opens everything up

needs to break in, tad shrill at first

this technology is the real mccoy. especially if you are burned out on laughable aftermarket doodads you are reasonable to think this is a hokum category. i heard good things about bybee, but the cost seemed high, considering these were apparantly line level filers. i tried them anyway, on the cable tv box, on a really good stereo i'd put together, and on my home video set up, where they went between the preamp and old time quicksilver 8417 tube amps. for a while the sound was squeaky and dry, and i figured these things gave a h.f. boost and i was pretty depressed about the purchase. then they started to loosen up and show what they were capable of. i found putting in a data type cd (the poor guys break in disk...it was a internet explorer cd) which makes a terrible robot goes crazy sound but whips the wire into submission very quickly) got the process moving. the sound became a paradox, both more fluid, like a low order randomizing process had been removed, and also much more precise, both tonally and spatially. i first noticed this on a domenico scarlatti cd that never touched me in a deep way, it seemed to emotionally low key. with the bybees working right, the scarlatti became much more emotionally available, as if my mind could lock on to the music in a new way. so i tried all other types of music as well, and found the same effect to exist. the experience moved from being intellectual to emotional, which is probably because there is a form of distortion that noone has explained that distracts the mind and says ELECTRONIC !. once this distortion is removed, there is this thing i think h.p. means when he talks about continuousness that bybee's stuff delivers. as for the tube amps, i noticed that they lost their tube sound for the most part, and sounded more like the best things in solid state without the problems of solid state. little environmental tricks that the sound editor uses to create the illusion of realism, insects noises, creaks, snapping sounds, could pull away from the foreground dialog so the envelope of sonic reality was pretty believable. the only drawback (might be serious for those who enjoy terrible sound) is that technically bad or overtly distorted sounds come through all the way. sometimes this is a desired effect, and it can work in the context of the soundtrack, such as being around the machine noises of trains or helicopters, but things that are plain bad out of sloppiness or error will only be more distinctly and obviously so.

Reduced noise floor which results in more detail, deeper and wider soundstage. Especially noticable at low volume levels.
Well built, using quality parts.

None noted at this point.

Haven't had these interconnect filters in my system long, but it was immediately appearant that they were here to stay. I was sceptical about any small devices that promised to make big improvements in my system until I auditioned the Bybee Quantum Charger, an AC power chord purifyung device. Bob Williams of AudioNut.Com convinced me give it a try with no strings attached. He recommended trying it on the back end (power amplifier) first, then progress to other components. I have to honestly say that I didn't hear much difference on my amp (MC-275), but when I connected it to my pre-amp(Parasound PLD 2000), Holy Cow! Bottom line....everything improved. So I had no problem with auditioning the interconnect filters.

First off, they're not cheap. I believe they retail for about $600. AudioNut.com gave me a break, 20% to be exact. Second, they don't look like much. Miniscule devices that connect via RCA plugs to the end of your interconnects. Worth it? You bet! Worth every penny.

Remember how I said the Quantum Charger improved everything? Well these little puppies do the same thing only better! My noise floor is black. I'm talking black polished chrome a la Lizzard King. That's the first thing I noticed. Next, the width and depth of my soundstage went from great to phenominal. Imaging is now truly "pinpoint". The improvements are especially noticable at low volume levels.

How do these things work? They reduce noise, which in turn allows your system to express more detail and dynamics. Technically? I have no idea how. I think it's PFM. I look forward to trying the Bybee speaker filters.

Similar Products Used:

Ferrite filters

Cost & no longer made

Don't know how or why they work, don't really care. I've been using 2 pair Bybee deluxe speaker "filters" and 1 pair balanced interconnect "filters" for about a year. They helped my entire rig sound better in every way and the stuff isn't cheesy to begin with. I got these half price because it was being clearanced. If you can find some of these on the used market you should definitely give them a try and decide for yourself. I think you'll like what you hear.

Similar Products Used:

None