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Reviews/Comments |
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Nils Tikkanen, Santa Cruz, California
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"I just wanted to express how happy I am with my brand-new Grungebuster CD mat. I'm listening to albums I know intimately and hearing more detail, more natural decay and timbre, and a luscious smoothness. The differences are especially noticeable with well-recorded SACDs. When such an inexpensive tweak can offer so much improvement in my 3-way active Magnepan system, I can't help but highly recommend it! Thanks again, and keep up the great work."
Pat O'Malley, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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"Just wanted to let you know how much I like this Grundgebuster CD mat. My email is going to sound like a broken record but here goes. I already have the small cd mat, green center with white outer that is couple inches in diameter. The new Grungebuster is really great at allowing trailing transients, the energy on cymbals, all those little things that add up to make the overall weight more filled in. The way drums resonate, etc.
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"I didn't really expect much but the thing is a big improvement over the first mat and it now feels indispensable, gotta be used on every CD to get what is really happening.
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"And for $15, which I wasn't expecting much re the price, is a big fat treat. Thanks for making this thing."
Charles Campbell, Carriere, Mississippi
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"I got the GrungeBuster today and was astounded at the improvement in my system. I just had to write a thank-you note. I'm not given to testimonials but this thing is better than ANY tweak or mat I've tried on CD players. I only expected marginal or questionable improvements at best. I was not prepared for this. In fact, I was not going to waste the money on another tweak but my kids were hounding me for fathers-day gift ideas, so I told them to get me a GrungeBuster. My biggest concern now is convincing friends to give it a try. We've all grown numb to improvement claims made by other products. I'm opposed to big government but they ought to make it a Federal Law that every CD player has to come equipped with one of these."
Julien Therrien, Shelby, North Carolina
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"I think it's fantastic. I mean, it didn't transform my system, but works as advertised. The soundstage seems deeper and to be layered in finer gradients. Images are more solid, bass is tighter and recordings that are a little edgy seem to smooth out some."
Wayne Waananen, The BOLDER Cable Company
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"It really does make a difference."
Thomas Trevesaigues, Asnieres Sur Seine, France
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"I received my grungebuster and tested it tonight. Although I'm not an experienced listener I can feel a difference, music seems to be more balanced, less aggressive and somehow less 'blurry.'"
David Larsen, Adrian, Michigan.
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"If I could have tried it first I would have payed twice as much. Simply amazing."
Michael Bieda, Greenwood, Indiana
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"The Grungebuster in my Wadia 861 is a resounding success! Moreover, its use in my son's Sony SACD/DVD Player is equally rewarding.
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"For a little more than the price of a CD, purchasing this product is an absolute no-brainer. Since my initial auditions, I've NOT inserted another CD in my 861 without first applying the Grungebuster.
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"The name Grungebuster pretty much says it all. That is, detail and clarity are enhanced, low-level information is ferreted out improving soundstage and instrumental air/spacing -- not a small feat on a system that most would agree is approaching a very high level of resolution.
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"For your customers that have experienced the Grungebuster's improvements with mid-fi components and wondered if it works on a high-end, very resolved system, the answer is an unequivocal yes! My Wadia 861 is connected directly to CAT JL-1 monoblocks, which are driving Soundlab M1 speakers. My system shines on the reproduction of harmonics, transparency, and low level information, and the Grungebuster more than improved its performance. Without contemplating the cost-to-sonic-improvement ratio, the Grungebuster is highly recommended; when comparing the cost-to-improvement ratio -- it's not only VERY highly recommended, it's a MUST buy!"
David Morris, Modesto, California
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"I bought your CD Mat sometime back, after reading your Audiogon ad. Your mat outperformed my Marigo Crossbow mat by such a wide margin, that I laughed and smiled throughout my first listening session with it (and I have loved it ever since)."
Julien Maculen, Bloomfield, New Jersey
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"The grungebuster CD Mat is very effective on my modded Sony DVP-NS999ES. I consider my system to be very transparent and not very forgiving, so those differences were quite impressive."
Rob Thomas, San Francisco, California
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"The mat continues to surprise me. At the Inmate gathering this past weekend we played a disc raw, with the Marigo and with the Grungebuster. Those with a preference chose the Grungebuster."
Dr. Ásvány Zsolt, Pécs, Hungary
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"The CD Mat is far better than the Audioprism Blacklight."
Jonathan Chorney, Philadelphia
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"Though I've only had a little bit of time with the Mat, I wanted to let you know what I've found so far:
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System: : Rotel CDP 855
NAD T-163 Pre/Pro - Set to Stereo, no EQ
Emotiva UPA2 Amplifier
Klipsch KG-4
Room: 9 x 18 x 9...
"My first test was with the first 65 seconds of the first cut (main theme) on the soundtrack from Cinema Paradiso. While I had generally been happy with the sound, adding the Mat significantly created depth in the sound stage. Moreover, as the violins and, eventually, the saxophone joined in the theme, the inner voicings were brought into sharp focus and the music sounded more purposeful. Removing the mat flattened the stage into two dimensions and the music became far less involving as well as, by comparison, hiding much of the background chords and lines of the accompanying instruments.
