibrate. This produces a soundwave picked up by the microphones. "The more a plant is subjected to stress, the louder the signal we get on our microphone" he said.
The Bonn scientists have tested a range of plants, always in rooms with controlled temperatures and simulated natural light. But they were most surprised by the reaction of the cucumber. The vegetable appeared to be in good shape, yet according to the acoustic measurements, it was virtually shouting with agony.
A closer study showed that it had developed mildew, yet the symptoms were not visible. This finding is likely to make an impact on agriculture. "We can detect an infection the day after it has set in" said Dr Kuhnemann's colleague Ralph Gaebler, "Farmers, looking at their plant in the field, have to wait eight or nine days until the mildew spots have visibly broken out before they notice the problem," he said in an interview with Deutsche Welle radio station.
By eavesdropping on plants it should be possible to develop an early warning system to detect pests and disease. Knowing the stress level of fruit and vegetables can also be an aid in efficient storing and transporting. Acoustical evidence demonstrates that apples emit higher levels of ethylene, which causes neighbouring plants to wilt. As a result, the scientists urged fruit producers to store apples separately.
When ripe fruit is packed with unripe, a substantial amount of fruit often ends up rotting even when the shipments are separated by type. The scientists in Bonn have solved this mystery: differences in ripeness are often invisible, but can be detected acoustically in the form of ethylene. It should therefore be sufficient to measure fruit with laser microphones to separate it into batches of appropriate ripeness before loading it on to ships and trucks.
But the Bonn University team believes plants do more than chatter about aches and pains as if passing time in a doctor's waiting room. The team also thinks plants warn each other about approaching danger. The 'alarm signal' is a chemical message transmitted between individual plants: this too can be measured by the new equipment." (My italics - May Belt.!!)
**************************
As I said in my earlier e-mail to you Andreas - the world is a pulsating, dynamic world.
Plants are more involved than with mere photosynthesis. They do not have a sense of hearing or a sense of sight but they communicate with each other by chemical means - as must have been the case with the early creatures. And, there is a strong possibility that we (human beings) have retained many of those ancient abilities through evolution.
When you get even a glimpse of the complexity of the world, some of the reports in audio magazines of unexplained things 'changing sound' can begin to make more sense. In the Spring 2004 Newsletter, I made reference to certain adhesives, lacquers etc. which were being described by the manufacturers and journalists as 'friendly to acoustics'. Also, there was the chat forum comment by one of our long standing customers, Ron Adamson, after reading about the wooden speaker cone which had been soaked in sake (rice wine), saying "When is the audio world going to put two and two together ?" And also his reference that he had 'treated ' his normal, standard, speaker cones some sixteen years ago with our Cream-Electret and gained considerable improvements in his sound.
I have just been reading again a review of a Koetsu cartridge by Ken Kessler a year ago. Ken describes the Koetsu as sounding excellent but there is one sentence in the middle of his review which says " Thecartridge's body is covered in hand-applied lacquer made from the sap of the urushi tree........." In an earlier review Ken had presumed that the lacquer used on the Koetsu
cartridge was good because "with time, the lacquer will harden even further, enhancing the strength of the already-rigid body, eliminating whatever vestiges of resonance might remain."
One has to ask the questions "Is the lacquer used beneficial because (as Ken presumes) it hardens with time therefore reduces resonances ?" or "Is the Koetsu cartridge perceived as sounding good only because of how it is made from a technical or mechanical point of view or could it be perceived as sounding good because of how we (human beings) are reacting because of the use of lacquer made from the sap of the urushi tree ?" Because no one is yet thinking along those lines, nor are they yet prepared to 'throw an intellectual switch' and consider different concepts, hardly anyone in the audio industry is yet at the stage of asking the question "If I cover a 60 Dollar cartridge with the lacquer made from the sap of the urishi tree, would it 'sound' much better ?" From my experiences with the few journalists who have actually been prepared to ask that question, and the corresponding question "If I 'treat' this, or that, or that, or that with Peter's Cream-Electret, will it 'sound' better ?" they were/are not allowed to publish the answers.
So many P.W.B. customers already know the answer to that type of question - they have already climbed many of the rungs of the 'ladder of progression', they have been prepared to consider a new concept.
May Belt.
3rd May 2004 from Ulf Osterbrink. Denmark.
Subject: Feng Shui.
Hello May and all the others on this forum,
I just wondered what you all say to the art of feng shui, because I think it is about the same way we are doing.... making the energy of our environment more comfortable. And what about colours being painted on objects. Any colour has it s own wavelength and wouldn t the colour "energy" be transferred on objects painted with that colour??
And when I think about these two topics transferred on audio-equipment, wouldn t it be useful, if the engineers would build there pcb s etc. following the feng-shui rules and putting energy (colour) to the components??
One example:
I thought about capacitors, which save elektrons and giving them away, I think this (seen with feng shui) would be the "water" element. As in feng shui fire destroys water, red would be a bad colour for an cap and as blue and black are water-colours this colour would be good for caps....
I hope you all understand what I mean....
I ve been searching the web for a long time but couldn t find someone who also thought about that.... anyone here??
Ulf (I m sorry for my bad english)
1st May 2004 from Gary Lee. USA.
Subject: Smart Metal and Present Foil question
James mentioned treating his speakers with the smart metal. I did the same a few weeks ago and my results were similar: the improvement in sound was astonishing. Everything was more detailed and the sound stage got a foot wider on each side and a bit deeper. It was amazing. I also put Foils and Morphic messages inside the cabinets and on the speakers. It amounted to an upgrade in speakers, all for perhaps $25 in materials or less (and 4 hours of time well spent). Another example of PWB products working superbly. Some frustration resulted when I spotted the crossover on the second speaker, but since I hadn't treated the first speaker's crossover, I realized that was a project for another day.
I am looking for new speakers but feel frustrated. How much will it cost to beat the sound of my PWB-treated speakers? Honestly, I may be PWB-ing my way past the point of new speakers I can afford.
As for the new Present Foil, I want to try it, but am not sure where to put it. Someone mentioned putting it on a CD jewel case. Has anyone applied it to equipment? Any comments on how it sounds?
Thanks for any information.
Gary
3rd May 2004 from Andreas Makrides. Greece.
Subject: Re: New Generation Devices.
Dear May
Your answer was extremely satisfactory. Thanks for your efforts and I wish you find some time and strength, from time to time, to develop further some of the ideas you surveyed in this article.
To hear and think something new, I believe, can be more satisfactory than improving the sound of the hi-fi!
Andreas
4th May 2004 from Dieter Karner. Austria.
Subject: Help request
Hello,
I am reading along in this forum for a couple of months now and am very pleased with the "manners of conduct" and how people treat each other here.
So far I actively used only the beginners pack (cream, rainbow foil, Spiratube, red tie) and do hear some difference between treated and non treated discs or components. Actually, the biggest difference I hear, is with CDs that are treated with rainbow foil. Of course I have also tried freezing and some of the other freebies.
As you might guess by now, I have never personally experienced the impact of any of the advanced devices on my hearing. One reason for not having gone further is that I am reluctant to spend a significant amount of money without knowing the results first. Another reason is the huge amount of devices to choose from (can't try them all, which is best ... ?).
Now I would like to tell you the actual reason for my posting. I request help.
I am in the process of building a listening room in my basement and I seriously consider to BELT it quite extensively. Since I don't want to experiment for months/years until I find the final solution I was hoping that I could find an experienced "Belt enthusiast" living close enough to me who would be open to treat this room (and more if necessary) for and with me. Or to put it bluntly: I am a (lazy) consumer and would like to avoid having to learn what took others years and years. Be assured that I do not expect alms and am willing to reward value. I live in the eastern part of Austria.
If this is not possible, I will have to go down the trial and error route.... :-(
thanks in advance and thanks for you patience reading this article.
Dieter (Karner)
5th May 2004 from VR Sola. USA.
Subject: water and color.
I heard a comment in one of the forums that having a small cheap water fountain in the listening area is helpful in dry hot places like Arizona. Some one commented humidity plays a role in hearing mechanism.
I see no reason why many people use Black Techflex mesh as a cover for the Inter connects and Speaker cables. Most of the power cords are either black or Grey. Why not use a different color?
Some caps come in blue and white color such as auric caps and sonicaps. But unfortunately some audiophile grade caps come in black.
I think it is not too difficult to have odd number of screws on the chassis for a manufacturer.
Why all the chassis of audio equipment is made with black or grey , or silver steel chassis. Few of them add another element wood for the side panels and Knobs.
I tried a simple experiment . connecting a night lamp (3 volt incandescent ) to the power strip at the back of equipment. I tried blue and pink commonly available light bulbs. It does some thing. Further experimentation is necessary.
regards
V.R. Sola
13th May 2004 from A. Martherus. The Netherlands.
Subject: 90-degree angle
Hello,
Discussing with my colleague who is also a PWB-user, we noticed something remarkable. You have to know my colleague is an astrologist. I told him that 90-degree angles are detrimental for audio and he replied, "Peter Belt must be an astrologist as well, because this is a rule, a law in astrology". So, which angle is advantageous then? He states: an angle of 60, 120 or 72 degrees is always beneficial. Other angles are neutral.
Another thing is that we are for years now, thinking of just HOW and WHY astrology works. So far, nobody had an answer. Just the philosophy that "what happens up there, happens here".
Enter Peter Belt.
The human being is sensitive to a rotating CD, that is, to the minute alterations in the space/time. If this is true, then it isn't hard to imagine that all life is sensitive to the movements and rotations of the planets in our solar system.
This is something I just wanted to share with you.
Regards,
Arkie Martherus
15th May 2004 from Steve Paines. UK.
Subject: P.W.B. talk
I recently came across one of the Newsletters from 2002 after moving house. One of the letters refers to a talk that May gave to a group of PWB users some years ago.
Being curious I was wondering what this talk was about and if a further one could be possible if there was enough interest. I am sure there must be a number of us who were not PWB users then. I think its a great idea for us to meet up to share a common interest.
Further to the Rainbow Foil article in the forum, can I say well done to Richard in his responses to the 'non believers'.
Steve
18th May 2004 from P.W.B. Electronics. UK.
Subject: My talk. (The Video).
My talk. (The Video).
Regarding the talk I gave in the summer of 1998. Someone who was present at this talk made a camcorder recording and we have transferred this onto a video tape. Unfortunately the sound quality for the first two thirds of my talk is not as good as we would like because the camera had been sited at the rear of the room.
However, after the interval, the camera was moved closer and for the last third of the recording, the sound quality is better. The video tape is three hours long and I think that enough can be heard to get a fair understanding behind our thinking. My talk does not concentrate on how to 'treat' equipment etc. or how to carry out various techniques but concentrates more on the journey we have made to the position we had reached in 1998.
However, the video tape is made within the UK standard. Anyone who can view it in the UK standard is welcome to request a copy of the tape. We are also in the process of transferring it onto DVD (computer viewing). For those of you who cannot view VHS UK standard this will be available shortly.
Kind regards
May
Subject: Feng Shui
In answer to an earlier question posed by Ulf Osterbrink.
The more one becomes aware that there could be things in the environment having an effect on people, there will be many concepts such as the Feng Shui concept which will be considered.
Again, in giving our opinion, I will have to be simplistic in my answers.
I know something of the concept of Feng Shui which, in part, recommends placing, certain specific objects in specific (advantageous) positions, re-positioning other objects to more advantageous positions, redesigning layouts and so on. But, the problem with that is that Peter and I see things as more serious, as far more involved than being able to position or re-position objects to create beneficial situations or beneficial atmospheres.
For example (and again I will have to be simplistic).
Peter and I know that items such as audio equipment, video equipment, electrical equipment, objects made of glass, wood, plastics, man made materials, processed metals and so on are a problem for human beings and that this problem cannot be resolved by re-locating, re-positioning etc.. Such objects are a problem so matter where they are in the listening environment or which position they are in. So, for example, you cannot solve the problem of the TV and audio equipment by re-positioning it, you cannot solve the problem of glass by removing it from this wall and placing it in that wall, you cannot deal with the problem of CDs, vinyl records, audio tapes, by strategically placing them in the room (or the building). I personally believe that even if you followed Feng Shui recommendations and positioned objects as suggested by Feng Shui concepts, you would still have to 'treat' them with our devices or techniques if you wanted good 'sound'. Another example is mirrors. In the Feng Shui concept, mirrors are important and the correct positioning of mirrors is important. We have also found that mirrors are important but we also know that wherever a mirror is positioned, it still has to be 'treated' if you wish to have good 'sound'.
What I have just said does not mean that I am dismissing the Feng Shui concept. I see no reason to challenge the concept that positioning certain things in strategic places, re-locating things or re-positioning things should not create a more relaxing and peaceful environment but we believe that all have to be 'treated' to get the best benefits - particularly in relation to having good sound. What Peter has discovered is obviously there, in the environment, and there will be many other concepts that will overlap with what he has been discovering. We are also aware that there are simple things which one can do to create a more relaxing environment - these are what Peter and I have always called 'naturally occurring situations' - and Peter has given them as 'free techniques' over the years. Such suggestions as placing a plain piece of paper under one of the four feet of a piece of equipment, turning up one corner of a curtain, tying a reef knot in cables or in the string of window blind pull cords, freezing objects using a domestic deep freezer, treating your photograph by placing it in the deep freezer, and now the latest five holed piece of paper device and so on. Could all these be considered within the Feng Shui concept ?
Peter and I are also extremely aware that colours are important. We work with colours constantly, but even when Peter finds which is the most beneficial colour for a specific situation or device, he still has to 'programme/specially treat' the device in addition to the chosen colour to deliver the best sound.
Regarding electronic components. It is interesting you should mention those, Ulf, and their colours because there is a story I sometimes tell. It is about designers and engineers of a certain item of audio equipment which is regarded by the audio world as 'an industry favourite'. Such things happen in the audio world from time to time - a piece of audio equipment which everyone likes the sound of (at one time it can be a particular amplifier, another time it can be a particular cartridge, another time it can be a particular CD player, another time it can be a pair of loudspeakers). The 'industry favourite' piece of equipment could have particular components which have (say, hypothetically) brown insulation around them. After a few years, the designers and engineers decide that they will design a new product and decide, amongst other things, to fit similar but technically superior components (better toleranced components ??). Unfortunately, the designers and engineers can then find that many people do not like the sound of their new, latest product, and the designers and engineers cannot understand why. As far as they are concerned, the new equipment is technically superior and has better measurements than the previous 'industry favourite' model. They do not realise that the previous components had (hypothetically) brown insulation around them - a colour which human beings did not react so harshly to whereas the new (technically superior) components have (hypothetically) red insulation around them (a colour which human beings react more adversely to). If, however, either the components with brown insulation or the components with red insulation were 'P.W.B. treated' then BOTH would sound better !! Showing that yes, colours are important, but you can go further than just having 'the best colour'.
Anyone who has been involved in the audio industry, over quite a number of years, and who knows much of the history of audio, will be aware that what I have described has happened quite often. The same technically brilliant designers and engineers who had designed and made the 'industry favourite' model, a year or two later introduce their next model only to find that it 'bombs' and they cannot understand why because, as far as they are concerned, it was technically superior and had far better measurements than their previous designs.
May Belt.
7th June 2004 from Bob Benn. USA.
Subject: Re: Help wanted
Without a clearer understanding of how and why the various foils, creams, and clips work, how can I intelligently apply the PWB products? I would like to know what the challenges are why a specific PWB products works on specific pieces of equipment and their internal components. Now all I can do is apply these products without an understanding as to why we're doing it, or how they effect the components; without the ability to predict if I am helping to solve the specific challenges of the equipment or not.
I purchased the Beginners Kit and had great success with the foil and cream. I build record players and I wanted to apply the PWB treatments to each record player to maximize the optimum musical presentation. I ordered the Green Morphic cream and used it on my record player and various devices and components in my system. At the time, I thought the benefits did not warrant the cost difference between standard issue cream and the green cream. I went to the post office to returned the Green cream to Mary and when I got back home, I listened to a record and used for the first time a record weight that had been treated with the Green cream, and the whole system sounded improved! I a/b the two otherwise identical record weights and I could hear the Green cream difference every time!
What happened???? I don't KNOW, but I offer on potential an explanation: I don't have a lot of discretionary money and I am thinking there was a psychological issue at play. Did the tension, due to the significant price difference, impeded my ability to hear what was really going on with the Green cream. In other words, did tension and its affect on the anatomy my inner ear (caused by the anticipation on sonic improvements after applying the more expensive Green cream) negate my ability to hear the Green cream improvements?
In my opinion, a better understanding of what and why specific PWB products affect specific pieces of equipment is critical. It would assist in the purchase of PWB products and minimize the tensions some people experience in applying the PWB products without understanding how or why the products might work would go a long ways to optimize the results of the PWB products.Any thoughts or comments?
Bob Benn, Nashville, USA.
9th June 2004 from Geoff Kait. USA.
Subject: Beyond Equipment per se
I have recently completed a somewhat tedious undertaking (unless you consider shining shoes entertainment) that involves treating records (and other media) in other rooms. The objective of this undertaking is to address Morphic resonance issues related to both information stored on the discs and special numbers & words on the record labels and jackets - e.g., "33 1/3" and "STEREO" as well as "brand names" like RCA, LONDON, MERCURY, Deutche Grammophon, etc.. A small dab of PWB Cream Electret and on all offending words and numbers is sufficient for very good results. All Photos on jacket or inner sleeve can also receive a small and very thin dab. Records can be frozen after creaming for additional benefits. Booklets found in box sets should be treated as well. All books, records and tapes should be stored in a vertical position on shelves for best results, esp. in listening room. All this is pretty "standard" PWB fare but definitely worth repeating.
All this results in a pretty dramatic boost in sound, with a deeper perspective and greater dynamics.
Geoff Kait
9th June 2004 from P.W.B. Electronics. UK.
Subject:
To answer Bob, from nashville.
Over the past twenty years, Peter has gradually identified different adverse energy patterns which we (human beings) react to and has attempted to produce devices and treatments to counter those adverse energy patterns. Over the past twenty years, Peter has realised that we (human beings) have acquired, via evolution and by necessity for survival, the need to read/sense/react to numerous energy patterns. To name a few.
1) The need to sense predators and to then decide what action to take (fight, flight or freeze) in order to survive. But, that in this modern world, we are confronted with numerous energy patterns which we cannot identify correctly and anything which we cannot identify, Nature dictates that we stay under tension (on the alert) until we can. However, the more Peter became involved in that area of research, the more it became obvious that there are other energy patterns which Nature also dictates that we search for/read/sense and they are:-
2) The need to sense/pick up 'reassuring' energy patterns which say that the danger has passed and we can relax.
3) The need to be able to identify such things as where our boundary is, where is the nearest 'safe hole'., 'bolt hole'., 'sanctuary'.
