fo.q tape

[SONDEKNZ]

I have seen a fair bit written about this "miracle rubber" tape on US audiophile boards, but not much chatter on the UK side of the pond, so I thought I would give it a go and order some to see what the fuss was about.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/22497587...d=link&campid=5338728743&toolid=20001&mkevt=1

Anyway, it duly turns up a few weeks ago and I finally got round to applying it. The idea is that its special formula turns vibrations into heat and cleans up the sound. You apply it not only to the chassis of equipment, but also to the tops of capacitors inside your system too, around power connectors, onto fuses, speaker driver frames, phono headshells, in fact anywhere where vibration could be detrimental.

(System list: Zenith Mk3, Phoenix USB, M scaler with Farad 3 PSU, Chord Dave, Avondale Grad1 pre amp, Avondale NCC300 monoblock power amps, Boston Acoustic A360 speakers, Atlas EOS 4DD power cables, Townshend Fractal interconnects)

I started off applying it to the underside of the chassis of PSUs, source, DAC, preamp and amps and had a listen. Then I tried opening up the equipment and applying it to capacitors, one piece of equipment at a time.

The results? The chassis test gave a welcome uplift in performance, added a nice bit of pixie dust onto the whole proceedings, everything seemed just more right, more image, better bass, better detail. Really nice

Then the capacitors test. OH. MY. GOD. What a difference. Its like a £3000+ upgrade in a DAC/amp for example. I would almost say its transformed my system. Better musicality, less hifi. Sound explodes out of the speakers rather than being contained by them. Its incredible. Better everything. More detail, tighter bass, and the whole projection of sound that no longer comes from speakers. Im in shock really at how much positive difference it makes. Some might ask does it muffle anything, answer no. It kills the noise making detail clearer.

To all those who think this is snake oil/nonsense/rip off/scam - just try it, then comment. No financial interest, just interest in great sounding hifi. You can find it easily from other people on ebay.

Finally heres the dealer in the US using it. Dont need to be circles, just a square that doesnt go over the edge of the cap is fine https://www.lotusgroupusa.com/blog/mishap-equals-opportunity

Just to be clear, there are two thicknesses TA102 (which is all I have used so far,) and TA32, thinner and more suitable for wrapping around the connectors of cables - which is the next experiment, watch this space....

+1

Been using BLUTAC in the same way for years - with the same stunning results.

Easy to apply… Easily heard… Easily reversed… Dirt cheap!

 

[jimification]

1) MarkieW/ OP: There are a lot of graph people here. If you come in with anecdotal data you will quickly be asked for a graph to prove it...
2) DO NOT provide a graph. It will have been measured wrong.

 

[jimification]

And another thing....Manufacturers: Can we have an embargo on the: "...where it's converted into heat" flim-flam, please. Either explain how it works properly or just say it does something and leave it at that.

 

[sq225917]

...comprising a pale blue, adhesive, self damping, visco elastic compound that reduces the amplitude of vibration across a narrow frequency band, limited via a mass loading dependency, and whilst not breaking the first law of thermodynamics...

 

[Craig B]

...is well able to quell parasitic vibrations within a massive transformer despite the use of a confetti sized piece of foo.q tape...

 

[sq225917]

I always wonder why it is that with all the talk you hear of isolating noise etc etc, that no manufacturer actually bothers to put the mains transformer on a truly compliant and silent mount.

 

[chiily]

I used some of those PC rubber fan mounts to mount a pair of frame transformers powering my Paradise phono stage. They stopped the case resonating with the mains.

 

[sq225917]

In my neurochromes the traffos are bolted to an acrylic plate which is glued to a 15mm neoprene foam rubber disc, which is glued to the chassis with fancy panel bond PU. Nairy a hint of vibration.

 

[NickofWimbledon]

I always wonder why it is that with all the talk you hear of isolating noise etc etc, that no manufacturer actually bothers to put the mains transformer on a truly compliant and silent mount.

Given how few nerds for this stuff there are as a % of the overall hi-fi market, and given that these things are so room-dependent that many variants and much analysis would be needed, I can see why no major manufacturer goes there - even if they 'work'.

Mind you, the casework inside (say) a Naim Statement amp is rather different from a (say) Naim Nait, so perhaps they do think about these things in general terms.