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"I repeated the process for my wife, whose ears are far more acute than she gives herself credit for. When she heard the recording without the Mat, she demanded to know "what happened to all the richness?"
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"My next test was with the entire cut of the song "Tap Your Troubles Away" from the orginal soundtrack of "Mack and Mabel". I have learned that this recording is a significant challenge to all parts of the system and is part of my standard testing whenever I make a change. In the latter half of the song, the singer is joined by a group of tap dancers dancing to the music.
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"Here, the Mat made a stunning difference. Most people hear tap dancing almost exclusively through their television speakers. As such, they get used to a treble-loaded "in your face" kind of sound. With the Mat, far more of the low frequencies of the taps were reproduced, adding to the sense of realism.
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"Next up was a recording of the Faure "Requiem". Here, I could hear so much more of the inner voice lines that I was astonished at what I had been missing in a piece of music I thought I knew pretty well.
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"Finally, the 3rd movement of the Rachmaninoff 2nd Symphony - both the Previn & London Philharmonic and Ormandy & Philadelphia Orchestra. I much prefer the Ormandy version, even though it dates back more than 30 years. That preference was reinforced with the Mat.
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"As I have learned to expect with the Mat, the overall balance of the orchestra becomes richer and more listenable. With it, it's far easier to follow particular choirs within the orchestra, which significantly increases my understanding and enjoyment of the composition.
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"Thanks so much for producing the Mat. I look forward to rediscovering all of my music!"
Joel Waterman, San Jose, California
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"Today I received and tried the hubcabs. They work (Pioneer 563). Piano and voice sound more clear and I can hear more detail. The overall picture improves with more texture and fullness. I would put it in the clearly audible difference category."
Art Smuck, Downey, California
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"I've been using your CD Mat for a couple of weeks now in my Denon 2900 and can honestly say it's a significant improvement in the sonic quality of most any cd you put it on. Improved clarity and reduced harshness has me going back through my cd collection and enjoying it more than ever before. Easily worth twice the price. Thanks!"
Bruce Jobson, Snellville, Georgia
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"Ok. The grungebuster does what I hoped it would do -- allow me to listen to more music for longer periods of time. My 49-year-old ears, plus a moderate case of tinitus, keeps me from listening to some of my favorite CDs for more than 15-30 minutes. The grungebuster made previously unlistenable CDs much easier to listen to. Tonal balance, ambiance, dynamics and soundstage are noticably better too. More music is getting through with less digital hash, smearing and upper-midrange glare. Those nasty mid-to-late 80's DG, Sony and CBS Masterworks re-masters (ADD and DDD) now sound good to marvelous.
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"Thanks for a great product!"
Gary Seppa, Ontario, Canada
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"I received your mat in the mail last week. I slapped it on Sir George Solti and the Chicago Symphony's performance of Beethoven's 9th. What followed was extraordinary and unprecendented in my CD audio experience. The soundstage, simply, exploded and the centre became a hypnotic black hole taking me to the very rear of the stage to realize every previously hidden detail.
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"You have saved my CD collection. I had been moving out of CD into SACD, DVD -- and vinyl."
Michel Beauchamp, Montreal, Canada
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"A few weeks ago I ordered a grungebuster CD mat for use on a modified Sony DVP-9000ES player. I've used other mats in my previous players but none of them could be used with the 9000ES because its drawer opening is too narrow.
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"My 9000ES has been modified by Warren Gregoire, an authorized agent for the installation of the VSE kit (mine is the level-4, the latest). The VSE (Vacuum State Electronics) kit comes from Germany and is a creation of Allen Wright, the owner and founder of the Company.
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"The 9000ES once modified is an outstanding player, so I was not expecting much improvement with the mat. But I was wrong. I took me no more than 30 seconds to notice the improvement and it never failed. The very slight shrillness that was sometimes present disappeared, the instruments gained a sharper focus, the articulation of each note was better delineated and easier to follow and, the most important, I get more involved in the music."
Jack van Kronenberg, Margraten, Netherlands
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"Since a few day's use my grungebuster and I must say in combination with my Statmat Blue it does a great job. Much better soundstage and more details and a stable bass. Thank you I will tell it to all my audiophile friends."
Daniel Erway, Prescott, Arizona
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"My Grungebuster CD mat arrived a week ago and I just wanted to let you know it has proven to be one of the best improvements to my system I have experienced, which may be because it seems to be just what my system needed. I listen mostly on AKG K-1000 headphones which are a kind of auditory microscope ... revealing everything. I love their dynamic, alive quality but there were times when the sound was just too bright and harsh, and it would tire me out if I listened too long or too loud. NOT ANYMORE! The Grungebuster has smoothed things out just right without damping any of the musical detail or excitement. Thank you for your excellent product and for the reasonable price."
Mike Schneider, Cordova, Tennessee
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"Wow! I've played with my new grungebuster now for a couple of hours. This is amazing! I'm listening to a guitar jazz CD right now and I can hear the resonance from the hollow-body guitar. Thanks for another great product at a great price!"
Jerry Mathews, Port Ludlow, Washington
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"A happy return customer. Ordering another CD mat so I can have a CD ready to load -- I can't listen to any CD now without the mat. Great stuff."