4) The need to be able to pinpoint a stationary pattern to use as a reference point from which to judge changes and movements in the environment (and one has to ask oneself if that is possible, in the modern environment, with the alternating (constantly changing from positive to negative and back to positive) AC power energy saturating everything in the environment - surely we are just left in a state of confusion).
5) When groups or herds or shoals evolved, creatures had to hand over some responsibility for the individual's survival to a 'leader'., or 'sentinel' and had to obey instantaneously - without question - orders such as 'run like hell - and that we (human beings) are still searching the environment for these warning instructions or reassuring signals.
What our devices are designed to do is to provide 'reassuring' energy patterns which can then be superimposed onto objects in the modern environment, objects which are giving us mixed or indefinable and confusing energy patterns.
I fully appreciate the difficulty that people have, particularly people who are fairly new to our devices and techniques, when presented with a huge list of various devices. People who have been involved with us for the past twenty years have been able to accumulate knowledge and experience slowly, in step with us, and in step with the new devices and techniques we have gradually introduced over the past twenty years.
I fully appreciate that the main problem for people, when presented with the full range of our devices, is what to fit, where and for what purpose. But, let me explain the problem we have.
If, say, we discover that the energy patterns which we can induce into the first three Morphic Message Foils we produced I.e. X Film, Blue Z and Black 26 are all needed on (say for example) a transformer, and the sound improves with the application of each strip of the different Foils, then, obviously, that transformer must have certain adverse energy patterns which are being dealt with by those Foils and, if the sound improves, then that means that we (human beings) need those adverse energy patterns to be dealt with. Now, some time later, Peter begins to discover that there is yet another energy pattern which we (human beings) need - and that is the energy pattern of 'safe hole'. If, the 'Safe Hole' Foil is then applied to the same transformer and the sound improves, then this means that there must have been another adverse energy pattern on the transformer which needed dealing with. Ditto, Comfort Foil and New Type Communication Foil.
If then, later, Peter goes on to discover yet further different energy patterns which have to be dealt with and he develops further procedures to deal with these adverse energy patterns, introduces another Foil and you attach a strip of this latest Foil to the transformer and the sound is perceived to have improved, then this means that the transformer was producing yet another adverse energy pattern which had to be dealt with. It also means that there are numerous and different adverse energy patterns created by the transformer and this can be proved by removing any one of the different and individual Foils on the transformer and hearing the sound deteriorate.
What I am trying to say is that there is no single Foil or treatment for transformers - or for anything else !! In our experience, everything appears to have numerous and different adverse energy patterns and we have not found ONE single treatment which deals with them all. Although, there is sometimes the situation where Peter finds that he can combine the treatment for one particular adverse energy pattern with the treatment for another different adverse energy pattern on the same device or Foil but this then requires numerous procedures to be applied to the Foil during manufacture - which makes the resulting Foil or device more expensive.
I think that the reason why the effect of our different Foils etc. can vary with different people and can vary in their effectiveness in different environments and situations is dependent upon what the individual person is (subconsciously) searching the environment for and what they are regarding as important.
It may be of extreme importance for one person to be able to resolve friendly, relaxing energy patterns from all the numerous energy patterns presented to them within their environment in order to get good sound but it could be of lesser importance to that individual to resolve where the safest place is.
But for another person, being able to resolve the safety aspect from within all the numerous energy patterns presented to them within their environment may be of the greatest importance. We cannot say, which, in any circumstance, would be the most effective of our treatments for any particular individual, all we can advise is that people experiment for themselves.
Let me use again one of the hypothetical examples I use from time to time - the example of a party.
Say you are having a party and you greet every guest entering the room with the sentence "Hello, how are you ? Welcome to our home." And each time you greet a guest with this sentence, the sound in the room is perceived as 'better'. The sentence you are using is a 'reassuring' sentence, a 'good' sentence, a 'friendly' sentence - it can never be a wrong sentence.
Say, hypothetically, you have already greeted ten guests with the same sentence and the sound in the room has improved each time. You then greet the eleventh guest with the same sentence but this time there is no improvement in the sound. This I would acknowledge could happen - there will be the occasional instance when no improvement is heard. Now, say, that when you greet the twelfth guest with exactly the same welcoming sentence, the sound is perceived as worse. But, logically thinking, it cannot be the welcoming sentence which is at fault - it must be something else that has happened at the same time. Could (hypothetically) the twelfth guest have carried into the room, under their arm, say two polystyrene cartons containing bottles of vintage wine ? Could this be what had caused the sound to be worse ?
(Many of our customers who have been experimenting with our treatments for quite a number of years will know that such a material as polystyrene - a particular mix of chemicals - has an adverse effect on the sound.)
A beneficial message is a beneficial message. If it works when applied to ten guests, then it cannot be wrong when applied to the twelfth guest - there must be another reason if the sound is perceived to have deteriorated.
Kind Regards,
May Belt.
10th June 2004 from Gary Lee. USA.
Subject: One-sided
At least I seem to be on the right track from what May said. My hope was that someone might suggest a possible source of change that I had overlooked, some "wine in plastic containers" that might have gone unnoticed. Since I had great success treating a Creek cdp that isn't generally regarded in the same class as the Arcam CD92, it doesn't seem like the treatments could cause any lack, especially since several more high-powered treatments were included on the Arcam. Also, previously when just a few treatments were applied to the Arcam, there were some significant improvements. It occurred to me that perhaps I had combined some treatments in the wrong way or unwittingly changed something while applying them and, thus, negated the treatments.
The only other time something similar happened was in treating the water heater and pipes in my home. In that case nothing negative was perceived. There was just no positive increase in the perceived sound. Since reaction to the treatments is highly individual, that is understandable in some cases, but disappointing, of course. But even including these two situations, my percentage of successes with PWB products and treatments is delightfully high.
The neutral results of the water heater treatments tie in with Bob's situation. Rende and I have exchanged some notes, and recently I mentioned putting Quantum Cream on the side of cd's that are read.
This is a practice I have always done, ever since first receiving a sample of Cream Electret several years ago. It has always produced excellent results. Rende had reservations about doing anything to the playing side. He had always put the Cream only on the label side. But he got adventurous and gave it a try. For him, the perceived sound was not as good with the Cream on the playing side. So the same treatment gave two different results for two different people. There have been other examples like this here at the PWB group. That's why we seem to have our favorite foils. It is just a matter of trying things out to see what works best with one's own system. That is why May's generous practice of sending samples is such a blessing. Several times I've had to say, "Wow!", and send for a new foil. Other times I've decided to wait before acquiring more.
I haven't had much time to listen since the weekend disaster and actually felt it might be wise to let my feelings realign, so to speak, before listening again and trying to evaluate the results of the treatments. This also seems to tie in with May's notes. I'm metaphorically waiting for the spider to leave the room before listening again, although this area does have an overabundance of 8-legged creatures. Maybe that is the problem. Perhaps each spider around here should be treated with a pair of PWB four-legged devices.
As usual, thanks to all for the notes. Any other reactions will be equally appreciated.
Gary
10th June 2004 from P.W.B. Electronics. UK.
Subject: disaster relief
There is one particular example I remembered after writing my latest 'posting'. Of where one of our treatments can give a perceived deterioration in the sound. Imagine writing a beneficial message with the Red 'x' Pen on the Gold Foil - the message saying THIS AMPLIFIER PRODUCES GOOD SOUND > O.K. Attach this message to an amplifier and listen to some music - the sound will be perceived as 'better'. With this message you are tapping into the Morphic resonance of the word and meaning of amplifier, to the Morphic resonance of the word and meaning of good and to the Morphic resonance of the word and meaning of O.K. Now, remove the label from one amplifier and attach it to another amplifier and listen again. You will still experience the 'better' sound. Now, remove the label from the amplifier and attach it to a CD player and listen again. It is exactly the same label, with the same beneficial message, and yet the sound will be perceived as 'not as good'. Your working memory will have already experienced the effect of the full Morphic resonance linkage of the three words associated with the amplifier and does not like being taken down to the lesser level of the effect of the Morphic resonance linkage of only the words and meaning of the two words 'good' and 'O.K.' on something which is not And, yes, Gary. So many of our customers have their own favourite Foil or technique and, obviously, when they chose to attempt to demonstrate P.W.B. techniques to others, they use their favourite device or Foil first - and can find themselves with a mixture of reactions - either overwhelming success, no change at all, or abject failure - with no explanation as to why ! That is why I always recommend that people try our devices or Foils on a good mixture of various materials and on a variety of different and diverse objects and at various times.
May Belt.
11th June 2004 from Richard Graham. UK.
Subject: Thoughts on disaster
Although May is correct that PWB devices do not affect equipment in a physical way, our fingers can. I remember, many years ago, the late Peter Turner damaging his Arcam CD Player (or DAC) with static. Unless a product is so cheap it is replaceable I do wonder whether the risks of opening things up is worth it. Still, you are probably less likely to damage anything with creams and foils than I did years ago with Smart Metal. Me + Soldering Iron = Hamfisted Apocalypse. Consequently, we need also to know whether any change for good or ill comes from non-PWB effects.
It is apparent from some of the recent discussions that one cannot eliminate the human element, and anxiety can give rise to hyper-vigilance, as May linked to scanning for predators. It is both disturbing and a bloody nuisance that in a post-traumatic state of mind, one can have a heightened awareness of the negative, and scant awareness of the positive. Having had your disaster with the CD player, what state of mind were you in to ascertain change? It is not simply a matter of perceiving accurately a physical 'noumenon', but a dynamic process - was the channel imbalance there before but unnoticed? Usefully though, a lot of these early effects wear off, and I would be interested to hear where things are now for you.
But this brings me to the old chestnut that Geoff has beautifully illustrated. Before opening anything up, have we used all of the necessary treatments (probably all of them) and totally treated the environment? Geoff reaped rewards with treating discs. Yesterday, I re-clipped some old medical journals, with the new Passive Disc/Room Device in the room. The benefit was extraordinary, and possibly as good as I would hope from treating capacitors or PCBs. Our mind set of needing to tweak equipment first is based on habit and history, and all of those peripheral things we have yet to treat may be the best way forward.
Richard
Subject: Golden Gaps
It is both a reasonable and unreasonable complaint to criticise Peter for the complexity of his products, and of how to proceed.
There is one rule - apply everything. As May indicates, they all work in different ways, on different things, and you cannot get one foil or cream to do it all (sadly).
With this in mind, I noticed that despite every label going, every foil and cream, certain boxes in my home, had never received strips of Gold Foil, with my messages written on them with the red pen. So to work...
I have to say, I was totally gobsmacked by the improvement. I cannot tell you how much this Gold Foil works in harmony with other things, and what the 'base' effect is, and of course my photo is treated but like 'shut up! It's totally mega!'
I wonder if we would all get more benefit from noticing these gaps, and I have had similar re-discoveries eg with Boundary Ties. Don't ask me about them, because they are rooted in the past too much to divine all of the theory, but they sure work.
So thought for the day - what haven't I treated at all, and if I have, what else could be added?
Happy weekend.
Richard
Tapping the phone is always one of those 'harmonizing' interventions, but you have reminded me of something else that Peter taught me years ago. Sometimes after applying many treatments things can sort of go 'off'. It may be that the brain cannot deal with too much change at once (see Lottery Winnners/Viv Nicholson in the UK!) but there is a simple remedy. Just apply one extra strip of Rainbow Foil, and 'Magic!'.
It makes one wonder whether there is an odds and evens issue with the number of treatments. I suspect odd numbers; hence treat three screws, not four.
At another level, what do people make of the more general process of buying something and then hearing it at home? Putting the PWB to one side, Gary's comments reminded me of buying an expensive turntable in the early 1980s, when as a student, I could ill afford it. It took an age to realise that the money was (reasonably) well spent - I used to listen with a 'What have I done?!?' look on my face. In the dealer's listening room, there are the different pressures to make you feel this is the thing to have, including of course respect amongst peers (surely the only reason to use PWB products!). But at home, 'money down the drain?'.
Richard
14th June 2004 from P.W.B. Electronics. UK.
Subject: Freezing and all that.
Dear All
I have my feet in both camps.
I try to encourage people to 'treat' as many different things in the environment as possible because I want people to be aware of just how many things are having an adverse effect on the perception of sound. I want them to be aware, when they are considering purchasing items, particularly of audio and video equipment, irrespective of whether those items cost 200 Pounds/Dollars, 2,000 Pounds/Dollars or 20,000 Pounds/Dollars, that they will not be able to 'hear' the wealth of information that the equipment is perfectly capable of handling. That there is a wealth of information from all equipment, whatever the cost, which has already reached the room and which they are not fully 'hearing'. And, that the equipment they already have is already 'handling' far more information than they realise or can hear/perceive unless the environment is 'treated'.
But, for the people who are perfectly used to opening up equipment, I am also wanting THEM to 'treat' components etc. inside the equipment so that THEY can discover for themselves just what numerous problems are caused to our perception of the sound by all the things inside equipment. We know, from the past twenty years experience, that all printed circuit boards are a problem, that all transformers, all capacitors, all resistors, all ICs, all transistors, all valves, all wires are a problem and that just because something may have near perfect conventional 'measurements', we, human beings, are reacting adversely to all these things.
I have opened another box of archive material and I have had my memory repeatedly jogged again. Let me look, yet again, at the subject of cryogenic freezing. When Peter and I recommend that people experiment byputting things through the freezing process using their domestic deep freezer, we are not wanting to get into a head to head 'shoot out' with the advocates of the cryogenic freezing process. All we want is for people to be able to experiment, for themselves, using a readily available freezing process, and to discover how freezing objects can give them such an improvement in their sound. However, take our treatments and techniques out of the equation for the moment. Let us just have a look the subject of the cryogenic freezing technique and at what the whole audio industry has known (or should have known) for the past 15 years. In the October 1990 issue of Stereophile Robert Harley wrote an article entitled "The Cryogenic Compact Disc" and in this article he mentioned having talked to Ed Meitner and described how Ed Meitner had discovered that the sound could be improved by cryogenically freezing not only CDs but Laser vision format discs, speaker cable, interconnects, integrated circuits and musical instrument strings. Prior to this, in the late 1980s, I had also read about what Ed Meitner had been discovering and Ed Meitner himself describes how they had discovered that cryogenically freezing such things as the copper used as a conductor, 20-bit DAC chips, tons of solid-state stuff, whole circuit boards, even speaker voice coils had created improvement in the sound - all completely confirming, quite independently, what Peter had also been discovering by using the freezing and very slow defrost technique with our own domestic deep freezer. But, Peter's research in that area had started way back in 1981 - as noted by Martin Colloms in a footnote to an article Martin did for the Stereophile magazine in 1993. To quote from Martin's footnote "Belt has experimented in many areas. With his "lead tubes" of over a decade ago, he was one of the first to demonstrate the different effects of different conductors on sound quality." In 1981, Peter had decided to research into exactly what had an effect on the sound and why. He started his research by listening to numerous bare metals, when used as a conductor of the audio signal - with no insulation material around the bare metal, only the bare metal on it's own. He listened to solid core, single strand copper wire, to many stranded copper wire, to multi fine stranded copper wire, to bunched, twisted, plaited copper wire - all sounded different. He then listened to the bare metal silver, then to brass, then to steel baling wire and finally, the best sounding metal of all was pure Lead. But, as soon as he put insulation material anywhere near any of the bare metals, the sound was perceived as worse. Peter then began to experiment by slowly baking (cooking) the metals in our domestic gas oven and then allowing the metals to return to room temperature very, very slowly. Martin Colloms, in his Cable Controversy article in Hi Fi News March 1984, refers to Peter's work and his cooking (annealing) technique at the temperature of 275 degrees F (Gas Mark 3). After cooking the various metals, Peter discovered that they all sounded better. But, he knew that he would not be able to cook the plastic insulation material so he decided to try the opposite - to freeze the plastic insulation material. This method created such an improvement in the sound, that after cooking (annealing) the metal conductors, he then put them also through the freeze/slow defrost process. So started his discovery that freezing things, using a domestic deep freezer, could give considerable improvements to the sound.
It took until the year 2001 for Keith Howard to write an article for Hi Fi News on the cryogenic freezing technique. As Keith admits, "For some obscure reason, previous publicity had passed me by at the time, despite a fair few column inches being devoted to the subject". Again, Keith says "Having heard for myself the astonishing effect of cryogenically treating the copper in speaker and interconnect cables, I can't imagine how this process and its benefits could fade into obscurity.......... Although Meitner still used cryogenic treatment himself, for everyone else in the audio industry it appears to have been a case of NIH (not invented here) or maybe IDU (I don't understand)." Keith also adds "Perhaps things will be different this second time around."
What I ask is "How is it going to be so different this second time around ?" Keith's article in Hi Fi News was dated July 2001 - it is now nearly July 2004 !!! and still there is a general silence on this subject. In an Internet article 'The Big Chill' (similar to the Hi Fi News article), Keith ends by saying "I'm already asking how this cool idea could so quickly have faded from view. NIH (not invented here), perhaps ? Or CBBTTI (couldn't be bothered to try it) ?"
How can Keith so easily accuse others of CBBTTI ? In his Hi Fi News article, Keith confirms Ed Meitner's success in improving the sound by freezing components etc.. Surely Keith has a domestic deep freezer ? Surely he can so easily do experiments to find out for himself the difference in the sound between two identical components but with one untreated and the other having been through the freezing/slow defrost process ? As well as knowing of Ed Meitner's success, following Keith's Hi Fi News article the letter from Tom Marsden was published in Hi Fi News, so Keith will also have read that.
To quote from Tom's letter.
"Having read the article on cryogenic deep-freezing (July 2001), I was left feeling amazed. Not because of the contents of the article, but because not once did Keith Howard have the grace to mention the pioneering work in this field by Peter Belt. Peter Belt has been advocating the benefits of deep-freezing since the mid-1980s, of which KH must surely be aware. Contrary to the impression given in the article, a cryogenic chamber is not necessary to obtain startling results as a normal domestic deep-freezer is all that is required. I have been deep-freezing CDs, components etc.., since 1987....... The essential requirement is the very slow unfreezing. Theories about 'crystal boundaries' have a ring of scientific plausibility about them but as all P.W.B. Enthusiasts are aware, does not explain everything. For instance, I have recently deep-frozen a 3 metre Scart connector I use between DVD player and a TV set, with the result that the sound, when listening to CDs, is improved - and yet the scart connector is not in the signal path. I agree with Ed Meitner when he wrote 'What I've found over the last 15 years of being in high-end audio is that most of the minds are closed'." (Tom Marsden. Manchester.)
I personally know of quite a number of audio journalists, both from the traditional (printed) magazines and from Internet magazines who are extremely aware of these things but who are choosing to keep silent, (or are asked to keep silent). I think another group of letters is appropriate here - MKSAACTAUTAI (must keep silent at all costs to avoid upsetting the audio industry). (For the people who have and use the Red 'x' Pen with considerable success, I have just rediscovered the long list of the audio journalists who were sent the Red 'x' Pen many years ago !).
