A $1323 black box.

[PointyFox]

Ok, I have to discuss this again.  Saw another ad on Sterophile, so obviously people are still buying these things.

It's $1323, it's black, and it's a box.  Give up?  It's the "Blackbody ambient field conditioner" from Lessloss.com.


What does it do?  It solves the "problem" of interference between light and your audio gear by absorbing light that hits it.  It does this because it's black, and black things absorb light more than non-black things.
That being said, Lessloss says that you should buy multiples and position them all around your audio gear.  This blocks more light.  It also nets them more money.

Now what does Lessloss say about this "problem" of light influencing sound quality?
"According to our own research...a significant source of that coloration is ...due to any object in the vicinity of your gear’s circuitry".

They then offer a "technical" description of why this is and how their black box works.
They say: "Quite simply, different materials proximate to your circuitry will affect that circuitry."  Even if light reflections are of high intensity and are directly hitting the wires, the difference will be undetectable with most electronics measuring equipment, let alone enough to cause an audible difference in music.
Why does the black box work?  Here's their graph:

Here it shows how much light things put out or reflect.  The takeaway from this?  The $1323 black box works because it doesn't put out as much radiation as the sun, or an open oven turned on. 
They say: "You can see how the blackbody got its name: by absorbing any EM wavelength, and by radiating none in our visible bandwidth, the device is as black as black can be; you might even say it is blacker than black".  Blacker than black?  If it was absorbing all energy, we wouldn't be able to see it.  It would be a black void.  But we can obviously see reflections on it.  Note:


"It lowers the system’s noise floor, yet at the same time does nothing to color the sound. "  No kidding.  It doesn't do ANYTHING.

"Tips:...  Several Blackbodies can be used in tandem to maximize coverage and effectiveness." 

Well there you go.   


Link http://www.lessloss.com/blackbody-p-200.html

[vun]

Goes well with a few Brilliant Pebbles.

[demik]

will match perfecting with apple's 2k+ trashcan

[Photoelectric]

Hahahaha wow...  that is just low...  People will do anything to make money on the unsuspecting and ignorant.

[calavera]

so can I get the same effect if I were to listen to music with the lights turned off?

[Photoelectric]

so can I get the same effect if I were to listen to music with the lights turned off?

Sound waves and optical waves are of completely different range of frequencies.  The effect of light waves on sound waves is not going to be detectable by your ears.

The waves that travel to your ears are longitudinal, compressing air front to back as it hits your eardrums.  Light waves are electromagnetic and sinusoidal and are totally different.  For light hitting your equipment, it has to go through the casing, which will stop it and dissipate its energy in the casing / reflect some of the light.

I'd be more concerned with these "black boxes" creating sound wave interference by physically standing there, as large objects.

[JPG]

so can I get the same effect if I were to listen to music with the lights turned off?

Sound waves and optical waves are of completely different range of frequencies.  The effect of light waves on sound waves is not going to be detectable by your ears.

No but your wallet will definitely feel a big difference!

[Photoelectric]

so can I get the same effect if I were to listen to music with the lights turned off?

Sound waves and optical waves are of completely different range of frequencies.  The effect of light waves on sound waves is not going to be detectable by your ears.

No but your wallet will definitely feel a big difference!

I always say that people who buy very expensive useless things without doing enough research are victims through their own lack of due diligence. 

[PointyFox]

so can I get the same effect if I were to listen to music with the lights turned off?

Sound waves and optical waves are of completely different range of frequencies.  The effect of light waves on sound waves is not going to be detectable by your ears.

No but your wallet will definitely feel a big difference!

I always say that people who buy very expensive useless things without doing enough research are victims through their own lack of due diligence. 

There are plenty of "reviews" that talk about how great they are. 
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/lessloss4/blackbody_2.html
http://dagogo.com/lessloss-blackbody-review



 

Check out this..review?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbKmRwFX4sE
This must be how people whom buy these see their world.
(With a flashlight and a potatocam). 

