[Aether Audio]

Friends,

I know it’s been a while since I’ve stopped in here at AC, but there hasn’t been much to report lately.  We’re still working on completing old orders while we await new funding and re-organization.  There’s nothing absolutely definite yet, but we have strong reason to believe that it will only be a matter of weeks now and a brand new company will emerge.

As it is now I’ve been a bit frustrated with all of the waiting.  Seeing that I’m only one of four shareholders, there’s a limit to how much I can do.  So… in the mean time I’ve decided to launch out on my own with a project that I have total control over.  I’ll be forming a new company separate from the loudspeaker manufacturing that will offer what I believe will be novel new products intended to enhance your listening pleasure.  Seeing that the manufacturing of these new products will be totally under my control, the issues of long delays and such associated with SP Tech products will never become an issue – you can bet on that!  Since I’m making all of the calls in this new outfit you can be darn sure things will be run quite differently.  I’ll never go through the crap I’ve been through with SP Tech again and neither will my customers!

OK… so what’s it all about?  I have settled on a company name – Aether Audio.  Don’t ask… you don’t want to get me started.  I also have a new product developed.  Many of you will remember my experimentation with speaker cables a while back?  In fact, I made some claims to a “discovery” that I wouldn’t disclose the nature of and it ruffled a few feathers.  Well since then I’ve found a way to sort of “condense” the parameters that effect the issues of amplifier/loudspeaker interface into a set of compensating components that will fit into a relatively small “black box.”  This box is to be inserted in the signal chain between the end of the speaker cable and the speaker.  The production version will have Cardas binding posts (can be substituted on special order) on the inputs and a pigtail set of leads that will connect directly to the speaker’s binding posts.  The standard connectors on the pigtails will be spade lugs (I prefer them personally) but can be special ordered with whatever you desire.

I won’t disclose what the components are in this box or exactly how it works, but I assure you it will not harm either your speakers or your amplifier.  There is more than one primary circuit contained within it and one of them is something I believe has never been duplicated before.  I’m calling it the “Smith Cell” and it has the effect of allowing details to be reproduced that impart a type of “body” to the instruments and voices that for lack of better words… makes them sound more “real.”  It’s sort of hard to put your finger on, but you know it when you hear it.  Relax everybody, Bob’s not been seduced by the “dark side” such that he has now crossed over into the realm of “euphonics.”  Nothing is being added to the signal; rather the masking effects of undesirable artifacts are being stripped away permitting you to hear what has always been there in the music all along.

Just so you know, I have had at least four other individuals test either the entire device or subcomponents thereof and in every case they have all claimed results far exceeding the effect of most any speaker cable change.  In fact, one individual said it had a similar effect to inserting a well-known power conditioner into his system… except that it was 5 times more effective!!!

OK… enough of the hyperbole.  The introductory price will be a mere $199.50 + shipping per box and therefore you’ll need two for a stereo pair of speakers.  I seriously doubt that there’s another $400.00 tweak that you can add to your system that will provide anywhere near the level of improvement that the “BLACK BOX” will.  You can find out for yourself though for only the cost of shipping, as I have a prototype pair of units that are already out on tour.  Just send me an e-mail at aetheraudio@gmail.com and let me know that you want to be included in the tour.  Then once you receive the prototypes just give them a listen and decide for yourself.  After that all I ask is that you send them safely to the next person on the tour list.  Easy enough?  Oh… to be polite to others that are waiting I would ask that you complete your evaluation within a 7 day period.  That should easily be long enough to make an honest determination – thanks.

As you will see from the pictures below (no pics of the production unit yet – will update ASAP), the prototype isn’t black and it’s too big to hang off of the back of your speakers.  It comes with jumper wires having spades on each end to connect from its output to the input of the speaker.  The one advantage it does have though is that you can select 4 different switch positions to find the one that sounds the best to your ears.  I will suggest that positions 0 and 1 would be best suited for a small, low powered amp like an SET.  Position 2 would tend to work better with a higher-powered tube amp and position 3 would definitely be best with a solid-state amp.  In this, the amplifier being used is the only concern, such that the speaker type or size is irrelevant for any of the settings.  Once you have selected the setting that sounds best during your evaluation and you want to purchase, let me know the setting value and I’ll build your units to match.  The production units are of a fixed value so there is no user select-ability with them.  Therefore, you want to make sure that you have made the best choice before you place your order.

