Do dish and tell. What Stein devices have you tried as there are many? I currently have 4 of their H-pro boxes along with their activators. The effect when I place them around the room and have the boxes turned on is quite effective. So effective that I basically run them on the lowest settings as running them higher gives me a hyper detailed sound I find not as natural. I also have their turntable mat and a Q3 organizer. The mat makes music more natural and the organizer takes out any artifacts introduced from noisy or polluted electrical lines. Yes, my power is to die for twice a year, spring and fall. Interestingly, my power is already cleaner than others and my room dead quiet from outside noise. When no one is running either ac or heat my digital is much like vinyl with its glorious palpability. So, yes, please do tell.
Holostages - critical review
- Thread starter Halydean
- Start date
Republicoftexas69
Well-Known Member
Apples for oranges. The Holostages are passive. Make your own comparison, buy a set.
Have you made the comparison? The devices from Stein are mainly passive also. The instructions and how to use them is the same. The actual verbiage on what they do is the same. If you haven’t done the comparison yourself I have no idea why you are making comments like you have. It’s possible but very improbable that this new Holo is something from the genius mind of Krissy, Then again, there isn’t any pedigree of her accomplishments and field of study to know. What is more probable is that she tried a Stein device from Fidelis -both in New Hampshire and she decided to do her own. It’s also possible that she made a better design or device. Who knows? I was hoping instead of some meaningless comparison like a 386 computer you or others could actually talk about how hers differs and what are the differences. I know about Stein because I have them. You know about Holo because you have them. Is there anyone who has experience with both? My Steins are excellent and the difference can be heard by anyone and you are saying the same about the Holo but I don’t know how they compare, I don’t need a forum to tell me to try a product I might already have -yes, I have 8 passive devices that work great on their own but are enhanced with the “harmonizer”. I put batteries into the harmonizer 8 years ago and they are still working fine.
Republicoftexas69
Well-Known Member
Who cares about the Stein / Holostage debate. I want to know more about batteries that last 8 years!!
For what it’s worth- I have eight Holostages and I think they work great.
I don't want to enter any sterile debate but for those who want to know, I have both holostages (4) and stein harmonizer (passive 4+ active 4) and they basically have the same effect. For me anyway.
Thank you for this. I’m glad that someone has both. Now I can finally put to rest the need to buy holostages if I already own Stein. It also confirms my suspicion that they are both doing the same things.
No special trick with the batteries. The Harmonizer just doesn’t use much electricity for their effect if they are actually using any at all. allowing a light to come on, if I flip the switch, to tell me that it is still working.
Republicoftexas69
Well-Known Member
You have no idea who she is and the company that her and her husband started and the products the developed over the years. Such a demeaning post. It’s possible but very improbable that this new Holo is something from the genius mind of Krissy
Heartsound vs. Stein shootout. Sorry for the slow reply. I reached out and asked, but an acquaintance who does not wish to be named on the internet tells me that they performed a direct comparison in their own system, removing and replacing each objectively. They said the Stein products cost 4x the price and have less effect. They went on about the workings of the Stein device (per their website) which appear to be more closely related to the Bybee devices which use batteries as well (and I do have and love Bybee devices).
Similarities. I'm not saying that I wouldn't like Stein devices. Not at all. I'm also not saying they don't have some similarities to the Holostages. Some of Shunyata's patented filtration mediums, Bybee devices, Stein's devices, Puron filters, and Perfect Path Technologies all use some similar filtration techniques and have some similar effects. Admittedly, Krissy's earliest designs were directly inspired by the late Jack Bybee, and the fact that she is the widow of Tim Mrock of Perfect Path Technologies no doubt has a lot to do with the sound of her devices.
Differences. I think it is quite reasonable to say that comparing Stein devices (as well as Bybee, Shunyata and Puron) to the Heartsound is sort of like comparing older algorithms to AI. Old algos are great! That's not to say they don't work I use Perceptron ii algorithms every day and they can run on anything. I also use the Puron, Shunyata, and Bybee devices in my system, and if I had a Stein I'd probably use it somewhere just the same. But the Heartsound devices are simply a more powerful iteration that is several generations ahead.
Powerful effects. Although individual reports do vary, when one reads the wider amount of available user reports as a whole, there are sufficient reports from various users to conclude that the Holostages are having a very different impact on people's systems. I've never heard anyone say that they did something with a Stein device and it sounded terrible, and upon relocating it, left them swimming in music. The (dare I say) drama inducing reports about the Holostages have sparked some spirited discussions, and upon testing it seems that an overwhelming majority of Whats Best users have similar experiences. These drastic reports are only coming from Holostage users... and that's not even to mention the price differences.
Krissy's "genious." I've had several conversations with Krissy, and I am under an NDA about the contents. I have a naked holostage-- without a box. I've seen into the heart of the holostage-- its multiple composites, layers, coatings, compounds, chemicals, and ingredients... all baked in with Krissy's bafflingly complex recipe. I think a lot of the "burning in" that people report with new Holostages is a chemical reaction that is still occurring inside the box itself, with crystals that are still forming... but that's just my guess. I don't really know. The point is that there is a lot going on inside these things.
It isn't that Krissy is some sort of an engineer who just sat down one day, thought up a revolutionary model and then built the first nuclear reactor. Not at all. Krissy likes to experiment with different things and listen to their effect. The Holostages that she sells literally have more than a few hundred predecessors that have gradually changed in an evolution to become what they are today. Of the numerous ingredients, she has worked to find a balance in each one. I recall one day where she tried a different shape for an internal piece and she was lit up about the improvement it made. For another product, she found that making more numerous but smaller internal components had a more powerful effect. We had a discussion a few years ago about some exotic nano metal that she tried and absolutely hated because it sounded "weird." Why? Who knows. She has performed more trial & error than is probably even rational... but I think some of those random experiments have been how she was able to get to where she is. So it's not a matter of engineering genious, but one of persistence and time. Rather than tell herself, "this should sound best," and then be content, she has continued to try new things.
I think she is at a point now where improvements are getting harder and harder to find.
I think part of our continuing discussion may- and I say MAY- have to do with the fact that not many of us have come in contact with female audiophiles or female principles engaged in the audio business. Whether this product works and how it works has produced a considerable amount of "head scratching". I have always been one who looks to compare products for effectiveness and cost and I think that is healthy. It may also have well come the time to simply acknowledge that this product works for whatever reason and works in a way that can be adjusted/relocated/placed, etc. in a room in such a way that many of us perceive positive results. We accept that certain cables produce results we perceive as being better than other cables even though we don't have any testing results to confirm what we think we hear- why should Holostages be different? I agree with the preceding post that product comparison is a sensible direction relative to these Holostages. There is a line in a Buddy Guy song as follows: "You don't have to be the best in town, you just have to be the best until the best comes along." I also think - for whatever and why-ever the reason- these stages may now be the best in town.
In my opinion, a female audiophile or principal has no bearing on our discussion. I am happy for Krissy that she has found a passion. She deserves it. But it is always about the product and whether it works or does not work. Heartsound products work for me.
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