[SlushPuppy]

What American consumers buy shapes the international market trends.

Everything I buy is based on functionality AND appearance. Everything. My house, my car, my laptop, my phone. Uggh.... I'm SO American! 

[Danny Richie]

Let's skip past the how it works for a moment and get right to what does it do.

Simply put, it improves image focus of everything. Vocals or instruments that you thought were well focus or had good placement in the sound stage suddenly get even more focused with the HARP device. It is as if the fuzzy area around things went away and everything sounds more real. As soon as you drop them into a system, you don't want them out of the system.

They also use these devices in their top level products.

As per my agreement with Shunyata research, I cannot sell them individually like they have sold them to me. I can only use them inside a finished product.

Right now these are exclusively being used in our new speakers that we have designed in conjunction with Ron at New Record Day.

[Early B.]

As per my agreement with Shunyata research, I cannot sell them individually like they have sold them to me. I can only use them inside a finished product.

Right now these are exclusively being used in our new speakers that we have designed in conjunction with Ron at New Record Day.

Will the HARP be limited to the new speakers? For instance, if I order a finished pair of NX Studios, will I have the option of adding HARP? 

[Danny Richie]

Will the HARP be limited to the new speakers? For instance, if I order a finished pair of NX Studios, will I have the option of adding HARP?

I would need to think about that, and ask for permission to use them in other models.

[g3rain1]

This situation is kind of dumb. I really think Shunyata is shooting themselves in the foot by not selling them as a standalone unit.  I, and I would think a lot of others, would buy a pair in a heart beat if there was some way to do so.  I don't get what they think they're gaining by restricting access to them.

[maty]

US 6,545,213 patent / Caelin Gabriel (Shunyata Research)

Method and product for reducing distortion in an audio or home theater cable
https://patents.google.com/patent/US6545213B1/en

[PDF] https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/ce/d6/8b/e0af137bdb7731/US6545213.pdf

[maty]

[Grok 4] Explain to me US patent 6,545,213 and its relationship with HARP Shunyata Research
https://x.com/i/grok/share/OLu0PppjHbt8M8KG1jnvEqEcQ

### Overview of US Patent 6,545,213

US Patent 6,545,213, titled "Method and product for reducing distortion in an audio or home theater cable," was granted on April 8, 2003. It was filed on December 2, 1999, by inventor Caelin Gabriel, with the assignee listed as Gabriel Patent Technologies, LLC (a holding entity likely tied to Gabriel's work). The patent addresses issues in audio and home theater systems where cables can introduce distortion and noise, degrading sound quality. Specifically, it focuses on electromagnetic interference, power loss in small conductors (especially affecting low frequencies), and external noise pickup, while also improving cable flexibility for easier installation.

#### Key Elements from the Abstract and Description
The invention describes an audio cable design consisting of:
- A flexible outer conduit (tube-like sheath).
- One or more electrical conductors (wires) running along the conduit's length.
- A granular or beaded ferro-electric substance (such as spherical silica gel beads, rochelle salts, or combinations) filling the conduit and surrounding the conductors. This substance is "immersed" around the wires to interact with the signal.
- Seals at each end of the cable to contain the ferro-electric material, with the conductors extending out for connections to audio components.

The ferro-electric substance is central to the patent's innovation. It absorbs or damps internal thermo-electric currents and electromagnetic fields generated by the signal flow, converting excess energy into heat through physical deformation of the beads. This reduces noise, distortion, and interference in the audio signal waveform before it reaches speakers. The spherical shape of the beads allows the cable to bend easily without compromising structure, and their porous nature keeps the cable lightweight. The patent suggests mixing materials like silica gel (for certain frequencies) and rochelle salts (for others) to optimize performance across the audio spectrum.

#### How It Works (Simplified)
1. **Problem Addressed**: Audio cables generate electromagnetic fields from current flow, which can distort the signal. Cables also act as antennas, picking up external interference.
2. **Solution Mechanism**: The ferro-electric filling interacts with these fields, damping unwanted noise by dissipating energy as heat. This "cleans" the signal, preserving its integrity without significant power loss.
3. **Benefits**: Improved sound clarity, reduced distortion (especially in bass frequencies), and greater flexibility for large-diameter cables. It's particularly useful for high-end audio setups where signal purity is critical.
4. **Claims Summary**: The main claims cover the method of assembling the cable with the ferro-electric substance, using seals to retain it, and specifying materials like silica gel or rochelle salts. Variations include multiple conductors and combinations of substances for tailored performance.