Alright-y then… here we go.  Let me know your thoughts and send me an e-mail if you want on the tour list.  Of course… you can always purchase “sight unseen” if you don’t want to wait for the tour.  All I need to know is the amp you’ll be using and we can build them from there (50% down payment required).  I’m giving everybody that doesn’t want to wait for the tour a 2-week evaluation period wherein I’ll refund your money in full (shipping not included).  Thanks and…

Take care,
-Bob

[konut]

Hi Bob,

I'm thrilled to see you've found away to make your 'cells' affordable! Email sent. I forgot to add that the deposit will be in tomorrow's mail, thanks,   Ted

[ted_b]

Bob,
As you know I think anything and everything you do is both genius and yet amazingly founded in pure physics and logic.  Email sent.

Question:  what about, as an option, including a dongle, a short set of your prototype Zero Resonance cables at the speaker end (maybe even hardwired) so users don't need to buy additional cabling.  Just a thought.

[Aether Audio]

Konut,

Thanks!    I just wrote back.  Yeah... today's economy isn't very supportive of pricey stuff.  I'm for the "common man" anyway as I'm in the same boat.  Well - from a $$$ income standpoint anyway. 

TedB,

Thanks for the kudos!    Check your e-mail.    I'm using standard wire (permanent - built into the box) pigtails on the output unless it's a special order    ... and then I'd recommend a second set of output binding posts as shown in the prototype pics.  The ribbon wire is too fragile to build in permanently.  Oh yeah... the standard boxes will come with some Velcro to use for support if forced to hang from the back (i.e., monitors or posts up high on the back of an enclosure).

Take care,
-Bob

[brj]

Bob, your PM inbox appears full...

[whubbard]

Email Sent

...By the way, what exactly is going on at SP?
I've noticed the website has been down forever.
Will we be seeing new products, or just new management?

-West

[Aether Audio]

Brian,

I just deleted a bunch of stuff  - or at least tried to.  After deleting 10 pages of old messages I logged out and back in and they are still there?

Just e-mail me for now if you get a chance - thanks!

whubbard,

Some new management and new ownership... and a NEW level of customer service.  No new products - at least at first.

Thanks!
-Bob

[Rocket_Ronny]

Hi Bob:

Glad to see you moving forward.

Are these things some sort of impedance matching device of Autoformer lore?

I know you don't want to spill the soup, but it would be nice to know if it works along these lines.

By the way. Still lovin the Mini's. They are music.


Rocket_Ronny

[bhobba]

Hi Bob

Great to hear and at a price I will be able to afford when the time comes to take delivery of my speakers.  

One thing to think about is that the effect of loudspeaker cables is rather contentious in some circles.  Frank at Van Alstime claims he has never heard any differences in cables.  In fact he has an amusing story about some guy who gushed about the effect of some cables and sat him down to see if he could actually hear anything.  After listensing he gushed about good they were and when Frank revealed he never put them in he was not amused.  However others claim in blind listening tests they can detect a difference:
http://www.videohifi.com/16_RISCH_ENG.htm

To cut to the chase I suspect many would be interested if you could arrange a blind listening test of your product.  I believe that will go a long way in convincing the skeptics.  Convincing me is no problem.  I know from Bobs post he really knows his hard nosed engineering stuff, and if he says there is a good enginerring reason his product works them I am convicted.  IMHO however a listening test would be of value in convincing others.

