Russ Andrews QRT

[Neiro]

Well I have had the thing for a couple of weeks now so I thought I would post my thoughts.

First a bit of background, in my current house I have plagued with a pretty poor sound from my system. Despite using vinyl, valves and efficient speakers I get a quite flat sound. Flat in terms of dynamics, tone and 3D image. This has been confirmed by some fellow WAD ers who have been round and pretty much everyone else who hears the system!! However, frustratingly, on a couple of days in the past few years my system has suddenly kicked in and been everthing I could possibly want. This is followed by a return to the previous flat sound. This has lead me to beleive that my issue is either electrical quality or RF (phone masts nearby and next to local sub station). I have tried all manner of mains filters,correctors,synthesizers and balanced transformers but in the main they do not seem to work that well and never even approach the sound I know my system will do. Needless to say I have tried other equipment but no matter what I still get this flat sound.

My last effort is that I am having a RF industry expert visit shortly with a load of test gear.

Being convinced my issue is RF/Electrical based my curiosity was raised when the RA brochure came through the door. Whilst the marketing blurb and science (or lack of!) seem to be liberal I was mainly interested in the fact that the unit used an RF 'field' to produce it's effect. So I ordered one knowing that I could return it if not happy.

When the unit arrived I installed it as advised and just did some quick A/Bs, my initial thoughts were that it definitely was doing something, the tone of instruments had fleshed out a bit and the sound overall became quite soft. I then noticed that despite being soft overall there was in fact an edge to the sound - I know that sounds contradictory but thats the best I can do!

I recognised this edge from when I plug other items into my system ring main, I suspected the power supply that the unit comes with, I connected it to a bulb for load and found that plugging it in and out of the system ring main introduced the edge to the sound. So sounds like a one step forward and one step back!

I then removed the unit as it was just a quick A/B. I plugged the unit in at the other end of the house (the unit has a range of 15m) and left it to burn in for a week.

I then returned the unit to the room where my system is but plugged it in via an extension lead from another ring i.e. not the system one.

Well I have to say that it does what it says on the tin!! My system has become a lot less flat. Instrument tone is fleshed out, instuments now have more body and solidity to them. Musically there is more flow which gives involvement and interest that was previously lacking. For instance when a double drum hit comes along (not sure of the musical term) it now seems to be a definite 'bam' 'bam' as opposed to a bit of a blur. I can also hear a more definite decay on piano and drum notes. Voices have more presence and detail in them. My system is now also doing counterpoint to an extent it did not before, this defintely makes music more entertaining!

Now for the even my wife can hear it bit!! My long suffering wife has long given up interest in my frustrations and constant search for a solution so I do not bother her with it these days. So apart from seeing the extension cable coming into the room she has no idea what is going on (well she is blonde!). Well we have just spent the last three evenings listening to music all at her request, she keeps asking me what I have done but I can't bring myself to tell her that its down to a little black box.

Today before leaving for work I unplugged the unit and upon turning on my system tonight was greeted by a flat sound! The unit does not solve all my issues but I am very impressed and am going to keep it. If my current flat sounding system was rated at 80% and it has been 100% on the odd few days I would say this device has moved it to 90+%.

I will turn the unit on again tomorrow and see if the improvement returns!

[Neiro]

Has this posted?

[Ianm2]

well your vinyl probably doesn't extend above 30k, your amplifiers 20k, and the same your spx, I doubt its rf, more like components or room positioning, your valves and cartridge also may be wearing out, and is your TT set up properly?

what you are probably removing are harmonics which actually can make it sound better, I tried a few and it went pretty dull and rolled off with it in, I would rather have it the way it was

room treatment and positioning is far more vital, look to professional recording studio practise, that's based upon real provable things like reflections and reverberant damping.

you won't ever get rid of rf, unless you live in a faraday cage, they are all around us and growing by the hour, radio stations, tv, our bodies are blasted with them 24/7

even if you take it out of mains, ( you can't really it just filters some harmonics, a lot is still there, you can never get rid of it) your speaker wires are still antenae, but ra has a solution for that. otoh, simply buy hospital/aviation grade cables, where rf is rejected in the design, its all out there, no need to pay over the odds for something the same

i don't think you got any replies, as most of us would rather play with valves, caps and a better transformer

those basics are the things to look at b4 snake oil

[pre65]

Hi-surely the thing to try and understand is WHY it does make a difference !

