invisible, effective

extra cables, cords, needed

i've used it in two places. one is as a buffer from the variable output of my sony cd player. in this case it turns a flat to o.k. sound into dynamic juicy stuff. the second use is on the VCR output. VCRs as a rule have lousy output stages for the sound because the are engineered to be lowest common denominator appliances for john q. public. put a harmonic recovery box between the VCR outputs and the system inputs, and you'll likely be floored. especially if you route your cable box through the VCR, you'll get two benefits at once. be warned that cable tv transmission is wildly variable in quality (some producers take a lot of care and professional pride in their soundtracks and others wouldn't know a stradavarius from a vacuum cleaner), but when well done material is available, you will be amazed at how much a cable system can transmit. in fact, a third use i've tried is between a player and a subwoofer, and i believe a circuit like this one is essential to get the bass impacts right, unless you are using an extremely expensive and modern design pre-amp. i pestered the SCE people about making a harmonic recovery box with dual outputs so you could take a single output player or preamp and split the line into two in order to drive the system with a double set of amps (this often results in much greater improvement than expected because each amp is only interacting with half of the crossover/driver design, and the load is a lot less complex). so far i haven't heard anything from SCE on whether they'd actually build such a unit but it would be great if they did. p.s. one other thing is that this unit has a choice of the bad stock cord or their own brand of good a/c cord, called Blacknite. definitely spend the extra hundred bucks and get the good a/c cord. also, the unit improves greatly with a/c filtration. i got a used MIT a/c filter and plugged the harmonic recovery box into that. the MIT didn't impose any coloration on the box, and the box ran so clean it might as well have not been in the circuit. sure would like to know how this thing fares with other tweak filters that are getting good press. considering the prices of the passive in-line tweaks, this baby is the steal to end all steals.

Increase in soundstage, air between instruments, inner detail and microdynamics.

More rack space, need another pair of interconnects

I'm back. This is my third review of the SCE Harmonic Recovery System. I hesitated to do this because I don't want to pad the rating for the HRS. But, it already has an average 5-star rating so this won't change anything. You can see my other reviews below. The first system the HRS went into was in May of 2000 and this was the equipment:

Harmon Kardon receiver
EAD CD1000 CD player
Shahinain Obelisk speakers
Audioquest Type 4 spkr cable
Kimber PBJ & Audioquest Topaz interconnects
Monster HTS 2000 Power conditioner
SCE Harmonic Recovery System


Next, I did a review in December of 2000 and my system had changed to:

Roksan Caspian Int Amp replacing a Creek 4330R Int Amp
Roksan Caspian CD player
Analysis Plus speaker cables
Homegrown Audio Super Silver interconnects
PS Audio PS300 Power Plant
Shahinian Obelisk speakers
SCE Harmonic Recovery System.

Now, it is November of 2001 and here is my current system:

Plinius 8150 Integrated Amplifier
Sony SCD-C333ES 5-disc Carousel
Shahinian Obelisk speakers
Pure Silver Sound Octet speaker cables
HomeGrown Audio Super Silver II Interconnects
Monster HTS-2000 power conditioner.

In what is getting to be a tradition, I attempted to pare down my system to the essentials because I do not like clutter and the idea of finding the fewest components that will get the job done is appealing. I thought if I could remove the HRS, I would save some shelf space and do away with one pair of interconnects and one power cord. I like the thought of just having an amplifier and a source component with nothing else. But, it wasn't to be. I played a number of discs with and without the HRS. Without, the soundstage narrowed, details were missing, and the music lost some of it's palpability and presence. With HRS in, soundstage widened and there was more air between instruments. The music seemed to open up with that subtle, but wonderful increase of inner detail and microdynamics that I have grown used to and, apparently, will stay used to.

So, the HRS stays. I really intended to eliminate it but just couldn't. It's effects are subtle, but undeniable. I considered that the HRS difference may have been due to "Placebo" effect but discarded that notion after several with/without listening sessions. The HRS had to work hard to stay in my system and has earned it's place. As I wrote earlier: It's a host of small changes that add up to a big improvement in the presentation of music. And, it's worked with every combination of components I've had(more than are listed in this review). When I'm shopping for gear, I like to know what kind of experience people have had with a particular component. The HRS is a good piece of gear: simple, dependable and works like it's advertised.

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Increases detail level. Improves sound stage

Don't forget your going to need more interconnects.

My system is as follows:

Marantz CD-7
Lavardin pre-power amps
B&W Nautilus 805 speakers
Siltech interconnects
Nordost SPM refernce speaker cable
Tice power conditioner
LAT power cords all round

I must confess to being extremely sceptical as to whether the HRS would improve my system, as it is already a very detailed system which I have been happy with for some time now. However, based on the reviews seen here, and the fact that SCE offer a 30 day money back guarantee, I thought I should at least give it a try.

