[Aether Audio]

Guys,

I've continued my research into conductors... which led to the Black Boxes - and now with the Stereo Times review we have good indication that they aren't snake oil.  So, after a bit of deductive reasoning and a lot or research into metallurgy (boy... is that stuff deep), I concluded that a certain combination of metals (alloy) should "bind" the phonons together in a way that prevents them from resonatng in the acoustic band.  They would still resonate, but in the optical region where current flow is totaly random and diffuse such that no modulation of the current by them in the audible band can take place. 

Rather, resonance is "pushed" up into the "optical" band and way out of the realm of human hearing.  Don't take my word for it though... do your research if you think this is bologna - its all real and very well documented.  Anyway, this alloy would behave in a way akin to what is claimed for "amorphous" or "metallic glass" and/or liquid metal (gallium based) conductors.  In other words, a lot better than even the best silver, gold or silver-gold alloys, etc.  The advantage would/should be one of lower cost though.

OK... after a bunch of snooping around and calling God knows how many specialty wire suppliers and alloy makers, I found what I think is just the ticket.  And... even though it's a bit expensive... I was right - it is cheaper than silver or any of those other exotic types.

Of course... just like the BBs... I can't tell you what it is.  Even though it took a long time to find the stuff, if I could do it anybody could - so sorry... my lips are sealed.  And why not?  I'm the one that did all the frick'n research and had a bunch of people mock me to no end for my earlier efforts.  If I'm right, why should I just give it all away?  Ain't gonna happen.  You wanna know? Get "stupid-curious" like I did and do your own research!  Contrary to the modern governmental politics in this country, audio ain't no frick'n "entitlement" industry.

So the skinny is that I haven't built any yet, but I got the stuff now to do it... assuming I can find the time.  Finding time around these parts these days has a $ sign attached to it though, so if there's serious interest in trying them, I'll stay up all night a few nights and build a pair to send out on tour in a couple of weeks or so (gotta finish John F's Minis first though).

Alrighty then, flamers and nay-sayers... don't even bother.  The Intergalactic Wastebin awaits your posts.  Others that would want to give them a try, just let me know.  As I say, they won't be ready for a while anyway, but I thought I'd stick my little "worm"  in the big pond to see if I get a nibble.  Who knows... I might like it. 

Take care,
-Bob

PS.  If they're a hit, I'm calling them "Zero-Resonance" cables. 

[ted_b]

OF COURSE!!!!!   I have your Zero Resonance speaker cables, your Black boxes (4 of them) and your speakers (FIVE of them).......BRING EM ON!!!!!       

[Wayner]

I'll try a 1 meter pair on one of my TTs if your willing. I'll  be fair.

PM If that's OK.

Wayner 

[Chuck_M]

"I'll stay up all night a few nights and build a pair to send out on tour in a couple of weeks or so (gotta finish John F's Minis first though)."

And don't forget to finish Chuck's Mini's too!!!     

Sorry...couldn't help myself!   I'm excited about my Mini's but the wait is painful...

Guess I'll read up on interconnects in the mean time.  I'm definitely intrigued.

[rpf]

I'm interested.

[jtwrace]

Estimated cost?

What will the line consist of?

[Aether Audio]

Wayner et.al.,

Thanks!    For now everybody can just post here and when I'm getting close I'll post back and you can all e-mail me your shipping addresses then.  If I start collecting them now, sure as heck by then I'll have lost track of somebody.  Yeah... I know... I need to get organized.   Trust me, it's been a life long battle.

Chuck M,

Actually, I was inclding your pair of Minis in this effort as well, but just didn't mention your name.  Actually, John has been waiting even longer and decided to upgrade to the new tweeter once I announced it here recently.  Fortunately I did develop this before they were done, so now he doesn't have to send them back to be upgraded.  I know I'm as slow as a snail, and it drives me nuts that I don't have a technician working for me.  I need one in the worst way, but there's just not enough work to keep one busy on a regular basis - but yet, enough to keep me busy like a one armed wallpaper hanger.

I'm in the process now of working out the Low-Pass filter for them right now, as the L.P. in the NuForce S-8 is different because (a) they're 2 woofers in parallel/4-Ohm load and (b) the woofer in the S-8 is different than what I use in the Minis.  Once I get this worked out, I can finish both pair as a "one batch" session.  Yours and John's will be the very first pairs of Aether Audio speakers to ever use this new ring-radiator tweeter/waveguide mod.