Philip

PS Neiro-how do the Fostex sound ?

[Neiro]

Oh Ian such negativety!

If I may answer your points, I queried the post because it did not seem to download not because there were no answers!

My amplifiers (WAD 300Bs built by myself) were checked by John Caswell last summer and found to be spot on. Output tubes, rectifiers and signals all replaced within the last three months. I have a lot of experience with turntables including designing the latest one recently launched by a valve friendly manufacturer, I can assure you my TT is also spot on.

I have had this hobby for over thirty years now and am well aware of all the basics and as I said the issue seems attached to this house/location. For the last four years I have tried everthing I know, and have had two industry experts around who are similarly baffled. I have taken my system to a friends house where it sounds great just plonked down.

I forgot to mention that my listening room is a faraday cage - one measure tried! The entire room is covered in copper mesh and earthed. It is pretty effective knocking out most mobiles but it is probably not state of the art.

In summary I would say I am an experienced enthusiast who has suffered extreme frustation over the past four years at being unable to enjoy my music in a way I know should be possible. I have discounted many 'fixes' but am always willing to try anything that might help.

My opinion on the QRT is just that, my honest opinion. You can take it or leave it but I do not appreciate your comments or insinuations.

I am glad you get enjoyment out of listening to music on equipment you have built.

Have a nice day!

[NickG]

I doubt its rf

Not sure I can see the logic in that statement. Of course RF is at a frequency that isn't sound, but there are many ways that overlaying a audio signal in a amplifier can cause audible effects. Just ask Steve (Shadow) how RF instability manifested itself in his preamp.

I think we have to take this report at least as something to try and understand. The OP has gone to the trouble to try something, and has reported back to the BB with his findings. The least we can do is not start by telling him he is wrong.

Advancements in science traditionally starts with an observation of a result that doesn't fit the current theory.

[Ianm2]

well at least I replied to you it was quite constructive actually, I am a realist and sceptic, stoic, too, actually, it may come across negatively

I believe in the basics

certainly no criticism of experience intended. actually, Thorsten pointed it out quite well, most people are pretty busy, and its not been long since you posted it, replies aren't don't always come as quickly as we would like ie. straightaway, he put it far less diplomatically

not terribly well known but basic atmospheric conditions can account for a lot, too, ie temp, humidity, digestion, the way we are feeling.

sage points as ever, Nick

[NickG]

So did I after I read the original post...

[Audiognome]

Hi Neiro,

I think I should comment, since it was me that recently asked you if there was anything to report...

I think that some people on the BB would much rather learn that this device doesn't do anything and is a rip-off. I have to confess that I am one of them. But that said, I'm happy to be proved wrong if there's a rational/scientific explanation. Would you consider a double-blind listening test, including some other BB members? I've no idea where you live, or who lives near you, but if it were possible and others agreed with your findings, then it might be a good starting point for us all to understand what's going on, rather than dismiss it out of hand?

If there's something new & interesting here, then we all ought to pay it some attention.

OTOH, you may think it's none of my business and I should bog off. Fair point.

Just a point about the Faraday cage, though - some years ago, when I was working in a test equipment factory, we had a screened room built, to do some basic EMC testing. Attenuating RF over a broad range of frequencies, to any significant degree, is more difficult than one might think. We had a broadband Yagi array antenna in the room, connected up to a spectrum analyser outside. If you so much as opened the door an inch, all the peaks would rise up on the analyser, i.e. the screening became very ineffective. If, therefore, you haven't properly screened any windows and doors in your room and the floor, for that matter, then I'm afraid it doesn't offer you much. All lines running into or out of the room would have to be heavily filtered also. That includes all mains wiring (including the lights), telephone cables, etc, etc. I've no idea of your level of knowledge, so apologies if this is an egg-sucking lesson.

You're right in asserting that RF pickup can be a problem, though - it can get rectified and appear as an unexpected DC offset somewhere, for example. All sorts of weird effects.

Best regards,

Nigel.

[richardcooper2k]

surely the important thing here is that it works. hooray !

secondly, if it is important to us we could try to work out why

or, we could just go and enjoy some music !