Let's begin with how I entered into this little experiment. Mad Scientist Audio (MSA) offers a birthday month discount. Having already used and liked their products I ordered four more of the mini Black Discus, intending to use them on the tubes in my phono pre-amp and the amp input tubes. On a lark, and with the house to myself, I attached one of each Discus to the top, back of the Clarity see photo,and, not expecting to hear much of any effect, sat back to have a listen.
I listened to a number of albums I was quite familiar with and damn if these don't make what is to my ears a substantial improvement in the sound of the speakers in my system. What I heard was:
1. The speakers disappeared on the soundstage leaving the impression of a less mechanical, more organic sound then previously,
2. Vocals (both male and female, massed and solo) are more detailed with better focus, ambiance, and decay,
3. Fricatives are cleaners and sharper with better integration with the voices,
4. Imaging is better, on Jennifer Warnes' The Hunter (Cisco CLP 7063 reissue) has her centered and the holographic reproduction was the best I've heard in my system and not by a little,
5. On Moondance by Van Morrison (Warner Bros R1 1835 reissue) Caravan has a new level of life. The guitar in the left channel snaps into focus with life and energy that is much improved over the previous reproduction. On Into The Mystic I heard detail, detail, and more detail, but not detail separated from the musical experience, but detail that enhanced the music, the emotion, the poignancy of the song.
I could go on, Longer Boats from Cat Stevens Tea for the Tillerman simply reaffirmed all the improvements listed above.
The effect builds over time. Initial listening led to a clear audibility of the effect but it increased over about the next two hours.
I have no idea why this works like it does, but it certainly does and in the world of audio this is almost a free upgrade, if indeed it is an upgrade for your system.
I listened to a number of albums I was quite familiar with and damn if these don't make what is to my ears a substantial improvement in the sound of the speakers in my system. What I heard was:
1. The speakers disappeared on the soundstage leaving the impression of a less mechanical, more organic sound then previously,
2. Vocals (both male and female, massed and solo) are more detailed with better focus, ambiance, and decay,
3. Fricatives are cleaners and sharper with better integration with the voices,
4. Imaging is better, on Jennifer Warnes' The Hunter (Cisco CLP 7063 reissue) has her centered and the holographic reproduction was the best I've heard in my system and not by a little,
5. On Moondance by Van Morrison (Warner Bros R1 1835 reissue) Caravan has a new level of life. The guitar in the left channel snaps into focus with life and energy that is much improved over the previous reproduction. On Into The Mystic I heard detail, detail, and more detail, but not detail separated from the musical experience, but detail that enhanced the music, the emotion, the poignancy of the song.
I could go on, Longer Boats from Cat Stevens Tea for the Tillerman simply reaffirmed all the improvements listed above.
The effect builds over time. Initial listening led to a clear audibility of the effect but it increased over about the next two hours.
I have no idea why this works like it does, but it certainly does and in the world of audio this is almost a free upgrade, if indeed it is an upgrade for your system.
