Author Topic: Graphene...  (Read 30855 times)

Offline rollo

  • Industry Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 6982
  • Rollo Audio - Home demo the only way to know
Re: Graphene...
« Reply #15 on: November 19, 2017, 11:40:25 AM »
Well I can tell you without doubt that this product is the real deal. Bob Pragnell "Mad Scientist" is an honorable manf. of fine cables and tweaks.



charles
contact me  at rollo14@verizon.net or visit us on Facebook
Lamm Industries - Aqua Acoustic, Formula & La Scala DAC- INNUOS  - Rethm - Kuzma - QLN - Audio Hungary Qualiton - Fritz speakers -Gigawatt -Vinnie Rossi,TWL, Swiss Cables, Merason DAC.

Offline Nick B

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 4088
Re: Graphene...
« Reply #16 on: November 20, 2017, 10:10:39 PM »
I hope this is the real deal. I’ve never messed with these tweaks as I don’t want to reapply every 6 - 12 months.
Orchard Starkrimson Ultra amp
Supratek Chardonnay preamp
JMR Voce Grande speakers
Border Patrol SEi dac
Holo Red streamer
Hapa Aero digital coax
WyWires Silver cables
TWL Digital American II p cord
Audio Envy p cords
Roon, Tidal, Qobuz
PI Audio UberBUSS

Offline P.I.

  • Industry Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 1919
  • Silence is that blackness beneath the music
    • P.I. audio group, LLC
Re: Graphene...
« Reply #17 on: December 08, 2017, 01:32:39 PM »
This is the first of what will be an ongoing open discussion about what we all hear, or don't when using graphene applications.

Before I get to my findings there are a few observations.

1.     It is like Caig Pro Gold in that the smallest amount that will give coverage is what you want.  No doubt... it gets a tad messy.   

2.     Tube pins and sockets are a no brainer.  395 degree F is plenty of tolerance

3.     Use it on your highest gain, lowest signal components first. This includes AC cable and receptacle applications.  It is easier to follw just what is happening sonically than working from the heavy lifters like amps first.  When it comes to audio... any form of audio, not just digital : GIGO.  Clean up the most delicate aspects of the signal chain first.  I'm not sure why a lot of people just don't understand it.

On to my qualifications and observations.

The graphene is a viscuous oily concoction that looks like it contains, uhm... graphite.  Smells like mineral oil.  I applied this concoction to one of my cryoed Hand Polished P&S 5362A receptacles that is my reference of comparison.  It is very neutral, has a firm controlled LF, organic mids and bell like highs.  Great standard commercial receptacle.  The challenge is getting a very thin coating on contacts that are inside the recpetacle.  I did mine while the receptacle was apart after polishing and ultrasonic cleaning.  I installed it into my breakin in fixture, plugged in a load and let it cook for about 5 days with a 7A load.  Then it went into a DigiBUSS+ prototype and fed the DAC and mini whose contact had been treated.

What did I or did I not hear?

Not much.

I did not hear the inherent noise in the electrical connections that were there before.  This took quite a whie to figure out, even with me being the Noise Hunter in AC and DC.  This was a subtle, but welcome addition (subtraction) from an already very low noise floor in my system.  My system at present is a tiny one that just makes music.  Bare bones as I am a less is more guy anyhow.  I'm working on new speakers that should be online shortly after New Years... 

Removing noise is my Holy Grail.  Every bit of noise that is removed from a system gives a system that is spending its effort in reproducing the music and not that insidious noise that is there is 90% of the systems in use.

Basically what I heard was a reduction in that small amount of hair that is exemplary of very low level noise.  The spurious sizzles, ticks, extremely low level hums... all of that crap is musical energy waiting to happen.  The net is a smoother presentation with delicate highs and intimate mids with a tuneful low end.  I like a nice firm bottom.

For me graphene treatment is a no brainer.  I will be using it on all of my power filtration products in the future.  My bottom line:  I was listening and said "Nice" out loud to an empty room, save me and Marc Cohn.

Talk to Charles Rollo.  It is like chicken soup : It couldn't hurt!   8)
"A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument." - Hilmar von Campe

Offline mdconnelly

  • Audio Neurotic
  • *****
  • Posts: 1439
  • new ways to dream...
Re: Graphene...
« Reply #18 on: December 09, 2017, 05:59:24 AM »
Dave, thanks for taking this on!    :thumb: 

So can you briefly compare the sonic benefits of graphene to Caig Pro Gold?   Even if the sonic improvement is the same, I'm hoping the use of graphene will last a good bit longer before needing to be reapplied.   

Offline P.I.