Richard Chin, New York
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"Prior to the CD Mat, I've been listening to Black CDs that have been treated with the Vivid surface treatment and with the Stoplight edge treatment. While these treatments (individually and collectively) have resulted in an audible improvement in sound, I still thought that the sound was still a touch CD-ish. (Maybe, I thought, that's just the way life is.)
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"Then with the arrival of the CD Mat, I started by A-B'ing certain CDs -- first without the Mat and then with it. Clearly there was a noticeable improvement over the treated Black CDs.
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"After the first few A-B tests, I skipped the A-B process and listened to other CDs just with the Mat. I thought to myself, 'Well OK, that sounds like a piece of music. So what?'
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"But that's exactly the point! It sounds like MUSIC! (Maybe there is an audio version of Lake Woebegone after all -- where all CDs sound like music and where there are no digital artifacts. Where we can all be forever young -- where we can go to Never Never Land and where -- but then I'm straying from the point.)
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"The Mat is great stuff."
John Holman, San Mateo, California
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"I received the CD mat yesterday and just wanted to let you know how pleased I am with it. I am using it with a moderately priced Samsung DVD player and it certainly seems to provide a lot of added clarity/refinement to a variety of music/vocals.
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"Somebody in the audio asylum suggested applying the mat while the CD is still in its jewel case. I also am finding this to be a good way; I just centralize the mat over the center of the CD and everything falls into place. Thanks for a good product."
Roe Fleenor, Leander, Texas
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"WOW! It's not usual for me to send an email raving about a product, only done it twice counting this one. I must admit that when I first opened the box, I felt like an idiot paying almost $200 for some small parts. Don't get me wrong, I realize your products are not mass produced and most likely hand made, so I'm sure that justifies the price. I am amazed at the added performance they have given my system, and consider it to be a real bargain in the end. I've never realized near that kind of improvement with a $190 upgrade. I knew that there would be some improvement, but considering the damping I've already done, I thought the improvement would be subtle.
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"I found there was much room for improvement. First I tried your tube dampers, and like everyone else says, there was a definite improvement. See a big old smile on my face! Next went on the GrungeBuster CD Mat, wow more improvement! Finally I added your isolation feet, even more improvement! All in all the accumulative effect of your products elevated the performance of my system with a cheap CD player above what I've heard with my SACD player (which I have in the shop for repairs).
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"Before, the performance of my system wasn't even close with the CD player compared to the SACD player, the SACD player being night and day better. I'm now hearing things I've never heard before on the CD layer of my hybrid disks. Your products have elevated the performance of my system, with a cheap CD player, beyond what I've heard with the SACD player! I can't wait to get the SACD player back and install the isolation feet on it.
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"My system has improved in all areas, tighter bass, more dynamic, smoother yet more detailed (those two
things usually being mutually exclusive), truly amazing detail in the extreme highs, and even better imaging. I am one very happy camper! Congratulations on your really surprisingly effective products. I'm sold, and have a feeling you're going to see a bunch of orders from the Austin TX area after my buds hear this."
Roger Jones, Wilmington, Delaware
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"The grungebuster 'SP' CD platter mat has really taken my Pioneer PD-65 to another level in resolution of music, a more solid bass, and clarity. I had the opportunity to audition one of Chris Own's dAcK! digital audio converters in my system over the last few weeks -- all I can say is WOW! This $399 non-oversampling DAC with the grungebuster delivers music as close to high end analog reproduction these ears have ever heard."
Roger Jones, Hockessin, Delaware
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"The grungebuster works great in my modified Pioneer 563A combo player."
Michael Patrick, Pennsylvania
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"Thank you! I use the grungebuster EVERY TIME, and need extras for the 5-disc changer."
Anand Raman, Orchard Park, New York
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"Thank you very much. Your tube dampers are the icing on the cake. That CD mat you sent me has over 400 hrs of disc spinning on it already. Washed it a few times since I was spinning discs for at least 72 hrs at a time when I was breaking in my amp. The tube dampers definitely provide an 'ease' to the musical presentation, while the cd mat does exactly as asked ... a GRUNGE BUSTER. Little grunge, more music. Construction quality, especially for the tube dampers borders on the absurd. Very durable. Looking forward to purchases in the future."
Simon Dery, Asnieres, France
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"Your CD mat works. The increase of bass and dynamics is patent."
Scott Faller, TNT-Audio
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"Wayne from Bolder Cable tossed this one at me and said 'Here, try this out' back at MAF (Midwest Audio Festival). The Grungebuster CD Mat is this thin mat that gets placed on the label side of your CD, then inserted into your deck to be played as usual.
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"The results of this are really interesting. There is absolutely no doubt in anybody's mind that something has changed in the sound. When you listen, the soundstage takes a solid step if not two backwards. The Ssss's and Chhh's are definitely smoothed a bit. Some of the edge is taken off of recordings.
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"Is this something that you would want to use on quality recordings? It's doubtful BUT, is it something that you would use on marginal recordings? Absolutely. Mine hangs right next to my Tjoeb so I can slip it on anytime.
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