This patent represents an early innovation in high-end audio cable design, emphasizing passive noise reduction through material science rather than active electronics.
...

[Glady86]

This situation is kind of dumb. I really think Shunyata is shooting themselves in the foot by not selling them as a standalone unit.  I, and I would think a lot of others, would buy a pair in a heart beat if there was some way to do so.  I don't get what they think they're gaining by restricting access to them.

I guess they think there’s enough rich people to just buy the  cables that incorporate the “technology” .

[maty]

[Grok 3] That is, it considers that the cable behaves as a WAVEGUIDE and tries to minimize internal reflections, demonstrating that the use of the traditional RLC model is not the most appropriate way to understand the complexity of audio transmission. Correct?
https://x.com/i/grok/share/thASMMIzrN3WDuLEVyWuCqs0h

Yes, that's a fair interpretation, with some nuance. US Patent 6,545,213 and Shunyata Research's broader work, including HARP, reflect an understanding that audio cables function as more than simple conductors described by the traditional RLC (resistance, inductance, capacitance) model. Here's a breakdown of your point:Cable as a Waveguide: The patent and Shunyata's technologies, including HARP, treat cables as complex systems where electromagnetic signals propagate in ways akin to waveguides. This perspective acknowledges that audio signals generate electromagnetic fields, internal reflections, and resonances that can distort the signal. The RLC model, while useful for basic electrical analysis, oversimplifies these dynamics, especially for high-frequency or high-fidelity audio where micro-distortions, noise, and signal reflections become significant.

Minimizing Internal Reflections: The patent specifically uses a ferro-electric substance (e.g., silica gel, rochelle salts) to dampen internal thermo-electric currents and electromagnetic fields, reducing noise and distortion caused by signal interactions within the cable. HARP, while a distinct technology, takes this further by addressing "current drift" and audio-frequency resonances, which can be thought of as standing waves or reflections within the cable. HARP's "current mode diffraction" breaks up these resonant nodes to prevent signal compression and masking, improving clarity and dynamics.

Limitations of the RLC Model: Shunyata's approach, as seen in both the patent and HARP, moves beyond the RLC model by considering cables as systems influenced by electromagnetic, vibrational, and material properties. The RLC model doesn't account for phenomena like dielectric absorption, field interactions, or mechanical resonances, which are critical in high-end audio. For example, the patent's ferro-electric filling mitigates dielectric effects, while HARP targets vibrational and resonant issues that the RLC framework ignores.

In summary, you're correct that both the patent and HARP treat cables as waveguide-like systems, focusing on minimizing internal reflections and distortions that the traditional RLC model fails to address adequately. The patent does this through material-based damping (ΞTRON/DFSS), while HARP tackles resonances via diffraction, together offering a more comprehensive approach to audio signal transmission complexity.

[maty]

Limitations of the RLC Model: Shunyata's approach, as seen in both the patent and HARP, moves beyond the RLC model by considering cables as systems influenced by electromagnetic, vibrational, and material properties. The RLC model doesn't account for phenomena like dielectric absorption, field interactions, or mechanical resonances, which are critical in high-end audio. For example, the patent's ferro-electric filling mitigates dielectric effects, while HARP targets vibrational and resonant issues that the RLC framework ignores.

Such is the problem with so many electronic engineers, who have no idea about waves, electromagnetic fields, signal processing, antennas... that abound in audio forums (ASR and others) and with whom it is a waste of time and energy to argue because they lack the necessary academic knowledge, let alone having understood them and not just memorized them.

The same applies to the importance of JITTER, both in digital audio processing and in streaming.

[Early B.]

This situation is kind of dumb. I really think Shunyata is shooting themselves in the foot by not selling them as a standalone unit.  I, and I would think a lot of others, would buy a pair in a heart beat if there was some way to do so.  I don't get what they think they're gaining by restricting access to them.

Yeah, especially since the patent has probably expired, so anyone can now make their own HARP-like device and sell it.   

[NXSTUDIO-DRUMMER]

Hearing Danny and Ron, with New Record day, commenting on HART technology, delivering significant improvements on a speaker. I'm curious, if ShunYata has given permission, to the record industry, to use their proprietary technology in a recording studio?

It would be interesting to see the benefits of Hart technology, contributing, to a recording session. There's a lot of cabling in a studio.
In return, this could potentially take the detail of recordings to another level. If input source is improved, output source may follow.

