‘Improving’ CDs with negative ions (?!)

I've shaved and I've demagnetised CDs, now it's time to blast them with Negative Ions because...
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Shaving CDs - • Shaving Compact Discs ...
Demagnetising CDs - • Demagnetizing CDs?!
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[@graemenias577]

Suing someone for a bad review is just an admission that your product is useless

[@keng6663]

It’s just intimidation to get the reviews taken down, they would never actually go to court, because then they would have to prove their snake oil works.

[@wheels2fun526]

Exactly

[@barrieshepherd7694]

But it happens kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4nRh4Kld9mfmbc

[@frankowalker4662]

There is a company suing a YTer for defamation. The guy has got a Go Fund Me so he can afford court costs. He won't let it drop. (I don't blame him)

[@barrieshepherd7694]

@@frankowalker4662 I posted a link to the EEVblog video about it but the post was immediately deleted. The company is Deep Cycle Systems (D C S)

[@thirdpedalnirvana]

This entire industry is predicated on consumers not understanding the fundamental difference between analog and digital audio, and not understanding the placebo effect.

[@JathraDH]

I mean technically jitter does exist even in digital audio, but that's what error correction is for. So some of these things may actually reduce jitter and may not TECHNICALLY be false advertising, even if it doesn't make a bit of difference to the output lol.

[@drunkenhobo8020]

Monster Cables got away with it for many years with HDMI before people finally cottoned on.

[@tookitogo]

Not only predicated on analog vs. digital, but also on fundamental misconceptions about how digital audio works.

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

No argument ... But in my experience it seems mostly predicated on the simple notion that the person who knows the least is the easiest to lie to. Ignorance for profit!

[@ErikTheAndroid]

Essentially all marketing relies on people having zero knowledge of the subject matter. I do agree that it is especially obscene in the audiofool world though. Audiofools are a special brand of brain dead so they do have it coming.

[@InfiniteColorsMusic]

I can confirm it works with CD-ROMs too! It makes formulas on Excel spreadsheets way clearer and easier to understand

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

It also produces native 4K resolution when used for old computer game discs.

[@gluttonousmaximus9048]

@@andrewgwilliam4831 Improves the installation process of Windows XP DVD too - now it provides personalized ads!

[@namesurname4666]

​@@andrewgwilliam4831same for divx movie on cd

[@bergfruehling]

Time to put a 4k Bluray in that thing.

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

@@bergfruehling You're clearly trolling. *Everyone* knows that you need to use positive ions with Bluray discs.

[@Kevin15673]

I've personally used this product before, and I can confirm it works very well! It makes the 1s and 0s on the CD significantly more oney and zeroey.

[@DewtbArenatsiz]

The signal read from a cd is called the eye pattern and it's analogue. The digital recording is embedded in it.

[@AttilaTheHun333333]

@@DewtbArenatsiz to call pits and lands on a CD analogue is a bit of a stretch.

[@Chris-du7hi]

@@DewtbArenatsiz No. Stored on the cd is a digital file, identical to one that could be saved on a hard disk, flash, whatever. The eye pattern test is for laser calibration. To adjust the laser to properly read the 1's and 0's. Adjusting the laser, yes analog. The data that the laser reads, no digital.

[@LarsH-y7l]

Seriously?

[@olsmokey]

If this product was any good, the resultant signal would not only be more oney and zeroey, but twoey as well. Maybe even three-ey.

[@jongarzamx]

Audiophiles' hearts will break the day they learn how digital data transfer works

[@pomonabill220]

I think if they don't know by now, they never will!

[@theghostdeejay7359]

So, please enlighten me. How does digital data transfer work when applied to music? Warning, I heve worked with audio for more than 30 years. So, please explain. Oh, and the word “audiophiles” is plural, so does not need an apostrophe

[@bobsmarts3074]

@@theghostdeejay7359 Well you've just made yourself look silly with the apostrophe gaff ... try harder if you're going to try and be clever with people.

[@tedmich]

thankfully they never "learn" since they have "golden ears"

[@thesledgehammerblog]

They missed a perfectly good opportunity to make that tourmaline stuff a consumable that needs to be replaced every 3 months at a cost of €199. They could even make it a subscription service. Everyone loves those, right?

[@laur9251]

Genius!

[@BRUXXUS]

Of course!

[@namesurname4666]

Great business idea, they would hire you instantly

[@Tim091]

With a subscription phone app as well of course.

[@inferi312]

Woah, calm down, Satan

[@Gameplayer55055]

It explains why car audio sounds so great! Car headlights use halogen bulbs and emit negative ions that make car audio sound great

[@j2323j]

Car audio I think sounds great because there are more speakers 🔊 not just L,R,

[@WorldCupWillie]

​@@j2323jno, that's pseudo-scientific nonsense. The OP is the correct about reason car audio sounds great.

[@frstwhsprs]

​@@j2323j bro didn't get the joke

[@TheTyisawesome]

​@@j2323jThink it's the subs haha

[@RandomEntry13013]

So because I'm driving forward, all the negative Ions pass thru my car, and that improves the audio, de-ionizes my water, and gives my air extra conditioning? Top tier life haxx. 😂

[@Simplebutsandy]

I love the audiophile snakeoil devices.