Peter and I do not make any money from making constant recommendations that people experiment by freezing objects. We do it because we believe that it is important and that people should know. And, when you regard something as important, it seems nonsensical to keep silent about it.
Having just personally challenged Keith Howard about his silence, I would like to make quite clear that I have a great deal of affection for Keith. Of all the editors of the British Hi Fi magazines he was the one with the courage to print Jimmy Hughes' articles about Peter's work. He was the one with the courage to have his magazine's demonstration rooms at audio fairs 'treated' by Peter and, in addition, prepared to say so publicly - not keep it a secret as so many others did.
So, to recap. It is extremely important to 'treat' the environment -and this includes things in rooms other than the listening room. But, for the few people who are experienced enough to go inside equipment, I would appreciate them experimenting in that area also.
When I regularly make the comment that our P.W.B. Customers are at least 15 years ahead of the rest of the audio industry in having the experience of what can be having an effect on the perception of sound - I am being deadly serious, not flippant.
May Belt.
14th June 2004 from Richard Graham. UK.
Subject: Re: Freezing and all that.
May,
My feeling May is that we do always get drawn into treating the equipment, but this is at our peril.
I have just had an exhausting time, re-Clipping nearly all of my many discs, and ensuring the writing on the discs was parallel with that on the sleeve, with the 'new' Electret Disc inside the case. To be honest, the improvement has been pretty devastating, and at least that of treating individual components inside a piece of equipment. Indeed, if everyone used the Clip and Disc in this way - the Disc is a room device, and thus enhances any Clipping - they would throw away the screwdriver.
Also, many of Peter's Labels do improve things considerably without needing to open the lid. It is, to my mind, too risky to experiment inside products, although to be fair, the only failure I have had was due to clumsy soldering. As you say, there is so much information there already, and all of the may things in the local environment attenuate our perceptions.
If I labour on this point, it is because after many years, I still feel drawn to the equipment too. But as the Electret Disc shows very vividly, you don't even have to be part of the equipment to have a big effect.
So, there - I disagree with Mrs Belt!
Richard
ps It is very sad what happened to Keith Howard. His editorship of Hi Fi Answers in the 1980s was something of a pinnacle, and no matter how good his pieces now, he lacks that vibrant iconoclasm that made him such a great editor.
14th June 2004 from VR. Sola. USA.
Subject: Expect the unexpected
With my very limited experience all I can say based on my past experiment with PWB products
In that experiment to IGNORE the desire to treat Audio equipment is the most difficult part. It is Labor intensive and took several weekends. By treating environment alone with out treating the Audio boxes one can hear improvement in perceived sound. In the months of August, September, and October of 2003 we treated out friends home extensively using simple rainbow foils, cream, Sol-Electret oil, Spiratube and Red x-pen.. Plus several freebies. All the details are in the 2003 news letter. Total cost about 125$
About 200 labels made with red-x pen- The Morphic messages are not related to audio such as happy healthy Safe home >O.K.
Peace prosperity>O.K
good nights sleep>O.K.
Peace, Joy, Prosperity>O.K
and such generic messages on all beds, sofas, windows, toxic chemicals in the home such as aerosol cans (cleaners), Pool chemicals, clocks etc..
Expect the unexpected For several Non audio related benefits
V.R. Sola
Subject: Cryogenically treated CDRs and other interesting products.
One can read about the explanation given about the cryogenically treated sounded CDRs. and How and Why they Sound lot better in the current Audiogon auction (for sale) list as of today. few other interesting products. offered earlier
Inter connects surrounded by fine sand. The wire is in a plastic tube filled with sand). Expensive
Internal wiring and cables covered by natural silk. IC wires surrounded by cotton (natural and organic) Wires covered with Bees WaX.
V.R. Sola
21st June 2004 from Tom Marsden. UK.
Subject: Quantum Entanglement
`The Sunday Telegraph` 20 June 2004. The QED column this week had me focussed. To quote directly from the article. "Last week , two teams of scientists announced the latest advance in the use of what they called quantum entanglement. Anything prefixed by the term "quantum" is usually fairly weird, but quantum entanglement is truly the stuff of science fiction. In essence, it describes a property of sub-atomic particles by which they remain in constant and immediate contact with one another, regardless of distance. This may not sound so special: after all , any one with a mobile phone can achieve something similar. The difference is that even if the entangled particles are separated by billions of light-years, the fate of one instantly affects the fate of all its partners". Could there be some resemblance here with Morphic resonance and PWB effects?
Tom Marsden
24th June 2004 from P.W.B. Electronics. UK.
Subject: Great Misconceptions.
Dear All
I have just been reading an interesting article on the Internet magazine 'positive feedback online' (issue 13) entitled "Great Misconceptions" by Steve Nugent.
Basically the article is about Steve Nugent's observations as an exhibitor at Hi Fi shows. He is trying to make people (other exhibitors and also attendees) aware of their misconceptions regarding what makes good or bad sound at audio fairs.
To quote one section:-
"It seems from the attendees' feedback and my own observations that the exhibitors are hard-pressed to assemble good-sounding systems. And it's not just the room acoustics, trust me."
How true !! It would appear that Steve Nugent is at the stage where Peter was 23 years ago.
As a regular exhibitor at audio fairs, Peter also knew that the actual room acoustics were not the cause of good or bad sound at audio fairs. Steve Nugent is of the opinion that it is 'good transient power delivery' which is the answer to producing good sound. I do not wish to challenge this particular opinion because I know (from years of experience) that the path of trying to find an explanation from within conventional electronic theories has to be trod before it is eventually found to be insufficient. I am not saying the concept of 'good transient power delivery' does not have merit, I am trying to get people to be aware that staying wholly within the confines of conventional theory has a restricting effect on further exploration and on further understanding.
I would expect that, at some time in the future, the more Steve does experiments, the more he will experience things changing the sound which, in no way, can be explained by 'good transient power delivery'., by 'good or poor room acoustics'., or by anything within conventional electronic or acoustic theory.
THEN, he will be at the stage that Peter reached over 20 years ago.
Steve's article shows some frustration when he concludes:
"I wish I knew how to educate the exhibitors so that they could deliver better sound at the shows, but I do not. The best I can do now is to write this article pointing out some of the roadblocks to good-sounding systems."
Believe me Steve, we have tried, and tried, and tried and we do not have the solution either !! As have others (journalists, editors, retailers, manufacturers, distributors), using Peter's techniques. In a much earlier Newsletter, I have already described the story of journalists from a particular British Hi Fi magazine preparing to give the first demonstration in the UK of a DAT machine at a 1987 Hi Fi Show. They had brought with them to the show, a good range of different audio equipment from which to make their final selection. They tried every which way, every combination, working well into the night and could not get good sound. The following morning they were in despair and threatening to close the demonstration room and retreat to the bar !! The group editor for the various audio magazines sat in the demonstration room of a sister magazine whilst Peter was 'treating' the room, heard the improvements which Peter made and asked him if he would be prepared to 'treat' the other (offending) demonstration room. This Peter did, with considerable success, USING EXACTLY THE SAME EQUIPMENT which had so disappointed the journalists the previous night.
BUT, the components of the equipment were not 'treated'., the acoustics of the room was not 'treated', but as one editor reported "After Peter Belt did his magic, everyone involved were all smiles and we ended up having the best sound at the show."
When it is possible to improve the sound to such a considerable degree without 'treating' the components associated with audio equipment, without 'altering' the recognised acoustic air pressure waves in a room, then the only conclusion left is that it must be the listener (the human being) who is the one creating the change in the sound. This concept seems to be the stumbling block which the 'professionals in audio' do not seem to be able to get past.
Again, to quote from Steve Nugent's article:-
"The message that we had difficulty delivering to many attendees was that it was EVERYTHING in our system that enabled our sound............. The ENTIRE SYSTEM had to be modified in order to achieve the sound that we demonstrated."
I would extend the word EVERYTHING to include the ENTIRE listening ENVIRONMENT !! - then, as they say, the audio industry would be on a roll !
Kind Regards,
May
17th July 2004 from P.W.B. Electronics. UK.
Subject: Holiday story
Peter and I have just returned from an early summer holiday. Each year, we usually rent an apartment at the coast and, in a vain attempt to stop Peter working, I usually refuse to pack any of our devices. This time was no exception. Normally, holiday rental apartments have a basic TV and video recorder but nothing else in the way of entertainment equipment and, more often than not, being at the coast, the TV reception is so poor that there is usually one TV channel completely unobtainable and the other channels are of an inferior picture quality. This usually does not matter as, when on holiday, people spend most of their time exploring and investigating new places and only watch TV when flopped down exhausted at the end of the day. So, being without P.W.B. devices has not presented much of a problem for us whilst on holiday. This last holiday however was an exception.
The apartment we rented this time surprised us by having a large screen TV, a video recorder, a DVD player and surround sound speakers. Also, amongst the books on the shelves, there were two DVDs so, obviously, we were easily tempted to view them. This was our first experience, for quite a few years, of living in a completely untreated environment and wishing to listen to good sound. As soon as the sound started, I found it to be harsh, shouty and aggressive and I realised why I had been unable to answer Andreas when he recently asked the question "How do other P.W.B. users describe their sound when it gets better and when it gets worse ?" Because, straight away, I just wanted the sound to be switched off. I just did not have the patience to attempt to analyse whether it was the treble that was bad, or the middle frequencies or the bass information - I just wanted the assault on my hearing to end.
This experience immediately reminded me of the times during the past few years when I have visited Hi Fi shows and where some of the exhibitors have been using DVDs and surround sound to demonstrate their audio equipment and where I have just had to walk straight out of the demonstration room but, at the same time, being absolutely amazed how others could be sitting in the room listening to what I would describe as a 'cacophony of sound'. Before I went on this recent holiday, I reported reading an article by Steve Nugent where he was taking some Hi Fi Show exhibitors to task for putting on appalling sound demonstrations but who were seemingly not aware just how bad their sound was.
I was reminded of one experience quite a few years ago when I complimented one cartridge exhibitor on producing a better sound using older KEF 105s than KEF themselves were demonstrating with their latest 'flagship' loudspeakers. Mr Sola has triggered that memory by his recent 'posting' when he reminds people just what a problem having a TV in the listening room can be for achieving good sound. In the KEF demonstration room I have referred to, they had a TV standing in the middle of the stereo pair of their new 'flagship' loudspeakers and the TV was continuously showing a video of how the loudspeakers were manufactured !! and no one in charge of the room seemed to realise just how poor the sound was.
Back to my holiday experience. All I had with me was a tiny jar of our Cream-Electret in my handbag. I looked around the room. I looked at all the satellite speakers, at all the thin tall speaker stands, at the long lengths of wiring to all the satellite speakers, at the wood strip flooring of the whole room and I then sympathised with all the new P.W.B. users and how daunted they must feel when faced with trying to treat 'everything' in the room. This particular apartment was a corner apartment with large windows on two sides and a complete wood strip floor with no floor coverings. Conventionally, the harsh aggressive sound would normally be attributed to 'bad room acoustics' but this conventional explanation was, subsequently, to be shown to be completely misleading.
Knowing that we would be moving into a different apartment for the second week of our holiday and not knowing exactly what equipment we might find in the second apartment, I knew I had to 'ration' my tiny amount of Cream-Electret. I first 'treated' the actual DVDs by applying a tiny amount of the Cream to the label side. Knowing how important remote controls are regarding good sound, I then 'treated' the plastic cases of the three remote controls on the table in front of me with a small amount of the Cream. Next I applied a small amount of the Cream to the outer insulation of the end of the wires near where they entered each loudspeaker and a tiny amount of the Cream to the plastic cases of the tiny speakers and to their stands. Next I applied a tiny amount of the Cream to the four corners of the wood strip floor.
Now, on listening again, I found the treble to be open (what I call shimmering) - no longer could I describe it as harsh or aggressive, and I perceived the sound to be spread out within the room, not enclosed in any box. It was this spaciousness and openness which so surprised me. The Cream-Electret was one of the first products we developed and even I was surprised at how effective it was. But, the room acoustics were exactly the same as before the treatment !!! So, if the sound had improved, then 'poor room acoustics' could no longer be the explanation for the original poor sound.
Each time Peter makes a new discovery and develops a new Foil to deal with a new problem he has to find a name for the new Foil. It is a family joke that I always want to call any new Foil "Treble Foil" because that area is the area where I always hear the first improvements.
So, Andreas, to give you a quick answer to your question. When the sound gets worse I react immediately by describing it as 'harsh, aggressive and shouty' and I just want it switching off. When the sound gets better, I describe it as giving me open, shimmering treble, extremely spacious (suspended in the air) sound and with the instruments appearing separate, higher in the room and not jumbled (on top of each other). This I believe is because I am able to perceive more of the information available which enables my working memory to better identify the various pieces of information presented to me and when this better information is taken away, then the result is a jumbled mess.
When the sound is 'poor', it is perceived as being at one level of intensity, there is none of the quite imperceptible subtle but large rise and fall of intensity which is what music is all about. I find, when the sound is good, that I am held, by the music, progressing me from one section to the next, increasing in intensity exactly as the music intended, until it resolves itself. This happens also on slow, quiet passages. One is held by the music, the almost imperceptible tension taking you through continually to the next. When the sound is good, I find this effect particularly in Saint Saens music, in Tosca, even in some of the singing in Phantom of the Opera and I still warmly remember a live performance many years ago of Fidelio by the Scottish Opera, particularly the 'prisoners chorus'. I also like the surprise I can experience after Peter has made a significant breakthrough - when I suddenly hear instruments I had not heard during a previous listening session. But when the sound is poor, such as Tosca or Phantom of the Opera just sound harsh and aggressive and I no longer want to listen to them. The last time Peter and I went to a live performance was to see/hear South Pacific in a London theatre and we were both absolutely appalled at the aggressive assault on our ears created by the theatre's sound system.
The major problem I find is in trying to get people to move away from conventional thinking.
For example. If someone listens to a new disc/recording and finds it harsh and aggressive, the conventional explanations usually put forward are
(1) "It must be because of how it was recorded. It must have been 'close miked'." Or
(2) "It must be because of how the recording was mixed." Or
(3) "It must be because of how the turntable/stylus/pickup arm (or disc player) is extracting the information."
But, if you can 'treat' the actual label of the disc and the environment in which the disc is being played and listened to and suddenly the sound is no longer harsh and aggressive, and you can now hear open, spacious sound with a considerable amount more information then the conventional explanations are no longer valid. It is exactly the same recording - you have not altered the way it was recorded nor altered the way it was mixed nor altered the way the information on/in it was extracted !! The same applies with the conventional excuse of 'bad room acoustics'. In my experience, the whole time I have been in the audio industry (50 years) this excuse has been used continuously for the poor sound at Hi Fi shows or in audio equipment retailers demonstrations. I fully appreciate that there is such a thing as acoustics of a room but what I am saying is that once it can be shown that the sound in the room can be changed without the acoustics of the room being changed, then the original excuse can no longer be used - something else must be going on !! This I have proved to myself, yet again, during my holiday experiences.
May Belt, P.W.B. Electronics,
18th July 2004 from Andreas Makrides. Greece.
Subject: Holiday story...
Dear May
Your e-mail was very refreshing as always, but left me curious, whether the bad sound of the room's stereo nearly spoiled your vacation. It shouldn't. After all, the really awful sound of a tv set, could be a very, very good reason not to open it at all, and have another nice walk at the coast!
However - maybe it's now the time to reveal, whether the name of the wonderous "Sol-electret" was inspired by a lovely vacation at the Mediterranean - and to rethink, if the Cream-electret should be renamed to "Luna-electret", to accompany the gentleman in the syringe!
Best summer wishes to all
Andreas
20th July 2004 from Bob Benn. USA.
Subject: iPods and headphones
HI! has anyone had experience treating an iPod, headphones or the Headroom AirHead amplifier? thanks!
Bob Benn.
19th July 2004 from Kevin Kehoe. UK.
Subject: Holiday Story
Dear All,
I have been ticked off on more than one occasion for taking PWB devices on holiday with us. It's difficult to resist taking the opportunity of trying some of the new PWB Devices on a completely "blank canvas" situation! May Belt's description of a sound lift following PWB treatment is pretty much spot on for me. Putting into words the sheer pleasure of hearing a familiar piece of music as if for the first time is a pretty daunting task. Whether it's one of my partner Wendy's opera CD's or one of my own CD compilations of early American blues, jazz and old time country recordings copied from 78 discs (some in not too good a condition), the effect is the same-sheer delight! Following a recent prolonged Belting marathon I would like to add a few descriptive terms of my own though. Ambience is the first and the second is Presence. I appear to have it by the bucketful! And not just from the Hi-Fi -even the diddy PC speakers are producing holographic sound. I have recently used the clip on a large number of individual Ceramic tiles in both the kitchen and bathroom after applying a tiny dab of Electret Cream to each tile. From this effort I got a very worthwhile sound boost. I am aware though that some of this might not last, as future washing of the tiles with anything other than clean water will diminish the Electret Cream's effectiveness. Pleased as I was with the above result, the real eye opener ( or should I say ear opener) followed the truly awful task of treating all our CD'c and Vinyl as per Richard's recent posting. Previous treatments meant a good few of the discs were still quite well aligned, but there had been significant backsliding here and the vinyl alignment had never been attempted in bulk ( it consisted of aligning side one of each disc when reinserted in the sleeve). I also took the opportunity to apply a tiny amount of Green Cream to each disc before clipping with the New Disc inside. The vinyl had a tiny amount of Green Cream applied at the edge of the label on both sides so that it also contacted the vinyl itself. I got a truly worthwhile result from this effort and, some good news for anyone contemplating trying it, because it took me a week or more doing batches each evening, I could hear the benefit after about 30 or 40 CD's had been treated. As far as I can tell, from the initial rush of sound improvement there was then a steady increase in benefit until the last disc was treated.
Kevin Kehoe.
20th July 2004 from Geoff Kait. USA.
Subject: Re: Holiday story
My favorite reasons why high end systems often sound bad at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. (I have attended and/or exhibited at CES 5 times in last 7 years.)
Room too small.
Room too large.
Bad room acoustics.
Humidity too low.
Sesimic activity too high.
Speakers and/or amps not broken in.
System not "dialed in" properly.
Source material out of phase.
Building brand new - electrical wiring not broken in.
Too many people in room at one time.
Too many speakers in the room.
Too many systems plugged into building electrical power simultaneously.
High sun spot activity.
Cables not broken in and/or improperly cryogenically treated.
Geoff Kait
20th July 2004 from P.W.B. Electronics. UK.
Subject: iPods and headphones
The Headroom AirHead amplifier we have not had personal experience of but I see no reason why it should not be 'treated' like any other piece of audio equipment I.e. a strip of any of the P.W.B. Foils which you have to hand and a tiny amount of Cream-Electret applied to any small area of the outer case. And, if you have a Red 'x' Pen, to also either sign your name or initials on the outer case or write a beneficial message with the Red 'x' Pen onto a label and attach the label to the outer case.