[Photoelectric]

Check out this..review?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbKmRwFX4sE
This must be how people whom buy these see their world.
(With a flashlight and a potatocam). 

That is an absolutely terrible video that does not explain anything, lots of camera shaking, and is generally worthless save for the groovy tune.

[Findecanor]

If it works, then it is just a poor substitute for improper shielding of analogue components in the first place. There is also no way that it should "enhance" the output of digital equipment. When digital signals are disturbed, then artifacts in the signal are very noticeable.

The first thing I thought of when I read the description was  "iron ball paint", used to absorb radar waves, I.e. microwaves -- a form of radio waves.
From Radar-absorbent material - Wikipedia:

One of the most commonly known types of [Radar-absorbent material] is iron ball paint. It contains tiny spheres coated with carbonyl iron or ferrite. Radar waves induce molecular oscillations from the alternating magnetic field in this paint, which leads to conversion of the radar energy into heat. The heat is then transferred to the aircraft and dissipated.

Hmm... Apparently there are competing products such as the Shakti "Stone". This statement made me LOL, but I don't know if I should cry instead:

Placement on automotive CPUs has measurably increased engine horsepower.

There is a product called "VPI db5", often called "Magic Brick" that seem to have been around for a many years:
from AudiogoN: Review: VPI Magic Brick Tweak

This is an $80 block of wood with a VPI logo and filled with transformer laminates.

For a large AC line transformer like the Topaz I would lean toward a heavy bag of microbearing steel available through eBay or a foundry supply company. The magnetic properties of the steel shot will improve coupling of the transformer electrical fields in the manner of a VPI brick. And since microbearing is much more physically reactive than a VPI Brick, it will also do a better job of absorbing vibration. Finally, it's cheap.

That sounds like iron balls to me..

The "Blackbody" is 12×12×6 cm and weighs 2 kg. With cast iron/ferrite having a density of around 5g/cm³, that means that about less than half of the box could be ferrite.

[Trent]

Reminds me of BLK water.

blk is the first ever fulvic-enhanced all-natural mineral water. blk is what happens when fulvic trace minerals are added to pure water. blk is powerful electrolytes and a high pH. blk is serious hydration. blk is a delicious beverage without any sugar, carbs or calories. blk is here and it will defy your expectations.

Why?  Because money.

Side note: its quite good, luckily I got it on someone else's dime 

[vun]

Reminds me of BLK water.

blk is the first ever fulvic-enhanced all-natural mineral water. blk is what happens when fulvic trace minerals are added to pure water. blk is powerful electrolytes and a high pH. blk is serious hydration. blk is a delicious beverage without any sugar, carbs or calories. blk is here and it will defy your expectations.

Show Image

Why?  Because money.

Side note: its quite good, luckily I got it on someone else's dime  :blank:

I would buy that simply because black water.

In Norway we have Voss water, named after a place in Norway, you might've heard of it around the world as well, they managed to get hip with a bunch of celebs for a while. It's way expensive, the bottles are fancy, and a while back it turned out the water wasn't even from Voss, it was from some random lake and the ensuing ****storm was hilarious.

[Trent]

Yeah we have Voss in the states.

Favorite comment so far about the ambient field conditioner:

I've got one beside my toilet. I reduces the sound of my fluttering gas. My wife doesn't even hear me anymore. And when I flush, there is hardly a whisper. Best twelve hundred I've ever spent. Missed a house payment though.

[vun]

Yeah we have Voss in the states.

Favorite comment so far about the ambient field conditioner:

I've got one beside my toilet. I reduces the sound of my fluttering gas. My wife doesn't even hear me anymore. And when I flush, there is hardly a whisper. Best twelve hundred I've ever spent. Missed a house payment though.

The funny thing is that they'd probably sell loads of them if they lowered the price and marketed them as toilet noise dampeners, telling you to put them around your toilet and door.

[thegunner100]

The 6moons review is probably a joke, considering it was published in April.

[IvanIvanovich]

Audiophiles, I mean... what is next gold plated optical cables? Oh.... wait...

