AC Filtering, Grounding Boxes, Linear PSU and Balanced Power.

[YashN]

Got to love that eBay description for the powers of black tourmaline sand:

 

How about this one?

 

it also has an unexpected (and much appreciated) effect as an energetic aphrodisiac.

 

[YashN]

You'd better do a great job at vibration isolating those crystals then otherwise you'll have measurable piezoelectric signals on your ground -- at least I prefer to avoid those

 

What would be a good laugh would be that the device actually has some form of Euphonic effect for the price...

 

Not that people can't buy what they want to with their own money as already said.

[YashN]

..., during tonight's latest bout of coughing-induced insomnia, managed to get LTSpice IV running directly on Mac OS X through WINE?

 

[jabbr]

..., during tonight's latest bout of coughing-induced insomnia, managed to get LTSpice IV running directly on Mac OS X through WINE?

 

 

Don't like the OS X version?

[YashN]

Don't like the OS X version?

 

I do have it installed and tried it again yesterday but something doesn't feel quite right with it, maybe the access to components.

[jabbr]

I do have it installed and tried it again yesterday but something doesn't feel quite right with it, maybe the access to components.

 

Doesn't have the same toolbars but try right-click. In terms of components, I find that I need to paste the definitions into the ASC.

 

There are other tools which don't do OSX so I keep a VMWare (or VBox) Windows running.

 

That said, I haven't seen spice models of sand recently, source?

[YashN]

Doesn't have the same toolbars but try right-click. In terms of components, I find that I need to paste the definitions into the ASC.

 

There are other tools which don't do OSX so I keep a VMWare (or VBox) Windows running.

 

That said, I haven't seen spice models of sand recently, source?

 

It's there when you right-click, then go to components or something, less immediate than on Win. Nearly all functionality apart from two are hidden this way. There's supposedly a way to do F2 to reach components but the way my iMac is set up currently (it's behind the TV which mirrors it), I use a Logitech wireless keyboard and couldn't get it to work.

 

An additional thing which bugged me is that tutorials almost always use the Win version, so for learning it's more practical.

 

A third thing which throughly bugged me is having an easy installation of the demo circuits somewhere, and ideally for me on Mac that should be near the other included circuits, but no, you need to do some manipulations for that.

 

I already have a Virtualbox installation, but that's for some poker software only, so usually I'll try a WINE installation first and if it doesn't work then go for the VirtualBox one if absolutely necessary.

 

To make it work, I used WineBottler and created a standalone Mac OS X package (app) with it, set up the 'com' parameters, then transferred over the demo circuits in the user Library/Application Support/com... directory. Must ensure to select the proper exe file as well when setting this up as it's not done by default and the name isn't immediate, it's something like sdcad.exe.

 

Not sure what you mean by 'sand' models. NB: I am using LTSpice IV.

[jabbr]

It's there when you right-click, then go to components or something, less immediate than on Win. Nearly all functionality apart from two are hidden this way. There's supposedly a way to do F2 to reach components but the way my iMac is set up currently (it's behind the TV which mirrors it), I use a Logitech wireless keyboard and couldn't get it to work.

 

An additional thing which bugged me is that tutorials almost always use the Win version, so for learning it's more practical.

 

A third thing which throughly bugged me is having an easy installation of the demo circuits somewhere, and ideally for me on Mac that should be near the other included circuits, but no, you need to do some manipulations for that.

 

I already have a Virtualbox installation, but that's for some poker software only, so usually I'll try a WINE installation first and if it doesn't work then go for the VirtualBox one if absolutely necessary.

 

To make it work, I used WineBottler and created a standalone Mac OS X package (app) with it, set up the 'com' parameters, then transferred over the demo circuits in the user Library/Application Support/com... directory. Must ensure to select the proper exe file as well when setting this up as it's not done by default and the name isn't immediate, it's something like sdcad.exe.

 

Not sure what you mean by 'sand' models. NB: I am using LTSpice IV.

 

Thanks for the explanation. Its good to know this approach works.

 

'sand' models: well, after all, you are looking at the effects of tourmaline sand in 'grounding boxes' and so I am assuming you are looking into LTSpice as a way to model their effects?

