Most effective anti-vibration yet.... (tweak)

Great bedtime reading stories. Heard about the mystery lightbulb version before but not the carborator one. This is one reason that makes me always has doubt about all hifi aftermarket tweaks. If Shakti stone works then how come it is not fitted into every hifi products?

Dolby Noise reduction has been demonstrated to really work and as a result every cassete player has this fitted as standard. I also realize there could other version that perhaps work better then the Dolby technology. It becomes a marketing tool since consumers recognise this badge and only wanted a player with Dolby fitted. A bit like THX certified products. My believe is when some of the inventions are proven to work and it is cost effective eventually it will be common place. But what do I know. I am still a bit surprise by how successful is audiophile designer cables.

 

Just read James Randi website (a magician and escape artist, but today he is best known as the world's most tireless investigator and demystifier of paranormal and pseudoscientific claims) has an open offer to a few of these audio gurus if they would like to back up their claim on Shakti stone and earn a million dollar.

quote:
Today I sent out the following e-mail letter to eleven audio reviewers who showed up on the web pages of the Shakti Stones and P.W.B. Electronics, as endorsers of some audio nonsense mentioned here last week, and to both manufacturers of the devices as well. The letter explains itself:


My name is James Randi. I am the president of the James Randi Educational Foundation (address and contacts listed below) and I am an investigator of unusual claims. This Foundation has a prize of one million dollars that we offer, details of which are to be found at www.randi.org/research/index.html and www.randi.org/research/challenge.html.
As a reviewer for a major audio publication, I'm sure that you will find the following offer of great interest, both from the point of view of validating your expert judgment, and adding substantially to your net worth.

Please refer to www.randi.org/jr/073004an.html#3 and go to the item "THE JREF MILLION IS SURELY WON" to learn of the items  the "Shakti Stones" and P.W.B. Electronics' "Electret Foil" and "Red X Pen"  that I am referring to here. In my opinion  and I have none of your expertise, I freely admit  these are farcical in nature. Yet experts such as yourself have endorsed these products, and that support indicates that the JREF million-dollar prize should surely be offered, either to you personally, or to the manufacturers of these products  who have been similarly informed on this date.

If you require further information concerning details of this endeavor, please contact me at [email protected] and inquire. This is a valid offer, a serious offer, and a sincere offer. Should any of these products prove to work as advertised, the first person who is able to demonstrate the efficacy of any of them, will be the winner of the JREF prize as described in the rules and details to be found at the above references.

I await your response with great interest.

The above e-mail message was sent to:

Frank Doris, at The Absolute Sound: [email protected]

Clay Swartz, Clark Johnson, and David Robinson at Positive Feedback: [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected]

Larry Kaye, Wayne Donnelly, and Bill Brassington at fi: [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected]

Bascom King at Audio: [email protected]

Wes Phillips at SoundStage: [email protected]

Jim Merod at Jazz Times: [email protected]

Dick Olsher at Enjoy The Music: [email protected]

Peter and May Belt at "P.W.B. Electronics": [email protected]

Benjamin Piazza at "Shakti Innovations": [email protected]

Let's see what reaction is received  if any  to this clearly-outlined challenge. Remember, all we're doing here is asking the reviewers  the trained, experienced experts, the responsible endorsers of these products  to repeat their tests of the items, but this time under double-blind, secure, conditions. And we're making the same offer to the manufacturers, who we would expect to be even more sensitive and capable of performing such tests.

WE ARE OFFERING ONE MILLION DOLLARS IF THEY CAN DO WHAT THEY CLAIM THEY CAN DO, WHAT THEY DO PROFESSIONALLY, IN A FIELD WHERE THEY CLAIM EXPERTISE FAR BEYOND THAT OF MERE MORTALS. WE ASK FOR NO INVESTMENT FROM THEM, WE DO NOT CHARGE THEM FOR PARTICIPATING  AND WE STAND TO GAIN NOTHING BUT WE DO RISK THE LOSS OF THE MILLION DOLLARS PRIZE MONEY.