[iri]

Audiophiles, I mean... what is next gold plated optical cables? Oh.... wait...

wrong.
electrolyte from a virgin's snivels.

[damorgue]

Which company was it that sold cables twinned differently on the south and north hemisphere? Something about earth's magnetic field and rotation and having cables with leads rotated counterclockwise would be better on one hemisphere to avoid it picking up whatever and such. I loved their reasoning. They were also infused with platinum because of reasons.

[samwisekoi]

Which company was it that sold cables twinned differently on the south and north hemisphere? Something about earth's magnetic field and rotation and having cables with leads rotated counterclockwise would be better on one hemisphere to avoid it picking up whatever and such. I loved their reasoning. They were also infused with platinum because of reasons.

Oh, reasons!

<insert Homer Simpson jpg/gif here.>

[Photoelectric]

ASEA water kekeke  )

http://www.asea.net/

[tp4tissue]

Check out this..review?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbKmRwFX4sE
This must be how people whom buy these see their world.
(With a flashlight and a potatocam). 

That is an absolutely terrible video that does not explain anything, lots of camera shaking, and is generally worthless save for the groovy tune.

the camera is shaking because of a disturbance in dark energies, and its consequent resorption 

[Trent]

ASEA water kekeke  )

http://www.asea.net/

Any love for good ole penta?

[Photoelectric]

Check out this..review?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbKmRwFX4sE
This must be how people whom buy these see their world.
(With a flashlight and a potatocam). 

That is an absolutely terrible video that does not explain anything, lots of camera shaking, and is generally worthless save for the groovy tune.

the camera is shaking because of a disturbance in dark energies, and its consequent resorption

Must be the case, because I can't imagine someone who is that invested into sound quality be so negligent with their camera and video making 

[PointyFox]

I don't remember what they're called, but there was a water that was claimed to be "infused with ancient Egyptian harmonic frequencies", and one that claimed that it was so pure that all the water molecules were perfectly aligned and facing the same direction.

[Photoelectric]

I don't remember what they're called, but there was a water that was claimed to be "infused with ancient Egyptian harmonic frequencies", and one that claimed that it was so pure that all the water molecules were perfectly aligned and facing the same direction.

"Must drink in a strong magnetic field at under 50C (or something like that) temperature"

[Reomero]

This black box thing reminds me of those stones/pebbles you buy for hundreds if not thousands of $$$ to hang on your cables/connectors. Can't quite remember the source (website) though... Anyone care to remind me? )

[vun]

This black box thing reminds me of those stones/pebbles you buy for hundreds if not thousands of $$$ to hang on your cables/connectors. Can't quite remember the source (website) though... Anyone care to remind me? )

Brilliant Pebbles, I mentioned them in the second post of this thread.

[TheSoulhunter]

so can I get the same effect if I were to listen to music with the lights turned off?

Sound waves and optical waves are of completely different range of frequencies.  The effect of light waves on sound waves is not going to be detectable by your ears.

No but your wallet will definitely feel a big difference!

I always say that people who buy very expensive useless things without doing enough research are victims through their own lack of due diligence. 

There are plenty of "reviews" that talk about how great they are. 
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/lessloss4/blackbody_2.html
http://dagogo.com/lessloss-blackbody-review

Show Image

 :eek:

Check out this..review?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbKmRwFX4sE
This must be how people whom buy these see their world.
(With a flashlight and a potatocam).  :rolleyes:

Tiled floor in a dedicated listening/testing room? Also dat huge horns...  :))

[Reomero]

This black box thing reminds me of those stones/pebbles you buy for hundreds if not thousands of $$$ to hang on your cables/connectors. Can't quite remember the source (website) though... Anyone care to remind me? )

Brilliant Pebbles, I mentioned them in the second post of this thread.

Nah, not those ones.. Maybe I'll remember one day what it is. I just remember the site looking like it was made in 5 minutes with MS Frontpage and that their products were more like stones hung using a wire.