The LM-845 Premium is a SET integrated amp that uses massive output transformers and a massive separate power supply. The driver tubes are 300B and output tubes are 845. I've upgraded the tubes to Western Electric. The authority, richness and soundstage this amp provides is outstanding. With the Aerial 20T V2 speakers it presents a huge soundstage that is silky smooth and powerful.
The Black Box is a Low Frequency Resonator Array that works in conjunction with the Atmospheres and FEQ X4 to solve bass node issues.
For you Total Contact users who may be reading this. Doesn't the seller claim its very conductive? I haven't been reading those message boards much anymore but the main proponent recently posted the following which seems to be very dangerous advice especially if the whole inside of the power conditioner is covered with it? Again, they are claiming its very conductive right?
"Yes, paste everything inside including the sides of the receptacles (plugs), wires, connections, Caps, AND the inside of the chassis including the inside of the cover. It took an entire tube of TC to do my six-outlet power conditioner. For the price of one tube of Total Contact, if your results are the same as mine, you'll be getting a $10,000 upgrade to your system. No joke."
Ozzy - Thank you for everything you've done for this audiophile community over the years!
To answer your questions.
1. I don't think it matters if you cut the mats to the space you want to use them in. I've pretty much cut all of mine and it doesn't seem like its hampered performance.
2. Based on Bill's observations, there is a difference in sound quality on the orientation of the mat. So, I alternated (magnet facing component/magnet facing away from component) the orientation of all of the magnets in the various stacks. There are so many variables to consider when you make changes its hard to say for sure if this made a big difference in my system but, again, I don't think it hurt the sound quality.
3. I should probably buy some Total Contact since I'm sure it works from what people have said and from my understanding of graphene solutions. I use a cheap non-proprietary graphene oxide that, based on my reading, is used throughout the industry to provide a coating that helps protect and enhance the performance of many things including batteries and solar cells. It has very little to do with conductivity. The graphene oxide does seem to help. I've now painted both sides of all my magnetic mats with it. I've also used it on most of the connections throughout my system.
Tom - I've got 10 treated magnetic mats on each component. 5 on the top (if possible) and 5 on the bottom. I have a power strip with 4 High Fidelity MC-0.5s plugged-in that has 5 mats under it which are folded-over to create a 10 layer bundle. I really don't know what the "limit" is when things start changing for the worse.
Removing the RF/EMI absorbers from my system has made a big difference. I think they were messing-up the uniformity of the magnetic field that I've been trying to create. Previously, they only improved the sound because they helped remove "stray" RF/EMI which is all over the place due to the electromagnets being used in the transformers. But when you make a consistent magnetic field around your equipment it really does help the sound.