DIY: Tweeter Ferrofluid Change - with pre- and post- frequency & distortion changes. And on-line amiability among hobbyists.

For this post, I thought I'd discuss a little DIY procedure you might want to think about if you've had your speakers for awhile - like say a decade or more - and know that the tweeter uses "ferrofluid". Not uncommon for tweeters since the 1970's.

Ferrofluid is a substance with ferromagnetic nanoparticles typically suspended inside an organic solvent. These particles are small enough that they're suspended by Brownian motion so over time, the particles do not settle. In tweeters, the ferrofluid surrounds the voice coil which is embedded in the gap between permanent magnets (do electromagnetic speakers use ferrofluid?).

There are benefits to doing this including improving heat transfer away from the wire coil to handle higher power, dampen vibrations (unwanted resonances), and I've heard it said that the ferrofluid can also help suspend the coil within the gap in a way that's better centered (lower distortion).

Now, depending on the type and quality of the ferrofluid, there is the potential that over time this stuff degrades. Some have said that it can dry out, or the consistency becoming more viscous over the years. Here's an interesting video showing degradation of very poor-quality ferrofluid.

As We Hear It: Audiophile hype vs. reality? GPU chatter (nVidia Blackwell RTX 50XX-series), thoughts on AI frame-generation ("fake frames"), gaming, and art as imagination.

I hope you're all doing well as we enter the year. It's rather amazing that the first quarter of the 21st Century has passed so quickly! Time flew. I do hope that as time passes, audiophiles worldwide are gradually becoming more knowledgeable about the science behind this stuff and in general much more critical thinkers, more resilient to the snake oil and scams of yesteryear. I simply think that this is part of the evolution that must happen for any hobby in order to not stagnate. If something is contentious or seems "too good to be true" based on conventional knowledge as we all become versed in how audio reproduction works, the product very well could be something to avoid; instead, better to save money and look for something more meaningful to purchase.

As per my usual routine, every once awhile I'll publish an E-mail or two from readers of the blog and take time to discuss matters brought up that might not have been fully covered previously, often hitting other short discussion items that don't need a full-length post.

Let's have a look at this E-mail from Michael in Sweden:

Dirac Live 3 with Bass Control (DLBC): A look and listen with the Integra DRX-8.4.

I talked about the use of Dirac Live 3 in late 2024 after upgrading my receiver to the Integra DRX-8.4 which integrates the full-bandwidth DSP room correction as part of its feature set. Many modern multichannel receivers these days have Dirac as a feature included like the Onkyo TX-RZ70 or Pioneer Elite VSX-LX805 (both offering 11-channels amplification like the Integra). I have to say that I love this Integra unit with all its multichannel bells and whistles - not to mention great sound as well, of course.

I mentioned in the previous article that Dirac Live Bass Control (DLBC) is available as an upgrade for US$299 which activates the license on your account when you run the Dirac Live Room Correction Suite, unlocking the "Bass Control" module.

So, let's activate that and get into this with a look and listen to what DLBC brings to my set-up and of course some results in my room. (For reference, here is the official DLBC manual, and Dirac's Frans Rosencrantz's 2020 article "Bass Control, Where Did My Bass Go?".)

Lenbrook's MQA: The Next Generation - QRONO, FOQUS, and other AQWARD things. And listening impressions from the non-audiophile press.

Happy new year, audiophiles!

Other than a quick comment here and there in 2024, I'm glad that I didn't spend much time on MQA-focused material. The last we talked at length about MQA was over a year ago in December 2023 with the final sale of MQA to Lenbrook at the bargain basement sale price. My, how time flies! As much as I would love to never think/write about MQA again, this thing won't disappear. 🧟

So I figured at the start of 2025, since there could be some MQA-related stuff later this year with possible new product announcements and such, let's anticipate a bit and consider the developments in this continuing saga.

The name "MQA" persists as part of Lenbrook's "MQA Labs" as the name MQA Ltd. has been re-registered to a food sales agent in the UK. Through 2024, we've been seeing the word "QRONO" hitting the news a few times already. In late 2024, there have been more articles in the audiophile press such as this in The Absolute Sound, and What Hi-Fi?. So, let's talk about what this seems to be about and what they're trying to do.