[@CptJistuce]

Same, honestly.

[@tjenadonn6158]

All the silliness of quack medicine, without the preventable death.

[@PSUQDPICHQIEIWC]

It always pisses me off in a very special way. Too bad I have integrity, otherwise I could be making money selling worthless trash to rich idiots.

[@UhOhUmm]

It's stupidity tax.

[@ian_b]

Have you heard of "The Belt Effect"? Worth looking up for a smh laugh.

[@K.C.Fizzicyst]

The sarcasm in this video was dripping so hard, it started flowing out of my screen. 10/10

[@terencehill2320]

ANY and I mean ANY company that has the balls to sue anyone for a bad review tells you all you need to know about the company full stock and barrel. Never trust any company that threatens anyone in that manner.

[@kendrakirai]

There are examples out there of actual lies, slander, defamation, and targeted harassment in reviews, which *do* require legal action. Factually reporting what the one you reviewed did or didn't do as the case may be does not.

[@ssgtmole8610]

Threatening to sue and actually suing are two different things.

[@johnmilton7578]

So basically this is a heated deioniser with a blower. Just the thing you need to deposit dust particles on a CD.

[@CptJistuce]

Ionizer, not deionizer.

[@krzysztofwaclawski9002]

Then you only need to treat it with CI-7II de-duster

[@Kanbei11]

We hope. Stuff like this has been radioactive in the past

[@CptJistuce]

@@Kanbei11 But at least it contains large solid particles instead of a breathable dust!

[@StormsparkPegasus]

@@CptJistuce Given what these snake oil salesmen did with their "negative ion" "health products" on places like aliexpress and amazon, I would grab a geiger counter and make sure this device isn't radioactive.

[@kek23k]

As a single man in my 50s, I've suffered a lonely and low audio quality life. Until I recently became a patreon member and now I can hear all my music with a much improved fidelity and when the lady at my corner shop found out she proposed to me!

[@Gappasaurus]

Congratulations! 🥳 Don’t forget to invite Mat to the wedding, you owe him big-time! 😄

[@harryshuman9637]

@@Gappasaurus You do realize he's making fun of people who write reviews for snake oil products like this?

[@toomanycables996]

@@harryshuman9637 Oh dear.

[@jed1nat]

@@harryshuman9637 Whoosh, dude.

[@joekenorer]

I stopped wearing my hearing aides!

[@dillontam9752]

I'd say this device has greatly improved the Techmoan watching experience. The humour is drier, the sarcasm has more drip, and the video even gained a dutch angle and a Patreon plug! Better keep this running in the background of all your videos, Matt

[@Kaucukovnik666]

Every video should be treated with ions and sarcasm before upload.

[@thesledgehammerblog]

@@dillontam9752 yes, but does it bring back the puppets?

[@dillontam9752]

@@thesledgehammerblog The angry iron is a good start!

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

I'd say this is Techmoan being Techmoan the legend.

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

@@thesledgehammerblog Sadly He gave up om that idea because it took to long to make those segments and He believed they detracted from the videos. I like them.

[@Joe-Przybranowski]

I sell acoustic fairy dust for $80 a gram. One puff maximizes the audio potential of any room. You definitely need this stuff.

[@dashcamandy2242]

$80 a gram? Am I supposed to sprinkle it around, or snort it? 🤣

[@m.k.8158]

@@dashcamandy2242 For best results, BOTH!

[@avery581]

@@dashcamandy2242Blow it off your hand into the air, of course.

[@mechadeka]

Nice try, feds.

[@pomonabill220]

Where can I buy this??? I NEED it!

[@wigglyboots2]

I'm subscribed to the channel because you are the sort of guy to take time filming the negative iron joke. This is craftsmanship.

[@pomonabill220]

That's negative ION... negative IRON is for your dishwasher and clothes washer to bring out the whitest whites!

[@raphaeltoast]

I watched this video and my DVD library moved itself to KZbin and transformed into 1080p. Absolutely amazing.

[@pomonabill220]

What does it do for DVD's/blue rays that are already 1080p? Makes them into 4K?

[@LarsH-y7l]

@@pomonabill220 Off cause And if you ̈́re chanting while rattling some chicken bones over the DVD player, it will play the transformed 4K dissc.

[@pubsub9832]

Sarcastic Mat is my favorite Mat.

[@Blitterbug]

You mean there's another? ;)

[@thesteelrodent1796]

thought that was just the natural state of any Brit

[@chriswalford4161]

@@Blitterbug: Self-parodying Matt is hilarious too!

[@Faxie83]

He sounded like The Audiophile Man when he listened to the treated CD, lol.

[@Blitterbug]

@@thesteelrodent1796 Nah, we hate all that irony nonsense, mate...

[@LarryCook1960]

When you turned it on at ~4:30, the ions came through my monitor's screen and hurt my eyes. However, I can now see through clothing, so I'm happy.

