[LocalMotion]

The way Doug used the tape is correct but too much. On caps you can use a hole punch, like I did or Doug shows in his pics. Apply on top of cap, not the sides. Or you can just cut small squares around 1/8' square. But the dots have to be smaller. like Doug says, they work really well at dampening micro vibrations. Too much and will over dampen them. Best I have used or heard anyone use for micro vibrations. There are as many uses you can come up with. Here are some of the best off the top of my head:

for TA-102:
* On top of caps on all components including inside your PC or source component.
* Across the back strap of AC outlet.
* Between the Mickey Mouse looking ears of an AC outlet and the surface it is mounted to.
* Small dot on the bottom of a speaker driver or subwoofer. Will tighten and make bass more accurate/tuneful.
* small piece on top of Coax cable nut for Cable service
* on top of PC board inside components where there is no signal tracing
* on top of volume pot casing inside component.
* The outer side of speaker bracket bracing
* small piece(s) on top of fuses inside components
* on the circuit breaker switch on AC panel
* Headphones to tame baffle and housing vibrations
* I prefer TA-32 for this, but TA-102 can be used on the outside of any power and signal cable connector housing. This is audio or video.
* On the inside of component, around the edges of the IEC socket housing

Make sure you clean the surface you are applying the TA-102 to with isopropyl alcohol before securing the TA-102 to surface. Like with all audio tweaks, go slow. Apply to caps on one component and listen. About 80% of the effect will be immediate and will take the adhesive approx. 72 hours to fully cure. Then treat a different component and listen. And so forth. The tape can be easily removed, but will not just come off on its own unless it is extremely hot like around audio tubes. I have yet to hear a negative effect from using any foQ dampening product, but if you over do it you might.

Awesome.. thank you... got my hole punch too so will start one device at a time... funny I went wild yesterday on my DAC, and even put strips down the side of some power caps... it seems to dull things a bit, so I took off the strips on caps and a long strip I had on a metal brace (that helped support two lundahl transformers)... I now only have two dots on top of some signal caps, and two very small pieces on top and bottom of ext usb input.... that sounds much better. so this stuff is very powerful.

I'll try the IEC socket. If I have the faraday tape on the female end of connector, should I out it on there as well? like on top of tape? or under

 

[cdacosta]

Awesome.. thank you... got my hole punch too so will start one device at a time... funny I went wild yesterday on my DAC, and even put strips down the side of some power caps... it seems to dull things a bit, so I took off the strips on caps and a long strip I had on a metal brace (that helped support two lundahl transformers)... I now only have two dots on top of some signal caps, and two very small pieces on top and bottom of ext usb input.... that sounds much better. so this stuff is very powerful.

I'll try the IEC socket. If I have the faraday tape on the female end of connector, should I out it on there as well? like on top of tape? or under

Under the shielding tape. Put a small dot on top of all the caps.

 

[dougms3]

Awesome.. thank you... got my hole punch too so will start one device at a time... funny I went wild yesterday on my DAC, and even put strips down the side of some power caps... it seems to dull things a bit, so I took off the strips on caps and a long strip I had on a metal brace (that helped support two lundahl transformers)... I now only have two dots on top of some signal caps, and two very small pieces on top and bottom of ext usb input.... that sounds much better. so this stuff is very powerful.

I'll try the IEC socket. If I have the faraday tape on the female end of connector, should I out it on there as well? like on top of tape? or under

It might be a good thing that you went wild with it. Only when you go way overboard can you really learn how best to use it effectively.

I think I went through about 4 packages of the ta102, 3 packages of the ta32, and one package of the phone art tape. The ta32 is the most versatile.

 

[cdacosta]

@Local Motion

look at the size or amount used in the pics.

* The component pic is a Schiit Modius, the caps are small. Look at the sizes of those dots. The pieces on the main board are not on top of any traces. This tweak will improve the performance of that Schiit Modius or the NOS R2R DAC I am using now. I did the same thing in the Jotunheim 2 amp. Lowers noise floor and improves resolution. No draw backs, so long as it is not over done with too much of the material.

* The speaker pic... look at the drivers. At the top and bottom of the drivers I placed a small dot. This tweak improves resolution (micro and macro), very audible. But see how small the dots are?

 

[LocalMotion]

@Local Motion

look at the size or amount used in the pics.

* The component pic is a Schiit Modius, the caps are small. Look at the sizes of those dots. The pieces on the main board are not on top of any traces. This tweak will improve the performance of that Schiit Modius or the NOS R2R DAC I am using now. I did the same thing in the Jotunheim 2 amp. Lowers noise floor and improves resolution. No draw backs, so long as it is not over done with too much of the material.

* The speaker pic... look at the drivers. At the top and bottom of the drivers I placed a small dot. This tweak improves resolution (micro and macro), very audible. But see how small the dots are?

I have a lot of hole punching to do

That is very interesting on the speaker driver itself, you'd think you'd want the vibration there since that's how a speaker creates sound (vibration) and not interfere with it in any way...

 

[cdacosta]

I have a lot of hole punching to do

That is very interesting on the speaker driver itself, you'd think you'd want the vibration there since that's how a speaker creates sound (vibration) and not interfere with it in any way...

About 10 years ago I learned why this works. Unfortunately I cannot remember how to explain it. For sure this works, on subwoofers also. I have applied a single dot about 3/16” diameter at the bottom of powered home subwoofers. Specifically a JL Audio 10”, Sunfire True Subwoofer Signature (13” sub) and a couple of different Rel subs. This tweak increases the speed and accuracy of subs. Sounds more musical.