  • Industry Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 1919
  • Silence is that blackness beneath the music
    • P.I. audio group, LLC
Re: Graphene...
« Reply #19 on: December 10, 2017, 05:46:10 PM »
Dave, thanks for taking this on!    :thumb: 

So can you briefly compare the sonic benefits of graphene to Caig Pro Gold?   Even if the sonic improvement is the same, I'm hoping the use of graphene will last a good bit longer before needing to be reapplied.
I've never been a fan of ProGold in particular and Caig, with the exception of De-Oxit, in general. The stuff works great in the short term, but needs to be CLEANED OFF and reapplied every so often depending upon where we live.  It is kind of like buying Thompson's Water Seal for masontry and finding out that it needs refreshing every year instead of spending 5 times as much for this - Siloxa-Tek 8500 - that is good for 5-10 years.

Concrete rant over!

Mike it all comes down to the carrier properties.  Materials applied with a brush are more effective from a longevity aspect in general.  De-Oxit from the bottle was always better than from the spray.  For the ease of control, for sure.

What most people don't mention is that the Caig Products are best used in the smallest amount possible.

The thing that I have liked so far is the drop spread comparison that I'm doing.  I put a small drop - ~ 3mm on a piece of high density polypropylene to check the cold flow of the Grephene product VS 3 other contact enhancers that I had o hand. By an order of magnitude of magnitude or more, it had the least amount of substrate creep of all of the treatments.  I like contact enhancers that don't crawl all over the connectors just because they can.

I really do think that this might be THAT enhancer that will actually have a use/life curve of our liking.  I', getting older.  I don't need to worship at the alley thrones of the audio gods much anymore.  Been there, done that.


Like I said, I'm making it one of my staples.  These would be:

Xylene
Methanl alcohol
Isopropyl alcohol (91%)
hydrogen peroxide 30%
MEK
De-Oxit
Breakfree
Brake cleaner
Jena Labs contact enhancer
deionized water

For the drinkers in the crowd: Absolute Vodka and Everclear will replace 50% of these solvents.  Just be careful!

Anyway, after "it" is cleaned, everythihg works, just some things work better.  So far those are hydrogen peroxide, DeOxit, Jena Labs, and the Mad Scientist Graphene Contact enhancers to be great!

Hydrogen peroxide in 30% - 35% reductions are available at stores that specialize in supplying hairdressers goods and restaurant food sanitization services.  Be very, very careful when using it.  It is a surface cleaner and degreaser par excellence, but is an aggressive organic solvent and really effective at cleaning up audio plug and connector grunge-ola.  Wear gloves when handling this material and pay attention to your body.  When working on an implanter that I was cleaning with H2O2 I thought that I felt a tingle in two of my fingers.  I was triple cuffed for this particular job, but emerged to find ou that somehow H2O2 got through the gloves and I lost nails on my first and second fingers of my left hand. Lost some flesh, too.  Looked like... ewwwwww .. !?! # 😲    Just goes to remind us all how important it is to do the right thing and run true in our older years.

« Last Edit: December 11, 2017, 08:09:23 AM by Nick B »
"A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument." - Hilmar von Campe

Offline rollo

  • Industry Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 6982
  • Rollo Audio - Home demo the only way to know
Re: Graphene...
« Reply #20 on: December 11, 2017, 10:22:10 AM »
Good thorough review Dave. If anyone is interested PM me. I'm loving it on Cart pins, and IC's so far. Tube pins now as well. The key is to use little and blot it off. It will NOT migrate.
Just make sure you clean the surface to be treated with Jena Labs.


charles
contact me  at rollo14@verizon.net or visit us on Facebook
Lamm Industries - Aqua Acoustic, Formula & La Scala DAC- INNUOS  - Rethm - Kuzma - QLN - Audio Hungary Qualiton - Fritz speakers -Gigawatt -Vinnie Rossi,TWL, Swiss Cables, Merason DAC.

Offline rollo

  • Industry Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 6982
  • Rollo Audio - Home demo the only way to know
Re: Graphene...
« Reply #21 on: December 11, 2017, 10:31:17 AM »
  FUSES, FUSES, FUSES how could I forget FUSES just wait til ya try. Dave go to the fuse and holder oh my !!


charles
contact me  at rollo14@verizon.net or visit us on Facebook
Lamm Industries - Aqua Acoustic, Formula & La Scala DAC- INNUOS  - Rethm - Kuzma - QLN - Audio Hungary Qualiton - Fritz speakers -Gigawatt -Vinnie Rossi,TWL, Swiss Cables, Merason DAC.

Offline P.I.

