Do magnetizing tracks help or placebo effect?

Accessories and Tweaks
1

For the fun of it I have played the XlO Test and Burn in disc demagnetizing track and I find it has definitely improved the sound of my system. I don’t know if this disc really works or if it’s the placebo effect but I am getting significantly better sound after playing the two one minute demagnetizing tracks. I guess whatever works… Does anyone else find improvement with these demagnetizing tracks?

2

Yes, I usually default to Ayre’s “Irrational but Efficacious!”
Isotek also has a good one. I tend to give one a play-through when breaking in a new component or cable. Things tend to sound more open after a playthrough.

Similarly, I also use an industrial demagnetizer for cables. This has a more powerful effect, but of course you can’t use it on components.

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3

I was just wondering if you were still using the XLO demagnetization tracks and what your experience has been with them.

Thanks.

4

I have not used my XLO Test and Burn in demagnetizing disc in a while but I should. I remember that it made a nice difference.

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5

I’ve used the PAD Luminist disc for a while now, always with a good effect and most noticeable in better bass and cleaner treble freqs. For me it is clearly better than the XLO disc (same burn tracks as the RR disc).

I also tried the Ayre disc years ago and it seemed to make things worse. That was on a system significantly less resolving than my current one, so I should give it another try.

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6

By the way, the PAD disc has one track about 80minutes long meant to played all the way through.

7

I use mine frequently. I find it works best if I haven’t used it for awhile, so I try to not use it too much.

8

Same here, I use mine about once a week, twice at most. (Fraser Crane was wrong.)

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9

Yeah, that seems about right.

I find it interesting that sometimes I don’t need it for weeks, but other times I need it multiple times in a week.

10

I don’t keep track precisely but I don’t go for more than a couple weeks without treatment, unless I just forget to run the disc. Your observation suggests to me that “remagnetization” does not happen at a constant rate. Perhaps due to variations in the AC, junk on the line or other things? Hard to tell.

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11

Thanks for recommending the PAD disc. I guess a drawback is that it takes a great deal longer (78 min) to complete than tracks 7 and 8 (2 min) on XLO or the 2 tracks on Ayre IBE (1 min and 5 min.)

Does it need to play through the speakers to demag?

I’ve also tried Isotek, Tellurium (not sure if it demags), XLO, Cascade Burn In ( don’t think it demags) Ayre IBE.

12

I expect, but don’t know for sure, it does not have play into speakers, but then the speaker internals would not get the benefit. Assuming that amps would be off they also would not get the benefit.

These are intended to be full system demag/burn in so no reason to not include speakers except to not hear the noise. The recommended level is normal conversation level, so not that loud, but I just don’t stay in the room while it’s playing.

By the way I got the PAD through Cable Company for $75 on sale. It may be that’s the usual price now. I seem to remember seeing that at some point.

13

Thanks, I live in a studio apartment, that’s why I asked.

14

I just played the XLO disc and it seems to do good things. It seems to liven up the room. I am just 358 hours play into new silver conductor speaker cables. I’m getting some good sound.

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15

i have never heard of such a magical thing

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16

Thanks again for mentioning this disc.

I had been burning in a new Nordost Heimdall cable using music and the Tellurium burn in track and it was going very slow. I ran the PAD disc overnight and saw a big change/improvement. I plan to keep running it until the changes stop.

17

I ran the PAD multiple times for burn of, if memory serves, DSD Mk2 and/or some Iconoclast cables. At some point things were sounding kind of dry/flat. After playing music for a while (several hours) the sound recovered to an improvement from the starting sound.

So it’s possible to overdo the PAD, but it’s not permanent. Right now everything in my system is well burned in and using the PAD once or twice a week seems about right, YMMV.

Between PAD treatments I use the clean function on the P20 for 5 seconds as a tuneup. The 60 sec run sounded worse, but that was several months back, not with current components; I should probably try the 60 sec again.

My guess is most any demag/burnin disk can be over used, but again the system will recover.

I’m glad the PAD is working for you.

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18

Good point. I think they use the demag sweep from the XLO disc on the PAD. The PAD runs this sweep 3 times per disc on the PAD. I have definitely found that running demag too much can have an adverse affect and yes, it can go back to normal with playing regular music.

19

I used to use a Gryphon Black Exorcist to do the break in, when that thing was on everyone ran out of door. It was ear-hurting. I do not remember how effective it was, but it was a good anti-burglary device too. No one wanted to hear that thing playing!

I still have it and probably will never use it again.

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20

I never heard of that! Is it available?

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