Thanks
Bill

[JAMn Joe]

Hi Bob,

Email sent. I get the feeling you're going to be getting very busy. I really liked how they worked with the Rethm Saadhana's and the Liveline speaker cables

For those wondering, the change was noticable and immediate with the combination of equipment we were testing with and we tested with multiple amplifiers including the new Modwright KWA150 aa

[Christof]

Sent you an e-mail, Bob.

[Danberg]

How would you connect the "black box" if you bi-wire your speakers?

[maxwalrath]

No new products - at least at first.

When I think the companies that I consider to be long term successes in the niche hi-end speaker market, huge product lines don't come to mind. 

[Aether Audio]

Ronny,

Thanks!   I knew I wasn't going to get out of this without some type of explanation.

To answer your question... NO!!! There is no transformer or impedance matching of any type involved in the BLACK BOX.  I mean...c'mon... that's already been done before.  You should know me better than  that by know.

All I will say is that the box addresses no less than two sources of distortion.  One of them is due to the complex interaction that results from the amplifier/speaker interface and the other is a type addressed by another well known product that is also intended to be placed between the speaker cable and the speaker - at the speaker end of the cable.  The only difference between "ours" and "theirs" is that IMHO... "ours" is MUCH more effective and works by a totally different mechanism.  "Ours" also works by a mechanism that is much more easily understood and does not require exotic materials to manufacture. 

That's one reason I can't tell you what's on the inside.  I mean... it's not like it took a team of NASA scientists 10 years to develop, such that it's too complex for anybody to copy.  As such... for the enlightenment of probing minds... were one to try and take a BLACK BOX apart to discover it's construction, one would find that the innards are potted with an epoxy material that, in an effort to disassemble, would cause one to destroy the device beyond recognition.

As far as effectiveness compared to the competition goes... we tried the "best" version they had to offer on our own SP Tech speakers.  Back and forth... with/without several times... couldn't hear a bit of difference.  That totally dumbfounded their owner too.  The BLACK BOX on the same test?  Immediate night and day difference.    And to think..."ours" cost less than 1/10th the price of "theirs."  aa

Danberg,

Since the BLACK BOX is intended to be inserted at the speaker end of the speaker cable, you'd either have to choose which segment (woofer or tweeter) that you want to "treat" with one unit or simply purchase 2 units per speaker.  If you advise us before hand in a bi-wire configuration we can make recommendations as to how the specific units can be optimized before shipment for that use.  Other than that you could place the unit at the output of the amp and then hook up both cables to its output (would require a custom unit with binding posts for both input and output) and it will still offer some improvement in the sound - not nearly as effective as placing at the speaker end though.

Take care!
-Bob

[Mariusz]

That's one reason I can't tell you what's on the inside.  I mean... it's not like it took a team of NASA scientists 10 years to develop, such that it's too complex for anybody to copy.  As such... for the enlightenment of probing minds... were one to try and take a BLACK BOX apart to discover it's construction, one would find that the innards are potted with an epoxy material that, in an effort to disassemble, would cause one to destroy the device beyond recognition.

Love it.
It is booby traped.


Mariusz

PM sent

[mr_bill]

Sounds very similiar to the speltz zero box.

[pardales]

What will the production model look like? Will it be similar to what is pictured above, minus selector switch? Sounds interesting....hope to try it out. 

[IronLion]

Glad to know things at SP Tech are alive and seemingly well Bob- I'd definitely like to try these boxes out in the near future. 

[whubbard]

That's one reason I can't tell you what's on the inside.  I mean... it's not like it took a team of NASA scientists 10 years to develop, such that it's too complex for anybody to copy.  As such... for the enlightenment of probing minds... were one to try and take a BLACK BOX apart to discover it's construction, one would find that the innards are potted with an epoxy material that, in an effort to disassemble, would cause one to destroy the device beyond recognition.

Love it.
It is booby traped.


Mariusz

PM sent

X-Ray Time! 

-West

[Goosepond]

Sounds like Bob is going to be real busy building those black boxes.

Now if he can just get my TP 3.0's outta the way, he'll have a lot more time for the BB's. 

The problem I have is what to do if you don't want your BB to be black? 

Gene