 

Seriously though, many well respected designers use slight resistances e.g. the 5-10 Ohms of the CL-60 Thermistor across the power supply inputs. These serve dual purposes 1) as current inrush limiters 2) by very slightly 'floating' the power/ground. Interested folks can read about them as discussed on DIYAudio etc. Pass designs etc. (an example -- look at the power supply circuit: http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/esantane/movies/aleph-x.html) In a similar fashion the Uptone Regen 'amber' added a slight resistance on the ground compared with the 'green' and these slight resistances can reduce ground loop hum. So this has been extensively documented. I would suspect that some of these 'black ground boxes' are nothing more than a slight resistance as well as capacitance. The concept of stored electrons is called a capacitor. Loops of metal or whatever not connected to anything is a shield! No need to invoke magic.

 

LTSpice however is really terrific and lets you see how small changes in a circuit might cause a real effect, its like magic

[YashN]

Thanks for the explanation. Its good to know this approach works.

 

You're welcome. I'd rather use WINE with Mac OS, more lightweight and also I don't have to boot up Winblows within Mac OS X, which is like playing Pole Position on an Atari 2600 while sitting in a Lamborghini Countach.

 

'sand' models: well, after all, you are looking at the effects of tourmaline sand in 'grounding boxes' and so I am assuming you are looking into LTSpice as a way to model their effects?

 

Hehe I'm using LTSpice because it will be important for simultations and testing for my further explorations in Electronics, e.g. Power Supplies.

 

But good point in a way, because the more I build, the more I see how mechanical engineering can be important.

 

Is there a SPICE equivalent to electro-mechanical properties and simulations based thereon of materials? There must be.

 

Seriously though, many well respected designers use slight resistances e.g. the 5-10 Ohms of the CL-60 Thermistor across the power supply inputs. These serve dual purposes 1) as current inrush limiters 2) by very slightly 'floating' the power/ground. Interested folks can read about them as discussed on DIYAudio etc. Pass designs etc. (an example -- look at the power supply circuit: Aleph-X 100w Amplifier Construction Notes) In a similar fashion the Uptone Regen 'amber' added a slight resistance on the ground compared with the 'green' and these slight resistances can reduce ground loop hum. So this has been extensively documented. I would suspect that some of these 'black ground boxes' are nothing more than a slight resistance as well as capacitance. The concept of stored electrons is called a capacitor. Loops of metal or whatever not connected to anything is a shield! No need to invoke magic.

 

Interesting stuff.

 

LTSpice however is really terrific and lets you see how small changes in a circuit might cause a real effect, its like magic

 

Ah yes, that's what we need here. Ultimately, I would like to be able to simulate and see noise levels and effects on transient response.

 

Now, that's all fine and dandy, but in the meantime, I'd also like to troubleshoot this bad boy:

 

 

Another view:

 

 

 

Now, now (part deux), this would be all fine and dandy, but in the meantime, I put myself into yet another bout of insomnia because I now want this electronics/electrical/computing workshop table to be the best work-desk ever.

 

I want it to be a smart desk, multi-touch, filled with electronics and power supplies and breadboard and tools, touch or voice-adjusted height to be able to also work standing, to monitor my health signals and other parameters, and I want it all to be green energy/rechargeable battery-powered and most of all, I want it now.

 

TL;DR version: what have I got myself into, now?

[jabbr]

You're welcome. I'd rather use WINE with Mac OS, more lightweight and also I don't have to boot up Winblows within Mac OS X, which is like playing Pole Position on an Atari 2600 while sitting in a Lamborghini Countach.

 

Since I'm old and can't type that fast anymore I don't notice the difference...

 

I leave a copy of Windows continuously booted in VMware ... it only takes a few 10s of secs to reactivity itself when I need it. Since I'm teaching myself FPGA using Xilinx's Vivado environment, I'm forced to use Windiws ... now if that would run in Wine I'd be impressed... if you understand what that system does you'd understand my real fear that if I tried to get that to run under Wine, it might actually cause my brain to GPF and then get stuck in an infinite loop at 44khz...

 

Hehe I'm using LTSpice because it will be important for simultations and testing for my further explorations in Electronics, e.g. Power Supplies.

 

But good point in a way, because the more I build, the more I see how mechanical engineering can be important.

 

Is there a SPICE equivalent to electro-mechanical properties and simulations based thereon of materials? There must be.

 

 

Of course. You can actually use Spice for simple stuff that lends itself to net list description.

 

Look at Matlab and Autocad

 

 

Ah yes, that's what we need here. Ultimately, I would like to be able to simulate and see noise levels and effects on transient response.

 

Now, that's all fine and dandy, but in the meantime, I'd also like to troubleshoot this bad boy:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25061[/ATTACH]

 

Another view:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25062[/ATTACH]

 

Nice looking. Uh oscilloscope?

