Miscellaneous Accessories:
Audio Research Tube Damping Rings: $5 each
Damping rings for all AR products are now available to the public at large. They're made of a proprietary polymer material that converts kinetic energy to heat, and their improvements are not subtle, exclaims BJR: tighter, cleaner, deeper, more dynamic bass; more coherent transient attacks; crisper, more extended highs; plus "improvements in the reproduction of subtle gradations of low-level dynamics." Give 'em a whirl—the cost is minimal. (Vol.23 No.2, Vol.26 No.8) AudioQuest binding-post wrench: $17.95
A great idea improved—similar to the original Postman, but with a metal sleeve reinforcing the sockets. (Vol.20 No.9) AudioQuest JitterBug FMJ: $69.95
This aluminum-bodied version of the JitterBug performs the same USB noise filtering as the original. JA found that using a JitterBug FMJ with the Questyle M12 USB headphone amplifier, the presentation took on a tad more transparency, coupled with a touch more ease. (Vol.45 No.2 WWW)
Ayre Acoustics Irrational But Efficacious System Enhancement CD: $20
Ayre's test CD includes five tracks of various white, pink, and brown noise, as well as two glide tones that sweep from 5Hz to 20kHz. The disc produced a less electronic sound in JM's system, while lowering the noisefloor and improving microdynamics. "I am flabbergasted," said he. "Highly recommended."AD adds that this CD should be used "with caution, and with the understanding that, as with trying to measure a transformer with a DVM and unintentionally magnetizing the core, negative results may ensue and may take a few days to fade away." ST points out that "weird shit goes on in hi-fi. Don't dismiss it until you try it. I use this thing, too. Just don't play too loud." (Vol.33 No.12, Vol.34 No.2, Vol.36 No.10 WWW) CAIG DeoxIT GOLD Wipes K-G1W-25: $28.95/25ct;
K-G1W-50: $49.95/50ct
These small pads are made of a slightly abrasive textile that has been impregnated with Caig's DeoxIT Gold contact cleaner. JM uses them on the outside of RCA jacks and on the pins of RCA plugs to treat corrosion, oxidation, condensation, and general grime. JM: "A small but powerful stocking-stuffer…You'll feel like a pro!" (Vol.25 No.12, Vol.36 No.10 WWW) ETI Copper LINK: $199 (pack of 4)
ETI Silver LINK: $279 (pack of 4)
Originally called the Eichmann Bullet, this RCA connector uses a clever design in which the hot signal is conducted by a hollow rather than a solid pin, and where a smaller, solid pin at the connector's periphery takes the place of an unnecessarily massive ground sleeve. AD heard "a more open and explicit sound" with a "deeper, more open, and more inviting" soundfield. Silver Bullet Plugs made the difference "clearer, more explicit, and even smoother." (Vol.27 No.12 WWW)
Intona USB 3.0 Galvanic Isolator: $369 (cable not included)
This small module fits between a source component's USB Type A port and a D/A processor's USB Type B port. When HR first used it with the HoloAudio May processor, he "jumped back," he wrote. "The sound changed more than I expected it would." When he removed the Intona, "the soundstage was drier, flatter, and smaller. Instruments sounded plain. Reverberation on the recording was noticeably reduced. Music was less intoxicating." JA found no measurable differences in the output resulting from inserting the Intona between a MacBook Pro and various D/A processors. (Vol.43 No.8 WWW) Littlite L-18-LED: $125.04 each
The latest generation of Littlite mixing-console lamps provides high-efficiency, long-life LED illumination; a rotary switch selects clear white or red light. JM finds the 18" version especially helpful near a turntable or CD player. (Vol.36 No.10 WWW) Magnum Dynalab 205 Signal Sleuth FM Booster: $635
We've left this on the list forever, because there's not much for FM fans these days, and because this unusual, niche product has shown amazing staying power. This is not your typical powered antenna amplifier. It's a notch filter that preceeds the tuner with 18dB/octave edges, so it amplifies only the signal you want—sort of a pre-tuner tuner with selective gain. You can use it to attenuate signals that are too strong, and if you want to hear stations that are easy to receive, there's a pass-through. Best with old-fashioned analog radio signals. (Vol.10 No.6)
