De testing of DeMagic

The pleasure is entirely, completely, utterly, irrevocably and absolutely mine. (I actually swallowed the Blarney Stone, instead of merely kissing it)

 

Well DeMagical disc arived in the post last night and I gave it a whirl. Listened to a few tracks of a couple of CDs which I know well and rate and also same with the olde worlde black disc spinner.

Ran the DeMagic. Its not as horrible sounding as I'd been led to believe - a sort of polyphonic test tone with a very obvious high frequency element and a sort of throbbing going on in the upper bass - in fact if you found it on some avant garde electronica album with a title like "Polyphonic Throb" or something equally pretentious, you probably wouldn't bat an eyelid - tho you might get bored Anyway I digress.

Then I listened again.

Didn't make any difference at all so far as I could tell.

When this is all done, we're gonna need to set up a poll of some sort:

a)Made no difference
b)Made it better
c)Made it worse
d)I really like this band, when is their new album out

The results are looking interesting though. The suggestion is that it does make a difference in some circumstances/some systems - presumably systems which are more susceptible to whatever it is this things supposed to fix - but not for most. I'm still mystified how this could possibly work. Having heard it I doubt its the "maybe it shakes your speakers cones about" theory.

Next up - Bob McCluckie - I'll PM you to remind - send me your address and its in the post.

 

Already under way! See the first post in the thread.

 

could i please be added, can give my input on a budget system

 

Done, Matthew.

 

...and don't forget to buy the new DVD version folks...

 

Well its been and gone and I tried it in my system. I'm running fairly old gear - chrome 250s, chrome hicap, chrome 32.5 etc. I noticed a small difference which I would consider an improvement. I'd liken listening afterwards compared to before as rhe difference between a plate washed in a dishwasher compared to one washed by hand. You know machine cleaned is just cleaner! I don't think I'd buy one though.

Bob

 

I wonder

If the difference relates to the amount of magnetic componentry in the signal path?

Naim equipment, for example, has loads of steel-leaded and steel-containing components, whereas Linn, for example, use primarily SMD components.

Now the latter are magnetic (e.g. Nickel or Kovar) but these will have different magnetic properties to steel.

Just a thought.

Andy.

 

I've rated you as 0/+ in the opening mail, Bob. Do you concur, or is it definite enough for a +?

 

Re: I wonder

I think you have to be careful with how you describe these things, Andrew. The materials are not actually magnetic (i.e., already magnetised) but ferromagnetic (having the ability to be permanently magnetised). Now the thing I don't know is this; if you pass an electric current through a ferromagnetic material, will it become permanently magnetised? I would have thought not (but acknowledge that this may be ignorance talking). My memory of university physics is that, in order for a thing to become permanently magnetised, it had to be placed in a magnetic field, this being generated by something else. The classic example is the electromagnet, in which a current is passed through a coil of wire surrounding a ferromagnetic material. This is not the same as passing a current through the ferromagnetic material. A current-bearing wire will have a magnetic field surrounding it (as shown in Oersted's classic experiment), but will this permanently magnetise the ferromagnetic current carrier? I would have thought very, very slightly, at the most - and only in DC-carrying conductors.

 

any chance I could be added to the list please?

 

Your slightest wish is my command, sir...

Penance, aren't you sorry you wanted to go last???

 

Tones,

Sloppy language on my part!

The steel though definitely could become permanently magnetised, the nickel, less so, although I guess this may also be more related to the switch-on DC changes rather than the run-of-the-mill AC music signals.

There is no doubt though that ferromagnetic components in the signal path increase distortion, measurably, when compared to non-ferromagnetic ones (which also usually sound better, all else being equal).

Andy.

 

Tones
Put me down as a +

Bob

 

I'm with Tones. Best of my knowledge tells me (from what i remember) that the material needs to be passed thru a magnetic feild. An electro magnet is a material capable of magnetism that has a coil around it. So would a straight piece of ferrous wire become magnetic by haveing a current passed thru it

 

Done. Thanks, Bob.

 

Bob,
Thanks you for posting the CD to me.

Dean,
It should be going to you later today.


The plastic cover is damaged. So replace it. CD seems to be fine. The instruction couldn't be simpler. However, the explanation as how it works or why it should work is totally inadequate. The recording makes an interesting sound. The lower frequencies are fine but there is also a very high pitch which is annoying.

Listen to Joss Stone since it is the favour of the week.

She sounds just like Joss Stone before and after treatment. Her diction is the same. Rhythm, pitch and tones are still the same. I could not claim there was a massive audible difference or improvement.

Tones,
Thanks for organising this.

 

Hi,


Sorry about the delay. I tried this in my first Choice system.

Interesting sounding din. I didn't notice any changes in sound. If there were changes very weren't major.

I have tried to PM Sauerkraut but he hasn't replied. If he doesn't get back to me soon, I'll send it to Mr Sukebe.

All good fun.

SCIDB

 

Lemme play, lemme play

 

Is this a request to be included in the circulation?

If so, David Cotton, you'll be the one sending, as Penance wants to be last. Are you happy to post to the USA?