[@stevesstuff1450]

make the most of it; it won't last....you'll have to keep watching this video when you want that result again! 😝

[@dashcamandy2242]

Much better than those mail-order X-ray Specs, right? 😆

[@nickwallette6201]

What an odd side effect. I wonder what that would be useful for... 🤔

[@grahamstrachan3555]

Loved the negative iron 😂

[@andreicopaci7713]

Since I started considering becoming a Patreon of this channel, my Focusrite Clarett paired with either my Adams or Genelecs, all running through my Fiio AKM DAC, began to sound wider and more airy. The highs are now sparkling and noticeably sweeter than before. The bass feels tighter, and to my ears, the frequency response has dropped at least 5Hz to 40Hz. I can also hear everything above 20,000 Hz much more clearly. I can’t imagine how much better it will get if I actually become a Patreon!

[@josephrowe2202]

That old saying, "a fool and his money..." Yeah they were specifically talking about audiophiles 😂

[@BlobVanDam]

Devices like this are basically a tax on people who dont understand how technology works.

[@doohuh]

My taxes aren't optional

[@andymouse]

When you put it like that maybe it's not such a bad idea.

[@Aeduo]

Which is a shame, and there are many such things many people encounter day to day, because it's impossible to understand enough everything one might be using day to day to always make the best, most educated purchasing decisions. And if there was by some means that everyone got more clever about things, the tricks to get people to unnecessarily spend would get more cunning and waste more of people's time.

[@CP200S]

​​@@andymouseEvery scam gives money to bad people. Money brings power. Power elects politicians. Politicians affect the lives of everyone.

[@paulhall9713]

We need places people can go to learn about basic science and other subjects during childhood and can continue into adulthood if they wish. I think participation could even become mandatory.

[@elcasho]

That angry iron was hilarious

[@brapamaldi7666]

negative iron you mean ;)

[@zadtheinhaler]

@@brapamaldi7666 BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@patrickcardon1643]

Keep it away from the puppets ... they'd end up ... ironed

[@klausstock8020]

@@patrickcardon1643 Oh what irony!

[@FreezerKing]

I can just picture him drawing those eyes with pencil crayons and his wife not even bothering to question anything anymore

[@mikekz4489]

The church of Scientology was approached to use that thing and turned them down for it being BS.

[@LarixusSnydes]

Probably they tested it with their own BS. But of course the device itself is absolutely ludicrous. It might even be harmful to some degree, at least to the environment because it wastes energy both in production as in use. Tourmaline is not specifically a Thorium compound. It's just a cyclosilicate gemstone with boron and various metals.

[@Psythik]

​@@LarixusSnydes*woosh*.

[@StephaneCalabrese]

Scientology SELL enough BS to know better about buying BS.

[@glennlove461]

The irony.

[@WOFFY-qc9te]

@@StephaneCalabrese Scientology exist to keep rich idiots away from us.

[@mal2ksc]

For $1000, most people could seriously upgrade their speakers, which would have an effect on _everything_ that comes out of them, and require _no_ extra effort in preparation, once they're installed.

[@mazda9624]

I always get a kick out of your videos that cover the very niche set of audiophile products meant to "improve" CDs. It's always the funniest load of rubbish that I can't believe a *single* person out there ever actually believed would work. Please keep them coming!

[@Peron1-MC]

yeah if the bits are changed in any way you will just get horrendous loud noises XD any change will corrupt the data XD

[@NoobixCube]

Having worked in a store that sold audio gear, this is exactly the kind of snake-oil quackery my customers would have believed in.

[@baxtardboy]

Were you encouraged to upsell this nonsense?

[@VikingTeddy]

No no, you just don't understand the product. It literally rearranges the bits on the CD, there by changing the sound!

[@MazeFrame]

@@VikingTeddy Well, so does my 20€ heat gun...

[@filanfyretracker]

I have heard that in the big box electronics stores at one time and maybe still the clerks were required to push Monster Cable over just plain speaker cable.

[@Error2username]

Still they do it with vinyl😂

[@metarotta]

i checked the website of the company that manufactured it out of curiosity, and was met with a power cable costing 5k dollars that in its description promised to "wipe out any power supply and ground noise with Finemet beads" audiophiles have an 1000:1 ratio of money to sense it seems

[@antibrevity]

And the power cables are especially hilarious because they plug into an outlet fed by an entirely unshielded electrical grid. If sometime thinks that shielding the 4ft that they can see between the wall and device is helpful, they aren't playing with a full deck.

[@dagnisnierlins188]

I only buy "fancy" audio cables to make my setup look better. Max $20 for a cable.

[@fuzzy1dk]

it must be some elaborate money laundering scheme

[@Minty1337]

it really makes me wonder how people that stupid have the money to afford garbage like this

[@MickeyMousePark]

or you could spend $5 on Torrid Inductors and put them around your cable..Torrid Coils do reduce line noise and are used in all power supplies and have been around since the mid 19th century thanks to Michael Faraday..(famous for his Faraday Cage) if you look inside a power supply you will see the mains wire will pass through a black donut or bead looking item..that is the Torrid Inductor

[@simonallen9339]

I signed up on Patreon and can confirm the stereo soundstage became much more improved, with dramatic highs and enhanced bass response.

[@DavidFrankland]

Bingo!

[@padraicbrown6718]

But is your room listing to port or starboard?

[@maltoNitho]

As a patron I can say I noticed the profound clarity and warmth in your presentation that I hadn't experienced before joining. The tonal balance of your delivery is now so refined, it’s as if the essence of your insights have been elevated to a higher plane of enlightenment and satirical discovery. 😊😆 Cheers on another wonderful video.