Nordost Qnet Network Switch: $3499.99
The QNet is a layer-2 Ethernet switch with, Nordost says, "five ports designed from the ground up with high-end audio performance and an extremely low noise operation in mind." JVS initially used the supplied 9V, switch-mode wall wart with the QNet, but then substituted the optional QSource power supply. JVS summed up his experience of the QSource-powered QNet, both of which he subsequently purchased, by writing "I'll simply say that it is now much easier to follow each line in even the most complex passages of Mahler or Strauss and to understand, musically, the reasons behind the complexity. Thunderous organ now resonates strongly, without inappropriate boom. Tonal color inside my music room is beyond acid-rush intensity." (Vol.45 No.10 WWW) Silent Angel Bonn NX network switch: $3999
This 8-port, 100/1000Mbps Ethernet switch features gold-plated GbE RJ45 connections, a 25MHz word clock input, a grounding port, and a TCXO clock module. The chassis is double-layer, the inner layer made of unspecified "metal," the outer of aluminum, with vibration-dampening spacers in between, and the NX's 2.36" wide feet are made of stainless steel with embedded, vibration-reducing rubber O-rings. "$4000 is a lot for a network switch, but there's a lot going on in this one," wrote JCA. "The key question is whether any of what's going on matters sonically." When he listened to the effect of the Bonn NX, JCA immediately heard, or thought he heard, an intensification—"everything seemed more vivid, even the silences ("blacker background' and all that). This was not a qualitative change but a matter of degree." Investigating further, he noted changes in the structure of the soundstage, especially with large-scale music such as symphonies. "The spaces between sections (first violins, violas, double basses) became blacker (or let's say darker gray) and deeper." JCA's conclusion? "I am reasonably convinced that a network switch can render small improvement, though I have no idea how it works. Another listener might consider the difference large, since people's sense of proportion can vary greatly. And if you think it's overpriced snake oil? Don't buy one." (Vol.47 No.5 WWW) Stabilant 22 Electronic Contact Enhancer: 5ml Field kit $44; 15ml Concentrate Kit $92;
Originally sold by Sumiko under the name "Tweak, " Stabilant 22, a contact enhancer that comes in several forms, is now used in the automotive, aircraft and biomedical industries, among others. The most useful form for audiophiles is Stabilant 22a, in which the polymer-semiconductor-based contact enhancer is mixed with isopropynol to help it flow and penetrate connectors. Stabilant 22 is the concentrate form and must be mixed with pure isopropynol before use. JM recommended using it on all signal-level connections. Concentrate available at partsdrop.com and microtools.com; in Canada, contact D.W. Electrochemicals. (Vol.25 No.12, Vol.36 No.10 WWW)
UpTone Audio USB Regen: $175
UpTone Audio's USB Regen is a wall-wartpowered accessory designed to regenerate both a USB datastream and the USB bus's 5VDC before either makes its way to the DAC in a computer-audio setup. Intended to be installed between the user's computer and DAC—UpTone advises siting the Regen as close as possible to the latter, and includes a solid male-to-male adapter to enable this—the Regen is built into a sturdy aluminum case just slightly larger than a Fig Newton. (The Regen's wall wart is about three times the size of the Regen itself, and is of higher-than-average quality.) As for the Regen's audible effect on a computer-audio system, ML said, "Wow: not subtle," and described the Regen as the most effective such accessory he'd tried. Commenting on the effects of the UpTone Regen on one of his multichannel systems, KR wrote, "all hints of the abiding brightness were eliminated and, as a result, the frequency balance was smooth and unaccented." In a Follow-Up, and JA found that the Regen made no measureable difference in the output signal of an associated USB DAC. He also discovered that installing the Regen without first deselecting the associated DAC as an output device and twice relaunching the file-playing software—once before adding the Regen, and again after installing it and reselecting the DAC—served to prevent his system from playing high-resolution files at anything higher than 16-bit/44.1kHz. Whee! (Vol.38 No.11 WWW)
