Tweakers' Asylum Tweaks for systems, rooms and Do It Yourself (DIY) help. FAQ. |
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The Audio Prism Green Pen was a somewhat controversial CD tweak from the 90s that was used to mark the outside edge of CDs (presumably) for better sound. The idea according to Audio Prism was that the color green absorbed stray scattered laser light which would otherwise potentially wind up in the photodetector as real signal. So far, so good.There are many reasons why the green pen might be controversial, gentle readers, but I would like to help out those who are skeptical because I am skeptical too. The reason I'm skeptical is the color green is the complementary color (absorbing color) for visible red. Yet the CD laser nominal wavelength is 780 nm, firmly in the invisible infrared portion of the spectrum. Colors are not effective in the invisible light part of the spectrum. Complementary colors only work in the visible light part of the spectrum.
Having said that, i find the green pen does improve the sound of most CDs, making them clearer, more dynamic and more natural sounding.
So, what's going on here? Placebo? The laser light is partly red? Something else?
Edits: 06/07/23 06/07/23
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Topic - The green pen - geoffkait 04:03:51 06/07/23 (21)
- I liked its effects back then, too. - eduardoo 20:59:21 06/07/23 (5)
- RE: I liked its effects back then, too. - geoffkait 04:02:59 06/15/23 (4)
- RE: I liked its effects back then, too. - eduardoo 16:17:55 06/17/23 (1)
- RE: I liked its effects back then, too. - geoffkait 08:28:23 06/18/23 (0)
- RE: I liked its effects back then, too. - sony6060 05:35:13 06/17/23 (1)
- RE: I liked its effects back then, too. - geoffkait 05:41:27 06/17/23 (0)
- I decided to pull myself back from the abyss of audio insanity - jedrider 15:59:29 06/07/23 (0)
- "So, what's going on here? Placebo?" - 1973shovel 05:54:54 06/07/23 (13)
- Placebos get a bad rap. - geoffkait 09:49:22 06/07/23 (8)
- RE: Placebos get a bad rap. - Sondek 07:57:52 06/08/23 (6)
- RE: Placebos get a bad rap. - gusser 09:52:16 06/08/23 (5)
- they could have angled the edges - Story 05:26:34 06/09/23 (4)
- "why didn't they" - 1973shovel 09:58:46 06/10/23 (3)
- who made the lathe machine to trim the edge? - Story 11:47:24 06/10/23 (2)
- I had to do a search - 1973shovel 13:47:21 06/10/23 (1)
- I was also - Story 13:55:42 06/10/23 (0)
- Opaque yellow or - Steve O 15:02:23 06/07/23 (0)
- RE: "So, what's going on here? Placebo?" - gusser 09:46:46 06/07/23 (3)
- Or you could listen. Nt - hawkmoon 07:21:05 06/08/23 (2)
- Yes I could! - gusser 09:56:23 06/08/23 (1)
- RE: Yes I could! - 1973shovel 10:53:50 06/08/23 (0)