Regarding treating headphones. Obviously a strip of P.W.B. Rainbow Foil or any of the other P.W.B. Foils which you have available should be applied to the areas I am going to describe but as I am also aware that so many of the different parts of a set of headphones are handled on a regular basis, my description will be on where to apply a small amount of Cream-Electret. Because I know that a headband is regularly being handled (to put the headphones on and take them off and make them comfortable on the head), and the ear cups are regularly handled (to put the headphones on and take them off and make them comfortable on the ears), therefore strips of Foil can be accidentally caught and eventually knocked off, so I will describe using Cream-Electret.
Apply a small amount of Cream-Electret to a small area of the headband, to a small area of the (plastic?) headband adjustment section, to a small area of the outer ear cup housing and, as it can usually be seen through the centre hole of the ear pad, to a small area of the inner plate of the ear cup housing. Also apply a tiny amount of Cream-Electret to a small area of the outer insulation of the headphone connecting cable and to the upper plastic body part of the headphone plug (or plugs if you have both diameters of plug).
For the moment, I will leave others to describe how to 'treat' an iPod
May Belt
21st July 2004 from Richard Graham. UK.
Subject: Re: Holiday Story
My wife now has completely adjusted to the little things that are part of any holiday, and although at risk of losing it, I always take my Clip, and some creams. There are always those moments when some music is played, and even with your own treated portable equipment, a hostile environment is exactly that.
Personally, I think it jolly good that May is in touch with how awful other places, including theatres, concert halls and opera houses can be. It can really ruin a performance. And yet live music remains the best.
Surely there is scope for a PWB 'Travel Pack' or portable device that helps. Some people know what I am referring to...
Richard
Subject: Re: iPods and headphones
We've had iPods for a while, and after the rave reviews, got an Airhead, of which more later.
I haven't found the ideal 'pack' of devices for the iPod, but have done the following:
Strips of Foil around the docking port, so they are less likely to get knocked off. I personally use the most recent and powerful ones (including the Copper and Aluminium Foils - nice and small) with their creams. On the rear I think a Violet Magnadisc is very good. I suspect a Slave label could also go on, but have yet to establish which might be the best choice. A Super-wipe, Electret Cream, Clip, and time in the freezer help further. Red pen messages could also be squeezed on, but there is the style issue to consider!
May's ideas about headphones seem right, and I like narrow bore Spiratube, in addition to creams and freezing.
I have only tried the Airhead untreated, and it seems OK, but suspect it might be rather better when treated. Still a large part of the amplification comes from the iPod, as there is not a line out socket without the dock.
Richard
Subject: Sign of the Four - or the Revenge of the Kitchen Table!
Many of you will know that I am keen on two things:
I) Treating environmental objects
ii) The Four Legged Devices
Whilst having a bit of a go at our kitchen, where many hours a week are spent, often with radio/discs playing, I noticed a rather sheepish looking table, cunningly disguising it's four legs. With Conan Doyle-esque deductive powers I mused 'I could stick a Four Legged Device Label on the under side of that'. Fortunately, such a device was available in the next room, so I stole there to get it.
It will be little mystery to many of you to learn that the improvement to listening to the radio in the kitchen was very pleasing. The mystery remains how I overlooked the object, and plan to add a few more foils to it this weekend.
My main question is how many of us are providing homes for these covert, fiendish four legged objects? They infiltrate our homes and obviously continue to exert their pernicious influences over young and old, whilst appearing innocently to support your dinner plate. They also dodge taxes, and contribute little to the community.
Beware! Look for the sign of the four - then slip a small piece of blank paper under one leg (or get the better device) to end the misery.
Richard
Subject: iPod views
Like many, over the past year I have been swept along by this fun and fashionable music device, but not without reservations. I would still prefer to use Apple's Lossless Codec, but our 3G iPod's don't cope well, and periodically crash. AAC to my mind is much better than MP3, and we use high bit rates to ensure satisfactory sound. This has been particularly important with classical vocals.
Of course the thing is a bit of a swine to attach PWB devices to, being small and aesthetically pleasing. I have very happy memories of an early Minidisc player ( a huge brick compared to the iPod) benefiting from some labels, and wanted to explore this.
Then something happened, and an opportunity has arisen to suggest a near definitive treatment that should keep the iPod looking good and sounding very very sweet.
More later.
Richard
Subject: Back to the Future
The last post hinted at something new, and I cannot keep quiet.
If you want to be 'Retro'-active, contact the Belt's with the code 'I Love the '70s' to find out what's going on.
Whilst I would be tempted to suggest long hair, perms, flared trousers and platform shoes make music sound better (well they did then!) do find out what's going on.
I am struggling to describe what I feel the effect is - it's familiar yet new.
Mamma mia! Time to swallow another dictionary to find the right words.
Richard
Subject: Hello darkness, my old friend?
I cannot believe the deafening sound of the silence.
Well, perhaps this will help.
For the distinguished group of worldwide Clip owners, who are secure in the receipt of the Retro Cream, smear a trace all over the Clip, and all over the tweezers. Clip a known CD.
It'll give Sony nightmares.
Richard
1st August 2004 from Kevin Kehoe. UK.
Subject: Retro Foil
Dear All,
What an utterly privileged little group we PWB users are. I was about to post a piece relating to sound gains after some more extensive treatments about the house when, out of the blue, I receive some samples of a new device called Retro Foil/Label. With the greatest difficulty, I will pretend for the moment that I have not received those devices and continue with what I had intended to say. Following my recent gains after theCD/Vinyl treatment marathon, I was inspired to look to other areas of the home environment that might benefit from some Belt work.We have a garage and workshop which is only partially attached to the main property by a utility area constructed of wood. Because it is not strictly part of the main structure, everything within those areas have only had minimal Belt treatments-the theory being that, the contents of those areas will have a lesser effect on the sound than the contents of the main living space. I spent the best part of a Saturday morning treating every electrical and mechanical item along with some of the structure. The only Devices I had in quantity were Cream Electret, Green Quantum Cream, Rainbow Foil, Freeze Foil and the Red "X" Pen. Items treated included jigsaws, power drillers, sanders and a host of various objects that should have been thrown away years ago but you never do so "just in case". It had a wonderful effect on the sound and well worth the effort. I would say it was at least as good as the benefit gained from the CD/Vinyl treatments. Then the Retro samples arrived! I am not going to even try to describe the effect just one application of this foil had. The time it took to cut one piece of foil, attach to CD player, apply Retro cream and listen to a disc took about One minute. Sufficient to say that it blew my Saturday morning's work out of the water. From the Explanation paper with the devices, it appears that they work by eliminating the threat posed to the subconscious by the presence of voids within the home environment. When a foil or label is attached to any object with space within it, the object then is less of a threat and therefore one less object to occupy the mind leaving a greater capacity for the enjoyment of music. This is a gross simplification of the PWB Paper but I use it because I have a question.
When we sense voids, are we sensing what is inside them such as electrical activity? Or, is the empty space within say, a panelled door just as much a threat. I ask because I intend to purchase some of those devices in the near future and it may guide my route of application.
2nd Auust 2004 from Richard Graham. UK.
Subject: Re: Retro Foil
In much agreement Kevin.
Anything that receives a strip of this new Retro Foil, with it's dab of Retro Cream seems to leap up so much, it's scary. It is astonishing stuff.
I am still struggling to describe what I feel the effect is. I find the sound sort of sweeter and more tuneful, but not syruppy. Similarly it is more transparent, but not in that 'HiFi' clean windows way, as it is richer than that. Over all, it seems much more like live music, even when trying Kraftwerk!
The Retro Label is very very good too.
But my favourite aspect is the cream on the Clip and Tweezers - everything gets the benefit.
Richard
2nd August 2004 from Kevin Kehoe. UK.
Subject: Re. Retro Foil
Dear All,
I have cut and applied a few more Retro Foils including one to the outside of the computer tower. I have also done a little clip application to various computer related components such as the monitor, speakers, printer and scanner. This was after I had Reto Creamed both Clip and Tweezers as per Richard's tip. I would be very interested to hear from anyone else who gives this a try. When I played some music files I could not believe the size of the sound stage produced from the two tiny, lightweight PC speakers before me. When Richard described the sound from his system the same applies to what I am hearing from my main system. But, if I had not got a main system to listen to, I could be quite happy with the sound from the PC such is the amount of musical information present. I think I may have said this before but every time I hear a sound lift of this magnitude, I am reminded of a time way back when I watched a documentary about the restoration of a century's old oil painting. Each successive removal of grime revealed yet more of the beauty that lay below. The dirt removal was changing nothing of the original painting, it only allowed more of the detail to shine through. I think it's a lovely analogy to the working of Belt Devices.
Kevin Kehoe.
3rd August 2004 from Geoff Kait. USA.
Subject: Re: Re. Retro Foil
Agree with sound stage expansion of Retro products, also notice music is quite a bit more "live" sounding - "image density" is quite a bit better - as if molecular structure of the entire scene is denser. I noticed the sound on tape deck in car was noticeably more "engaging" after Retro foil/label, even tho I haven't treated the car in ages. Finally, am in the labor intensive process of replacing many hundreds of clunky old jewel boxes with new, ultra thin ones. And tossing out the paper CD backs and fronts, for clear view to the thin voids of the new jewel boxes.
Geoff
4th August 2004 from Richard Graham. UK.
Subject: Re: Re. Retro Foil
I like your term 'Image density' because it really seems spot on, yet paradoxically, for me, the sound is also more transparent!
To me this really is of a New Generation, and for whatever reason, seems leagues ahead in effect than some other Foils. I'd be very interested though in what others make of it, as one never knows how the New item interacts with all the other devices already applied.
Richard
Subject: Re: James Randi and like
I like this so much, I decided to proof read it! This is what happens when you post too early.
I have been struggling with this, because I feel increasingly loathe to make anything 'personal', but the one million dollar offer from James Randi seems to typify the sick state of the scientific community. In a nutshell, James Randi is offering one million dollars to anyone who can prove the certain fringe products - from PWB devices to Shakti Stones etc. - are effective. I haven't devoted the time to his consideration of what methodology would be agreeable, and what level of effectiveness might need to be demonstrated, but let's just pause there.
Figures such as James Randi start with the expectation that people are in this for the money - hence they will want the one million dollars. Yet if he is truly devoted to the scientific method, and wishes to ascertain whether any of these devices have an effect on the human mind, why doesn't he get on with it, for a substantially lower cost. Surely, the results are of value whatever they are. But therein lies the problem. What happens if there is an effect? Presumably the size of the humble pie portion would induce a choking fit. So instead, a climate of contempt, mockery and humiliation is created that is as scientific as the Spanish Inquisition.
I am partly prompted by this, because of the miracle of the human mind to produce ideas that it might take science hundreds of years to establish. I am working with colleagues whose knowledge of English Literature is awesome and profoundly humbling. I think it is Keat's idea of 'negative capability' that seems the most accurate description of the scientific state of mind, but it was a quote of Samuel Taylor Coleridge that threw me the most. He seems to have anticipated Heisenberg possibly 150 years ahead. Instead of Heisenberg's clumsy description of the 'uncertainty principle' Coleridge simply put (and I quote poorly) 'The shadow of the observer changes the colour of the chameleon he wishes to observe'. The detail of this reflection is so stunning, such that he could conceive of the change in light introduced by the presence of the observer. I will try to get the accurate quotation, which is true poetry, but how many scientists would be better off stimulating their minds with romantic poetry, than mind numbing repetition. And of course, many of the great scientists were well versed in wider issues - Newton's interest in alchemy always comes to mind.
So poetry anyone?
Richard
Subject: Here's the Coleridge!
'The chameleon darkens in the shade of him who bends over to ascertain its colour'.
I also rather like this quote of Keats:
'The only means of strengthening one's intellect is to make up one's mind about nothing - to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts. Not a select party.'
And finally, the great George Eliot
'In natural science there is nothing petty to the mind that has a large vision of relations, and to which every single object suggests a vast sum of conditions.'
How science has changed, where aforethought observations can be reduced to being 'petty'.
Full details of the quotes available to discerning parties.
Richard
4th August 2004 from Andreas Makrides. Greece.
Subject: RE: Re: James Randi and like
Richard
Your post starts correctly, but the ending is misleading. For we don't talk about poetry here - we talk about money.
People that bet one million dollars, should be ready to pay the price of their beliefs, or "mind density" - or be exposed to public shame.
One million dollars is enough to travel to America, do the examination in terms of some common ground (blind tests etc..) - and return triumphant. The money could be lent for start, by a respectable hi-fi magazine (preferably edited by the super-sane hon.Paul Miller!) , which would be obliged to announce, publish and accept the results of the contest.
Of course, you would undertake a great responsibility on behalf of the Belts and all the beltists of the world, but, as the first among the ranks of the Order, you should be able to do so.
Follow the ancient path: Take the money and run!
Andreas
4th August 2004 from Richard Graham. UK.
Subject: Re: James Randi and like
Andreas,
You have more faith in the process than I. I could almost guarantee that if anyone had 'proved' the effectiveness, the methodology would be so finely pulled apart that the result would be discredited. If anyone knows of a flawless experiment, especially involving people, I'd be pleased to know of it. But also reflect on the context. Peter's discoveries do not just threaten the audio industry, but the whole body of scientific knowledge itself. I often quote the arts to remind us of these processes in society, and that they have been commented on for millennia, and turning a blind eye for various reasons is a human frailty. It is there in Sophocles' 'Oedipus Rex', and just as harrowing in Ibsen's 'Enemy of the People' - people will do almost anything to maintain the status quo. Science involves people, and will always have the problems of that. But the curious thing is that ideas do take on a life of their own, painful though they may be for the person who brings them into the world.
Richard
4th August 2004 from Bob Benn. USA.
Subject: Re: Re: James Randi and like
Hello Richard,
I, for one, am not familiar with the challenge of James Randi, perhaps you can provide a link to the article or web-site where I can view the terms and conditions of the challenge?
One problem we audiophiles have when it comes to proving that a change or improvement has been made is that the population of music lovers who can hear those kinds of differences is relatively small and their opinions tend to be subjective rather than objective. For example, I can invite a number of fellow audiophiles over to the house, play a CD untreated, then play the same CD foiled and creamed, and 90% will hear an improvement. I can do the same test by asking my wife and our non audiophile neighbors to come in and take a listen and they seldom hear a difference.
However, I think everyone is experienced at watching TV and/or movies. The challenge might be able to prove a difference in the video image or sound track when the Belt products are applied to a home theatersystem or large screen TV where the entire audio.video environment can be treated. Here the testing becomes more objective, the audience can see a brighter, or sharper picture, or louder or clearer sound track.
I believe you are correct, with the subjective nature of an audio challenge and the levels of changes that are real yet can't be measured with today's test equipment makes collecting Randi's prize an impossibility. maybe we can treat an IMAX theater and playback system, fill the theater and let the 'ohhh's' and 'ahh's' and cheers be your proof.
Bob Benn. Nashville, TN
4th August 2004 from Andreas Makrides. Greece.
Subject: RE: Re: James Randi and like
Richard
You're missing the point.
If you cannot distinguish the sound of a common CD and treated one (with - let's say - Real Foil, or Cream), then there is really, no PWB effect at all.
After so many years, you should be able to hold up to a blind test with 100% success.
So, let's be practical:
1) You announce officially and formally (in an american/english hi-fi magazine, preferably edited by Paul Miller) that you "lift up the glove", if there is someone to finance the experiment. After all, you are a respectable gentleman, scientist and audiophile. Of course there should be some kind of compensation you should pay in case you loose: If not 1 million dollars, at least to denounce Peter Belt publicly and burn his products in Trafalgar sq.
2) You discuss officially and openly, the methodology of the contest. It should contain blind test and the best formal scientifical tests. We are not afraid of no one.
3) The formal scientifical tests, regardless of result, will be the first public ones about the foils etc.. and 100% free! Are you sure that, cream for instance, does not act like a static killer too, besides its role as a "polariser"? It is for sure, that some kind of detectable effect will be proven. If not, even better, for we will get the world to the center of the PWB universe, using an elevator, because...
4)... You pass the blind test, to distinguish which CD is played every time.
5) Stage 4 will lead to two conclusions: Whether there is a real difference in sound perception, or the PWB products raise the human ESP.
6) You claim the 1 million dollars, and if they don't give them to you, you denounce them to be scoundrels, rogues and rascals! Now, wouldn't you like a free vacations to the States?
Andreas
4th August 2004 from Geoff Kait. USA.
Subject: RE: Re: James Randi and like
Totally agree with Richard, as too many knuckleheads around with no real audio/scientific methodology experience, esp. "listening testing" experience. 'Tis a Pig in a Poke to allow someone to test anything - esp. if he has an axe to grind. I think Shakespeare said that.
Regards,
Geoff
4th August 2004 from Richard Graham. UK.
Subject: Re: James Randi and like
It certainly is a challenging issue to consider how to measure the subjective response of participants - which may be what's needed - and this thorny issue for science would take more than 1 million dollars to develop.
Here's a link anyway for the curioushttp://skepdic.com/randi.html
I cannot get any link to James Randi to work. It could be some vengeful psychics, but it's probably just another microsoft influence!
Richard
Subject: Re: James Randi and like
I have taken exams in my youth, where a combination of anxiety and exhaustion - medical school was just F-U-N - nearly made me doubt my own name. The conditions of testing materially affect the result - see chameleon quote.
Under normal circumstances the difference between treated and untreated items is readily, and repeatably apparent. I know this from the process of testing out new devices. And to be honest, there is individual variation in response; sometimes I enthuse about a product more than Peter or May, and sometimes my response is more muted. Some 'grow' on me. There are multitudinous factors that influence my response - bad day at the office etc..
So it is not the cowardice of not being prepared for war, it's just I would wish to take with me more than harsh language as a weapon. Good quote though.
And I will quite cheerfully have nothing to do with Paul Miller, whose alleged scientific approach is terribly rudimentary. I think he even used a Gold-Leaf Electroscope in the 1980s if I remember correctly.
Incidentally, has anyone yet found a way of proving that different pieces of Hifi equipment sound different? Some people cannot acknowledge cables sound different.
Fortunately, most people can make a judgement without a scientific experiment, and this is what get's really on the nerves of these interfering control freaks who cannot let others lives their own lives as they see fit. When I need protection for my own mental feebleness, I'll know who not to call.
Richard
4th August 2004 from VR Sola. USA.
Subject: PWB-different thresholds
People have different thresholds to notice a change either with PWB treatments, other tweaks and cable changes think this apart from their listening capabilities, trained ears etc..
PWB treatments work in different way- the response of people may differ. From individual to another.
For many two strips of rainbow foils stuck on Compact discs may not be enough to notice a change. Perhaps that may be reason, where people posted have not heard any differences. It may be like a cup and spill. Until the cup is full there is no spill.
