Wild Synergistic Research "Atmosphere" room acoustic enhancement device (canceling Schumann Resonance?)

[Superdad]

The Synergistic Research Atmosphere | AudioStream

 

Okay folks, it has been a week since the above linked article appeared--and nobody here has jumped aboard to comment about this seemingly wacky product.

I have watched the banter and argument about it in the comments section at Audiostream, but I don't think they should have all the fun.

 

Of course I have not heard the device, and there is PLENTY to be skeptical about. Yet some there, including Atkinson, are saying they heard something. So I will personally remain skeptical, bemused, and yet open minded--until such time as I can try one of these things for myself (or someone whose ears I know tells me their own impressions; or if a boatload of people start reporting results).

 

There is plenty to speculate and puzzle over about this thing, so grab some popcorn and go…

[alfe]

I think for this product I will ask Prot to write a review:)

[Elberoth]

Almost every new product from Synergistic Research rises a red flag in my book. Way too much voodoo for me.

 

I would rather spend my money on products from companies that do some real research, like Shunyata for example.

 

Not to mention the constant model change, where they seem to have new models coming every 6 months or so (and where the cheapest model from 2014 line is said to 'beat' their 2013 reference model).

[Audiophile Neuroscience]

I think for this product I will ask Prot to write a review:)

 

So glad he is on your side ;-)

[esldude]

I think this device is a stunning achievement in design. I think it is currently the most cunningly designed placebo device in high end audio.

 

The device is said to work at frequencies around the Schuman resonances of the ionosphere. The fundamental of that lies around 7.83 hz. I would note an effective antenna size for that is not likely in a device that size. I know, I know, I am a skeptical person who believes the laws of physics really do apply. Further, if the radiative power were sufficient, well never mind.....it is powered via USB port. And all of that before we get to the question of whether such things effect our perception of music, whether you can tune it for different effects even if it did etc. etc. etc.

 

The design is so cunning because you control it with your tablet. Has a nice display, you can pull up settings (scenes), change them etc. Wonderful idea to engage the 'sighted' part of sighted listening. To influence the idea you did something, and then listen to see if it sounds different. And by golly, not surprisingly, it does. Then again the likely customers for this have motto's like, "everything matters", "no two things sound the same" etc etc. yet again etc. So give those guys a control, let them look at the pretty display and make changes, followed up with an audition to see if it sounds differrent. You have images of each scene setting similar to the expected sound to reinforce how each setting should sound. The addition of a tuning module which lets you scan a QR code to unlock additional settings (scenes). Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

 

Free market marketing at its best. Understand your customer, understand what he wants, understand how he needs to be treated, and give it to him. Profit, and boy I mean profit. The people who own this will be very loyal about its charms in my opinion.

[esldude]

So glad he is on your side ;-)

 

Have you seen the tear down pics of the SR HOT device for headphones? Wow.

[esldude]

SCHUMANN RESONATORS

 

Now for only a couple hundred bucks, in New Zealand dollars, you can get your own resonator to combat these problems yourself. Read this page, improves your 'understanding' of the effect of Schuman resonances. Be sure to read the linked page about the effect of magnetic fields in our cars due to magnetized tires in rotation (or just buy a car tire demagnetizer). Those steel belted radials can potentially be magnetic.

 

Or you can get another adjustable Schuman radiator at Amazon. Maybe not as convenient as an ipad controlled model. But you can afford to buy lots more of them, and being battery powered use them in your car. All under $200.

 

http://www.amazon.com/EarthSafe-Pocket-Schumann-Resonance-Generator/dp/B00DL9A5CU

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E5IKP6C/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687782&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00DL9A5CU&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=06D5CR073F5WPERKF862

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F6CN3WE/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687782&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00DL9A5CU&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=06D5CR073F5WPERKF862

[Jabs1542]

Kind of reminds me of the obelisk in 2001 a Space Odyssey.

 

The addition of a tuning module which lets you scan a QR code to unlock additional settings (scenes). Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

 

That would be the in-app purchase

 

Seriously though, where would this thing go? Near your listening position, between your speakers, or behind you out of sight?

[goldsdad]

Have you seen the tear down pics of the SR HOT device for headphones? Wow.

 

Ah, but photos don't reveal fairy dust. Or is that what the sand is supposed to be?

[elcorso]

I think for this product I will ask Prot to write a review:)

 

Graphs only please

 

DBT doesn't work on Schumann Resonances and his spirit could scare you in the listening room...!

 

BTW, to understand this "resonances" it's better to read about before... They are real and disturbed now from the right frequency (7.83 Hz pure tone). In New Zealand they sell a full house and strong 7.83 Hz resonator, attached to the metallic structure of your home (if you have one (metallic structure)).

 

Also, there are several small resonators from England and from Hong Kong (or Taiwan ?): Acoustic Revive for room size. I bought two from the last, one for the music room, the other for the sleeping (f***ing) room, in order to be calm. But then I discovered it was the strong blue led in front of the unit that made me calm, but at the same time the strong blue led in the sleeping room got me sleepiness (I don't like lights when sleeping), so I covered the led with a black tape: No calm, back to blue Cannabis (white russian).

 

I don't know about Synergistic Research resonator, but it must be expensive (research or not), even more than the white russian variety.

 

It's hard to be and audiophile. Isn't it?

 

Roch

 

PS/ I don't have any commercial affiliation with Schumann, New Zealand, England, Hong Kong, Taiwan, or Russia...!

[esldude]

Kind of reminds me of the obelisk in 2001 a Space Odyssey.

 

 

 

That would be the in-app purchase

 

Seriously though, where would this thing go? Near your listening position, between your speakers, or behind you out of sight?

