To paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld, it is the "unknown unknowns" in audio that scare the pants off me at times. Synergistic's Ted Denney pulled me into his room. "Sit down. Listen to this."
We listened to a track called "Fade to Black." Was it Bob Dylan, was it Mark Knopfler? No-one knew. But the sound of the Thiel CS2.7 speakers was full and enveloping. Ted flipped a switch. The low frequencies became a bit boomier, but the soundstage expanded even more.
"Okay, I heard a difference. What did you change?"
Ted pointed to the Synergistic Enigma Transporter Active Shielding Power Supply, which sported two antique tubes on its top. "I changed from a 1943 Western Electric regulator tube to a 1932 Tungar 4B27."
This tube is the series-pass element in the power supply for the DC bias voltage used by the Synergistic cables. It is
not in the signal path. There is no reason why it should change the sound. But change the sound it did!
Ted then showed me the effect of Synergistic's forthcoming AC conditioner, which he says uses opposed, balanced, electromagnetic fields and which will sell for $2500 with six outlets. But all I could think about is what I heard in the first dem.