I have not heard any difference when I first requested a sample of rainbow foil. It took few more treatments to hear a noticeable difference.
There may be also a delayed response for some. When I come backs from work tired -late in the evening and see a package from PWB in my mailbox ---I treat immediately. Often I do not perceive any difference immediately, as I am tired and tense. Wait for few hours, listen again after dinner. I perceive a significant change.
I think DBT with different individuals with different hearing capabilities and mental make up may not be useful.
VR.Sola
4th August 2004 from Gary Lee. USA.
Subject: James Randi et al
I have not visited this board for a month or so and it took a bit of reading to catch up. So much has gone on, from Peter and May's vacation adventures to the new cream and foil to James Randi. Whew! That's what I get for staying away so long.
A few comments about James Randi, who is also known as The Great Randi. As someone pointed out, that nickname says a lot about the person. While well regarded by some, James Randi is not without hisdoubters, especially as to his funding and methods. This is not an attempt at character assassination, it is merely to point out that no one is perfect.
Randi seems like so many skeptics of PWB products. First, has Mr. Randi even listened to music after PWB products have been used? If not, why even bother with him? I get fed up with skeptics who condemn without first-hand knowledge of the things they criticize.
Second, I am convinced that no amount of convincing will convince anyone who has his mind made up that something won't work that it will work. In my experience, most people who ask for something to be proven to them aren't the least bit interested in being given real proof. If people doubt the veracity of PWB products, most will find some way to maintain their negative belief about PWB.
Of course, what always strikes me as odd and almost bizarre is why anyone needs proof of what they hear. I always want to say, "I'm hearing it. That's the proof." We know for a neurological fact that no two people on the face of the planet hear exactly the same. What needs to be proven? In my book, people who don't trust their own ears aren't worth bothering with.
Gary.
I also feel that a person has to have a certain degree of sensitivity to respond to PWB treatments. What that sensitivity is I can't specify. But I do feel that some people won't respond to PWB products. That is not to say that they can't. I just feel that there are those who for various reasons internally block the benefits of PWB treatments. Fortunately, I don't think there are a lot of people like that.
This is not to decry a scientific approach to certain things. I just feel that hearing is far too subjective for scientific proof to be of much use in qualitative assessment of sound. You either like what you hear or you don't. May noted in her vacation adventure that she has been in situations where she felt compelled to leave a room because the sound was so objectionable. Yet others sat and listened, undisturbed. I feel no amount of scientific proof would have convinced May to stay in the room. I know Einstein personally explaining wouldn't work for me. I'd be out the door anyway.
But what do I know? I'm more interested in Offenbach than off-axis response.
5th August 2004 from VR Sola. USA.
Subject: Delayed response
Delayed responses with PWB treatments
At least in my case that is the usual case. Since the PWB treatments are cumulative probably they need a threshold for some to perceive any changes.
Last summer I treated my friends house with few hundred Morphic message foils, 5 strips of rainbow foil, cream electet, Sol Electret oil and few other foils .
At that time his family members went on vacation. We usually meet once in every week About 6 weeks later my friends wife commented the that their stereo sounds as if some in one is singing live and very clear. She is not an audiophile.
Given time and multiple treatments, Even non audiophiles, who may not have golden ears will be able to perceive differences in audio and video,
Fortunately now PWB offers a beginners package for 87 US$. Costs less than an middle grade inter connect. Some only try rainbow foil and then give up.
Untreated equipment in the listening area or for that matter any where in the house can significantly deteriorate or hold back the PWB effects.
I have a seldom used SVHS VCR in my home Theater system. I did not treat it as I use it once in 3-4 months. Rest of the system is well treated. Recently I used some foils and creams on the neglected VCR. The improvements are significant. These improvements are subjective and can not be measured.
I enjoy coffee better in a nice china cup rather than in a Styrofoam cup. Chemically coffee is the same. It is subjective . But for me it does not matter. Many nay Sayers never even tried or listened after treating with PWB products or they mentally block themselves out of noticing any change.
V.R. Sola
4th August 2004 from Tom Marsden. UK.
Subject: Re: Retro Foil.
Like other users; I too am very impressed with the new Retro Foil and Label. Peter`s genius in producing these extraordinary devices really does defy belief. For the past few months, my test CD has been the Artur Pizzaro recording of Beethoven`s last three piano sonatas on Linn CDK225. This recording is, by any measure, in the demonstration class category. and I have listened to it on numerous occasions, usually after adding a few more PWB tweaks to the system. The listening pleasure just gets better and better. Those opening chords of the opus 111 create an atmosphere that is simply electric and hard to imagine how the sound could be improved further. So with the very pleasant surprise arrival of the new Retro foil I was anticipating a worthwhile enhancement to the sound but nothing spectacular. As an `oldie` Pwb-ite I should have known better.
After applying the Retro foil and cream; those opening chords knocked me sideways. The piano now seemed to have been placed a few feet further back and the sound took on a wonderfully richer and warmer quality. The transient detail was superb and I marvelled as the resonances died away. Each individual string had taken on a life of its own. I have never heard a piano recital in a concert hall with such a detailed sound that I was now experiencing. Experimenting later, I found that applying Superwipe to the creamed foil was a further improvement. Hard to believe it could get any better.
THEN RICHARD CAME UP WITH HIS SUGGESTION ! By this time I was running out of Retro cream but by cutting the plastic bag and opening it up I did manage to obtain enough to smear the cream all over the Clip and Tweezers. I clipped the Clip foil on the CD then placed the new Passive CD over the CD in the jewel case and clipped the jewel case. The resultant effect on sound quality was, to put it mildly , stunning.
How does one quantify the improvement? 100 per cent on the Retro foil I would claim. I then chose another piano CD . This time Brendel`s last concert performance of Beethoven`s `Hammerclavier ` Sonata.but I didn`t have any Retro foil left to put on the CD. I chose track 3 and played the first 20 seconds 4 times to fix it in my mind. I have to say that coming after the Pizzaro CD the sound was dull ,flat and uninteresting. Obviously my mind was now attuned to expect a higher level. I then, like the Linn CD , clipped the Clip foil on the CD , placed the Passive CD over the CD and clipped the jewel case. I played track 3 again and was amazed to hear people at the back of my room shuffling about - this was of course a concert performance and the audience was simply relaxing between movements but previously I had never been aware of it. As May has said on several occasions the information is there all the time and only by using PWB treatments do we become aware of it. The piano sound now was pure joy with great dynamics and vivid colouring and life and near to the quality of the Pizzaro CD. This improvement purely adapting Richard`s recommendation. It will be interesting to find out the effect of adding Retro foil. ( I am waiting delivery of my order ). The combination of the Clip system and Retro Cream is , to my mind , one of the most ( if not the most ) powerful techniques of all PWB treatments.
Thanks Richard for bringing it to our attention and PWB for making it all Possible.
Regards Tom
5th August 2004 from Andreas Makrides. Greece.
Subject: RE: Terrorise them!
I come back with another suggestion:
Don't they say in medicine, that "the drug that cures, the same drug can kill"? Well, Peter and May, should produce some stuff that can REALLY degrade the sound to the sublime. Then, the challenge will be: Bring the best audio equipment you can find, and bet 1 million dollars, that you won't be able to listen to it, for more than five minutes!
It is much easier to persuade the offender, the granite-minded and the arrogant, that some kind of stuff may actually worsen the sound, than persuade them for its benefit. And then, the question will return, mightier than before: "How can?"
Let's challenge the bastards, that we can spoil their pleasure!
Andreas
P.S.: There could be some real guerilla tactics too: Some sound and picture killing foils, near the audio magazines review studios and offices. And the most important: It is permitted by the law!
5th August 2004 from Richard Graham. UK.
Subject: Re: Retro Foil.
I'm glad you felt the way I did Tom, and with the astonishing bonus of treating the Clip - now you can re-Clip everything.
This would be good news were it not for the fact that I recently Clipped all of my discs. Still the boxes are getting a good going over, as are any discs played. And as you say, the results can be stunning.
Richard
Subject: Re: Terrorise them!
Personally, there seem to be so many miserable folk in the audio industry - not surprising given what they have to listen to - that such a venture might actually precipitate a war.
Beware the dark side, Andreas!
Richard
Subject: Re: Terrorise them!
Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to envy. Modified envy is the substrate of ambition and emulation. Ambition can fuel higher learning, which improves job possibilities, and introduces you to a wider circle of attractive people. Relationships with such people brings happiness, and unpredicted connections that improve business possibilities, and increases wealth. This adds to your quality of life, which is also extended through better nutrition and well-being.
Richard.
Subject: Ultimate iPod?
I think in treating the iPod, there are various considerations, from maintain the aesthetic charm of the item, to utilising the space to maximum effect. This is where I have got to, and it's not necessarily the cheapest thing to do. But it is fantastic.
I) Apply two labels to the rear of the iPod. One is the fabulous new Retro Label, and the other is the Sound Has Priority Label. I placed them towards the top and bottom of the rear face, leaving approximately 2cm between them. The labels should be then covered with a larger piece of clear film - treated, and available from PWB. Apply Retro Cream to Clear Film over the Retro Label.
ii) In the gap between the labels, apply a Violet Magnadisc.
iii) Around the docking port (I.e. other end from headphone socket) attach Copper, Aluminium, Inverting and Present Foils, with appropriate creams.
Iv) Spray, Superwipe, and add a trace of Electret Cream to the front of the iPod.
v) Clip the Violet Magnadisc
Vi) Freeze and thaw iPod twice.
vii) Attach the astonishing brown Headphone Ring Tie to your headphone cable. Cream, Clip and freeze/thaw headphones
Obviously, you can apply any of the above to the iPod or equivalent.
The next step is to rip and convert your own treated CDs - this is an absolute nightmare, but it does make a difference.
Hope it helps for those on the move. My wife - not easily pleased on audio matters - was totally amazed at the improvement. And as we have seen with the Hi-Res formats, there is a lot more to music than bit-rates. Good music can certainly come from compressed files.
Richard
6th August 2004 from Graham Mountford. UK.
Subject: Retro Foil
Have used strips of foil on outside of hifi equipment including speakers. I listened to the beginning of one of my reference CD's namely Richard Strauss Alpine Symphony. It starts with very deep, quiet double bass andvarious other instruments representing darkness enshrouding the mountain at dawn, developing gradually into a mighty crescendo when the sun rises over summit. The quiet basses could be heard previously more as a rumble but after the application of the foils the bowing could be heard quite clearly and with quite a distinct rhythm. The climax was something else! (should I rephrase that?), The percussion in crescendo became absolutely stunning. Other things that can now be heard are slight movements in the orchestra and a muffled clearing of a throat.
I would say that the main improvements after using the foil was , as usual an increase in dynamics and clarity, and also it appears that the notes appear to be that little bit longer giving what I would describe as a more romantic feel to the playing.
The downside for me over the last 18 months having used most of the latest products is that the fan in my Hafler XL 600 amplifier is now becoming more and more intrusive as things improve. I have had this amp. for about 12 years now and the noise never bothered me, but I am now seriously considering a replacement. This is a pity as the sound I am getting is superb and am loathe to disturb things.
Hey Ho such is the price of success!!
P.S Have not tried the label yet
Graham
6th August 2004 from Richard Graham. UK.
Subject: Quoting Mania!
I am still hooked into the whole philosophy of science thing at the moment, thanks to James Randi, and aim to re-evaluate some of the classic writings whilst on holiday this summer. But before that time...
Darwin's wife recounted that Darwin once said to her: 'It is fatal to reason whilst observing, though so necessary beforehand and so useful afterwards'.
From Kuhn's famous 'The Structure of Scientific Revolutions': 'What a man sees depends both upon what he looks at and also upon his previous visual conceptual experience has taught him to see.'
In a sense this takes us back to various psychoanalytic ideas, that to see a new and dimly perceived phenomenon, we must blind ourselves with a beam of darkness, or rid our minds of saturated pre-conceptions, through the abandonment of memory and desire.
Even the desire for a positive result.
Richard
9th August 2004 from Geoff Kait. USA.
Subject: RE: Retro Foil Update
Thanx Richard! - that is exactly what I was looking for as I still have some Retro Foil left sitting on my desk and I was wondering where else I should use it...
Geoff
9th August 2004 from A. Martherus. The Netherlands.
Subject: Re: Retro Foil / RFID
You can replace the fan inside your amplifier. These days there exist very low noise fans; just search with google for 'quiet fans'. They are ade for computers but I'm sure you can replace yours.
Something very different (and annoying):
The barcode label just had it's 30th birthday (june 26th 1974). But I read that its successor is on it's way: the Radio Frequency identifier. A little chip that is actually sending a signal. The Rfid will replace the barcodelabel, because it holds far more data than a barcode label. Manufacturers, retailers, suppliers can all use the rfid to track the articles, to manage their stocks etc..
Now... Will the customer be able to see the rfid; will we be able to remove it to throw it away? I'm very afraid that when the barcode really will be on it's end, the rfid's will take over and our senses will be overloaded.
A. Martherus, The Netherlands
9th August 2004 from Geoff Kait. USA.
Subject: RE: Re: Retro Foil / RFID and Mind Control
very scary thoughts re barcodes and RFID; here's a useful link to special aluminum beanie, excellent for rejecting RFI and other mind-control fields, essential for critical listening sessions...
http://zapatopi.net/afdb.html
Regards,
Geoff
10th August 2004 from VR Sola. USA.
Subject: Treating Picture ID cards
Treating personal ID cards
Treating photo ID cards such as driving license, security ID cards,
Credit cards with pictures and even any cards with out pictures such as health insurance, credit cards with foils and creams worked very well in my case. The newer creams and foils are significantly better. These are the cards in our valet and in our pocket.
I wrote O.K. with Red- X pen. But on plastic cards it wipes out easily.
Hence I use feng- shui way of using clear nail polish to write > O.K. it is not obvious and it stays longer.
regards
V.R. Sola
11th August 2004 from Andreas Makrides. Greece.
Subject: The last temptation of May (Talking about poetry)
The title is misleading as always, and the post a bit late, but, talking about poetry, I remembered a very funny poetry scandal in Greece, about five decades ago.
There was a poet, called Tasos Pappas, with a series of yet unpublished poems. Those days, the young poets soke the advise of some reviewer, and, if lucky, they would go to a publishing house with a positive commentary. Now, Pappas's poetry was not of the highest rank, but it was strongly individualistic. Instead on focusing on the social problems that plagued the country, his verses were praising far away landscapes in South America - a land that never visited in his whole life!
Let me give you an example (in an pretty awful translation!):
Cactuses upon the rocks, cactuses everywhere
With wild fence the cactuses enclosed you all around
The cactuses sharpened their convex swords
At the raw scalp of the moon
.....................................................................................
Drunken your horse bucks from its own blood
And upright flame she dances you ten feet from the earth
With a vulture in your brow and the wind by your side
The scarlet horse of your own looniness you hack
..........................................................................................
Loose instinct that drugs from the mane
Sierra's foamed rock-like horse, erect upon the scarp
You are my howling's root, all-spilled in my blood
Divided here, on venues and skies
and so on...
The answer of the reviewers was polite but unanimous: It was a "nice effort", the poet exhibited some "positive qualities", but the rhythm was slack, the ideas vague, the themes haze, the expression immature. The answers were a complete disappointment.
Our man, was not discouraged though: He found a publisher and gave him next year, the "first translation in Greek, of the famous Mexican poet, Ernesto Pathanares". At the 50's, after the second World War, it was obvious that no one in Greece could claim to know Mexico's poetry life, but no one also, would be ready to admit it...
Published now, Pappas's poetry triumphed! All the reviewers praised the poetic skills of Pathanares, as well as the ones of his translator. The same (or uniform) verses, rejected before, now sparked with passion, artistry and life. And there was the time for Pappas's revenge, as he announced that Pathanares was a non existent person, the poems were his own and that the reviewers had praised the poems that had buried before.
What should be May's last temptation? Going not for Randi's million dollars, to establish (with the help of Richard), a new hi-end firm under the label of "Audio Hallucinations" and give her "first" interconnect, EMI-RF purifier, antistatic cure, or even cd-dvd player, for a review...
Andreas
14th August 2004 from Steve Paines. UK.
Subject: Freezing
A well known British cable manufacturer has written to me today to advise of a new range of Polar cables.
The literature states that the company was astonished at the improvement deep cryogenic freezing can bring. Improvements are described as greater depth because of more precise imaging and quieter background. Greater clarity and increased timing through greater articulation.
Hence, they are now producing their own range of frozen cables.
Their freezing technique follows PWB best practice of freezing and then being held at that temperature before being allowed to return to room temperature very slowly in a long controlled process
The explanation of what happens is what caught my eye. 'At low temperatures the molecules align in a more uniform compact structure which is maintained when brought back to room temperature.'
Perhaps this is why freezing benefits our listening experience so much?
Steve
17th August 2004 from P.W.B. Electronics. UK.
Subject: Freezing
What surprises me Steve is not that someone is introducing cryogenically frozen cables but that the whole, worldwide audio industry is taking such a long time and is so overwhelmingly reluctant to come to terms with the 'freezing effect saga'. All the evidence points to the reluctance of reviewers who review cables to go even one inch down the path of carrying out experiments for themselves and the reluctance of editors to allow any deviation from strictly limited reviewing procedures. As one example. If you were an editor, how could you have Ken Kessler, reviewing 30,000 UK Pound Siltech cables and interconnects in one part of Hi Fi News (August 2003 issue), full page Siltech advertisements appearing in that same issue and then month after month in Hi Fi News and, then have, in another part of the same magazine, an article describing how much better a particular cable sounded after it had been through a freezing process - when ALL theadvertisements in Hi-Fi News (including the Siltech cables) are for NON FROZEN cables, interconnects and equipment !!! And, as I have said so many times before, behind all the advertisements in all the audio magazines are millions and millions of pounds/dollars worth of equipment in manufacturers stockrooms, in containers on the high seas, in overseas agents stockrooms, in retailers showrooms and stockrooms - ALL NON FROZEN equipment !! It is close to 14 years (October 1990, Stereophile) since the following small sentence was published in the middle of Robert Harley's article "The Cryogenic Compact Disc".
"In addition to CDs and LPs, the process has been used on Laser-Vision-format video discs, speaker cable, interconnects, integrated circuits and musical instrument strings".
And, Steve, the improvements to the sound you have described from within the cable manufacturer's literature are the ones used generally to describe the overall effect of 'freezing' - whether the freezing temperatures used are the cryogenic temperatures or the temperature within a domestic deep freezer.
Secondly, after reading the manufacturer's explanation of what happens to the molecules during the freezing process you ask the question "Perhaps this is why freezing benefits our listening experience so much ?"
What I am curious about Steve is where your thinking is when you pose that question.
1) Is it from the conventional belief structure that changes in the molecular structure means that the cable is able to 'handle' the signal better ? Or
2) Is it an intellectual leap in thinking I.e. that the changed molecular structure means that the human being is reacting less adversely to the presence of the cable in the listening environment ?