Damping rings for all AR products are now available to the public at large. They're made of a proprietary polymer material that converts kinetic energy to heat, and their improvements are not subtle, exclaims BJR: tighter, cleaner, deeper, more dynamic bass; more coherent transient attacks; crisper, more extended highs; plus "improvements in the reproduction of subtle gradations of low-level dynamics." Give 'em a whirl—the cost is minimal. (Vol.23 No.2, Vol.26 No.8) AudioQuest binding-post wrench: $17.95
A great idea improved—similar to the original Postman, but with a metal sleeve reinforcing the sockets. (Vol.20 No.9) AudioQuest JitterBug FMJ: $69.95
This aluminum-bodied version of the JitterBug performs the same USB noise filtering as the original. JA found that using a JitterBug FMJ with the Questyle M12 USB headphone amplifier, the presentation took on a tad more transparency, coupled with a touch more ease. (Vol.45 No.2 WWW)
Ayre's test CD includes five tracks of various white, pink, and brown noise, as well as two glide tones that sweep from 5Hz to 20kHz. The disc produced a less electronic sound in JM's system, while lowering the noisefloor and improving microdynamics. "I am flabbergasted," said he. "Highly recommended."AD adds that this CD should be used "with caution, and with the understanding that, as with trying to measure a transformer with a DVM and unintentionally magnetizing the core, negative results may ensue and may take a few days to fade away." ST points out that "weird shit goes on in hi-fi. Don't dismiss it until you try it. I use this thing, too. Just don't play too loud." (Vol.33 No.12, Vol.34 No.2, Vol.36 No.10 WWW) CAIG DeoxIT GOLD Wipes K-G1W-25: $28.95/25ct;
K-G1W-50: $49.95/50ct
These small pads are made of a slightly abrasive textile that has been impregnated with Caig's DeoxIT Gold contact cleaner. JM uses them on the outside of RCA jacks and on the pins of RCA plugs to treat corrosion, oxidation, condensation, and general grime. JM: "A small but powerful stocking-stuffer…You'll feel like a pro!" (Vol.25 No.12, Vol.36 No.10 WWW) ETI Copper LINK: $199 (pack of 4)
ETI Silver LINK: $279 (pack of 4)
Originally called the Eichmann Bullet, this RCA connector uses a clever design in which the hot signal is conducted by a hollow rather than a solid pin, and where a smaller, solid pin at the connector's periphery takes the place of an unnecessarily massive ground sleeve. AD heard "a more open and explicit sound" with a "deeper, more open, and more inviting" soundfield. Silver Bullet Plugs made the difference "clearer, more explicit, and even smoother." (Vol.27 No.12 WWW)
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This small module fits between a source component's USB Type A port and a D/A processor's USB Type B port. When HR first used it with the HoloAudio May processor, he "jumped back," he wrote. "The sound changed more than I expected it would." When he removed the Intona, "the soundstage was drier, flatter, and smaller. Instruments sounded plain. Reverberation on the recording was noticeably reduced. Music was less intoxicating." JA found no measurable differences in the output resulting from inserting the Intona between a MacBook Pro and various D/A processors. (Vol.43 No.8 WWW) Littlite L-18-LED: $125.04 each
The latest generation of Littlite mixing-console lamps provides high-efficiency, long-life LED illumination; a rotary switch selects clear white or red light. JM finds the 18" version especially helpful near a turntable or CD player. (Vol.36 No.10 WWW) Magnum Dynalab 205 Signal Sleuth FM Booster: $635
We've left this on the list forever, because there's not much for FM fans these days, and because this unusual, niche product has shown amazing staying power. This is not your typical powered antenna amplifier. It's a notch filter that preceeds the tuner with 18dB/octave edges, so it amplifies only the signal you want—sort of a pre-tuner tuner with selective gain. You can use it to attenuate signals that are too strong, and if you want to hear stations that are easy to receive, there's a pass-through. Best with old-fashioned analog radio signals. (Vol.10 No.6)
