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Great Audiophile Gift Ideas For The
2017 Holiday Season
Herbie's Audio Lab Super Black Hole CD Mat
Sure I have some music on vinyl, but most of my music is on CDs. I am always looking for a way to improve my experience on CD. I'm a cheapskate, so I'm cautious about most tweaks. When I came across Herbie's Audio Lab, I was impressed with the solid science behind the claims. Noise is the enemy in audio and one of the culprits is vibration. The theory is, the Super Black Hole isolates vibrations of the spinning CD from the rest of the player, resulting in better recovery of information from those shiny discs. You order the Super Black Hole directly from Herbie's Audio Lab. With shipping, it runs about $40, which is real bargain in Hi-End audio. It comes with its own cute little case and directions. When I got it, I admit, I made that face. Can this little thing make that big a difference?
Applying the Super Black Hole to the top of the CD is a little tricky since you need to center it on the hole and make sure it is firmly in place. The little extra care I now need to prepare for playback reminds more of vinyl experience; you just don't throw it in and hit play.
So, how well does it work? Amazing. Gertrude Stein wrote about her hometown "There's no there, there". With the Super Black Hole, there is more there there. At the beginning of Bon Iver's song "Perth" you can faintly hear the sound of a train crossing. Until I inserted the mat, I didn't realize that sound continues throughout the whole song. A great deal of the digital glare is removed. Dynamics improved. Dare I say it, everything sounds more analog? For the low price and a money-back guarantee, it's the best money I've ever spent. The mat is available at Herbie's Audio Lab.
Recommended by Enjoy the Music.com's Paul L. Schumann.
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