ISOTEK - Full System Enhancer CD

I'm just playing the devils advocate here; this is not my actual position about this product:

But let us just suppose for a minute that something totally ridiculous sounding (such as this) did indeed produce the dramatic results that it claimed, but that essentially nobody ever bothered to try it because they all believed it to be 100% snake oil. Then it wouldn't matter how good it was. You'd still never truly know for yourself whether it worked or not because virtually nobody ever tried it.

And in this scenario, those very few people who had an open enough mind to give such a thing a shot would be enjoying better sounding systems all the while being endlessly ridiculed by a bunch of people who refused to even bothered to give such ideas a try for themselves simply out of principle...

And just to be clear, I'm very skeptical about the claims that this product makes (beyond the initial burn-in stage for a component, where I could potentially envision some value). But I can see no harm in trying it, especially if there is a good return policy. Then at least one would have opinion which is based upon personal experience, not simply theory.

 

In the words of Tom Waits:

You can step right up, step right up
That's right, it fillets, it chops, it dices, slices,
Never stops, lasts a lifetime, mows your lawn
And it mows your lawn and it picks up the kids from school
It gets rid of unwanted facial hair, it gets rid of embarrassing age spots,
It delivers a pizza, and it lengthens, and it strengthens
And it finds that slipper that's been at large
Under the chaise lounge for several weeks
And it plays a mean Rhythm Master,
It makes excuses for unwanted lipstick on your collar
And it's only a dollar, step right up, it's only a dollar, step right up

 

Fantastic! That'll allow me to rejuvenate anything used to brand new whenever I need to sell some audio equipements! This is soooo cool! I could even make any of my old laptop with a cd drive seems brand new too!

 

If they reviled that you could then reverse engineer it and with that mathematical criteria. You could snatch their receipt!
So they will probably not revile what to prioritize more or less in you system.

 

I understand what you are saying, however (and getting back to my earlier point) being able to think critically largely removes any such guesswork, and the better educated / skilled you are the lower any lost-opportunity risk becomes.

This is not about having an open-mind (as others have said). That's like the old Wizard of ID cartoon proclamation that "ignorance is bliss!" Gullibility is not a virtue. Extreme gullibility leads to cult membership. Lesser degrees to owning an Iso-Tek disc.

In my old day job (with Canada's National Research Council) I received dozens and dozens of calls/emails/letters/visits each year from "inventors" eager to pitch me theirs, in the hopes that we would fund its development / partner in commercial exploitation etc. I heard it all: from the not-so-crazy ("next great wind turbine design" - they weren't), to the potentially plausible (methods of moving satellites into different positions in space - which would not have worked), to the completely ridiculous (Star Trek-like teleportation.) They were almost all backed by studies, and testimonials, and in some cases patents (you can put anything in a patent's recitals - which is where the teleportation description could be found - it's really only the claims that count - where there were none to be found for teleportation.) In probably 90% of the cases I would simply reply with a polite "thanks but no thanks" message. I learned very early on that engaging further than that (like pointing out why their invention could never work) only led to claims that I was in error (I never was) and that I simply needed a more open mind in order to understand their genius (I did not so need.) With the other 10% I would take the time to explain that yes, their invention could work, but unfortunately for a variety of technical and business reasons in could not compete with existing technology (like many "novel" wind turbine designs). In very few cases I would involve our research staff, for inventions that I felt showed some real potential, and then I'd be able to better explain, in deeper technical terms, any limitations that would need to first be overcome. And finally, a couple of times a year we would agree to do some exploratory lab work on the invention and perhaps enter into a full-blown R&D agreement (of some sort) with the inventor, if that panned out, and I would set them up with potential sources of funding (governmental) / business partners / venture capitalists etc..

But at no time in this (filtering) process would I allow my mind to become open (like a sieve) to blind faith - or gullibility. It wasn't necessary back then, and it's not necessary now. Good return policy, or not.



Jeff

 

two words -- ABSOLUTE POLARITY! Go!

 

You make a valid point. But if that were the case this $35 CD would be selling for $3500 if it did what it claimed. There would be so much buzz about the "jaw dropping" sound enhancements that one would just have to buy it. As I posted earlier that's just not the case. Pure snake oil IMO.

 

Have you ever thought of not making disparaging remarks about people you don't know?

"It was just a joke, man!" Well, it flopped.

I don't take pills.

 

This is gonna hit you really hard, but...I wasn't making a dispaaging remark, I really was joking. In reference to your last part,

"Ever have a time when everything just seems to sound lifeless? I have, and it's always me."

Sometimes just trying to share levity with you flops too, I guess.

 

I don't understand.

John K.

 

I have one as well. It doesn’t

 

it was a joke. a bad one ... it’s been a long day!

 

$35? But is it all analog or a digital transfer?

 

I’m probably more skeptical by nature than the average guy, but audiophilia is a strange beast. Has anyone ever played their system at a high volume for an extended period of time and noticed that it somehow improved the sound thereafter? One night I had a party with some old high school buddies and it ended in the early morning hours with us drunkenly blasting the Doors’ first two albums at deafening volumes. The next day I could swear my system sounded looser, clearer, and more natural. Call it the “blowing out the cobwebs” effect.
Could this CD be doing something similar?

 

No.

 

Maybe you had gone deaf the next morning?

 

^ great input, guys, remind me not to invite you to any loud, late night, Doors listening parties!

 

Isotek Enhancer CD is also very good to burn in new earphone or headphone.

After burn in of 5 hours using Isotek Enhancer CD, I got blown away by the sound of MASSDROP X EMPIRE EARS ZEUS UNIVERSAL IEM.

It sounds like 30k$ Kef Blade speaker.

I will prepare detailed report during weekend.

 

I have tried various such products over the years but I found the best thing was simple pink noise played on repeat for 30 minutes. The volume is not important only that that the signal path you are going to listen to is on. So you can play it softly. Anyway pink noise tracks are widely available, and it only takes 30 minutes to try it. Scholastics need not reply until they try it.

 

All new transducers, such as headphones and speakers open up after several hours of break-in with normal use. Capacitors and certain electronic components like vacuum tubes warm up to optimum after a few minutes, as well. However, I doubt there's anything special about this CD, or similar ones, that facilitate the process. You could probably play "Third Stone From The Sun" on repeat for five hours and achieve the same effect, and you wouldn't have to buy anything. In fact, I recommend you do so, at full volume, and your stereo will sound very smooth and mellow immediately thereafter.

 

I have a Marigo Audio CD enhancer as well. Don't know if I can hear a real sound improvement?

 

I’m not going to rip anyone if they can hear an improvement with any of these items. After all, everyone’s ears are different as well as their wallets. The people who frequent this forum are usually looking for the best sound they can get and if they achieve it- cool. It’s what we’re all looking for, right?

IMO, the idea sounds like the 21st century equivalent of the green CD marker.

 

Ya, and that's when I turn to the "hard stuff" (Sticky Fingers, Led Zeppelin II, Whos Next...) never fails.

 

I got a "Black Light" cd (has a coating that glows inside the player after holding it under a light). Very thin, and is placed over the cd (must be a "drawer" type player). Supposed to do something...

 

I have a vacuum tube pre amp and it takes a good hour before it really opens up sound wise.