 

 

Now, now (part deux), this would be all fine and dandy, but in the meantime, I put myself into yet another bout of insomnia because I now want this electronics/electrical/computing workshop table to be the best work-desk ever.

 

I want it to be a smart desk, multi-touch, filled with electronics and power supplies and breadboard and tools, touch or voice-adjusted height to be able to also work standing, to monitor my health signals and other parameters, and I want it all to be green energy/rechargeable battery-powered and most of all, I want it now.

 

TL;DR version: what have I got myself into, now?

 

You can certainly keep yourself busy for awhile -- there's really honestly so much to learn and so much really great digital and analogue technology out there that I've decided to prune what I can work in to areas with a good probability of success. There are so many things to do that fall within known laws of physics and known electrical properties and these areas have a drastically higher probability of becoming fruitful. I think many many audio problems do in fact come down to grounding issues that can be solved the good old fashioned way.

[YashN]

Since I'm old and can't type that fast anymore I don't notice the difference...

 

Heheheee, But 40 is the new 20, so don't worry.

 

I leave a copy of Windows continuously booted in VMware ... it only takes a few 10s of secs to reactivity itself when I need it. Since I'm teaching myself FPGA using Xilinx's Vivado environment, I'm forced to use Windiws ... now if that would run in Wine I'd be impressed... if you understand what that system does you'd understand my real fear that if I tried to get that to run under Wine, it might actually cause my brain to GPF and then get stuck in an infinite loop at 44khz...

 

Ah yes, for having looked at some FPGA and micro-controller environments a couple of years ago, I know what you mean. FPGA-wise, I could have used some Opal Kelly material to be able to stick with Mac OS X, but it's quite expensive. I also have a STM Nucleo board which is better to use with Windows.

 

So in those cases, as with the software I use for Poker, if it has to be Win, then so be it, just like when clients use Win, I need to be using it as well.

 

More importantly for me though, is the feeling and mindset I am in when I use a Mac or Linux. That Spirit fuels my mind.

 

Of course. You can actually use Spice for simple stuff that lends itself to net list description.

 

Look at Matlab and Autocad

 

I will have to look more into it. For instance, I would like to be able to model mechanical motion as well as electro-magnetic fields / induction and generally, electro-mechanical or just mechanical properties and do simulations.

 

Maybe I can do a lot of things with the Wolfram Language, so integrating a Raspi in my smart desk is something I am thinking of.

 

Nice looking. Uh oscilloscope?

 

Thanks. As for the oscilloscope, hehehe, you will get a good laugh when I show you what I have. I built my own little circuit and then use the soundcard input with a software, so I am limited to about 48kHz of bandwidth. But maybe this year I'll fish for a good one on eBay to integrate in my desk.

 

You can certainly keep yourself busy for awhile -- there's really honestly so much to learn and so much really great digital and analogue technology out there that I've decided to prune what I can work in to areas with a good probability of success. There are so many things to do that fall within known laws of physics and known electrical properties and these areas have a drastically higher probability of becoming fruitful. I think many many audio problems do in fact come down to grounding issues that can be solved the good old fashioned way.

 

For sure. But here again, I would like my desk to put me in a particular mode of thought (or several particular modes) so that I can research and create. The way it's built is going to fuel a lot of my design and creation, just like when you spend a lot of time in Mac OS X instead of Windows, you get more sensitive to well-designed things.

 

The anecdote by Steve Jobs of how he skipped classes and went into calligraphy classes and how this fueled the design within Mac OS X is worth looking at. In other words, look at an average Powerpoint presentation made by a Windows user and compare to the average design in Keynote by a Mac user and there will be significant fundamental differences when it comes to esthetics.

 

I totally agree about some of the good old-fashioned stuff: I was looking at how to build my own ribbon microphones for instance: old fashioned but stellar results even today.

[Sam Lord]

Caelin Gabriel of Shunyata also says geometry is paramount in cables. I agree but would add that proper shielding and grounding is important in addition, for analogue signals. We certainly shoot ourselves in the foot with the 'shield is also return path' of most of our unbalanced inter-connects.

 

Fully agreed, and I like watching your progress. Caelin knew a hell of a lot about cable geometry when we (Essence) first met him around 1998-99, but he was influenced by his experience hearing the FMS cables in our system. Early Shunyata cables, which we built under contract, used elaborate braids calculated to minimize strand-hopping and inductance and capacitance: for the last two there are of course hard geometric limits. It's insanely complicated, though some items like the quality of the conductor surface are simpler (though not easier) to solve.