But I digress.  As I said, I have to finish these guys Minis first (and a pair of BBs that are all but done) before I make the first pair of ICs.  I just wanted to get some discussion going in the mean time to see if it's even worth the effort.  If anybody has any questions about the physics involved, I can answer those.  I just can't tell you what the conductor material is made from.  No... it's not pig guts or "unobtainium" either.  It's stuff that has very specific use in high-tech, high-precision applications and that unless you know exactly what you're looking for, you'd probably never run across in electronic applications.

So... just drop in and say "yea" if you wanna try 'em, and I'll be stopping in to check back from time to time.  Then I'll post and let you all know that they're ready to go when they're ready to go.

Take care,
-Bob

PS.  Don't know the cost yet.  I have a special construction method/geometry (of course... I can never do anything "easy"  ) so I don't know how hard they are going to be to make yet.  The goal is to compete with the very best out there, but at a significantly cheaper price due to the lower material cost of the alloy compared to silver, gold, etc.  You can figure though that anything some poor shmuck like me that has to build one at a time himself in his basement and that has a complex construction... ain't gonna be exactly "cheap."  I mean, if I gotta work for $10 bucks an hour, I'd be better off just getting a lawn mowing job and save the headache.

I figure there will be 3 lengths... 1/2 -1 & 2 meters.  I can do balanced too and will probably use Neutrik silver XLRs to keep the cost down.  Longer lengths are possible I suppose, but I'm not looking forward to making them.  The construction fixture is gonna be pretty big as it is just to do 2 meters.

[konut]

Sign me up for a place "on the tour"! Can you make them 40" long so they'll reach my monoblocks? 

Edit: But I was COUNTING on pigs guts!

Another Edit: Just for gits and shiggles, why don't you try a pair of "simple" cables, without the complex geometry, so those of us relegated to poverty level wages might be able to realise the advantage of the metallurgy without the high cost of the geometry?

[adydula]

One meter pair from my Oppo BD 83SE to my receiver....willing to test and let u know feedback etc.

Alex

[etcarroll]

1 meter pair for cd to pre.

[Danny Richie]

From my experience, the wire itself is about 1/3rd of the puzzle. 1/3rd is the dielectric material, and 1/3rd of it is geometry of the conductors.

So Bob, it gets even better, or worse the deeper you get into it.

[Aether Audio]

Danny,

From my experience, the wire itself is about 1/3rd of the puzzle. 1/3rd is the dielectric material, and 1/3rd of it is geometry of the conductors.

Thanks for the input!    I guess I haven't experimented enough to come to any percentages like that, but you gotta figure it all makes a difference to some degree.

Dielectrics are easy to figure are gonna have their effects.  They do in capacitors and unlike the conductor issue, it's all easily measureable to some degree.  Problem is, there's a practical limit to what you can do about it.  Anti-gravity wires that suspended themselves apart at a fixed distance from each other and from the floor would be pretty cool... but I have a ways to go to pull that off for the time being.    In lieu of that, i figured I'd use the next best thing - cotton.  It's good for damping micro-phonic vibration too.  Although, that's typically not much of a problem as there's little of any current flow in ICs, so magneto-striction isn't really and issue like it is in inductors.  Voltage induced electro-striction isn't either due to the low voltages and low conductor surface area as well.

Geometry will affect the L/C variables in a big way, but academic engineering says that's irrelevent and we're all nuts to think otherwise.  My research has shown that is definetly not true, so that's why I've developed the geometry I did.

The "EEs" out there can go pound sand if they think otherwise.  I could tell them why they're wrong - especially when it comes to speaker cables, but I'm not of the mind to give away my secrets just to educate people that don't know how to think and are supposed to be smarter than I am.  The reason L/C parameters make a difference is starring them in the face and doesn't require PHD status to understand, just a "system's" aproach to engineering and looking at parasitic interface effects rather than the simple first-order approximations they like to stand on.

Hey... I'm feeling charitable tonight after all.  Question:  Is a speaker load a resistor, and is a resistor in a line-level input stage just a resistor?   This crap is too easy and shouldn't require an explaination.  You wanna learn "deep"?  Just talk to John Curl some time about input stages - he'll tell ya.