I find that the second concept is the only concept which can explain the results of the thousands of listening experiments which we have carried out.
But, the first (conventional) concept should also be causing anyone involved in the audio industry serious problems because, far from giving a conventional explanation as to why the sound is better, it actually raises far more questions and anyone seriously involved in the audio industry should be (to use one of my favourite expressions) 'knocked back on their heels'. Their reactions should be "Wait one moment, wait one moment, there is something strange going on here - I must investigate further".
Since my talk in 1998 to a group of our customers, I have not been successful in organising a second talk. My plan, as part of my second talk, was to go into this whole area of the differences in the sound of different cables far more thoroughly. After Martin Colloms "Cable Controversy" articles in 1984 in Hi Fi News, there is still (and should still be) a controversy surrounding cables but the controversy is far more serious than anyone realises. Or, could it be that some people realise it but are keeping absolutely silent ?
May.
17th August 2004 from VR Sola. USA.
Subject: freezing
I assume Any cable manufacturer can do well if he sells frozen cables, maybe he can use some Green Cream discreetly and few other treatments. Of course he could not advertise or mention about freezing and other treatments he gave. It only costs a dollar or two for a cable.
May be PWB offer some cables for their customers!
V.R. Sola
17th August 2004 from VR Sola. USA.
Subject: freezing
Freezing
Audio magazine reviewers and cable industry survive.
USING FLOWERY LANGUAGE, Fancy advertisements,
COPY WRITERS AND THEIR SELF PROCLAIMED ABILITY TO hear, observe and GLORIFY THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
One Inter connect and another interconnect, speaker cable, power cords etc.. They promote high cost equipment because that is where money is from advertisement revenues.
Most of the cables the magazine reviewers use cost at least 500 dollars.
Freezing is cheap. There is no need to send it to a Cryo laboratory.
It minimizes the differences between different cables.
For audio magazines it is a basic survival instinct not to acknowledge or promote freezing.
Look at the cost of product of the year and equipment reviewed by the high-end HI-FI magazines. They to promote the concept-- higher the cost--better the audio pleasures and claim to have exclusive Golden ears.
Are they (reviewers, editors and cable manufacturers) willing for a double blind test and identify the cables they promote?
Recently I purchased a low cost Tsunami interconnect for 39$ from circuit city car audio section. The wires are thin twisted pairs. I froze them and compared to the several cable of the month, I own. The differences are extremely minimal to non existent.
V.R. Sola
20th August 2004 r even customers, might not realize PWB actually sells cables and interconnects. I've had two pairs PWB speaker cables in my system now for a couple years; PWB cables are most definitely a high end product
Geoff Kait.
22nd August 2004 from Kevin Kehoe. UK.
Subject: Re: Freezing
After experimenting with many different types of speaker cables, I too now use a set by PWB. It completely cured me of the urge to look any further-just as other PWB treatments had the same effect on other components in my HI FI system. I am at peace with my system those days!
Kevin Kehoe.
22nd August 2004 from V.R. Sola. USA.
Subject: Requesting Richard Graham
Requesting Richard Graham.
In the past, we learned about treating CD, light bulbs, Water heater Etc. from your informative write ups.
I appreciate if you can share with us your thoughts about treating Inter connects and speaker cables from your knowledge base.
I could find no articles or any postings either in the news letters nor in the forum.
Perhaps PWB may offer Interconnect and speaker cable treatment kits similar to beginners package (makes a good gift item to friends).
Thanks to Geoff for reminding us about the availability of speaker cables and Inter connects from PWB.
Any comments about the different metal conductors needing different treatments such as copper, alloys, silver, gold, palladium and the metal less carbon conductors?
The only treatments I know are Cream Electret over jacket of the cable, Sol Electret oil on the RCA pins, bananas or spades, some green cream and short length of spira tube.
VR Sola.
23rd August 2004 from Mark Kirby. USA.
Subject: RE: Requesting Richard Graham
Don't forget freezing.
For the few years I've been using PWB products, I've never seen cables on the website's Product List or Price List. Maybe just as well, probably too expensive for me.
I just replaced my Mapleshade speaker wire with "Cat 5." This is a favorite at the Decware website. Decware is the manufacturer of my amp, the Zen SE84B: a small, inexpensive, low-power, single-ended tube amp that uses EL84 or SV83 power tubes wired as triodes.
Http://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=cables
Cat 5 is computer network wire. To use it as speaker wire, you strip the outer jacket and use the twisted pairs inside, one pair per speaker. This is 22-gauge wire, very thin.
My speakers, Parker 95's, were designed to mate with the Zen Se84B; their internal wire is Cat 5. http://parkeraudio.net/
I have a pair of Cat 5's thawing from its first freeze. And an unfrozen pair I installed over the weekend. It's so cheap you could use it to decorate your listening room. And the best cable I've ever used. Since it's so thin, I don't know whether it's for every system. I imagine a kilowatt amp driving inefficient speakers would hate it. But in my setup it's the champ. The pair I'm using has Cream Electret on its jacket. The pair I'm freezing also has tags made from the old greyish 'x' pen material. I tied reef knots in all twisted pairs, speaker end.
Great stuff for the financially challenged. Some are using it for interconnects as well.
Mark Kirby
25th August 2004 from VR Sola. USA.
Subject: Re: Requesting Richard Graham
Freezing.
I froze all my Speaker wires and Inter connects twice. Second time I froze them with a clear plastic disc, which comes free, (used as a filler- with new packaging of blank CDRS.) in freezer bag.
To this clear plastic disc I applied foils I have, cream Electret. Also I applied cream Electret to the cable jacket. and froze them (second freezing).
All detachable power cords were also frozen . Addly. I attached red tie rings while freezing.
The only detachable power cords that I did not freeze are the cords of the washing machine dryer, and the computer power cords.The reason why freezing works may not be entirely from molecular compaction theory.
Some PWB users freeze books with alphanumeric information such as Telephone directories.
The seemingly unrelated improvement when cordless phones their transformers, power cords are frozen-makes me think there is some thing else unknown.
All the cables have a five holed paper with four-legged dog's picture and aspirin attached .Made about 75 of them. They are every where. Some made 100s of them.
Reef knot.
I tried it but I think I have not got it correctly.
Zen pre and power amplifiers are well respected and Zen forum posters are on the ground level. Unfortunately having a three-year-old Grand son prevented me from purchasing a pre or power amp with open tubes or removable cage.
It takes some time for us to believe and put KISS theory in to practice.. It took many years to learn thicker cables are not necessarily better.
regards
V.R. Sola
27th Auust 2004 from Ron Adamson. UK.
Subject: May's second talk.
May's second talk.
A question for May.
If it is becoming too difficult for you to arrange to get a group of P.W.B. customers together so that you can give your second talk, why don't you do your second talk, alone, into a camera ?
I personally enjoyed watching the video tape of your first talk and I don't like the idea of having to wait an unknown length of time for you to gather together another group just to do a second talk.
Also, I am intrigued as to what will be your concept re. the different sound of different cables.
Ron Adamson.
30th August 2004 from Mark Kirby. USA.
Subject: RE: Re: Requesting Richard Graham
Dear All
Freezing with a clear plastic disc pasted up with foils is a great idea. I will surely try it.
Pierre Spreay of Mapleshade says speaker leads should be no less than eight feet long. One of those weird ideas that I think may be right. Even after freezing, my 7.5 feet cat 5 speaker wire sounded less ample than my first pair of cat 5's, which were a little longer than eight feet. So I'm currently doing the freeze-thaw routine with a couple more pair - 8.5 feet each pair. The twisted pairs are of different colors. I'm betting on the purples.
Mark Kirby
31st August 2004 from A. Martherus. The Netherlands.
Subject: TAS
Hello,
The Absolute Sound is in my eyes the best hifi-magazine in the world. Recently they published articles concerning all editors discussing why tubes sound better than transistors and why vinyl sounds better than digital. Not surprisingly, they have no clue.I took the liberty to write a letter to the editor, Robert Harley. Of course, I have no illusion he will publish the letter in TAS, I just aimed to trickle his curiosity...
----- the letter to TAS -----
Editor:
First, I must compliment you with the - through the years - high quality of the articles in TAS.
In the last issues of TAS, it becomes clear that you are struggling with fundamental questions like "Why do tubes often sound better than transistors?" "Why does digital (still) sound digital?" "How come some gear has that magical musicality and others, although well engineered, not?" "Why can something measure bad, but sound good and vice versa?"
Are you willing to get an answer to all these questions in your lifetime?
Ratio, common sense and measurements have brought you this far, but to really understand how you can manipulate those things like transparency, coherency, sound staging, timbres etc.. I urge you to look at audio from a very different angle.
Starting point is that we should re-investigate the working of our hearing senses.
The role of the brain and other senses is, so far, underrated or ignored.
Not long ago I discovered that someone in audio land has been doing this research, already for years! He developed strange devices that sometimes work. It took me a long time to understand his theories, but now it's all clear to me. This research led to a set of Rules and if you apply them, you get wonderful sound. This man also sells so-called devices to improve any sound system. However, the working of these strange devices is not easy to explain to outsiders.
Studying the high-end designs in your magazine shows me that in some designs, some of these rules are incidentally applied.
With this knowledge, you could make any room and any component sound better. How? Well, not using anything electronic, acoustic or mechanic, nor using resonance control devices. I obviously can't explain such a new 'science' in these small columns. There is no literature about this either. Therefore, I advise you to invite the man and his wife May to your listening rooms and let him not only demonstrate his devices, but also explain his hypotheses. If you will believe your own ears and I think you do, then there should be, in case you hear changes, at least some truth in these theories.
His name is Peter W. Belt from Leeds in the U.K. I never heard of him until recently, but he's been active quite some time. The magazine Stereophile has convicted him in the past to sell placebos, but my ears tell me that his thinking is correct. If you really want an answer to fundamental questions in audio, you should give the Belts a fair chance and invite them in.
Kind regards,
A. Martherus, The Netherlands
1st September 2004 from VR Sola. USA.
Subject: magic hour -Late night listening.
http://www.decware.com/newsite/mainmenu.htm
A couple of articles in the decaware website-Under the heading articles-Magic hour try to explain why we enjoy music in the late night hours.
I heard several explanations
Cleaner power
less ambient noise
less electronic smog (cell phones , harp ,scalar waves and a big list)
relaxed state of mind --alpha waves EEG pattern
better seronin and neurotransmitter based electrical nerve conduction.
stronger schuermans resonance (earths magnetic field) causing harmonic change in the audio equipment.
The last one is commercially available as quantum technology QRT and more expensive Walkers products. The earth magnetic Field changes HZs wise from year to year. These conditioners have a fixed frequency and the intensity is also fixed.( Not adjustable)
The PWB products also work in a different way probably by making one comfortable, relaxed , and be at peace with self and less threatened. any comments?
V.R. Sola
7th September 2004 from P.W.B. Electronics UK.
Subject: May's second talk
Dear Ron,
Your suggestion, Ron, that I do my next talk directly to camera and not wait until I can get a group together is one I will seriously consider. I did however want to make a better film of my next talk than we did with my previous talk. One problem I foresee, however, is that without a group who would ask questions which particularly concern them, I would have to guess what those questions might be.
The whole area of cables and whether or why they 'sound' different is an area which has needed serious investigation for many years. I have just seen another lengthy discussion on cables on an Internet web group which has gone round and round the same circular arguments that I have seen take place repeatedly over the past 25 years.
The pattern usually starts with the conventional theory people, on hearing that others have reported hearing differences (mainly improvements in the sound) after changing certain cables for other cables, saying "The conventional theory that I was taught says that any different effect on a signal going along a piece of wire two feet long will be so infinitesimal that no one, no human being, could possibly 'hear' it. So, if you think that you heard anything, then it must be because of autosuggestion."
What the conventional theory people do not do is to listen to what the other people (subjectivists) are telling them. The other people are describing what they have heard - many times in great detail. But, everyone just ends up with still being miles apart - the conventional theory people saying it cannot happen, the other people saying that they 'heard' it happen. What the conventional theory people just do not appreciate is that many of the other people (subjectivists) also know conventional electronic and acoustic theories backwards, sideways, every which way. That they too have been taught the same conventional theories by the same teachers, from the same text books, in the same colleges and universities and passed the same exams. But, they also know what they have heard!! So, the two sides are going to have to meet on some common ground if anything is going to move forward. This is the area I intended to concentrate on in my next talk.
I have just read a recent review of a particular cable by Greg Weaver which covers so many of the features I would concentrate on in my next talk. Greg' s review is of an 'ultra-pure-solid-core-silver wire' which has also been cryogenically frozen and constructed as both a Power Cord and an audio interconnect. His descriptions, after fitting both the Power Cord and the audio cable are:-
"I noted smoother, more liquefied bass, right on up through the upper midbass. Not more bass, just more lucid and with a greater sense of warmth..... I soon noticed a reduction of a bit of high treble glare that had not even been conspicuous prior to their insertion.... And I want to be clear on this, there was no loss of detail; in fact, it seemed to be more vibrant in that region than before.... The sound stage was now a good bit deeper and slightly wider..... I have to say that these obvious improvements..... were more than just significant to me. They were downright magical in fact. When I fitted the audio cable Guess what ? More! More of everything, and then some. More focus to locations, with a slightly greater sense of the acoustic. Stage size, while not really seeming any larger, was yet better defined and more clearly delineated.... Treble now became so liquid and articulate.... Bass runs were so well-delineated and so easily identifiable that I found myself going back playing recordings that I thought I knew well, just to learn what I had been missing."
We are talking here about cables as small as 0.5 metres (20 inches) !!
Greg then goes along the same path as practically everyone else (which makes my task of trying to get people to think differently so difficult) when he says "It is my suspicion that this cable has so low an interaction with the signal that low-level details are passed with much greater ease than the previous, stock, cord.... Bass runs were so well-delineated and so easily identifiable that I found myself going back playing recordings that I thought I knew well, just to learn what I had been missing."
This is an engineer's first thought. That the new cable MUST be 'handling' the audio signal better than the previous (stock) cable and that is why they can hear all this additional information - and, at the same time, implying that the previous (stock) cable cannot have been 'handling' the audio signal correctly.
This is where it becomes difficult to get them thinking differently. I do not believe, for one second, that the additional information that Greg heard was due to 'autosuggestion' and I am not, in any way, challenging Greg's observations. What I do challenge is the explanation as to WHY he can now 'hear' all this additional information.
Now, sit down, look at the whole scenario and think about it seriously. If Greg Weaver could hear all the additional information he described, then this means that all that additional information MUST have been 'handled' perfectly adequately by EVERY SINGLE piece of standard (stock) NON silver, NON cryogenically frozen cabling and wiring throughout the whole audio system!! In other words, there was nothing wrong with the other (stock) cabling, it had all 'handled' the same wealth of additional information equally as well as the new silver/cryogenically frozen cable had handled. And, if Greg had been prepared to carry out further experiments, and had moved the new silver/cryogenically frozen cable into another position and put the previous NON silver (stock) cable back, he would still have been able to hear all the additional information. If Greg could still 'hear' that wealth of information coming out of the loudspeakers, this means that the previous (stock) cable was ALSO perfectly capable of 'handling' the additional information equally as well as the silver/cryogenically frozen cable. It must have been, otherwise Greg would not be able to hear all that additional information coming out of the loudspeakers !! The more experiments that people are prepared to carry out, the more it will be seen that normal, standard stock cabling is perfectly capable of 'handling' far more information that anyone has every realised.
By way of example, let me describe some of Peter's early experiments.
In the early 1980s, Peter experimented by listening to many different bare metals, when used as an audio signal conductor. He listened to copper in all it's configurations, to silver, to brass, to steel baling wire - all sounded different. Finally, the best sounding metal of all was Pure Lead (Pb). But, as soon as Peter tried to put insulation material around any of the bare metals the sound was degraded. Peter then did what engineers do - he wired up the whole audio system in Lead (Pb) wire. However, Peter began to find that he did not need to have a whole interconnect made of Pure Lead, he found that if he made the Pure Lead wire into a 3 inch tube, he could use the standard copper interconnect and, so long as he attached the 3 inch tube at the end of the standard copper interconnect, he still retained the good sound. Similarly, he also found that he didnot need to make the 4 metres speaker lead in Pure Lead wire, he could use a 4 metre length of standard copper wire and, providing he attached the 3 inch Lead tube at the end of the 4 metres of standard copper speaker wire, he still retained the good sound. These were the very 3 inch Lead Tubes which prompted Martin Colloms to write his short article "The Mysterious P.W.B. Tubes" in Hi Fi News July 1983. (Twenty years ago !!!)
Martin and his colleagues had just completed their listening tests of a group of loudspeakers when they decided to unpack Peter's Lead Tubes and try them with the resulting comment "Amazingly, the tubes did improve the sound". Martin ends his short article with the comment "The results were intriguing and warrant further investigation - but in the meantime are there any suggestions as to what is happening ?"
Peter himself had been asking the very same question. Still trying to work within conventional electronic theories Peter had got to the position of considering the concept that the Lead tubes, at the very end of many metres of speaker cabling, were acting as a wave guide - I.e. a signal passing along a hollow tube, somehow allowing the signal to be 'handled' better. But, we came up against exactly what I have just been describing - that if the 3 inch Lead Tube, at the end of metres of speaker wire, was providing a better pathway for the signal, all that additional information MUST have already reached the end of the 4 metres of standard copper wiring - which means that the whole standard copper wiring of the whole audio system MUST have 'handled' all that additional information perfectly adequately !! Correction - there was still a small amount of very thin wiring after the metres of speaker wire I.e. inside the loudspeaker cabinet going to the drive units - but all in all, if the additional information could be heard coming out of the loudspeakers, then that meant that the whole wiring of the audio system had 'handled' all the additional information perfectly adequately. We were stuck at this point for a couple of years until a chance event happened which pointed Peter in the direction of the concept that it was the human being who was reacting to what was going on in their environment, and that it was the human being who was doing the changing - and NOT the signal !! That we (human beings) were reacting differently to the different energy patterns created by copper, silver, brass, steel, Lead (Pb), plastic insulating materials and so on - the list is endless. That such a process as freezing items altered the original energy pattern, which in turn allowed the human being to be under less tension and therefore to be able to resolve more of the information already available.