 

You've seen the pictures, they do contain a sheet of copper, and they also contain additional slabs of metal. Yet, you're still going on with draining wallets. Why now? did you change your mind? If so, what made you?

 

Looks like they tried a pitiful imitation of Shunyata's formula. To do it properly, you surround big, ultra-low-Z copper (at least 1/4" thick) conducting surfaces with a large quantity of piezoelectric pellets which converts the vast portion of a band of E waves into heat. The early Hydras which we built for Shunyata used only hot and neutral plates, but much later Shunyata-built gear included ground plates, and later used a cylindrical shape for all the massive radiating pieces. Since the crystal pellets contain iron I assume some B waves are similarly affected, but that's all I know. But Jesus it works. I was the culprit who coined the first silly name for the early FeSi material, calling it stardust. I never told a customer about it, but the word leaked out and Caelin was understandably furious as the patents were not expected to arrive for a long time. But the name was never officially adopted. There have been many variations of the derogatory slang names, the most unfortunate include "magic" or "fairy" which was and is ignorance on a huge scale.

 

On the size of the plates, which were at first rectangles of very pure copper, Caelin professed that he didn't understand quite why they worked so effectively, but believed that quantum effects were at play. He understood the piezo action completely, but his simulations didn't show the noise attenuation or massive increases in instantaneous current he found. (I never saw them nor asked to.) You clearly needed a large, symmetrical, ultra-low-impedance surface. Now this was a fellow extremely versed in quantum theory and practice, and he thought there were quantum effects involved. I expect now that phonons and quantum phenomena are vastly better understood than they were 15 years ago, Caelin probably has a very good understanding of the action inside the NICs ("Noise Isolation Chambers") in Shunyata's power products.

 

Shunyata gear is very expensive but needs no advertising to sell, it just kills. I can't comment on competitors because most have relied on crude, brute-force techniques which I haven't bothered to evaluate.

[YashN]

Fully agreed, and I like watching your progress. Caelin knew a hell of a lot about cable geometry.

 

Thanks a lot for these good words, Sam and for the anecdotes and additional info. Interesting to see how just doing geometry well can bring handsomer rewards. For my AC Filter, I am convinced geometry is paramount as well, symmetry especially.

 

Looks like they tried a pitiful imitation of Shunyata's formula. To do it properly, you surround big, ultra-low-Z copper (at least 1/4" thick) conducting surfaces with a large quantity of piezoelectric pellets which converts the vast portion of a band of E waves into heat.

 

Ah thanks, as this is actually what I thought initially, so good to see I was on the right track:

 

if we're talking of the Entreq, I think it could be inducing losses through energy conversion within the box.

 

Since the crystal pellets contain iron I assume some B waves are similarly affected, but that's all I know. [/quoteS]

 

Interesting, looks like I need to brush up on my Electro-Magnetics Theory.

 

But Jesus it works. I was the culprit who coined the first silly name for the early FeSi material, calling it stardust. I never told a customer about it, but the word leaked out and Caelin was understandably furious as the patents were not expected to arrive for a long time. But the name was never officially adopted. There have been many variations of the derogatory slang names, the most unfortunate include "magic" or "fairy" which was and is ignorance on a huge scale.

 

Hehe, cool anecdote.

 

On the size of the plates, which were at first rectangles of very pure copper, Caelin professed that he didn't understand quite why they worked so effectively, but believed that quantum effects were at play.

 

Very interesting. I suspect here that it's hard to simulate for further design refinements as well.

 

He understood the piezo action completely, but his simulations didn't show the noise attenuation or massive increases in instantaneous current he found. (I never saw them nor asked to.) You clearly needed a large, symmetrical, ultra-low-impedance surface.

 

A couple of questions come to mind here: how would the massive increases in instantaneous current be brought about? Quite intriguing. Secondly, to prevent the piezo effect in the other direction, one would need to isolate from vibrations quite well, isn't it?

 

Now this was a fellow extremely versed in quantum theory and practice, and he thought there were quantum effects involved. I expect now that phonons and quantum phenomena are vastly better understood than they were 15 years ago, Caelin probably has a very good understanding of the action inside the NICs ("Noise Isolation Chambers") in Shunyata's power products.

 

He's a polymath indeed.

 

I just read that he incorporated a new design in his Denali products, stemming from the very good results he had in the medical industry.

