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Hand Cream and static.

Posted by May Belt (M) on July 23, 2007 at 12:43:07

Posted by clarkjohnsen (R) on July 18, 2007
>>> "In Reply to: RE: hand cream and cd's posted by zanash on July 18, 2007
For over a decade it has been a well-kept secret (and so, apparently, it shall remain) that the static charge that accumulates on a CD somehow disrupts the read mechanism, causing a weird sort of virtually unmeasurable distortion.

Nordost Eco (spray and wipes), and numerous other products as well, was developed to counter this. Nor is it surprising that any sort of cream thing (label side only!) will neutralize the charge, at least temporarily." <<<

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My reply to Clark.

First of all let me emphasise that I KNOW about static and problems with static. I am not challenging that there is such a thing as static !! What I challenge is the generalised explanation, usually put forward, whenever there is any mention of chemicals having an effect on the sound, is that it is because of STATIC !!

You use the words "somehow disrupts" Clark, and "causing a weird sort of". In other words, you do not know what the chemicals are doing but, somehow or other, you are attempting to squeeze, push, pull, bend, stretch, some sort of explanation from within conventional science to try to explain what is 'going on'. If you are going to use the explanation that it is 'static' which is the problem, then you have to explain how the static can be having an effect on the digital information encoded on the CD, how the application of a 'cream or chemical' on the label side of that CD improves that information, and, also, if additional information is heard after the application of such chemical/s, where that additional information (which must have been on the CD all the time) goes - i.e where, or how, it gets lost if there has not been any chemical applied ?

The only reason why any explanation to do with 'static' is used is because people have try to find some explanation as to what can be affecting the audio signal (whenever the sound is being described as 'having improved'). Which is exactly the path which Nordost engineers have gone down. Because people (audio engineers etc) seem only to be able to believe that any changes to the 'sound' must be because of changes to either the audio signal or to the acoustic air pressure waves in the room.

I have explained this before re the Nordost Eco you referred to.
To quote from a previous 'posting' of mine.

"Over 20 years ago, we told people that you can apply a Cream (a chemical) to the label side of CDs, to the labels of vinyl records, to the plastic case of audio and video cassettes, to the outer plastic insulation of cables (all cables) and gain an improvement in the sound !!
20 years later, Nordost have a chemical which they claim if you apply it to the label side of CDs, to the labels of vinyl records and to the outer plastic insulation of cables (all cables, including AC power cables) you will gain an improvement in the sound !!
Nordost's explanation is that their chemical 'deals with static problems - which are affecting the audio signal' but, when you can ALSO apply the chemical to the outer plastic insulation of the cable attached to such as the table lamp or the electric clock !!! and gain an identical improvement in the sound, then how can this explanation of 'dealing with static which is affecting the audio signal' any longer hold water ?"

To add to this I will recount a story from over 20 years ago (which was published in a British Hi Fi magazine). Jimmy Hughes (a UK audio equipment reviewer) had a jar of our newly developed Cream-Electret. A manufacturer of equipment support stands delivered one metal support stand to Jimmy's and left it with him for review. This support stand was left (just standing passively) in Jimmy's listening room until Jimmy had time to review it. However, from the moment this support stand was in the room, Jimmy found that his sound was 'worse'. Jimmy knew that he would either have to remove the (passive) stand from the room or to 'treat' it. Jimmy chose to 'treat' it by applying a small amount of our Cream-Electret on it's legs. After doing this, Jimmy's sound was no longer 'worse' - in fact it was now better than it had been before the support stand was delivered. The 'treated' support stand was now a beneficial device as far as good sound was concerned !!

How can any explanation to do with 'static', "having an effect on the audio signal" be used in such circumstances ?
It is exactly the same Cream as is used on the label side of a CD, exactly the same Cream as is used on the outer insulation of cables, exactly the same Cream as is used on the labels of vinyl records, on the plastic cases of audio tapes and video tapes - and giving identical improvements in the sound when applied to the legs of support stands, to loudspeaker stands, to the perspex lid of turntables and so on ---------- !!

As I have explained on numerous occasions. We discovered the effect of various chemicals on 'sound' by, initially, absolutely ruining our sound by applying what turned out to be a 'wrong' chemical to a stain on a coffee table. And, it took us a considerable time to figure out what was 'going on'. We have been down all the usual conventional paths which everyone else has been down - looking for explanations - i.e. EMI, RF interference, static, vibrations, resonances, room acoustics and so on.

Long before we actually owned a CD player or any CDs, we used vinyl records as our source of music. At one particular time we were investigating different turntable mats and the final two materials selected as 'sounding' good were felt and pure, untreated cork. But, as one will realise, each time you wish to listen to a different mat, you have to remove the vinyl record. Every time we removed the vinyl record from the cork mat, we got the 'fizz' of static so we applied a proprietary antistatic chemical to the cork mat and left the cork to dry over a period of a few days. Unfortunately, we now found that when using the 'antistatically treated' cork mat, our sound was much worse. Yes, we had cured the 'static' problem but in the course of doing so we had spoilt the sound. We then began to realise that there are some antistatic chemicals which can cause the sound to deteriorate whilst still successfully dealing with the problem of static !! I am aware that others have found this out also by chance, completely ruining their sound but not knowing how to recover it, because once antistatic chemicals have been applied, then they have done their job.

So, Clark, you will continue to use the explanation of 'static' until such time as you use a particular antistatic chemical and 'spoil' your sound. You will continue to struggle, using words such as "somehow disrupts", and "causing a weird sort of virtually unmeasurable distortion" in an attempt to find some sort of explanation.
Regards,
May Belt.

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