 

Well they describe the additional Red ATM tuning module ($495) as having the QR code (the little round thing you see on top). And you can buy the Atmosphere thingy without the ATM if you wish. Maybe the code leads to an in-app purchase not sure.

 

Videos, pictures etc I have seen all show it between the speakers. But seems it should go near the listener. The products on Amazon seem a much better deal. Why settle for better sound, when you can get better health, better sleep, better sex as well as better sound?

[esldude]

Ah, but photos don't reveal fairy dust. Or is that what the sand is supposed to be?

 

Yes, but the spectrophometer analysis did reveal the fairy dust as sand. So the answer to your question would appear to be yes.

[Superdad]

Wow Dennis, you sure seem to know a lot about that world of whoofy-spoofy EMF protection and devices! Are you sure you have not been holding out on us as a closest paranoidist? And would you recommend the Anti-Radiation Hoodie? I get a lot of wi-fi ringing in my ears and wonder if that would help.

[Superdad]

And you can buy the Atmosphere thingy without the ATM if you wish.

 

ATM? Is that for Automated Teller Machine? Someone has a sense of humor…

 

 

All kidding aside: What is weird is that Atkinson claims he was sitting and listening and someone else was using the "scene" app to change "settings," and that he heard differences. It does seem crazy, but…? Still, like you say, pricy if they got the idea from much less expensive versions.

 

Personally, I am not much of a believer in homeopathy (which is about where on the spectrum it seems like this thing resides), but if someone had a homeopathic (or even standard medicinal) remedy for my variable tinnitus, I'd try it in a heartbeat.

[Superdad]

Kind of reminds me of the obelisk in 2001 a Space Odyssey.

 

But the monolith emitted spooky choral music and made the chimps beat each other up!

[Elberoth]

Some HOT Science From Synergistic Research

[Jabs1542]

But the monolith emitted spooky choral music and made the chimps beat each other up!

 

Yea I think that's one of the settings you get from the mobile app

[esldude]

Wow Dennis, you sure seem to know a lot about that world of whoofy-spoofy EMF protection and devices! Are you sure you have not been holding out on us as a closest paranoidist? And would you recommend the Anti-Radiation Hoodie? I get a lot of wi-fi ringing in my ears and wonder if that would help.

 

I think your better off with the blanket.

 

http://www.amazon.com/EMF-Protection-Blanket-Dark-Grey/dp/B00H2L2ZW6/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hpc_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=0MBN7YNWSRVQ0M3STS9P

 

That way when you aren't using it, you can drape it over your audio equipment for shielding.

[Jabs1542]

I think your better off with the blanket.

 

http://www.amazon.com/EMF-Protection-Blanket-Dark-Grey/dp/B00H2L2ZW6/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hpc_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=0MBN7YNWSRVQ0M3STS9P

 

That way when you aren't using it, you can drape it over your audio equipment for shielding.

 

Didn't these blankets come with the first generation Class D amplifiers?

[Speedskater]

Schumann Resonances are caused by thunderstorms. it's the electric field from millions of lightning strokes echo around the ionosphere. While the fundamental of that lies around 7.83 Hz, it is not locked in, nor is it the only frequency nor is it a sine wave.

Now I don't recall feeling different several hours before a thunderstorm arrives, so I don't know way anyone would want to generate artificial waves.

But if I were asked to generate some (it's not likley) , I would not use any of the advertized toys. I would buy a big, budget pro amplifier (one that can output nearly full power at 8 Hz. A 1000 foot roll of 18AWG enameled magnet wire and a digital music source that can play an 8 Hz tone on repeat. With the wire I would make several loops around the room to act as an antenna and a 7 Ohm load for the amplifier. I would turn the amp's volume up until the wire just starts to get worm. Now we might have a real field.

[esldude]

Schumann Resonances are caused by thunderstorms. it's the electric field from millions of lightning strokes echo around the ionosphere. While the fundamental of that lies around 7.83 Hz, it is not locked in, nor is it the only frequency nor is it a sine wave.

Now I don't recall feeling different several hours before a thunderstorm arrives, so I don't know way anyone would want to generate artificial waves.

But if I were asked to generate some (it's not likley) , I would not use any of the advertized toys. I would buy a big, budget pro amplifier (one that can output nearly full power at 8 Hz. A 1000 foot roll of 18AWG enameled magnet wire and a digital music source that can play an 8 Hz tone on repeat. With the wire I would make several loops around the room to act as an antenna and a 7 Ohm load for the amplifier. I would turn the amp's volume up until the wire just starts to get worm. Now we might have a real field.

 

Yeah, but look at what you lack. No ipad control. No marketing to make sure you will hear and feel the effect. No blessing from John Atkinson. No magic snake oil from Synergistic research. Worst of all, no income to keep Ted Denney rolling in high cotton. Which means no future wonder products for the audiophile community. You really don't care about good music for audiophiles at all do you?

 

 

PS-your plan sounds good and could be done for not much over the 200 dollar mark. Won't do a thing for the magnetism in your radial tires however.

[esldude]

Of course I have not heard the device, and there is PLENTY to be skeptical about. Yet some there, including Atkinson, are saying they heard something.

 

 

Intended to mention this earlier. I am stealing it from someone else, and if I remembered who it was I would credit them.

 

Yeah, some audiophile thought he heard something. The laws of physics don't apply

[Speedskater]

Yeah, some audiophile thought he heard something. The laws of physics don't apply

As Art Dudley, Stereophile magazine wrote:

 

Audio enthusiasts are given to reporting any number of things.

[Jud]

Very much of a piece with SR's other stuff - find a cool sounding bit of physics and claim this product utilizes it in a not very precisely explained fashion.

[mayhem13]

salzburg.gv.at/cherry_schumann_resonances.pdf