[@AdvocatusThei]

12:50 Oh you bugger, you got me. I've been watching your videos for years now, but that joke was so good I joined your Patreon.

[@MarcGrondin]

Can confirm. Being a patron has greatly improved the sound quality of my life. Highly recommend!

[@PhilC184]

It also massively improves your attractiveness to the opposite gender (or so I’m told).

[@RabbitBleed]

I'm glad the center hole is treated, and the edge of the disc was kept untreated.

[@ericpode6095]

Always keep your centre hole ionised....

[@Ale.K7]

Indeed! Treating the edge would probably affect the results of the green audiophile Sharpie applied to it... or of that CD edge shaver Mat showed some time ago!

[@P747]

But it's like with vinyl, the further in the music goes the worser it sounds so that's why the center is treated more that the outer ring.

[@stevebennett9750]

@@P747 People probably gullible enough to believe that. CD's store content from the center out. But hey, gotta keep that inner-bits-distortion low :)

[@RabbitBleed]

Imagine fitting one of these ionizers in a conch shell and telling people it'll improve their hearing. If it sounds like the ocean is boiling, it's working.

[@KennethPaul]

Can confirm, became a patron and my hearing improved. I can now hear in colour which is outstanding.

[@Great_White_Great_White]

You must live in gated community if you never heard color before...

[@AntonVoshwitz]

I cannot believe Techmoan put his balls on a CD

[@hoot7588]

I found that by holding my CDs up to the screen while watching your video, the ions transferred through and gave me a noticeable improvement in my CD sound stage!

[@transistortester]

Grade A quackery. Be aware that many things marketed as "negative ion" are actually radioactive, especially if it has no apparent power source. I think it's unlikely that this one is, but it's so common that it's probably best to be wary the category as a whole.

[@steviebboy69]

I am sure I remember reading about some new age thing that people would wear around their neck and it was actually Radioactive.

[@geekehUK]

@@steviebboy69 Yeah some of these things, especially the "jewelry" contain thorium.

[@sw-gs]

He should get rid of it!

[@steviebboy69]

@@geekehUK Yes that was the one and the users had no idea.

[@jamescollins6085]

They probably exist purely as a way for the unscrupulous Chinese factories to dispose of their nuclear waste. I think most of them only emit alpha, fortunately.

[@momatt]

This is the audiophile equivalent of crystal therapy.

[@Max_Mustermann]

Coincidentally, there was a company that sold "audiophile" crystals that supposedly improved audio quality by putting them onto hi-fi equipment.

[@tookitogo]

Yeah, “equivalent”? They literally have audiophile magic crystals. 😂

[@witchy90210]

They probably sell it for non audio purposes as well

[@vdochev]

Yeah, if I unironically purchase one of these, I'd need a real therapy.

[@Noxedwin]

Inviting the bros over for a sesh of "listening to music". Just charging our acoustic crystals.

[@kitsimmonds.344]

A thousand bloody Euro's for a bloody CD heater!!!😂

[@GoldenCroc]

Absolute bargain. This will save me lot of money, do you have any idea how many CDs I have ruined by trying to heat them in my microwave or on the stove? This seems like a much safer alternative.

[@Beldiin]

You should see the rest of their products. €5000 for a power cable. Or my favourite one, €220 for a cable insulator, which is a block of wood with crystals in the bottom.

[@witeshade]

It's obvious quackery but I don't know if I can really blame the company. Normal people aren't going to buy that shit, and the kind of wealthy idiot who will throw money at it is going to throw money at anything, so why not get in line to catch what they're throwing.

[@albertocabezas282]

Does anybody remember when they said that freezing your CDs between 24 to 48 hours it will improve volume and definition? Well, I was young and quite naive and CDs were the hot sh!t so I performed that ridiculousness. No, it didn't work.

[@RobCamp-rmc_0]

@@GoldenCrocthe crackling lightning plasma effect means it’s working

[@sunrunnerpei]

I'm just impressed you managed to get through that with a straight face!

[@EdLawless]

@Techmoan, Love that you take the time to go over gadgets like this. I remember reading about these in the hifi magazines in the late 80s and early 90s. Like you we could never find or answer to the because. Appreciate your honesty and going after these gimmicky devices. The one thing that has improved my cds was a resurfacer for badly scratched unplayable discs; making them usable again. Hardly and audiophile endevor. Keep these videos coming.

[@NiddNetworks]

I bought a Techmoan mug, and it sits in between my nearfield monitors - huge improvement in every aspect of the audio. In fact, I played Mat's karaoke, and it sounded better than the original he was copying!!

[@andythekitsune]

Flippin 'eck that's amazing!

[@NiddNetworks]

@@andythekitsune I can only suggest you buy one to try it!

[@damonappel]

You should buy a second mug. Then you could place them right next to each monitor. And then Mat would begin to sound .......no, I can't do it. His karaoke attempts will ALWAYS be horrific. 😂

[@symmetrie_bruch]

in fact just by watching this video i´ve grown 20 cm put on 23 kg of lean muscle and thought of a way to properly demonstrate neutrinoless double beta decay and proved the riemann hypothesis

[@KiwiCatherineJemma]

Those Techmoan Mugs are great yeah, but just a warning. Because of differences between the UK 240 Volt 50 Hz and the US 120 V 60 Hz systems, Americans MUST be sure to specify the US model when ordering, or else it will make their favourite coffee, taste like a cup of good ol' Earl Grey Tea instead !