I am a mere mortal, unencumbered by academic degrees or claims of audio expertise. Show me, and win a million dollars...

(Sylvia Browne just called and offered refuge and professional evasion advice to all the above-listed.)

 

I believe RFI & EMI are measurable wooflie, should be pretty simple to prove/disprove their claimed function

 

No, I think that turned out to be just heartburn, luckily.

 

And if the people who make Shakti stones can prove their function under proper scientific conditions there's $1million waiting for them....wonder why they haven't collected it yet

Michael.

 

Mike,

Your slacking boy, you took 1 hour 13mins to answer, I lost my bet with the rest of the guys, you must do better next time

 

I'm still at work here in NY (this week) - I'll try harder next time

Michael.

 

But can you hear the effect?

Shakti claim their products help engines create more power and have a bunch of dyno charts on their web site. Unfortunately they're all from rolling roads where variations of a couple of horsepower between runs are less than expected. It would be easy to use a proper engine dyno under controlled conditions and demonstrate an actual benefit. And perhaps win $1000000.

Paul

 

Last week I had a couple of the Shakti Electromagnetic Stabilizers (stones) and some Shun Mook Mpingo disc things on loan to play with courtesy of the UK importer, a very nice guy called Martin Brewster (Audio Reference).

The stones had a curious effect atop a power amplifier where they audibly reduced a mechanical transformer hum when placed on the top cover. Moving the Shakti stone away from the top of the amp brought the hum back!

I couldn't detect any difference in sound by using the Shun Mook discs above the transport of the CD player or around the circumference of the platter of my turntable (recommended positions for resonance control).

After a week in the system I still could not detect whether the stones were making any positive difference or not.

I took them over to Robbo's and we tried them on his Sim Eclipse which seem to move the vocals to the back of the mix. A difference in presentation but not necessarily an improvement!

All in all an inconclusive result with the exception of the stones effect on reducing mechanical hum from a power amp. I wondered if the same result could be achieved simply by adding mass so I stacked a couple of mild steel dumbell weights on the lid of the amp.

No difference in hum level so I guess there might be something in the EMI/RFI/Microwave reducing passive circuitry inside the Shakti Stone.

However, at £175 a pop it's an expensive way to reduce mechanical hum!

Has anyone used the Hi-Fi News Fluxdumper accessory(copy of the VPI Magic Brick) which is layered steel inside a wood box and sells for £25?

It's supposed to be an improvement particularly when placed atop transformers in valve amps!

 

Steve,

I found the stone screwed the dynamics on the B/C, (no hum though)
On the Wadia, different matter, over the transformer, it gave greater bass weight & body (also restricted the stage), though it had a detremental effect on the PRaT aspects.
However over the Clocks & Cmos sections it produces some benefical results, greater detail, flow and bigger stage. The difference isn't large, but it is noticable

 

Does anyone outside of hi-fi circles use the word "atop"?

I think we should be told.

 

Tony,

Interesting! I still think it's a lot to pay for what it does. I believe tweaks like this should be employed when you are happy with everything else in your system (fat chance!) and should be the icing on the cake so to speak.

I was impressed with Robbo's Sim Eclipse (his whole system actually!) and have booked a home demo for the whole of next week. I will tell you how i got on at the Show!

Steve

 

I wonder if the Shakti challenge is open to everyone with goldenears or only by invitation from James Randi himself.

That is interesting observation and I could not believe anyone in anyway imagined mechanical tramsformer hum. However, all my Japanese and Brits toys don't hum. In any case it they do I would not keep them.

 

Wooflie,

Golden ears eh?, such flattery, such presumtion & implying yet again, prehaps you would like to take the Wadia miester challenge?
PM for details please

 

Steve (snoopdog) you have PM sir

 

Back to anti-vibration ...

cd-str5

 

Simlarly, I hear that someone invented a perfect anti-vibration device but it was quashed by a panicked Anne Summers corporation...