[jabbr]

Fully agreed, and I like watching your progress. Caelin knew a hell of a lot about cable geometry when we (Essence) first met him around 1998-99, but he was influenced by his experience hearing the FMS cables in our system. Early Shunyata cables, which we built under contract, used elaborate braids calculated to minimize strand-hopping and inductance and capacitance: for the last two there are of course hard geometric limits. It's insanely complicated, though some items like the quality of the conductor surface are simpler (though not easier) to solve.

 

 

 

Looks like they tried a pitiful imitation of Shunyata's formula. To do it properly, you surround big, ultra-low-Z copper (at least 1/4" thick) conducting surfaces with a large quantity of piezoelectric pellets which converts the vast portion of a band of E waves into heat. The early Hydras which we built for Shunyata used only hot and neutral plates, but much later Shunyata-built gear included ground plates, and later used a cylindrical shape for all the massive radiating pieces. Since the crystal pellets contain iron I assume some B waves are similarly affected, but that's all I know. But Jesus it works. I was the culprit who coined the first silly name for the early FeSi material, calling it stardust. I never told a customer about it, but the word leaked out and Caelin was understandably furious as the patents were not expected to arrive for a long time. But the name was never officially adopted. There have been many variations of the derogatory slang names, the most unfortunate include "magic" or "fairy" which was and is ignorance on a huge scale.

 

On the size of the plates, which were at first rectangles of very pure copper, Caelin professed that he didn't understand quite why they worked so effectively, but believed that quantum effects were at play. He understood the piezo action completely, but his simulations didn't show the noise attenuation or massive increases in instantaneous current he found. (I never saw them nor asked to.) You clearly needed a large, symmetrical, ultra-low-impedance surface. Now this was a fellow extremely versed in quantum theory and practice, and he thought there were quantum effects involved. I expect now that phonons and quantum phenomena are vastly better understood than they were 15 years ago, Caelin probably has a very good understanding of the action inside the NICs ("Noise Isolation Chambers") in Shunyata's power products.

 

Shunyata gear is very expensive but needs no advertising to sell, it just kills. I can't comment on competitors because most have relied on crude, brute-force techniques which I haven't bothered to evaluate.

 

The term "FeSi-100" is a bit of marketing ... it sounds like a chemical but of course can't be. Rather, seems to be a combination of Rochelle salts and Silica beads aka Silica Gel. Rochelle salts (Potassium Sodium Tartrate) are indeed quite piezoelectric and in fact can easily be synthesized at home. What you can do is either use the combination as a shield or as the dielectric in a cable.

 

Now this nonsense about some special knowledge gained via NSA is just that. Firstly the NSA is the largest employer of mathematicians in the country as well as electrical engineers and their expertise with signals analysis is well documented. There are declassified accounts from the late 1950s which are worth reading. The NSA and other government agencies have long worked with commercial firms to develop hardware e.g. https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol47no1/article08.html. Edwin Land, the founder of Polaroid, was a member of Eisenhower's science advisory group which lead to the development of the U2 as well as the first reconnaissance satellites. In any case Caelin Gabriel is one of many many thousands of military who have worked with the NSA. There are also several multibillion dollar corporations that develop technologies for the military etc. e.g. SAIC/E-Systems. Needless to say the number of engineers so involved is truly vast and many many of them have gone on to found technology companies. So nothing particularly special ... but at least our tax dollars are doing something good for the economy.

 

I'd cut the malarky about quantum effects, though, because in fact our knowledge about the quantum properties of electrical circuits is not, in fact, vastly better than it was 15 years ago, particularly for home audio circuits. Indeed at my house, Maxwell's equations still apply with extreme accuracy.

[YashN]

Now this nonsense about some special knowledge gained via NSA is just that.

 

I don't think anyone specifically mentioned that but Caelin would know if what he worked on applied in his later work. Not that he would tell I think.

 

Yes, from what I read, the material is as you described.

 

As for Quantum effects, at very small-scales we can't ever get away from these, but here again, just as saying 'stardust', mentioning them for a product can conjure aromas of marketing rather than substance.

 

In this thread however, the actual explanations for how things work are interesting, so if they are indeed Quantum effects, it would be interesting to know.

 

Not that I think they would be easy to understand: Quantum Theory has some very counter-intuitive concepts.

 

Wave-functions collapsing and an entity choosing a representation only when observed by a human. How would you explain that in intuitive terms? Not easy.