[@keiyakins]

The way to improve on CD audio is to go kick the people doing the mastering until they stip killing the dynamic range on literally every recording.

[@peterlarkin762]

Lol this guy (or gal) here knows the deal!

[@hermanmunster3358]

Or just stop employing Metal Heads to do the mastering, unless they're mastering Death Metal recordings. They are the TRUE "PIRATES that are KILLING MUSIC"

[@keiyakins]

@@hermanmunster3358 some of the best mastered stuff I've heard recently has been metal. It's really a problem with the entire chain... including the listener. We've been trained to keep our stuff turned down by albums that are way too loud otherwise, so stuff mastered well is super quiet and we hate that too. Modern playback devices are, of course, smart enough to compensate on the playback end but that hasn't changed industry practice.

[@hermanmunster3358]

@@keiyakins If you listen to that sort of music a lot, then I suppose there will be diamonds in the rough! But to me, Death Metal does just sound like noise, no disrespect intended, but it just ain't my cup of Joe!

[@nimoy007]

​​​@@hermanmunster3358 You have big "old man yells at cloud" energy. I'm no death metal fan, but I'm not walking around telling everybody who didn't ask for my unsubstantiated opinion what I think about musical genres... Also, metal genres are very different, and it doesn't seem like you'd know the difference. Additionally, neither "metal heads" nor "death metal" are proper nouns, so capitalization is unnecessary.

[@jackalski]

Shooting a B-roll of overfilling the glass of water is commitment I'm here for! Excelent :D

[@meowmocha12]

Not the most efficient way to water your lawn, admittedly. There's faster ways of doing it. But whatever floats your boat, I guess.

[@originaluddite]

And quite relaxing to watch.

[@shaunoleary7092]

One of the funniest videos I've watched for a while. I loved the "negative iron" bit, that was hilarious. Watch out he doesn't get too steamed up though! The very subtle and yet scathing sarcasm was awesome! I get the feeling you made this video just to make that joke - well done! 🙂

[@viktorakhmedov3442]

I was looking at their product offerings and in addition to this and the disc demagnetizer, they also appear to make a "high-fidelity" USB card reader that enhances the sound of any MP3s stored on any SD card you insert into it. Brilliant!

[@barrieshepherd7694]

Intrigued by the negative ion argument I rushed to the loft and dug out my old ZeroStat ion discharge unit from my vinyl days (it did do what it said in relation to vinyl pops & bangs). I gave a CD a couple of bursts from it and WOW what an improvement I no longer had bits of dust on the CD. Playing the CD revelled a sinister lack of improvement to sound quality so I thought it could be related to the CD player sampling method so pulled out an older player just to test - yes there was a difference but regrettably the same difference as always. Then I remembered the old vinyl trick of having the 'conductive film' tags on everything and the curly cable wraps. Having reinstalled those items I settled down, in my favorite chair, to some serious listening. And YES sound quality was improved, smoother, more relaxed, more 'flavour' - of course that may have had something to do with the malt in the glass I had been consuming.

[@TheErador]

Might this be the time for the big clive collab we never knew we needed, so he can tear it down and see if it's anything more than a fan, heater coil, lamp and timer.

[@TheRealColBosch]

100%.

[@straightpipediesel]

It's an ionizer so Big Clive would go on about how good it is.

[@TheErador]

@@straightpipediesel but *is it* actually an ioniser or is it completely bs?

[@bornach]

​@@TheEradorI bet it emits the same amount of negative ions as a Himalayan salt lamp

[@StephaneCalabrese]

That would be extremely surprising if this thing would produce anything else than mild heat.

[@p00ky76]

I like the fact they labeled both On and Off. I get the feeling that the people who bought this may well have become over whelmed by all the controls.

[@Schattengewaechs99]

“It feels like a cockpit!”

[@boringpolitician]

The negative ions made this video much clearer! 144p is as clear as regular 1080p! This video had depth and excellent picture quality.

[@jolly99jod]

"Our product can make your 0s and 1s sound better" essentially what these companies are saying

[@7o177]

i feel like the people that would buy these would also buy a gold plated toslink cable for 99.99

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

Yes, they walk amongst us

[@JathraDH]

$99.99? Bruh you don't know how much audiophiles pay for cables do you?

[@katrinabryce]

You need to be spending at least $16,000 for decent quality 🤪. Can't post links here, but this is a real thing.

[@robinsutcliffe-video_art]

@@katrinabryce 1600e for an IEC power cable. Not joking

[@robinsutcliffe-video_art]

@@katrinabryce There was a blind test in a store, and cableswise, nobody could tell the difference between coat hangar wire, and the most expensive speaker cable.

[@sprankton]

The phrase "negative ion" is a huge red flag for any product. More often than not it means there's radioactive thorium in it, and it's not safe to have around you for extended periods of time.