  • Industry Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 1919
  • Silence is that blackness beneath the music
    • P.I. audio group, LLC
Re: Graphene...
« Reply #22 on: December 13, 2017, 11:12:18 AM »
Good thorough review Dave. If anyone is interested PM me. I'm loving it on Cart pins, and IC's so far. Tube pins now as well. The key is to use little and blot it off. It will NOT migrate.
Just make sure you clean the surface to be treated with Jena Labs.


charles
The Jena Labs enhancer is the best I've tried so far as to slowing oxidation.  Now, with the Mad Scientist goo life is getting easier.
"A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument." - Hilmar von Campe

Offline mikeeastman

  • Seeking Help
  • **
  • Posts: 42
Re: Graphene...
« Reply #23 on: January 29, 2018, 01:36:42 PM »
Charles, has anyone other than Dave tried out the Graphene? Have you gotten any other feed back?
Mivera PureMusic,  Serenity Acoustics Super 7s w/ upgraded xover and Neotech gold/silver wire for tweet and mids. DIY Neotech gold/silver wire speaker cables. PI UberPuerto

Offline dBe

  • Obsessively Audiophilic
  • ****
  • Posts: 318
Re: Graphene...
« Reply #24 on: January 29, 2018, 09:37:43 PM »
Charles, has anyone other than Dave tried out the Graphene? Have you gotten any other feed back?
Mike,

I have several receptacles out for audition. Unfortunately one of my BetaDudes has been slammed with family and work.

Email me to see what we can do.

Offline rollo

  • Industry Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 6982
  • Rollo Audio - Home demo the only way to know
Re: Graphene...
« Reply #25 on: January 30, 2018, 11:36:47 AM »
Charles, has anyone other than Dave tried out the Graphene? Have you gotten any other feed back?

  Yes that is why no samples were returned to me. Quieter, improved focus and imaging, larger sound stage. One gets all the good things associated with a solid connection.



charles
contact me  at rollo14@verizon.net or visit us on Facebook
Lamm Industries - Aqua Acoustic, Formula & La Scala DAC- INNUOS  - Rethm - Kuzma - QLN - Audio Hungary Qualiton - Fritz speakers -Gigawatt -Vinnie Rossi,TWL, Swiss Cables, Merason DAC.

Offline HAL

  • Audio Neurotic
  • *****
  • Posts: 1265
  • Audio Mad Scientist
    • Hollis Audio Labs
Re: Graphene...
« Reply #26 on: February 22, 2018, 09:53:17 PM »
Got my 2ml tube of GCE today in the mail. 

First test will be the Laney KLIPP 60 watt guitar amp head on the output tube contacts.  Have to put in new EL34 sockets after arcing one output tube and socket when the impedance select switch died.  HV is running 560VDC at idle on the OTCT.   More on the connections to the 412. 

This should be interesting. 

Offline Triode Pete

  • Industry Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 1466
  • Strive for Perfection, Settle on Excellence!
    • Link to System Details & Photos
Re: Graphene...
« Reply #27 on: February 23, 2018, 06:55:04 AM »
Charles, has anyone other than Dave tried out the Graphene? Have you gotten any other feed back?

  Yes that is why no samples were returned to me. Quieter, improved focus and imaging, larger sound stage. One gets all the good things associated with a solid connection.



charles

Still waiting on my sample...  :duh
www.TriodeWireLabs.com
WT Reference/Lyra Titan I
Quadratic Audio MC-1
Custom BorderPatrol preamp with phono & line stage
Innuos Statement Server
BorderPatrol S20 EXD w/EXS PS
Klipschorns - Volti hot-rodded
UberBUSS

Offline rollo

  • Industry Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 6982
  • Rollo Audio - Home demo the only way to know
Re: Graphene...
« Reply #28 on: February 23, 2018, 07:44:54 AM »
Charles, has anyone other than Dave tried out the Graphene? Have you gotten any other feed back?

  Yes that is why no samples were returned to me. Quieter, improved focus and imaging, larger sound stage. One gets all the good things associated with a solid connection.



charles

Still waiting on my sample...  :duh

  Good things come in time. When you get a free day come on over ,ya never know what lurks in the coffins of rollo land.
Dave the outlet you sent me is an improvement over your previous ones. Dead quiet. Bigger sound stage. Better focused. More weight to sound. VG job.


charles
contact me  at rollo14@verizon.net or visit us on Facebook
Lamm Industries - Aqua Acoustic, Formula & La Scala DAC- INNUOS  - Rethm - Kuzma - QLN - Audio Hungary Qualiton - Fritz speakers -Gigawatt -Vinnie Rossi,TWL, Swiss Cables, Merason DAC.

Offline P.I.

  • Industry Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 1919
  • Silence is that blackness beneath the music
    • P.I. audio group, LLC
Re: Graphene...
« Reply #29 on: February 23, 2018, 11:13:44 AM »
Charles, has anyone other than Dave tried out the Graphene? Have you gotten any other feed back?

  Yes that is why no samples were returned to me. Quieter, improved focus and imaging, larger sound stage. One gets all the good things associated with a solid connection.



charles

Still waiting on my sample...  :duh
I'll send you one of my new versions, Pete.
"A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument." - Hilmar von Campe