[jabbr]

Maxwell's equations have survived remarkably well in the quantum era, and I don't exaggerate

[YashN]

Maxwell's equations have survived remarkably well in the quantum era, and I don't exaggerate

 

No doubt, just as Newton's laws of motion, but it depends what scales you're considering.

[YashN]

A little enhancement to my work desk this week-end:

 

Recommissioned the old Raspberry Pi Model B:

- Free Wolfram Mathematica!

- Free Wolfram Language!

 

Set up SSH and a VNC server, so that I could access the Raspi GUI content from my iPad:

 

 

Here a notebook is evaluated, containing a simulation of the electro-magnetic field around two conducting spheres or cylinders.

 

Now, the touch interfacing has room for improvement as it's not a direct interface and the elements are rather small. In addition, it is way too slow to proceed this way: touch not registering or registering at the wrong place, retry, etc... so that I will try again with the old PC and see if that makes any difference.

 

However, this provides an inkling of where I want to go with my smart desk: I want to have all the tools and simulators at hand.

 

Another thing I noticed is that the outlets at my electronics/electric/engineering desk are orange.

 

Now, I couldn't make up any distinguishing markings or brand/model on them, but here is a picture and if that rings a bell, let me know:

 

 

 

I wonder if these are hospital grade ones or better than the cheap common ones in any way.

[jabbr]

Wave-functions collapsing and an entity choosing a representation only when observed by a human. How would you explain that in intuitive terms? Not easy.

 

That's why really good teachers are important for freshman college physics IIRC, our final required the design of a rail gun capable of putting a projectile in orbit around the Earth. Geosynchronous for extra credit. Of course that was well over 15 years ago so the design would be obsolete as all those equations have changed

 

Now it's true that to explain exactly how semiconductors work you need to invoke quantum dynamics but that isn't the point, rather to model the behavior of transistors you can use LTSpice models ... and believe me, with this approach, and selecting from a variety of parts, you can go very far in modeling how changes in x,y or z might affect the audio signal. IMHO it's a lot easier to predictably affect SQ by changing amplifier topology than by changing the stuff that's wrapped around wires.

 

Now quantum computing-- that's interesting!

[YashN]

rather to model the behavior of transistors you can use LTSpice models ... and believe me, with this approach, and selecting from a variety of parts, you can go very far in modeling how changes in x,y or z might affect the audio signal. IMHO it's a lot easier to predictably affect SQ by changing amplifier topology than by changing the stuff that's wrapped around wires.

 

No doubt here either, but we were specifically talking about the case above with Gabriel's isolation chambers or plates arrangement and some ensuing effects that he himself couldn't find in the simulation nor could explain.

 

This is where it is probably a matter of the scale of the model as mentioned by Sam.

 

I don't think I'm ever going to simulate these anytime soon, but for an overview or for a higher-level understanding it could have been interesting to know.

[jabbr]

Get some copper plates, Rochelle salts and Silica gel -- mix the salts evenly with the gel (beads) and place between the copper plates. Seal the arrangement. connect it however you think. Let us know how it sounds

 

With a high quality amplifier and sufficiently efficient speakers (>100 db) you can often hear a very faint hum -- you may need to use headphones -- and be very sure to use grounding plugs on the inputs or else you will blow your headphones apart. (Connect the headphones to the amp output with adapter cables) You may be able to hear the background noise level. If you can, you can use this setup to easily test noise levels.

[YashN]

Get some copper plates, Rochelle salts and Silica gel -- mix the salts evenly with the gel (beads) and place between the copper plates. Seal the arrangement. connect it however you think. Let us know how it sounds

 

Who said I hadn't already considered something like that? I know what the material used is and exactly how it is used in the isolation chamber and how the latter is constructed (it's not a plate anymore).

 

Since then, I found another set of very interesting materials to work with as well, except I don't yet know if they are commonly available.

 

[Jud]

Get some copper plates, Rochelle salts and Silica gel -- mix the salts evenly with the gel (beads) and place between the copper plates. Seal the arrangement. connect it however you think. Let us know how it sounds

 

 

Patent US6545213 - Method and product for reducing distortion in an audio or home theater cable - Google Patents

[lmitche]

Funny, I have this exact Shunyata balanced cable connecting my DAC to Amp. I always wondered what was in the hoses. Thanks!

[Jud]

This looks a little more like what Sam Lord was describing:

 

Patent US8658892 - Ferroelectric field coupling device for improved noise reduction in AC power ... - Google Patents