[@jpf1978]

You can use a flat neutron ointment to prevent sickness

[@jpaulc441]

Especially if it's Thorium. In recent years a lot of people have been talking about it and see it as a safer alternative to uranium and plutonium, so they assume it's fine to wear it around their necks.

[@melody3741]

@@jpf1978is this a joke, a legitimate product, or is it a science joke that is actually true?

[@oasntet]

@@melody3741 Check out Though Emporium's investigations. Significant numbers of "Negative Ion" jewelry meant for "5G protection" are actually radioactive, even ones sold on a certain behemoth commerce platform. They keep getting reported and taken down, but unscrupulous sellers continue shipping radioactive material into the US. At the very least, it is only alpha particles, but the thorium oxide itself is usually in powdered form and can flake off...

[@pseudomemes5267]

​@@jpaulc441they won't get internal organ cancer now, that's a story for 20 years from now

[@TheDeepImpact965]

I like the "analogizing spray" I once found for sale. Makes your CD Sound more analogue like a Vinyl

[@paulstaf]

“But Brawndo has what plants crave! It's got electrolytes! '...Okay - what are electrolytes? Do you know? Yeah. It's what they use to make Brawndo.' But why do they use them in Brawndo? What do they do?''They're part of what plants crave.'But why do plants crave them?'Because plants crave Brawndo, and Brawndo has electrolytes.”

[@Mariooooooooooo]

i ran this video through the washer a few times and let it air dry. now it sounds so improved with greater separation and air in the soundstage. also the double bass really firmed up a considerable amount

[@getman1991]

I think this was the sassiest Techmoan video yet. And I'm totally down for it! Preach!

[@hanab3941]

I can't believe the price they're asking for this thing! A fool and their money are soon parted, indeed.

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

An audiophile and their money are easily parted

[@geofftottenperthcoys9944]

@@ChrisHopkinsBass Like when HDMI cable came out!

[@DejanTesic]

See, if it were any cheaper, it wouldn't work.

[@AsgerJ]

Then joining the Patreon is way cheaper! What a deal!

[@enisra_bowman]

@@geofftottenperthcoys9944 goldplated TOSLink Cables are even worse

[@Bellinose]

There is so much negativity in the air nowadays that I don't want to add any to my music! Funny video as usual 🙂

[@Christian-fj9qj]

Just watching this video had some sort of remote negative ion effect on my CD collection. Soundstage and clarity improved tremendously - cheers

[@oddkarstenm.svartaas97]

Can confirm! After becoming a patron, the quality of my headphones improved markedly. Not only that, but my sinuses cleared up as well!

[@keinschwein8467]

The mind-boggling thing is that somebody really had to design the thing, make it manufacturable, have molds made, all that stuff. At some point in time, some people really put effort into this ... thing.

[@elysiumsexsmith]

I'm pretty sure its just a pre-existing product that's been repurposed. The most effort put into it was coming up with the marketing copy to dupe gullible idiots.

[@straightpipediesel]

Why? One word: profit.

[@TransistorBased]

​@@straightpipedieselseriously, if that thing cost $1,000 they're probably making a profit of around $900 per unit because I'm pretty sure that's just a standard off-the-shelf control panel and there's not much else going on with this product. Hell, they're probably making even more money because I doubt they do much advertising and they've probably partnered with a Chinese vendor to make these things for little to no cost at all.

[@zecretw7272]

I am pretty sure that thing is just a repurposed air filter unit.

[@woeshaling6421]

@@zecretw7272 Makes a lot more sense, because it is god awful design to treat cd's. You have to keep alert for a light turning off, no automated eject mechanism or even a sound cue like a beeper.

[@Nic5Cyprus]

This thumbnail is a work of art

[@sweetybnz7482]

Certain recreational substances can make your CDs sound better if you are of that persuasion. Works for vinyl, tape, minidisc and streaming.

[@thesteelrodent1796]

some prescription drugs do the same thing. I have some painkillers that can radically change your perception of the world ;)

[@chriswalford4161]

My mates report that the decoordinating effect actually signifintly risks vinyl….

[@duskonanyavarld1786]

I have heard that you can see the music if you do so. 😮

[@G-Mastah-Fash]

This thing would be pretty good for drying weed on.

[@filanfyretracker]

I know that a certain green planty of those substances known to cause side effects such as wanting Doritos, Pizza or Taco Bell gives one the ability to understand Pearl Jam and Dave Matthews Band records. ;)

[@ChristopherHallett]

I need to become a patron of this channel - I've seen reviews saying that being a patreon subscriber will cause you to lose excess weight, gain muscle mass and bone density, your IQ will raise by 2-25 points, and your luck will improve to the point where you literally cannot lose playing table games at a casino.

[@wiesejay]

Missing is the 4 hours of him busting out In laughter that was edited out

[@sickregret]

Snarky Techmoan is the best Techmoan.

[@TheKingOfBeans]

Sarky

[@CarletonTorpin]

Love the cinematic use of Dutch angles, in order to clue us in to the facetious nature of the ‘positive’ section of the review. :)

[@davidbutterworth139]

I think he only did it for the "listing room" joke, in reference to a ship's tilt being called a listing

[@CarletonTorpin]

@@davidbutterworth139 that also makes perfect sense, as a visual pun.

