Absolutely also true. Biases, bio-chemistry, and placebo are certainly going to be responsible for some portion of folks’ perceptions, and some people are more susceptible to misleading themselves than others. I think it’s almost impossible to approach a listening test without expectations, but importantly, just be comfortable with results not matching expectations. Absent the time and equipment to do extensive, “proper” tests of everything, I’m fairly comfortable in my perceptions because I am (1) able to repeat them, (2) often make judgments that go against my own initial expectations, and (3) independent third parties often match my perceptions (e.g. my wife, who couldn’t care less about this stuff, very often picks out the same differences, unprompted).
There are certainly things, like this, that seem outright preposterous. However, once something is physically in the audio chain, or physically touching the audio chain (like vibration isolation), I am generally more amenable to the possibility of it making a difference.
I assume anything can make a difference, I’m just often not sure why. So it could be unclear if I need the $20K crystal or a $5 doorstop would do the same job.
Power cables being the obvious case in point, I bought a number just to rule out an effect and had my notepad there because I assumed anything there would be would be extremely subtle, and was stunned by the clear difference.
Getting into the really contentious, I hear a difference with cable risers on some 2 channel systems.
While I can concoct a cause and effect for those, I’m not sure I myself believe them, and I certainly don’t believe some of the pseudo science explanations for things, doesn’t mean I discount them making a difference.
On the other hand I have yet to hear a clear difference in network cables, I get nothing conclusive from tube dampers on my gear, and I could even come up with an explanation for that one. But I also don’t discount others takes on those, their environments are different among other factors.
But I agree it’s hard sometimes to draw a line on what’s actually ridiculous.
That was my experience. When I bought my power plant, it came with a very modest upgraded power cable. Not only was the change to using a power conditioner super clear, but so was switching between the stock and upgrade power cable from the power plant to the wall. I was very much ready to strain to hear anything, but it was very much (1) turn on, (2) start the music, (3) oh, F*&^@# - I guess I’m spending money on power crap, now
Once again, I’m agreeing with what you say. When I was working on product development, it was always a search for first impressions. Experienced users had pre-existing sets of biases.
Not that there’s anything WRONG with that. - Seinfeld.
Interesting question, there are crystals and crystals. I’d certainly feel better with a few kilograms of hexoctohedral carbon crystals sitting on most of my equipment. Something with a specific gravity of about 3.52 and isotropic optical properties.
Failing that, sound and mood could be improved with a similar quantity of aluminum oxide with chromium, Al2O3Cr in a Trigonal system (Hexagonal scalendohedral). This with a higher specific gravity of about 3.97-4.05.
There are other crystals that might improve the sound or one’s mood. I leave it to the reader to research.
Interesting design. Two rounded things with pointy tips up front, a flat area in the middle, and a pair of large rounded things in the back. Holes for inserting your jacks, and a way to dial up the output.
On an unrelated note, Bottlehead sells tube head logo caps.
I think it is accessibility. This was larger than I expected. There’s lots of room between the pointy things and the rounded things. It gets a bit warm. Probably could park a coffee cup in the middle. Behind the bigger rounded things in the back are two squatty metal things with layers. I think they hide electricity in there. There are no fonts included as I don’t see any text on it either. There is supposed to be a shiny square thing with “Eufonika” texted on the front in sans-serif. I rubbed some sticky stuff Tongue Oil? something like that on it. I’ll probably rub some more. I might go to the shiny square store and have them text on something to stick on it. Should I stick with Eufonika, or maybe change it up to HAL 9000, Zildjan, or something more groovy?
I didn’t see design on it, just the pointy thing sockets.
Time to inject some more glow into this thread! Here are some recent pics from recent tube rolling sessions with the Blue Halo+ OTL:
Six Tung-Sol 5998 power tubes, 5A/152M drivers
6x 5998’s runs the amp at around 15ohm output impedance. This is probably the only time I’ll ever try this, it’s completely unnecessary… except for posterity’s sake.
Tung-Sol 7802 power tubes, Melz 6N1P drivers
The 7802 tubes are fairly unique… they look nearly identical to the T-S 6080, but are capable of almost 3x the transconductance (20,000 vs 7,000 µmhos) at just 2.5A per tube. Output impedance of the amp with just a pair of these is around 28ohm. The only power tube pair this amp can run that’s capable of a lower output impedance is the 6528 (~15ohm), which require double the amperage for their heaters (5A).
I would love to hear a DNA amp some day!