Anyway, if I'm wrong and dillusional, I have plenty of good company.  Starting with John, working down through Frank Alles, now Danny and then throw in all the BB customers out there... plenty good company to be associated with. 

Take care,
-Bob

PS.  John told me about some guy that posted an article over on Audio Express (or in the magazine) where he used extremely hi rez measurements down to something like -190dB!?  He found all kinds of effects with cables and even measured directionality differences.  Anybody know anything about that?  I looked over at AE and couldn't find anything, but boy would that be cool to get some more info on.  If anybody knows, please share with us.  Thanks!

[Chuck_M]

"Actually, I was inclding your pair of Minis in this effort as well"

Thanks Bob.     I knew you didn't forget me.  I imagine you are working some long hours these days and have a lot going on, so sorry if I came across as pushy.   

[Gopher]

I'd be happy to take them for a spin when the tour begins.  Preferably with the next person on this cable tour residing in the US.   

[Delacroix]

Also happy to give them a run in my rig and share my impressions.

Best

[JAMn Joe]

Bob,

You know you can send a set my way and always come up and compare for yourself as well. You know I have the ASI Livelines here and a few more so just let me know if I can be of help.

[lonewolfny42]

So... just drop in and say "yea" if you wanna try 'em, and I'll be stopping in to check back from time to time.  Then I'll post and let you all know that they're ready to go when they're ready to go.

OK Bob....yeah....thanks. 

[rms]

Sign me up for the tour also Bob. After I've put them through their paces in my little studio I'll take them and the BB's by "The Sound" studios here in C'ville to see what those guys think.

[guest1632]

Danny,

Thanks for the input!    I guess I haven't experimented enough to come to any percentages like that, but you gotta figure it all makes a difference to some degree.

Dielectrics are easy to figure are gonna have their effects.  They do in capacitors and unlike the conductor issue, it's all easily measureable to some degree.  Problem is, there's a practical limit to what you can do about it.  Anti-gravity wires that suspended themselves apart at a fixed distance from each other and from the floor would be pretty cool... but I have a ways to go to pull that off for the time being.    In lieu of that, i figured I'd use the next best thing - cotton.  It's good for damping micro-phonic vibration too.  Although, that's typically not much of a problem as there's little of any current flow in ICs, so magneto-striction isn't really and issue like it is in inductors.  Voltage induced electro-striction isn't either due to the low voltages and low conductor surface area as well.

Geometry will affect the L/C variables in a big way, but academic engineering says that's irrelevent and we're all nuts to think otherwise.  My research has shown that is definetly not true, so that's why I've developed the geometry I did.

The "EEs" out there can go pound sand if they think otherwise.  I could tell them why they're wrong - especially when it comes to speaker cables, but I'm not of the mind to give away my secrets just to educate people that don't know how to think and are supposed to be smarter than I am.  The reason L/C parameters make a difference is starring them in the face and doesn't require PHD status to understand, just a "system's" aproach to engineering and looking at parasitic interface effects rather than the simple first-order approximations they like to stand on.

Hey... I'm feeling charitable tonight after all.  Question:  Is a speaker load a resistor, and is a resistor in a line-level input stage just a resistor?   This crap is too easy and shouldn't require an explaination.  You wanna learn "deep"?  Just talk to John Curl some time about input stages - he'll tell ya.

Anyway, if I'm wrong and dillusional, I have plenty of good company.  Starting with John, working down through Frank Alles, now Danny and then throw in all the BB customers out there... plenty good company to be associated with. 

Take care,
-Bob

PS.  John told me about some guy that posted an article over on Audio Express (or in the magazine) where he used extremely hi rez measurements down to something like -190dB!?  He found all kinds of effects with cables and even measured directionality differences.  Anybody know anything about that?  I looked over at AE and couldn't find anything, but boy would that be cool to get some more info on.  If anybody knows, please share with us.  Thanks!

Hi Bob,


Well, getting a bit esoteric, but John Bedini in the early .80's built an amplifier using only diodes. So he claims. Anyway, I did hear it, and the bas for example was extremely accurate and tight. To be honest though, I really have forgotten how it sounded, but my memmory says that I've not heard anything like it since. The amp was about 10 watts or so, totally Class A of course.


Just thought I'd share that piece of Esoterica.

Ray Bronk

[konut]

Hi Bob! Hope all is going well. Any progress on these ICs? Or are you too busy with the Spirits?