[@limbophonic1]

Love the " negative " iron appearance 😄😁

[@lenowoo]

When i hear "negative ion" i already know what to expect 😂. My childhood is filled with similar ads on tv.

[@rushnerd]

The negative iron joke was *chef's kiss*

[@searlecom1]

I joined up on Patreon and my CD's instantly improved as described, infact my hearing improved too. The effects of this were so remarkable, that I can now hear my wife when she is calling me!

[@joneggelton]

Well, every silver lining has a cloud.

[@zeero4ever]

"WHO IS THAT TECHNO MOAN GUY YOU GIVE ALL OUR MONEY TO!!??"

[@CommanderZx2]

I looked up one of these things, I can't believe there's fools out there that pay over a grand for a device that is essentially just a fan, lights and a PVC tube.

[@xp8969]

Applying a thin coating of magic marker to the outside of your cassette tapes will increase the dynamic range by 12%, I do it to all my tapes!!!!

[@mrxmry3264]

LOL! ROFL!! ROFLMAO!!!

[@tezcanaslan2877]

What brand do you recommend?

[@mrxmry3264]

@@tezcanaslan2877 i recommend common sense.

[@andrewhaines3259]

Would a Sharpie pen sharpen up the soundstage? 😂

[@tezcanaslan2877]

@@andrewhaines3259 be careful to not sharpen it too much as the soundwaves can create cuts in anything it touches

[@xavierhuc2125]

Oh boy! Crystal therapy for audio!

[@Snotnarok]

Thank goodness we have this to go along with our DVD rewinders!

[@pascalmathieu9332]

Something that works : a better amplifier, better speakers, a dedicated room ...

[@user-sd3ik9rt6d]

It's often the room that makes the biggest difference, if you want good sound then get a pair of open back headphones

[@PhineasPhlob]

Ooh, putting the amplifier at the top of your list is a risky move ;)

[@ChrisStoneinator]

@@user-sd3ik9rt6d unfortunately the vast majority of music is not recorded and mixed for headphones. The acoustic crossfeed from a speaker system is a huge part of what makes it sound better. I have invested much more in headphones than I have in speakers as they’re much more practical for me and my room isn’t great. But I will say that my £100 Q Acoustics 3020 through a nice amp sound more natural in some senses than my Stax, my ZMFs and my vintage Grados, even though the headphones are clearly more detailed, textured and enjoyable.

[@thesteelrodent1796]

for most of these "audiophile" fellas, the problem with the sound quality in their system usually comes down to mismatched speakers and amplifier, snake oil speaker cables, and having various EQ functions enabled that they don't know how to turn off.

[@ChrisStoneinator]

@@thesteelrodent1796 most stuff aimed at audiophiles doesn’t even support EQ so I’m not sure about that one

[@ChipGuy]

I had to giggle imagining you telling Mrs Tachmoan to follow you in to the garden and record a clip with you overfilling a glass of water on purpose. Out of context this is so weird. Love it.

[@sideshowrod1312]

This is a genius device! As well as de-ionising your CDs it can also be used for warming scones, crumpets and cookies! I want one! 😅😅

[@chainswordcs]

just what my audiophile setup needed, an in-home firestarter!

[@PiotrMichniewski]

I can confirm - I've been a patron for a few years and I've never had a bad listening experience on any of my devices

[@bosstowndynamics5488]

If you have one laying around it might be interesting to run a Geiger counter over it, it's very unlikely for this but there's been multiple incidents where it turned out the tourmaline in negative ion products was a radioactive thorium compound

[@RandyCivilized]

The homeopathic medicine of audio gadgets

[@john_barnett]

Negative ions are stored in the balls. Got it.

[@scruffythejanitor1969]

It's true. A couple of mine got out and they do nothing but complain.

[@AndreasElf]

@@scruffythejanitor1969 And constantly growing I guess?

[@Daigohji99]

The real treasure was the balls we ionised along the way.

[@lurkersmith810]

It's a good thing you went ahead and bought that thing, regardless of all the negativity from that iron!

[@NeungView]

Absolute solid gold bollocks!

[@andrewhaines3259]

Careful. You don't want the company suing you! 😂

[@titanisback1]

Nice to hear someone mention brickwalled CDs when talking about badly mastered CDs. So many CD reviewers just straight up refuse to look at the quality of the music on the disc in favor of gawking at the disc/packaging.

[@jbaldwin1970]

I prefer to listen to the quality of the music. Call me old fashioned but… 😅

[@SianaGearz]

You know what would be interesting? One issue CDs actually suffer from is Disc Rot, a passivation fault in the label-side lacquer layer which results in corrosion of the aluminium mirror layer, making the CD partially unreadable. This fault can likely be simulated by leaving a CD in water or in lye solution for a long time by diffusion. But the underlying polycarbonate is chemically quite stable and in reality, the data is still on there, in the grooves of the mirror side of the plastic. I wonder if once aluminium has started to go, it can be peeled off, perhaps the rest chemically destroyed with more lye, and then the data surface of the disc (label side) re-silvered using the school experiment chemistry to make it normally readable again?