I can happily report that the HRS is everything that the reviews below said it is. I can't say that I was 'blown away' by the difference, because as I say my system is already very detailed and transparent, but there was no doubt that the HRS improved things quite substantially in certain areas. Detail certainly improved, which is amazing as I didn't think my system could get any more detailed, and sound stage certainly got bigger.

Overall I'm very pleased with the effect that the HRS has had in my system, and I certainly won't be sending it back to John at SCE. All I can say is that others really should at least give it a try - you may just be very surprised.

greater detail, musical depth, greater listening involvement

none

My system consists of:
Acoustic Research 312's speakers
Parasound HCA100 amp
Musical Fidelity pre
Adcom 700 cdp
MIT speaker cables and interconnects
SCE Harmonic Recovery System

As you can see my equipment is not a mega buck system but it is decent for the money. Now I can say, thanks to the HRS, it sounds like a mega buck system. This black box is absolutely incredible, it has made the biggest impact of any componant in my system. It's as if I upgraded my system by at least $5,000. Before I purchased the HRS I was toying with the idea of new, expensive speakers. After I installed the HRS I realised that I had saved thousands of dollars, I did not have to upgrade at all. All of a sudden my cd's sounded so vivid, the music was focused, it came alive. My listening involvement increased dramatically. I sat transfixed ,pulling out one cd after another, it was like hearing them all remastered for the first time. I heard subtle nuances in the soundstage that I had never heard before.
I don't know if the change would be that dramatic in an expensive , high resolution system....but it sure did the trick for me. I couldn't be happier with my system now that I have the HRS installed.

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This Harmonic Recovery System is not a pre amp and really shouldn't be listed here. That said, this little gizmo remains a miracle and should be a part of every CD-based system .
I cannot speak for vinyl enthusiast, but for digital folks like me, the HRS is a a god-send. Basically, the unit is an interface optimizer between the CD player and your amplifier. Without going into a lot of technical mumbo-jumbo, it's like a steroid injection for you CD's output signal. In other words, it carries more detail from source to amp.

The result is immediately obvious right out of the box. After burn-in it's astonishing. The music coming from your system will immediately sound louder (but, importantly, not more aggressive) than it ever has before at a given volume level. Amazing levels of detail are revealed for the first time even on old 16-bit CDs; the soundstage is deeper and wider and more precise in instrument placing in every way; everything is more transparent, more recognizable (violines and horns sound more like they should; small noises become articulate sounds, etc), better focused, more extraordinarily life-like and more involving and magical than my words can do justice to. . . . And all this magic happens without a hint of coloration or loss of rhythm.

Try it. Don't skimp on the special AC chord.

You'll be thrilled like you've never been thrilled before.


Myryad MI 120
Cambridge Audio CD4SE
MSB link DAC
Bi-wired Meadowlark Hot Rod Kestrals
Nordost Solarwind Cables & interconnects

Upgrades your entire CD collection to near SACD quality. A miracle.

None

Being a skeptic, I did not believe the little adds I saw in audio magazines. Brings out the harmonics and details already in the music? I thought it was equivilant to the ads in the old movie magizines for breast enlargement cream. After reading a number of rave reviews and noting the policy of SCE to give you your money back in 30 days if you don't like I gave it a try.

The results were absolutely amazing. I have a sony SACD player. This devise increased the detail, harmonics, dynamics, and sound stage to the point where the SACD recordings were almost indistinguishable from the ordinary CDs. I also found that I no longer needed my preamp. It got in the way and added some blurr. I use a creek volume control to adjust volume. I am now obsessively listening to all my old cds. It's like they all were just re-realeased in SACD.

This is a must have product. It presents a deeper sound stage, improved timbre and a slightly enhanced sense of speed and dynamic range.
Much more bang for the buck than with interconnect changes.

I am very pleased and consider it money well spent.

I now have a brand new collection to listen to!

Increased gain, increased dynamics and detail, smoother and less grainy high-end

none

After reading several glowing reviews of this product, and feeling that the achievements mentioned by the HRS would be welcome in my own system, I purchased a (used) SCE HRS (model 2). Despite all the great reviews, I too had a great deal of skepticism, but not enough to prevent me from buying it. I have never tried (or even heard) any of these type of magic "black boxes" before and was truly curious if it was possible to improve the sound of my system by adding something into the signal path.

First a bit about my system. I have a pair of Magnepan MMG's, driven by a Cyrus II amp (no PSX). CD source is a Rotel 965BX / MSB Link III DAC combo. Cables and interconnects are DH LAbs and Straight Wire. This system on its own provides very detailed and musical sound, but my only complaints were that the Maggies sound a bit bright in my room, and can lack a bit in dynamics on some program material. The combined effect is that the system, although very good sounding, can become a bit fatiguing and uninvolving at times, especially at louder volumes.

I hooked up the SCE HRS between the Link DAC and the CD inputs on the Cyrus. The added interconnects used were Straight Wire Symphony. Before any listening began I broke the unit in for about a day.