To condense twenty years of thinking. So many unusual things in the world of audio which have been reported as 'changing the sound' can begin to be explained by the concept that it must be the human being who is doing the reacting, and those changing reactions are what causes the perception of the information available to change. The more the human being is able to relax, to be under less tension, the more the human being will be able to resolve the information available. That is why so many of our customers can 'treat' normal, standard AC power cords etc. which are in no way associated with the audio equipment and gain an 'improvement in the sound'. And they also find that they can 'treat' their existing standard (stock) interconnects and gain considerable improvements in the sound from these stock cables. Our treatments superimpose on the cables etc. a friendly, relaxing energy pattern which counteracts the adverse energy patterns of such as the metal copper and the various plastic materials (mixes of chemicals) which cause us (human beings) such problems. If the metal silver 'sounds' better, it is because we (human beings) are reacting less adversely to the metal silver in comparison to how we react to the metal copper. Ditto 'freezing'. Ditto PTFE insulation. Ditto so many other things. But, these are things which people in the audio industry have gradually identified as giving some improvement to the sound and they have immediately presumed that the improvements in the sound were because of 'an effect on the signal', that these things were somehow 'handling the signal better'. That is why the conventional theory people can so readily jump in, each time, saying "It is not possible." But, the concept that it is the human being who is doing the changing is the one concept which can bring the two sides closer together. The conventional theory that any changes to the signal by changing a piece of cable 20 inches long would be infinitesimal would not have to be challenged so aggressively and the people (the subjectivists) who claim to be able to hear significant changes in the sound would be correct. They CAN hear changes in the sound, but those changes are not caused by changes to the signal !! However, I just do not see the conventional theory people allowing the subjective people to be right after all. And, I do not see the people who claim to be able to hear the changes in the sound but who have adopted explanations around 'it must be altering the capacitance, or it must be altering the resistance, or it must be altering the inductance, or it must be something to do with the dielectric effect, or it must be something to do with microphony, or it must be something to do with RF interference',being prepared to acknowledge that it could be because of something else entirely - that it could be the human being's reactions.
I have just read another (and the latest) cable review which Greg Weaver has written. According to Greg, the accompanying product literature goes to great lengths to beseech the user not to be negatively influenced by the cable's slight physical appearance. And, the manufacturer adds that an attempt has been made to keep it simple. That, more massive, more impressive looking connectors and layers of cosmetic sleeving might have made the cable look more expensive and therefore more marketable but every time they tried such things, it resulted in degraded sound. The manufacturer further explained how truly amazed they were at the sonically detrimental effects caused by bulk, high-end connectors and decorative sleeving.
Now, where have I heard THAT before ? !!!! Methinks I heard that over 20 years ago from Peter, with regard to insulation materials etc.. And, many of our customers will already know one of my favourite expressions. "Even if we wished our devices to look impressive and expensive and tried to make them gold plated and diamond studded, if gold plating and diamond studding would not respond beneficially to our special treatments, then we could not use them. If common or garden plastic material responded well to our special treatments, then common or garden plastic is what we have to use !!"
At the beginning of this 'post' I said that if I did my next talk without a group of people, I would have to guess the questions which might be asked. Here is one question which I think would be the first. "What does it matter what the explanation is, if the result is an improvement ?"
My answer would be :-
1) It matters because if the explanation is not correct, nothing will advance much further forward.
2) If there is a greater understanding of what must be going on, then one stands a chance of betting a much better result.
3) If there is a greater understanding, then one often can get a similar good result using a much simpler method.
May Belt.
7th September from VR Sola. USA.
Subject: second talk by May
I think we all agree that there is a need to preserve and distribute the wealth of knowledge PWB have in a viable medium, which can be copied and which will not be outdated like VHS tapes. (For the future generation also) Probably at this time CD or VCD is better as it can be copied easily and given to others.
The contents of the earlier talk given by May can also be incorporated in the second talk. It is true that audience participation is necessary and it will make the talk interesting for both May and to all the listeners.
Calling England from USA is lot cheaper than before. It only costs 5 cents using a calling card.
Let us work on it. If there is will we will find a way.
Regards V.R. Sola
8th September 2004 from P.W.B. Electronics. UK.
Subject: TAS.
Mr. Martherus, my response to the letter you have sent to the editor, Robert Harley, at TAS has been partly covered in my 'posting' of yesterday.
Mr. Martherus, you have a copy of the article entitled "The Cryogenic Compact Disc" which Robert Harley wrote and which was published in the October 1990 issue of Stereophile - 14 years ago !!! Read the last paragraph again. It will be interesting to see if Robert Harley can follow the recommendations to engineers which he, himself, listed in this article.
To quote Robert Harley.
"My fascination with CD tweaks stems not from their intrinsic abilities to improve CD sound as much as it comes from the realization that if ANY tweak has even the SLIGHTEST audible effect, conventional digital audio theory is turned upside down. More important, however, the widespread acceptance and belief in CD tweaks may make skeptical engineers LISTEN for themselves, perhaps sparking an investigation into why they work......... Furthermore, I see CD tweaks as a Rosetta Stone to an audio engineering establishment that dismisses the possibility that freezing a CD, or painting it black, or putting green paint around the edge or making it from a different material, could affect its sound. Because these treatments are considered the epitome of audiophile lunacy and because they are readily audible, some measurement-orientated scientists may, if they listen for themselves, realize that audiophiles are not always the demented mystics they are often accused of being. Consequently, some scientists may decide to turn their considerable analytical skill toward other areas of audio reproduction, long cited by audiophiles as important, that are far less bizarre than freezing CD's."
Robert Harley wrote that article 14 years ago and John Atkinson of the Amercian magazine Stereophile was prepared to publish it. But, now, Robert Hartley is in a different and more compromising situation. Robert Harley is now the editor of the American magazine The Absolute Sound (TAS) and now has the responsibility of attracting and keeping advertising revenue. Even if Robert was prepared to do the experiments and prove to himself that there are things going on which cannot be explained by conventional electronic or acoustic theories, how could he possibly write about them ? There is no way he can 'rock the boat'. How can he answer the questions you have outlined in your letter to him with the new concept that it might, possibly, be the human being who is reacting to the differences in energy patterns created by the different equipment in the listening environment ?
It will be interesting to see how he responds to your letter. Similarly with Greg Weaver now. Greg used to write articles for the Internet magazine Soundstage and then he became a consultant for the firm Harmonic Technologies, which, amongst other things, manufactured cables and interconnects. But, in this position, Greg was compromised. How could he experiment, how could he find out whether such as freezing cables improved the sound ? If freezing DID improve the sound, how could he possibly write about his findings when Harmonic Technologies were selling cables and interconnects which had not been 'frozen' ? Now Greg is an editor of an Internet magazine (On Sound and Music) and is now responsible for attracting and keeping advertising revenue. How can he experiment and discover things which cannot be explained by conventional electronic or acoustic theories? How can he possibly write articles on his findings which would 'rock the boat'. Rocking the boat is not allowed. From my experience over the past twenty years, it would appear that nothing must jeopardise the advertising revenue which the magazines rely on for survival. However, I also fully appreciate that this is the commercial way of the world.
But, when do things move forward ? The situation in the audio industry is such a parallel with the Joseph Lister story of 100 years ago - which is why The present situation is the equivalent of going back 100 years and considering a hypothetical situation. Supposing, 100 years ago, the medical journals of the day accepted (relied upon for their survival?) Advertising revenue from the major hospitals and manufacturers of surgical instruments. Supposing a journalist who not only knew the conventional medical belief structure of that time, but who was also aware of Joseph Lister, knew of Lister's concept that the germs which caused septicaemia were in the air, that you have to do whatever you can to exclude the germs from getting into open wounds, and had seen the beneficial results of some of Lister's antiseptic techniques. Supposing that journalist was invited by the hospital (one of the major advertisers), to watch a well known and eminent surgeon carry out a series of operations. Supposing that journalist wrote and submitted an article to the medical journal describing the surgeon's techniques in detail but also describing how the surgeon never washed his hands, never washed his instruments and wore his blood stained, pus stained frock coat with pride - which surprised the journalist because he had expected that surgeons should by now have realised that the existing belief structure (that it was microorganisms in the patients own bad blood which could erupt spontaneously or not which were the cause of septicaemia) was being challenged. Knowing that the hospital would 'throw a wobbly' and threaten to withdraw their advertising revenue, would the editor of the medical journal be prepared to publish the article as written or would the journal only allow part of the article to be published, or would the journal ask the journalist to re-write the article leaving out the part about Joseph Lister and Lister's concepts ? Supposing the journalist invited to watch the surgeon was the Editor himself !! What then ?
Let me make my position absolutely clear. I believe the skill of the manufacturers of the sharpest knives to be important. I believe the skill of the surgeons to be important. I believe that the skill and dedication of the nursing staff to be important, nothing I say diminishes that importance. But, logically, allowing another concept to be considered (Lister's 'germs in the air' concept and his antiseptic techniques) would expand everyone's abilities and performances !! The same applies in the 21st century, with respect to the audio industry.
But, history shows that people's reactions do not follow a logical path. Joseph Lister was attacked and ridiculed by many of the medical profession and it took a decade and more for his concepts to become more readily accepted within the medical profession
I have just read an obituary of Francis Crick who, in the 1950s with James Watson, proposed and made a model of the double helix structure of DNA which subsequently gave them a Nobel Prize. But, their concepts were ignored by the wider scientific community, including most biochemists for about 8 years and even Erwin Shargaff, a well respected scientist in that particular field of science remained a conspicuous and sarcastic hold-out against believing it.
It is similar attack and ridicule techniques which the audio industry uses against anyone who wishes to challenge the status quo.
I will make my one and only response to the magician James Randi and his latest challenge concerning (amongst other manufacturers products) our devices. James Randi's attitude is the parallel to Dr J. Hughes Bennet in the Joseph Lister story where Dr. Hughes Bennet is described as saying "Where are the germs ? Show them to us and we will believe. Has anybody seen these germs ?" All the magician James Randi does, in this modern time, is to constantly repeat equivalent sentences followed by "And if you can prove it to my satisfaction, there is a prize of 1 million dollars."
Randi, making his comments on his web page after someone has posted a description of applying strips of Rainbow Foil to 'pretty much anything in the system' says.
"Here's an example of how versatile the wondrous P.W.B. Electronics Electret Foil is........... I find it difficult to comment here, especially since my eyes are full of tears from laughing. Are these simply raving loonies, or is it a very unfunny joke ? I wish it was a joke."
Randi goes down the usual path of expecting to be able to organise and rely upon double blind trials. He claims to have an equipment comparator constructed to the nth degree which would be in a separate room, away from the room containing the group of people taking part as the 'listeners'. That everything would be under the control of the organiser of the trials and no one else would be able to see or know what was being changed. This expectation that Double Blind Trials is the answer to everything is common but, most often than not, it just becomes the lazy 'get out' sentence for people who do not want to be made to think or are not prepared to try things for themselves. The sheer belief that everything can be controlled so that only the thing needing to be changed, is changed is naive. Everything cannot be controlled and people are naive if they believe it can.
Unfortunately, this belief is perpetuated constantly in the audio industry. Just the latest issue (October 2004) of Hi Fi News carries an article by John Crabbe. John Crabbe has been writing articles for Hi Fi News forever !! And he is still repeating the same belief structure that I have been talking about. To quote some sections from John's article :-
"Some golden-eared reviewers...... manage to find that connectors, power amps, pre-amps etc. are characterised by as much subjective diversity as loudspeakers. Cables, for instance, are said to affect rhythm, tune playing, dynamics and stage width, while the language employed in some amplifier reports might lead the innocent layman to believe that the differences heard parallel those found in alternative musical performances. Now, I'm not denying the necessity for good low-resistance speaker cable (which needn't cost more than around £1.00 per metre ), or that there could be perceptible differences between high-grade amplifiers in some freak situations. But with correct usage, any audible effects would be vanishingly small."
Here John is repeating conventional theory as I described previously I.e. That any effect on the audio signal would be so infinitesimal that no one could possibly 'hear' it. But John then progresses on to discussing and recommending blind A/B testing, saying :-
"The only foolproof way of coping with this is to employ blind A/B testing........ Those nevertheless convinced that they can pinpoint audible differences between top-line amplifiers, should be able in properly controlled blind tests to pick these out when using a common input signal, which such folk have notoriously and repeatedly failed to do."
Again, here we have the absolute belief that blind listening trials should determine, once and for all, what can or cannot be heard. I am really amazed that such as John Crabbe, who has spent so many decades listening, has never heard something happen to the sound which 'knocked him back on his heels'. That he has never experienced something changing the sound which should not have changed the sound and which cannot be explained by conventional electronic or acoustic theories !!
John also says in his article that "One of the reasons offered (by some people) for not pursuing A/B testing is that it is unduly stressful - which I've never found."
I find it amazing that someone like John Crabbe, who has been listening (and writing about audio) for decades, has not experienced it being a stressful situation when expected to give an opinion under A/B testing, has not experienced the sound changing when under stress and can therefore dismiss stress as a sensible reason for not relying on A/B testing.
John concludes his article by referring to blind listening trials carried out by Percy Wilson nearly 70 years ago and states that attention "ought really to be focused on these as the most fruitful way of employing subjectivism".
How can one reconcile what Greg Weaver described as hearing from using a 20 inch interconnect to John Crabbe reiterating the conventional belief that 'any audible effects would be vanishingly small'?
Just why cannot we move on past the 70 year old attitudes still being recommended ?
However, Mr Martherus, very many thanks for your attempt to push the boundaries. I know it takes courage to be prepared to expose oneself to ridicule but your efforts are much appreciated. Might I also say that I applaud you being able to understand so much of what our concepts are when you have had to read about them in a language which is not your first language, your first language presumably being Dutch. By comparison, my feeble attempts to learn other languages are put to shame !!
May Belt.
8th September 2004 from Chris Porada. USA.
Subject: cat5 speaker cables
Hello everyone,
Someone (I'm sorry I've forgotten who) posted a few days ago about using cat5 cable for speaker cables, and I have a couple of questions. If I understood correctly, he/she suggested using a single twisted pair of the 27 gauge (I think) conductors as the speaker cable, one conductor for plus and one for minus. Did I understand correctly? I just want to check because I seem to remember reading once in Speaker Builder magazine that if one used cat5 for speaker cables, you should try to get the correct average gauge to provide you with a resistance that matched up with the impedance of your speakers (4ohm in my case), which would suggest I need a really thick wire. I'm currently using home-built cables from one of Jon Rischs recipes on his web site, and am quite happy (the cables have been PWB creamed and have white papers with 5 holes attached), but would love to try something new, especially being that I have a roll of cat5 in my garage, but I'm afraid I may damage something by running something so thin with my 100-150 watt/channel power amp. Also, since my speakers are bi-wired, should I run just a single pair of conductors to the high range crossover and single pair to the low range crossover, or would the bass range need larger gauge (sorry forthis question, but all the posts I can find on the net always suggest putting more conductors to the bass range and I don't see why). Also, regarding treating the cables; should I have the white paper with the picture of the dog and the aspirin on my cables as well, or does just the white paper work? I understood the aspirin helped with wood items, so I have one on my speakers and on my turntable, but had not put the dog or aspirin on my cables. Am I missing out by not including these?
Thanks for any help you can provide,
Chris Porada Reno, NV, USA
13th September 2004 from Mark Kirby. USA.
Subject: RE: cat5 speaker cables
Chris,
I was the one who posted about cat5 used as speaker cables. Unfortunately, I'm not really competent to answer your questions. Following are some relevant excerpts from the Decware Forum (http://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=cables&action=display&num=1092962308&start=15) that I found helpful in trying cat5. It may be that mine is a special situation. My amp is a low-power Decware Zen SE84B - about 3 watts - so power-handling is not an issue. And my speakers, the Parker 95's (http://parkeraudio.net/prod01.htm), use cat5 as their internal wire.
Still, here's a remark from one of the experts on the forum you may find helpful:
For the 50w SS I would use your ears, again I don't think you're going to fry the wire so maybe start with two pairs and then add more until it stops sounding better.
In my system, single strand cat5's were immediately better than the very good Mapleshade cables they replaced. After a week I replaced them with a shorter pair (7.5 feet in place of 8 feet). Not as good. I then treated some other pairs. Currently, I have a purple pair, 8.5 feet, that were creamed and frozen. These are the best yet. I also used some of the grey film that used to come with the Red 'x' pen to make tags for the wire. At some point, I will try the gold-colored pair from the same length of cat5; these have already been treated. The stuff is so cheap, I can afford to play around with it a bit.
Good luck,
Mark Kirby
Cat 6 is a broader bandwidth ethernet cable than the Cat 5. I am using a 27 foot run of the cat 5 plenum, non cryoed. It sounded so good I replaced my Fulton Gold 6 gauge cables with them. I am using them as a complete braided cable.
Others here, who are running short runs, like 10' or less, use only one strand, and say it sounds better than using all the strands together. I believe it.
Termination is a dream. There is none. Just strip the cables and use them raw hide.
Anyway you look at it, it's a no brainer. Just make sure you get the Plenum cat 5 or 6.
**********
I started with a 7 foot piece of CAT5 from Radio Shack (about $ that was a 4 pairs wire braids. Each 24 gauge braid had 7 tiny wires. I used two braids per channel. Compared to my $180, 8 ft long Kimber Kable 4TC it offered clearer, more relaxed highs but at the loss of some bass and efficiency. The Kimber Kables found a permanent home in the HT system. Then I got in on Brad's cryo'd CAT5 plenum group buy about a year ago. For $20 I got a two braided pair of 10 foot single 24 gauge strand wires that were stiffer than either of the above cables. These sounded better than the best of either of the above. Good bass response, efficiency, again the relaxed sound with great inner detail.
This is good stuff and cheap. Don't be afraid to experiment and report back your findings.
***********
I highly recommend first trying a single twisted pair per hook up. It will probably sound different at first to what you're used to, but if you give it a small amount of time you will realize that it sounds much cleaner and more realistic across the whole frequency spectrum and you will probably never go back (like many of us here). Or not, who knows.
**********
IF you use more that one pair be sure to use ALL the whites for - and All the Solid colors for +. Don't use 1 pair for + and another for -, you lose many of the benefits that this stuff offers (like noise rejection)
***********
I've only used single strand Cat 5 and multi-strand Cat 5, so...
Many here can comment on how it sounds compared to very expen$ive exotic cables, I can only compare it to a spool of phat Monster Cable from a big box store.
Using a single pair of Cat 5, my Zen/Parker combo produced more bass and clarity than with the Monster 12ga. I could not believe it, but very evident. In this room my runs were 3 feet.
Now my system is in another room and I needed approx 12 ft runs for speaker wire. Single strand Cat 5 was sounding a bit thin and now I'm using a full jacket run (twisting the three solids for + and the three stripes for -) and it is doing the trick.
I even fell into the AA obsession with the Home Depot extension cord thing (HD-14 if you google) and it didn't last a night - where did all the bass and detail go?
Cat 5/6 is cheap, check it out! Single strand Pair. You strip the jacket and all other pairs. Use only one twisted pair. One wire + the other -. That is all there is to it. For the other speaker I would use the same colored pair from another length because there is a difference in the twist of the different colored pairs. Probably best to match colored pairs for right and left speakers.
17th September 2004 from Bob Benn. USA.
Subject: Re: speaker cables.