[@AnonymousAnarchist2]

Oh that is a good thought. I suppose the questions here is, does the polycarbinate get damaged by the aluminum decay process or lye treatment, and can Tollens Reagent (the school experment) or any other form of silvering properly seat in the groves. Its definitly worth a try if you have a cd with rot. I dont have any doner cds for such a project, but Tollens reagent is really cheap to make or buy as a two part solution.

[@ChrisStoneinator]

I’m sure that we will start to see disc rot become more of an issue in the coming decade, in that a) it will be more pervasive and b) the discs it’s killing will be considered more collectible and less replaceable/disposable. When that happens, there’ll be a demand for a device like that and I’m sure some clever clogs will make it.

[@LerockJohn]

I knew a guy back then who used to spray paint the label side of his cd's.. He said they sounded better. I couldn't tell. But could it possibly be? From Canada, Peace Out!

[@SianaGearz]

@@LerockJohn No, they wouldn't sound better, but if done well, it at least wouldn't unbalance the CD, hopefully :D If the lacquer is good, perhaps the CD can be preserved against Disc Rot, but difficult to guess. Disc Rot is generally not a problem for the first 10 years of disc's life except in very exceptional rare cases.

[@thesteelrodent1796]

as long as you can find a way to remove the chemical layers and the aluminium without damaging the plastic part, then you can in theory resurface the discs. I think lye is probably too harsh, but with modern technology it should actually be possible to scrub the layers off one nanometer at a time. Would be an extremely slow process either way, and I doubt it'd be worthwhile

[@Whyyouhere117]

Bugger, he's right! After I joined his Patreon, the soundstage of my speakers got so much wider, the bass response in my room so much clearer, and the treble, I can actually hear it! It got rid of all my negative ions and replaced them with positive ones!

[@PhilC184]

The only thing worse than a negative iron is a passive aggressive washing machine.

[@sirvivor_1974]

"...use the demagnetizer on your hard drive..." The effect will be stunning indeed!

[@MickeyMousePark]

it will be much "cleaner" and probably weigh less with all those large heavy files removed..

[@ianscott947]

Every time I watch one of these brilliant 'improving CDs' videos I'm reminded of a time that I read in a hi-fi mag about these fancy elastic bands that you could put around your CDs, they supposedly stopped light escaping out the edges and that would improve your listening experience blah blah blah. I do wonder how many people bought into this "baffle them with b/s" marketing nonsense, and genuinely thought they worked.

[@marcberm]

"Working Example" is a term reserved for non quack devices. For some devices there's no such thing as a working example.

[@Peron1-MC]

well its working as intended. since the snake oil got purchased in the first place XD

[@bartoscar]

Anyone else remember the green marker CD myth? This was huge in the early 90s. People seriously thought that coloring the edges of CDs green would make them sound better because of made-up reasons. You could even buy a "special" marker for this.

[@Nc_303]

Delighted to see you on this form Matt!

[@kodek1234]

7:56 Funny how they say that it improves the sound waves. There are no sound waves on the digital side of the process ie the reading of the disc. That's obviously after the DAC does the conversion.

[@alvarosundfeld]

Hi, Mat! Being a sort of an audiophile myself (but not the kind that thinks negative charged, unshaved, or magnetized CD’s can change the sound plus a whole lot of other lies people end up believing in) I just fell in love with these kinds of videos in which you debunk the most absurd snake-oil theories ever about compact discs. As a suggestion, I would love (and laugh lots as well) if you made a video about the ‘differences’ between CD transports, on which some ‘audiophiles’ swear upon. I think it’s all crap; as long as you use the same DAC for decoding and none of the machines playing the CDs are defective, you should get exactly the same results in either end. Comparing both files the way you do in audacity would prove that! What do you think? Get a REALLY, laughably cheap CD player with an optical output. Then, do the same thing with a more expensive, upmarket one. It will be so funny when we see the straight line in the difference channel…

[@Mister_Brown]

it mattered and was detectable in the super old days when dacs were regenerating the clock with an analog pll and excessive jitter from a transport that didn't process the output beyond manchester encoding the frames possibly interpreting the error correction data and inserting the headers could turn a mark followed by a space into a space followed by a mark in the encoding. but if that is happening more than a couple times you're going to notice because it will eventually happen in the most significant bits modern cd players re generate the s/pdif signal internally as part of all in one cd player chips and dacs are far better too, i doubt there is a cd transport made after 1990 that has enough jitter to mess up a very old discrete dac or a cd transport ever made that would produce subtly inaccurate audio on a modern dac tl:dr: it won't matter and if you wanted even a chance at seeing a difference you'd need to have some very vintage gear

[@alvarosundfeld]

@@Mister_Brown Exactly! But some people still insist in looking for ‘differences’ where there aren’t any. If only they could just accept the facts…

[@DarthEquus]

I remember the Demagnetizer! A certain Home Theater magazine in the 90s caught a lot of flak from readers after one of their columnists praised the device, to the point a certain subscriber made fun of the article by claiming he had been able to improve the audio quality of his magnetic tapes by shining a flashlight on them. This device is basically that!

[@frankiesomeone]

It's like putting a book in the fridge and expecting the words to change

[@Dyrim]

I subscribed to this channel and my apartment was instantly made cleaner by the power of the negative ions being released into my carpet. It really works!