The QNet is a layer-2 Ethernet switch with, Nordost says, "five ports designed from the ground up with high-end audio performance and an extremely low noise operation in mind." JVS initially used the supplied 9V, switch-mode wall wart with the QNet, but then substituted the optional QSource power supply. JVS summed up his experience of the QSource-powered QNet, both of which he subsequently purchased, by writing "I'll simply say that it is now much easier to follow each line in even the most complex passages of Mahler or Strauss and to understand, musically, the reasons behind the complexity. Thunderous organ now resonates strongly, without inappropriate boom. Tonal color inside my music room is beyond acid-rush intensity." (Vol.45 No.10 WWW) Silent Angel Bonn NX network switch: $3999
This 8-port, 100/1000Mbps Ethernet switch features gold-plated GbE RJ45 connections, a 25MHz word clock input, a grounding port, and a TCXO clock module. The chassis is double-layer, the inner layer made of unspecified "metal," the outer of aluminum, with vibration-dampening spacers in between, and the NX's 2.36" wide feet are made of stainless steel with embedded, vibration-reducing rubber O-rings. "$4000 is a lot for a network switch, but there's a lot going on in this one," wrote JCA. "The key question is whether any of what's going on matters sonically." When he listened to the effect of the Bonn NX, JCA immediately heard, or thought he heard, an intensification—"everything seemed more vivid, even the silences ("blacker background' and all that). This was not a qualitative change but a matter of degree." Investigating further, he noted changes in the structure of the soundstage, especially with large-scale music such as symphonies. "The spaces between sections (first violins, violas, double basses) became blacker (or let's say darker gray) and deeper." JCA's conclusion? "I am reasonably convinced that a network switch can render small improvement, though I have no idea how it works. Another listener might consider the difference large, since people's sense of proportion can vary greatly. And if you think it's overpriced snake oil? Don't buy one." (Vol.47 No.5 WWW) Stabilant 22 Electronic Contact Enhancer: 5ml Field kit $44; 15ml Concentrate Kit $92;
Originally sold by Sumiko under the name "Tweak, " Stabilant 22, a contact enhancer that comes in several forms, is now used in the automotive, aircraft and biomedical industries, among others. The most useful form for audiophiles is Stabilant 22a, in which the polymer-semiconductor-based contact enhancer is mixed with isopropynol to help it flow and penetrate connectors. Stabilant 22 is the concentrate form and must be mixed with pure isopropynol before use. JM recommended using it on all signal-level connections. Concentrate available at partsdrop.com and microtools.com; in Canada, contact D.W. Electrochemicals. (Vol.25 No.12, Vol.36 No.10 WWW)
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UpTone Audio's USB Regen is a wall-wartpowered accessory designed to regenerate both a USB datastream and the USB bus's 5VDC before either makes its way to the DAC in a computer-audio setup. Intended to be installed between the user's computer and DAC—UpTone advises siting the Regen as close as possible to the latter, and includes a solid male-to-male adapter to enable this—the Regen is built into a sturdy aluminum case just slightly larger than a Fig Newton. (The Regen's wall wart is about three times the size of the Regen itself, and is of higher-than-average quality.) As for the Regen's audible effect on a computer-audio system, ML said, "Wow: not subtle," and described the Regen as the most effective such accessory he'd tried. Commenting on the effects of the UpTone Regen on one of his multichannel systems, KR wrote, "all hints of the abiding brightness were eliminated and, as a result, the frequency balance was smooth and unaccented." In a Follow-Up, and JA found that the Regen made no measureable difference in the output signal of an associated USB DAC. He also discovered that installing the Regen without first deselecting the associated DAC as an output device and twice relaunching the file-playing software—once before adding the Regen, and again after installing it and reselecting the DAC—served to prevent his system from playing high-resolution files at anything higher than 16-bit/44.1kHz. Whee! (Vol.38 No.11 WWW)