I have provided the group with a Link to the forum on AudiogoN. the topic was freezing cables, not cryo'ing cables just using the home freezer. Www.Audiogon.com Learn > Forums > Cables > 1095357977
You all need to check this out. so far 33 comments, most of which are condescending and rude. It gives me a greater appreciation of what the Belts put up with by audio community in general and audio press in particular.
What can we do? I try to demonstrate the musical improvements brought about by the Belt products and the majority of the time, I can't even get folks to listen or consider there is something else happening that can explain much of the mysteries of the audio experience. how many folks in this group try to demonstrate and share the results of these products? and how many in this group have been laughed at and ridiculed enough that they keep the Belt solutions to themselves? After reading the AudiogoN forum, I know I am going to have to think hard about sharing my experiences with that audience!
Bob Benn. Nashville, TN
19th September 2004 from Gary Lee. USA.
Subject: Audiogon mocking
Unfortunately, Bob, this is typical of the attitude in the audio community toward Belt treatments. Many people refuse to trust their own ears. It's as if they have to be intellectually satisfied to justify their audio listening. Of course, the paradox is that they show how limited their intellect is, because they won't entertain new thoughts or approaches to audio. It is a herd mentality, and you don't have to look much further than the politicians who are elected in the U.S, from top to bottom, to see the dire consequences of this mind set.
A British friend of mine says all audiophiles get the systems they deserve. How many are so pathetically insecure that they have to go online and seek the approval of others to validate what they have acquired?
I am very careful mentioning PWB products to people, not because I'm afraid, but it is pointless to argue with intolerant, mindless drones. What really annoys me is that the same people who insist on all things audio being based on their concept of empirical science usually conveniently ignore a scientific fact no one argues with - that no two people hear exactly the same things. Yet these audio mental-midgets act as if what they hear applies to the whole world. Their view is childish in the extreme.
People who are skeptical but open-minded are different. I will talk with them. I have an audio friend who isn't completely convinced about PWB products, but allows that they may have some validity. He never mocks them when I mention the improvements they bring to my system. Also, he will listen if I demonstrate a PWB treatment, evaluating each one on its own merits.
At the Audio Asylum I no longer bring up Belt treatments, but if someone attacks them, I usually point out their intolerance and limited thinking. The interesting thing is that so far only those who haven't listened to Belt treatments have attacked them.
Peter and May have a resolve I'm not sure I possess, to have gone forward with the rudeness and intolerance they have encountered. The reactions border on the bizarre. Someone will post online about a new cable he/she has gotten that has this or that metal or dielectric. Then they will describe how it sounds. Others will. Perhaps because Peter's science is so radically different, these people feel completely threatened when it's encountered. It is as if their belief systems can never be questioned. Obviously, these are people not used to self-examination. One only has to look at the current climate of political and religious intolerance in the U.S. to see how pervasive this intellectual approach is. And it seems to be reflected in other parts of the world too, based on the many conflicts and religious-based wars that are raging.
People think that we are so advanced today, and yet the attitudes toward PWB treatments would have been little different back in the Middle Ages. Although there has been a little progress: today Peter and May don't have to worry about being burned at the stake.
What got you to sample PWB treatments, Bob? Mine was a great stroke of good fortune. I ran across them in an online article. Since a free sample was offered, I figured there was little to lose. After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained. That's what is really amazing. No cable company I know of will give you a free sample, yet Peter and May will. And still people are afraid to try them? That is truly mind-boggling insecurity and lack of intellectual curiosity. But maybe I'm being intolerant.
I do mention PWB treatments to other audiophiles, but they are sized up very carefully first. As a matter of fact, there is going to be a gathering of the audio clan here in Palm Springs next month, and I'm trying to decide whether to do a PWB demonstration. Any suggestions as to how it could be approached or presented would be greatly appreciated. For example, what might be the most dramatic demonstration of their effects? I'm debating whether to present them at the main audio demonstration or whether to have some people over to my place and show the treatments there. I welcome your comments.
P S Gary
17th September 2004 from VR Sola. USA.
Subject: Re: speaker cables.
Lloyd walker now started selling Cryoed silver cream "Sliver cream SST "recently>
What can we do?
The best bargains with PWB is the Beginners kit and intermediate kit with freezing.
I purchased 2 Beginners kits and one Intermediate kit, gave them as gifts to my long time friends and helped them with the treatments.
I compared several times frozen cables (treated refrigerator, frozen with a foiled disc) with creaming .Freezing reduces the differences between the expensive cables and mid grade cables. Some differences persists but they are minimal.
regards
V.R. Sola
21st September 2004 from Chris Porada. USA.
Subject: RE: cat5 speaker cables
Dear Mark,
Thanks for your very helpful and very informative response. I went ahead and tried the single pair of 24 gauge conductors to the mids/highs on my speakers (the speakers are designed to be bi-wired, so I ran three pairs to the woofer section), and the results were stunning to say the least. I have never heard sound like this from my system. There is so much information on the recordings that I was never hearing before, especially spacial information about where each instrument is positioned within the sound stage. Thank you for suggesting this; I'm certainly not going back to the previous cables that were apparently smearing everything. These new cables combined with all of the aspirin/white card with holes/dog image combos have produced a level of musical reproduction I have never heard before. You can almost reach out and touch the individual instruments on the recording. I had planned to freeze the cables prior to use, but they sound so good I don't know if I can part with them for the few days of freezing and thawing.
Thanks again
Chris Porada
PS, I also have a question to May (or anyone else) regarding the use of the white card/dog/aspirin on cables: Until now I have been attaching the card to the picture with a small piece of double-sides scotch tape and the aspirin to the card with a drop of contact cement, otherwise each time we open the windows in our house, all the papers blow around. Is this okay, or will the tape and/or cement adversely affect things?
Thanks for any advice
Chris Porada
22nd September 2004 from Mark Kirby. USA.
Subject: RE: cat5 speaker cables
Dear Chris,
You're welcome.
There are real advantages to cat5's low cost. I got 50 feet of the stuff for about $10, on sale at Radio Shack. So I could afford to have a pair freezing while I got an idea of the basic sound. Creamed and frozen is better than creamed. I haven't tried the aspirin doggie. When the weather gets cool, and evenings dark, I'll play around with my system some more. There's a variety pack from PWB I haven't got into yet.
Mark Kirby.
29th September 2004 from A Martherus. The Netherlands.
Subject: PWB and Health
PWB & Health
We all know now, that PWB-products decrease amounts of stress in our livings.
So far, no one could really proof or measure the rightness of these phenomena.
Yesterday I met a remarkable physician, dr. Johan Boswinkel. He is an "alternative" doctor, who developed a device; a machine, with which he can diagnose all kind of diseases and cure them all; in a matter of minutes. My wife and my son are currently his patients.This device does not work on a molecular level, but on a PHOTON level. Every cell in our body emits photons (yes, light). A healthy cell emits coherent light. Supplying sick cells with coherent light can cure them.
Of course, this is difficult to digest for traditional western medicine...
I will not elaborate, however, on these ways of curing.
What strike me were his warnings, concerning health damage, caused by electro-magnetic 'smog'.
You better read this yourself, because it rings PWB-bells!!
<http://www.health-angel.net/pages/page.php?gid=4&subgid=39&id=30>
According to dr. Boswinkel -who is no audiophile whatsoever- we are stressed, tired and eventually ill, because of these things. The same things PWB does tell us to treat! Washing machines, hair dryers, televisions, water pipes.
According to Boswinkel the magnetic fields and EM- fields cause our "electrons to slow down their spin". This causes stress and wears out our energy reserves. He can measure this inside sick people. What he doesnot know, is that long before we get ill or stressed, we, PWB-users, can detect and transform these nasty fields with PWB-devices.
I brought up this PWB&health-issue to shine a light from a different angle on the same subject. We should be glad that others, outside PWB, tell the same message, be it with a different interest: our health.
On the Links page in Yahoo you will find a pdf-file with an article about electro-stress.
Arkie Martherus,
29th September 2004 from Robert King. UK.
Subject: Re: PWB and Health
Arkie
Thanks for posting this info. Very interesting. I've often wondered about the relation between Peters work and (the effects of EMR on) our health. Does anyone know if Peter has written articles on the subject?
I've had Chronic Fatigue symptoms for decades and the recent purchase of a few devices (to counter EMR) have made a big difference to the way I feel - although I'm not sure if my hi fi sounds any better!
Rob.
29th Setember 2004 from Richard Graham. UK.
Subject: It's good to be back
Apologies to all for not responding to some of the recent posts on cables, amongst other things. A good holiday, and then catalogue of problems swallowed any time, and I will try to give my slant on things as soon as I can.
But there is something else that needed communication. No, it's not a request for articles just yet, but something that may be mainly for Tom Marsden.
It would appear that BBC Radio Three will broadcasting on Saturday 2nd October a performance of Massenet's opera 'Werther' that we will be attending. I am planning a number of Belt treatments whilst we are there, but fundamentally want to ask - shall we see how good radio can get?
More importantly, it will be streamed around the world.
It may not be to everyone's taste, but it is full of lush melody, and Act III contains some famous bits.
Any takers?
Richard
30th September 2004 from John Traynor. UK.
Subject: PWB & health................
Re the recent post from a merthurs:-
The theory from Dr Johan Boswinkel has been explored before although never given the acknowledgement it deserves due in part to the necessary suspension of conventional beliefs with regard to conventional medicine and diagnostic tools.
I can add nothing to his post other than to say that if you accept the PWB hypothesis (which I do) it follows that it's benefits cannot be linked merely to our perception of sound.
Sadly, I suspect that for the great majority of the populace, who have been conditioned to accept what we are told by "experts" , they will never be given the chance to consider these theories or put them to the test themselves.
John Traynor
3rd October 2004 from Tom Marsden. UK.
Subject: Re: It's good to be back
Richard, unfortunately I didn't read your email until today 3rd October. Otherwise, I would have made arrangements to tape record the broadcast. I was out of the house in the early evening of Saturday but when I did get back home I switched on radio 3 to hear the last 15 minutes of the opera.
What I did hear held me in rapt attention. Whether your treatments had the effect I cannot say but I felt annoyed with having missed what came across as something extra special. I agree with you, there is much luscious music in the opera.
Tom Marsden.
4th October 2004 from Mark Brown USA.
Subject: The Dawn of A New Age In Science?
Hi. I haven't posted here for awhile, but the recent posts about health care concepts that use theories similar to those of PWB have inspired me to re post a message on this subject that I originally posted a couple of years ago. I've added a new link. You can read the messages that led up to this one by clicking on the July 2002 link at the bottom of the "Messages" hub.
May, now that I think about it, I'm sure you're right. However, I still feel distantly optimistic when it comes to these matters. You yourself wrote on the P.W.B. website that Peter is fifteen years ahead of the audio industry concerning research into human sound perception. Of course, this fifteen-year projection cannot be accurately determined. However, your prediction indirectly states that the audio industry (and thus the scientific world) will eventually break free of their shackles and embark on the scientific voyage that P.W.B. Electronics has traversed for years (whether it occurs within fifteen years or fifty).
Possibly, the scientific community will require a bold, new awakening before the whole of P.W.B.'s discoveries gain mainstream acceptance. Yet, it seems that segments of the medical community have independently discovered concepts that P.W.B. has already utilized for audio perception purposes. For example, Terry Skrinjar, CEO of Q- Tech Laboratories, in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, has applied the theories of field science and quantum mechanics to develop a medical device that uses water to create a bio-electric field that is compatible with the body. In other words, the device (called the Q2 Water Energy System) uses water to alter the AC electrical energy from any home and convert it into bio-electrical energy that the body can utilize as it sees fit. Sounds like medical quackery, right? On the contrary, Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (similar to the USA's Food and Drug Administration) has approved the Q2 Water Energy System as a legitimate therapeutic device in Australia. Q- Tech Laboratories' website is:
http://www.q2.com.au/
In addition, a company called KeoSan (recently purchased by CWP Health, I believe) has produced a product called the Actimo Hexagonal Water System. This blender-like machine mixes water through a device called a "Super Cube." This cube contains a mineral that acts as a template by causing water to assume a hexagonal, clustered structure. The machine also "energizes" and "polarizes" water at a very high level.
According to a website selling the product: "It is theorized that water thus imprinted [or structured] can have predictable resonance characteristics capable of stimulating and enhancing biological function through the influence of specific template structures.
"The benefits of using, or being exposed to any coherent energy fields, have been well established throughout the scientific community. When clustered water is consumed, high frequency information is transmitted to proteins in the mouth, esophagus and gastrointestinal tract. These proteins amplify the signal and send it in a cascading wave to other connected cells. This wave of information is carried throughout the body like a 'wake-up call' to restore normal function.
"As a healthcare modality, Actimo Clustered Water represents a remarkable opportunity to stimulate self-healing. The ability to restore optimum levels of `Ordered Water,' within the body through the use of 'Clustering Technology' will have profound effects on the entire body. ...
"It is little known that the technology was originally designed for industrial applications. Monsanto [an agricultural products company] recently issued their first license utilizing this technology for water purification purposes for a reported $100 million."
You can learn more about the Actimo [and other quantum field science-based water products at]:
http://www.functionwater.com/Functionwater/
http://www.functionwater.com/Functionwater/
http://www.megahydrate.com/
http://www.phisciences.com/crystal_energy.html
I personally have this unit (the Actimo Hexagonal Water System) and have experienced its benefits firsthand. [Ed Note: We now have the Vitalizer Plus from www.ewater.com. Ewater.com has some amazing products relating to previous posts that neutralize negative energy fields, etc.. I STRONGLY suggest checking out www.ewater.com.]
My point is that a few courageous scientists have utilized these concepts through avenues other than audio. However, the gap may bridge as scientists discover the interconnectedness that these concepts have within the paradigms of human health, awareness, and perception.
Mark Brown
8th October 2004 from VR Sola. USA.
Subject: New Age / centuries old practice-Morphic messages
To try some thing different.
Morphic messages.
These were used from centuries in India Nepal and Fareast.
On the computer
A list of all the components that goes inside the computer are available in my computer section. A list of all software loaded in the computer is made. Morphic messages were stored on the Hard disk such as
DELL 8400 Computer >O.K.
U.S. Robotics MODEM>O.K.
WINDOWS X.P>O.K.
Hewlett Packard 405 Printer>O.K.
John Dow family >O.K.
and few others.
Type all these messages, store them in the hard drive, e-mailed, scanned and faxed and printed so that these Morphic messages will go through all the electronic components of the computer system
Telephone
On the answering machine messages add "we are all fine" before the usual message " please leave your name and number "
Morphic messages are not limited to Audio equipment, but can also be used on the sofa one sits or on the bed one sleeps.
One can find lots of useful information by visiting loohan.com You can find useful information about Barcodes, Tags on clothing, RFID tagging, also read information about Morphic messages OTB 9, also OTB 12.Also about neutralizing harmful energies around household wiring Etc.
Using symbols as Morphic messages -It is a different perspective.
You can get some information about using copper foils for writing Morphic messages, using reiki symbols etc..
Some of the modern Feng shui practioners are also recommending freezing the jewellery etc-if purchased used as a way of getting rid of negative energetic imprints from the previous owner or from handling by the manufacturer and the sales people.
V.R. Sola
11th October 2004 from Geoff Kait. USA.
Subject: Re: New Age / centuries old practice-Morphic messages
The trouble with "ancient techniques" or "healing techniques" as far as I can tell is that they are my and large ineffective for audio purposes. On the other hand, PWB techniques are very effective for audio purposes. Not only that, but explanations of why ancient/arcane techniques work for some things is probably incorrect. For example, the Feng Shui technique of clearing out old magazines and newspapers - presumably creating a more orderly/benign environment - almost certainly has more to do with eliminating written materials and paper/wood items from the environment; we know from experience (with PWB) that media, paper and wood have negative influences on our senses/perception. Another pertinent example is the Labyrinth, that V.R. Solo kindly referenced. Now, I admit I don't know a great deal about the history of Labyrinths or why they are found in so many churches, but I do know after experimenting with them this week that they don't do anything for the sound. (I also don't think they improve the taste of water as claimed on the web site that alluded to them. But I'll leave that argument to someone else.)
It would be lovely to think that these and other ancient/ techniques can be resurrected and put to use improving sound but that is probably a pipe dream; on the other hand PWB concepts and products are always effective in improving sound, even when you're convinced you've finally reached the end of the road.
Cheers,
Geoff Kait
19th October 2004 from Richard Graham UK.
Subject: Water tanks and 4db
1. I have one of those amps that has a visual display, with a logarithmic scale that is supposed to equate with decibel levels.
2. I had a reason to put some things (boxes) into the loft above our flat, and in doing so noted how the water tank had rather fallen behind with foils. I applied strips of Inside, Inverted, Copper, Aluminium, Present, Retro, Freeze Effect and Real foils, with relevant creams. I then clipped the tank, and also all of the lighting wires and beams that I could reach. I am, of course using Clip and Tweezers with the Retro Cream applied.
The end result was typically astonishing. As May and Peter know, I have found a friendly, tolerant Hi Fi dealer on the south coast, who I occasionally visit for bits and bobs, and recently, he was enthusing about Wilson Benesch Discovery loudspeakers. Many reviews rate these as having the best mid-band in the world, ever. They are startling, and like all good things, from Yorkshire too. Indeed, they were so good, I wondered about the balance between engineering in its conventional form, and PWB treatments. They are atypical in every way - very odd shape, design, and materials - carbon fibre; they may get less caught up in the Morphic fields that every box speaker does.
Whilst I would love to hear the Discoverys in a Belted environment, I was similarly astonished by the effect of the treatment of the water tank and loft. Most astonishing was the fact that we had to turn the pre-amp down 4db, to have a comfortable time on a known recording. At the previous level, it was now painfully loud. But the increase in detail was just as impressive, and I can't wait to get my hands on the gas meter again.
I always go on about this sort of thing, but feel fairly strongly that good equipment is important, but the environment (treated) can make a staggering contribution.
And Retro cream on the Clip makes the most amazing difference.
Richard
15th October 2004 from Geoff Kait USA.
Subject: Re: New Age / centuries old practice-Morphic messages
Follow-up to last message: the page on Morphic writing is quite interesting; I especially like some of the messages mentioned in this section...
Cheers
Geoff Kait
8th October 2004 from VR Sola. USA.
To try some thing different.
Morphic messages.can also be used on the sofa one sits or on the bed one sleeps. One can find lots of useful information by visiting loohan.comYou can find useful information about Barcodes, Tags on clothing, RFID tagging, also read information about Morphic messages OTB 9,also OTB 12.Also about neutralizing harmful energies around household wiring Etc. Using symbols as Morphic messages -It is a different perspective.You can get some information about using copper foils for writing Morphic messages, using reiki symbols etc.. Some of the modern Feng shui practioners are also recomending freezing the jewellery etc-if purchased used as a way of getting rid of negative energetic imprints from the previous owner or from handling by the manufacturer and the sales people.
V.R. Sola.