Vertex took the thinking a whole lot further, producing interconnects and power cables using the same technology – although these were arguably even less practical. Heavy and bulky, the prospect of having to deal with multiple clashing boxes – boxes that weren’t sleek or small – in the confines behind your rack, probably doomed the brand to extinction, even if the benefits were significant and clearly demonstrable. Like all such approaches, they work best when applied throughout the system, the final piece making the biggest difference: which added up to a lot of boxes…
Event horizon…
That all happened nearly two decades ago and, cable risers aside, the whole issue has remained either dormant or below the radar since then. Until now and the arrival of the SoundStrip BlackHole NoiseTraps. To all intents and purposes, these are an attempt to deliver the same performance benefits as the Vertex cables, but in an ‘add-on’ package. In fact, Vertex produced a similar product, the Pico, that was used in exactly the same way. Being external to the signal path itself obviously presents challenges, but in both cases, the designer was/is quick to point out that it also offers opportunities – of which more later.
Meanwhile, let’s look at what these boxes are and how they are actually used. The first thing to establish is that (unlike SoundStrip’s previous offerings, which concentrate on RFI/EMI absorption) the BlackHole NoiseTraps are entirely mechanical devices. Like the Vertex products, the thinking if not the technology, derives directly from aerospace applications, where excessive vibrational energy is a constant problem. The MDF box contains a dispersive matrix, constructed from organic materials that are extremely efficient when it comes to dispersing and converting vibrational energy into heat. This matrix is joined to the speaker terminals by a pair of solid-core wires and copper spades. Interestingly, the length of the wires doesn’t seem to be critical, allowing a fair degree of flexibility when it comes to placement of the box itself. SoundStrip suggests that the increased dissipation offered by the improved efficiency of the matrix, together with the location of the interface, as close to the drivers as possible, overcomes any disadvantage that results from its relatively remote location (at least compared to the Vertex approach). Installing and testing the NoiseTraps couldn’t be easier. Just connect their spades in parallel with your speaker cable connections. If your speakers are bi-wired or bi-amped, connect the NoiseTrap’s spades to the low-frequency terminals, where vibrational energy levels are highest. Then all you have to do is sit back and listen. Want to A/B the results? Just disconnect the spades – but make sure that you disconnect both of them.
What should you hear? Clarity, especially through the bass and lower-mids. The drop in noise floor is obvious and the results only to be expected, with an increase in transparency, focus, intra-instrumental space, micro-dynamic definition, harmonic information and overall dynamic range. Along with that comes the associated increase in musical articulation, clearer phrasing and rhythmic patterns, an overall increase in presence and immediacy. These are not small changes. Nor are they limited to a particular speaker or system. My initial listening took place with the Gobel Divin Comtesse, not a speaker that you would think required too much help when it comes to bottom-end clarity and articulation. Indeed, perhaps it’s the speaker’s exceptional agility that makes the impact of the NoiseTraps so apparent. Either way, adding the SoundStrip boxes to the bass terminals of the bi-wired Göbels generated a far from subtle improvement, embracing all of the sonic and musical aspects outlined above.
