Synergistic Baffles Reviewer

Synergistic Research's Ted Denney always puts on a good show at a show, and the 2016 CES was no exception. The sound in Synergistic's suite at the Mirage—Magico S7 speakers driven by McIntosh amplification (modified with Synergistic fuses)—was superb. Even though I didn't know the cut being played, "Hey Now" from London Grammar, there was an effortless sense of dynamics. Another of my best sounds at CES.

But then Ted said he was going to change the sound. He and an assistant took down 10 thin black panels, each approximately 18" by 12" that were apparently randomly placed on the walls and windows and put them on another room. He then played the same track again and my jaw dropped. The soundstage flattened and while the presentation was still that of a good hi-fi system, it was less involving overall. (To those who would put this on to suggestion, note that it is well-known that listeners always think a second presentation sounds "better," not worse, due to increased familiarity with the sound and system.)

The black panels were UEFs (Uniform Energy Fields) and consist of Styrofoam (I think) coated with a special finish that compensates for room acoustic problems. Ted had developed the UEF to treat a colleague’s recording studio and says that the change in the room acoustic is measurable.

COMMENTS
maelob's picture

"says that the change in the room acoustic is measurable" - Good to hear

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