First impressions - wow! The HRS seemed to be the missing link my sysem really neeed. The first thing I noticed was that the bass seemed deeper and more extended - quite an accomplishment with these small Maggies! There was also a definite improvement in dynamics and attack, especially on piano and percussion. The over-brightness was defeinitely gone too, but not at the expense of treble detail or added muddiness to the sound. But overall, the best improvement was less tangible. The music was far more involving than I ever noticed before. I sat for several hours listening to CD after CD without feeling the need to rest my ears. I had not been able to do that prior to having the SCE HRS in my system.

Ok, I thought, hold off on writing the glowing review just yet - maybe all these improvements are just because it makes my system sound "different". See how I feel about these "improvements" in a month or two.

Well, the two months have passed, and I still feel every bit as enthusiastic about the SCE HRS now as I did on that first listening session. I continue to rediscover old recordings that I had given up on for one reason or another, each time discovering something new or enjoying the music in a way I had not previously experienced.

What's been most surprising to me about this SCE unit to this point is that I have yet to come up with a cristicsm of it. It has brought all the fore-mentioned improvements to my system without a single sonic trade-off.

Needless to say I am very satisfied with this unit and it is keeping a permanent place in my system.

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Gets the information from the CD player to the amp where it can be used

More rack space, more interconnects, more clutter

I wrote a review on the SCE HRS in May of 2000. At that time my system consisted of:

Harmon Kardon receiver
EAD CD1000 CD player
Shahinain Obelisk speakers
Audioquest Type 4 spkr cable
Kimber PBJ & Audioquest Topaz interconnects
Monster HTS 2000 Power conditioner
SCE Harmonic Recovery System

My system now is:

Roksan Caspian Int Amp replacing a Creek 4330R Int Amp
Roksan Caspian CD player
Analysis Plus speaker cables (soon to be Pure Silver)
Homegrown Audio Super Silver interconnects
PS Audio PS300 Power Plant
Shahinian Obelisk speakers
SCE Harmonic Recovery System

I seem to upgrade frequently and I'm always rearranging components on the rack and trying to keep things from looking cluttered. From time to time I'll disconnect the
HRS just out of curiousity and the possiblility of gaining more rack space, but it always goes right back in. It's a no-brainer. When it's out of the loop, details retreat back into the music, Sublte shades, textures & tone are missing and it definetly loses some juice.

I wrote as a weakness that the unit takes up rack space and requires another set of interconnects. It's true, it does, but it's not a product weakness. I somewhat begrudge the extra space and interconnects because I like a minimalist approach. However, I will make the concession because once you become accustomed to the increased low-level information, microdynamics, and experiencing more of the music, who wants to go back?

I've had a chance now to use the HRS with a number of different setups and it's made a substantial difference in every application. I like upgrading and trying different components and the only things in my system that are the same from 6 months ago are the speakers and the Harmonic Recovery System(The HRS isn't going anywhere).

I would like to try some of the combinations with the SCE I see in other reviews of this product at this site. But even by itself the SCE Harmonic Recovery System is a solid investment. I can see why it's developed a loyal following. I will give the SCE Harmonic Recovery System five stars because it consistently delivers outstanding results.

Similar Products Used:

none

Gets the information from the CD player to the amp where it can be used

More rack space, more interconnects, more clutter

I wrote a review on the SCE HRS in May of 2000. At that time my system consisted of:

Harmon Kardon receiver
EAD CD1000 CD player
Shahinain Obelisk speakers
Audioquest Type 4 spkr cable
Kimber PBJ & Audioquest Topaz interconnects
Monster HTS2000 Power conditioner
SCE HRS

My system now is:

Roksan Caspian Int Amp replacing a Creek 4330R Int Amp
Roksan Caspian CD player
Analysis Plus speaker cables (soon to be Pure Silver)
Homegrown Audio Super Silver interconnects
PS Audio PS300 Power Plant
Shahinian Obelisk speakers
SCE HRS

I seem to upgrade frequently and I'm always rearranging components on the rack and trying to keep things from looking cluttered. From time to time I'll disconnect the
HRS just out of curiousity and the possiblility of gaining more rack space, but it always goes right back in. It's a no-brainer. When it's out of the loop, details retreat back into the music, Sublte shades, textures & tone are missing and it definetly loses some juice.

I wrote as a weakness that the unit takes up rack space and requires another set of interconnects. It's true, it does, but it's not a product weakness. I somewhat begrudge the extra space and interconnects because I like a minimalist approach. However, I will make the concession because once you become accustomed to the increased low-level information, microdynamics, and experiencing more of the music, who wants to go back?

I've had a chance now to use the HRS with a number of different components and it's made a substantial difference in every application. I like upgrading and trying different components. The only thing in my system that is the same from 6 months ago are the speakers and the Harmonic Recovery System(The HRS isn't going anywhere).

I would like to try some of the combinations I see in other reviews of this product. But even by itself the SCE Harmonic Recovery System is a solid investment. I can see why it's developed a loyal following. I will give the SCE Harmonic Recovery System five stars because it consistently delivers outstanding results.

Similar Products Used:

none