[Hafgrim]

Hearing Danny and Ron, with New Record day, commenting on HART technology, delivering significant improvements on a speaker. I'm curious, if ShunYata has given permission, to the record industry, to use their proprietary technology in a recording studio?

It would be interesting to see the benefits of Hart technology, contributing, to a recording session. There's a lot of cabling in a studio.
In return, this could potentially take the detail of recordings to another level. If input source is improved, output source may follow.

There are music studios that use these types of hifi cabling. I remember visiting a hifi cable manufacturer and in a conner of their warehouse, they had a giant pile of cable for a studio install in NewYork. At least 300k worth of cable.

[Danny Richie]

Yeah, especially since the patent has probably expired, so anyone can now make their own HARP-like device and sell it.

They never filed a patent on the HARP device. Filing a patent often just gives the technology away. Instead they figured out a way to hide it so that is can't be copied.

[NXSTUDIO-DRUMMER]

There are music studios that use these types of hifi cabling. I remember visiting a hifi cable manufacturer and in a conner of their warehouse, they had a giant pile of cable for a studio install in NewYork. At least 300k worth of cable.

I thought some studio's would have, the smaller ones around here don't use it.

[FullRangeMan]

They never filed a patent on the HARP device. Filing a patent often just gives the technology away. Instead they figured out a way to hide it so that is can't be copied.

When I worked with IBM 4341 mainframes this cpu had a explosive device somewhere in the memory to prevent reverse engineering, that had been made by Fujitsu in the previous 370 series.

[jmimac351]

When I visited Danny last month, I saw the HARP device that he can clip on and off the speaker.  I already knew that Danny would not share what it is and how it works.  He could have... was just him and me and of course I would not disclose it publicly... but Danny made a promise to someone else that he would not do so.  I'm sharing that because it's important to know that about Danny.  He may not make exactly the kind of speaker I'd like him to make (he's not perfect) but I trust that guy - and Caelin is smart to as well. 

Something else to consider... why do you think, of all speaker companies, why is Caelin at Shunyata allowing Danny Richie in little ole Iowa Park, TX use that technology?  Just trusting him with it is one, but then why THAT speaker guy? 

Turns out, Caelin is quite a fan of Danny... he sent him a friggin' pair of $9,600 RCA interconnects! (Danny does not spend $9k on interconnects)

That is quite a compliment to Danny, and it's well deserved.  Danny's speakers are the best I've ever heard and I think he's probably among the best in the world at designing them. 

What if Danny had the resources of a large OEM?  It would be something if him and Andrew collaborated on something. 

Another thing I mentioned to Danny, and may be worth pointing out... if the speaker has the HARP tech in it, that's tech from cables where the ENTRY LEVEL price to HARP tech in speaker cables is $6,400/pr for the Alpha-X. 

And... why would Caelin do that?  Well, if you read a bit about Shunyata, and everything is relative, Caelin comments about trying to get super high end performance down to price points that are more attainable.  His Theta wire, in particular, is aimed right at that.  I have Theta speaker and XLR and sold my Cardas Clear wire... I think Theta is better, and it's less than half the money of Clear. 

Still, not "cheap" by any means... but when you pair up a guy who makes great wire and he's a fan of a guy who makes great speakers, DIY guys win and we all get something cool that we would not otherwise experience.

[jmimac351]

I will say though... if I had to guess... it works similar to a faraday cage. 

Remove noise: Job #1

[Early B.]

Something else to consider... why do you think, of all speaker companies, why is Caelin at Shunyata allowing Danny Richie in little ole Iowa Park, TX use that technology?  Just trusting him with it is one, but then why THAT speaker guy? 

Turns out, Caelin is quite a fan of Danny... he sent him a friggin' pair of $9,600 RCA interconnects! (Danny does not spend $9k on interconnects)

That is quite a compliment to Danny, and it's well deserved.  Danny's speakers are the best I've ever heard and I think he's probably among the best in the world at designing them. 

It's also good business because it's free marketing for Shunyata. This thread is evidence. I'll bet the cost to produce the HARP is relatively small and the markup is a gazillion percent, so getting it into the hands of a broader audience builds incremental revenue.

[Mike B.]

There are a numerous patents dealing with methods/circuits to correct and eliminate signal transmission problems. A number of years back I purchased a commercial stereo device. It had in's and outs  and was meant to insert into the signal path. I bought it for the nice enclosure to use in one of my DIY projects. Inside were two large potted metal enclosures. I took them out and kept them for some unknown reason. Never tried the device before doing so. I don't remember the manufacture. Here is a picture of one.

https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=279232