 

[Jake2]

I've just been checking out the various Fo.Q products.

After some success with prelim experimentation with dynamat xtreme butyl rubber sheets on the enclosures of my OCXO master clock and OCXO switch yesterday I can't help but wonder what a sheet of something like this 2mm fo.Q stuff would do.

https://www.playstereo.com/en/altri...oq-damping-tape-for-tuning-sh-21k.html#idTab5

Have you tried this?

Am thinking using it idependent from or in addition to placement of smaller pieces on internal components (noting the cautions re it being powerful stuff that can mess with the sound when applied to capacitors etc)

Apparently Afterdark wrap their OCXO modules in the Dynamat but I wonder if fo.Q stuff would step it up a level.

 

[cdacosta]

I've just been checking out the various Fo.Q products.

After some success with prelim experimentation with dynamat xtreme butyl rubber sheets on the enclosures of my OCXO master clock and OCXO switch yesterday I can't help but wonder what a sheet of something like this 2mm fo.Q stuff would do.

https://www.playstereo.com/en/altri...oq-damping-tape-for-tuning-sh-21k.html#idTab5

Have you tried this?

Am thinking using it idependent from or in addition to placement of smaller pieces on internal components (noting the cautions re it being powerful stuff that can mess with the sound when applied to capacitors etc)

Apparently Afterdark wrap their OCXO modules in the Dynamat but I wonder if fo.Q stuff would step it up a level.

I have not tried any fo.Q dampening material thicker than TA-102. Dynamat works differently than TA-102. Dynamat dampens structure, TA-102 absorbs micro vibrations and coverts it to heat to dissipate. Obviously you would have to try it and see for yourself. Where exactly are you planning to apply the material, directly on the clock chip?

 

[Jake2]

I have not tried any fo.Q dampening material thicker than TA-102. Dynamat works differently than TA-102. Dynamat dampens structure, TA-102 absorbs micro vibrations and coverts it to heat to dissipate. Obviously you would have to try it and see for yourself. Where exactly are you planning to apply the material, directly on the clock chip?

Hi, yes primarily the clock oscillator oven enclosure (say 2 x 2 cm). And to use instead of the Dynamat under the base of the external case (say 20cm x 15cm give or take).

 

[cdacosta]

Hi, yes primarily the clock oscillator oven enclosure (say 2 x 2 cm). And to use instead of the Dynamat under the base of the external case (say 20cm x 15cm give or take).

I have never actually tried what you are wanting to do. You would have to try to know the differences.

 

[LocalMotion]

First step complete... did my DAC, all the caps, around the IEC inlet (inside the chassis).... Let it warm up, and pleasantly surprised.. small details tend to be popping out more.. small breaths, faint taps/brushes on drums, equipment... (fyi - in image below you see I had previously applied SoundCoat on the tops of the USB reclocker clocks, SoundCoat has always been my go to for large pieces on chassis itself, under lids, etc)

Next to pop open my Innuos and start hole punching....

 

[cdacosta]

First step complete... did my DAC, all the caps, around the IEC inlet (inside the chassis).... Let it warm up, and pleasantly surprised.. small details tend to be popping out more.. small breaths, faint taps/brushes on drums, equipment... (fyi - in image below you see I had previously applied SoundCoat on the tops of the USB reclocker clocks, SoundCoat has always been my go to for large pieces on chassis itself, under lids, etc)




Next to pop open my Innuos and start hole punching....

Yes micro detail is improved. Just go easy on the size of the dots, TA-102 has a strong effect. FYI, the dots look kinda big, bigger than what I would use. As you add this tweak to other components you will "hear" more information. Basically adding some refinement to the overall sonic performance. In my system the DAC, amp and source (PC) are treated like this.

 

[dougms3]

First step complete... did my DAC, all the caps, around the IEC inlet (inside the chassis).... Let it warm up, and pleasantly surprised.. small details tend to be popping out more.. small breaths, faint taps/brushes on drums, equipment... (fyi - in image below you see I had previously applied SoundCoat on the tops of the USB reclocker clocks, SoundCoat has always been my go to for large pieces on chassis itself, under lids, etc)




Next to pop open my Innuos and start hole punching....

I agree with cdcosta, might be too big.

Only way to known for sure is when you remove them and compare the sound.

 

[LocalMotion]

So far, I'm pretty shocked how it sounds... I wouldn't believe it would be this audible.. I'm fairly skeptical until I try things... and in my current system it's dialed in so much I can easily hear changes for better or worse.

Did the Innuos too. I can always test again and remove, but very happy with the outcome so far. as for size, the small ones in the Zen and my DAC are tiny. used the 3/16" (4.8mm) punch

 

[cdacosta]

So far, I'm pretty shocked how it sounds... I wouldn't believe it would be this audible.. I'm fairly skeptical until I try things... and in my current system it's dialed in so much I can easily hear changes for better or worse.

Did the Innuos too. I can always test again and remove, but very happy with the outcome so far. as for size, the small ones in the Zen and my DAC are tiny. used the 3/16" (4.8mm) punch

So long as you are happy! What is your source component? Should treat your source component also. See those molex plugs in the pic you provided? Cut a small square piece and place on the side of the molex plugs. Small slither of a piece on any glass fuses. While you are inside your gear, if you have Furutech Nano liquid treat all internal mechanical connections also. The fo.Q TA-102 and Furutech Nano Liquid will provide a nice and easy sonic upgrade to any component.