歡迎來到圓盤世界... Welcome to Discworld…

作者｜Dennis Davis  翻譯｜Gemini  編輯、潤稿｜巨禮小編

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Nordost is best known for its highly regarded range of interconnect, speaker and power cables, but the company also offers a whole family of AC-related and ‘quieting’ products under the QRT banner. As well as purely passive devices like the familiar QBase power distribution blocks, more active QRT products aim to manipulate or interact with electromagnetic fields and mechanical vibrations, aligning or dissipating unwanted energy to create a cleaner signal. Don’t worry: I can hear the chorus of skeptical coughs and barely covered mutterings of “more marketing BS!” from here. Despite positive past experience with earlier QRT products, I still find myself questioning each new offering. If you feel like it’s all a bit ‘out-there’, I can sympathise.

Nordost 最著名的莫過於其備受推崇的訊號線，喇叭線和電源線系列，但該公司也在 QRT 品牌下提供了一整套與交流電（AC）相關以及「靜謐化」的產品。除了像大家熟悉的 QBase 電源排插這類純被動式設備外，更主動的 QRT 產品旨在操控或與電磁場和機械振動互動，對齊或消散多餘的能量以創造更純淨的訊號。別擔心：我已經可以聽到那群持懷疑態度的人發出的咳嗽聲，以及幾乎掩蓋不住的「又是行銷狗屁！」的嘀咕聲。儘管過去對早期 QRT 產品有過正面的體驗，我還是發現自己會對每一款新產品提出質疑。如果你覺得這一切有點「太玄了」，我完全能體會。

 

I recall an early experiment with a(n unrelated) resonance product a few decades ago; in that instance, wall resonance damping discs. Unlike most products, I could not do a “before and after” test. The discs took hours to place and once stuck to the walls did not come off. I applied about 30 or 40 discs around the room as instructed and (no doubt because of the investment involved) was convinced that I could hear the difference they’d made. At which point they just became part of the furniture – until a couple of years later when a visitor from Mexico asked why I’d stuck pesos on my wall? Once removed, the system sounded exactly as it had with the discs bonded in place, just without the embarrassment of trying to justify the sticking of small metal discs to my walls. I’m sure I’m not alone in having suffered such an experience. But there’s plenty of accepted wisdom in audio that is just as questionable, so bear with me while I suspend judgement: it’s worth investigating further…

我回想起幾十年前對一款（無關的）共振產品進行的早期實驗；在那次例子中，是牆壁共振阻尼圓片。與大多數產品不同，我無法進行「使用前後」的對比測試。這些圓片花了幾個小時才安置好，一旦黏在牆上就拿不下來了。我按照說明在房間各處貼了大約 30 到 40 個圓片，並且（無疑是因為投入了大量成本）確信我能聽出它們帶來的改變。到了某個階段，它們就變成了家具的一部分——直到幾年後，一位來自墨西哥的訪客問我為什麼要把披索（pesos）黏在牆上？一旦拆除，系統聽起來就和貼著圓片時一模一樣，只是少了試圖合理化把小金屬圓片黏在牆上的那種尷尬。我相信有過這種經歷的人肯定不止我一個。但在音響界，還有很多公認的智慧也同樣值得懷疑，所以請容我先保留評判：這絕對值得進一步探究……

 

The QRT line might have grown out of the original Thor power distribution unit and got started for real with the QX2 and QX4 field generators, but since then it’s spread its wings, embracing passive AC distribution (those QBase power strips) and a host of plug-top devices – the QKoil, QSine, QVibe and QWave – described as AC enhancers and line harmonizers. Those technologies are, in turn, incorporated into the flagship QBase Reference and QSource power supply, collectively aiming to clean up AC and DC noise and grunge in home audio applications. Then there’s the highly-rated QNet ethernet switch and the extremely effective QKore parallel grounding units. All told it’s a comprehensive assault on AC quality, system noise-floor and (if we include the Sort Products) both electrical and mechanical grounding. Last but not least and bringing the QRT family full circle, we have the QPoints, reviewed here, the current, improved evolution of those earlier QX units.

QRT 系列可能是從最初的 Thor 電源排插發展而來，並藉由 QX2 和 QX4 磁場產生器真正起步，但從那時起，它的版圖不斷擴大，包含了被動式交流電分配器（那些 QBase 電源排插）以及一系列插頭式設備——QKoil、QSine、QVibe 和 QWave——它們被描述為交流電增強器和電源諧波器。這些技術隨後被整合到旗艦級的 QBase Reference 和 QSource 電源供應器中，共同致力於清除家用音響應用中的交流和直流噪訊與雜質。此外，還有評價極高的 QNet 乙太網路交換器，以及效果極佳的 QKore 平行接地設備。總而言之，這是對交流電品質、系統底噪以及（如果算上 Sort 避震系列產品）電氣和機械接地的一次全面進擊。最後同樣重要的是，讓 QRT 家族形成一個完整迴圈的，正是本文評測的 QPoint，它是早期那些 QX 設備目前改良後的進化版。

 

 

The QPoint is described by Nordost as a “Resonance Synchronizer”. It is shaped like a larger, 5” diameter hockey puck, but is still thin enough to slip below most products. It emits an electromagnetic field from its black plexiglass top surface. The outer edge has a diode that glows blue or green to identify mode, a switch for choosing that mode and a DC socket for connection of a power source. Each QPoint comes with a ‘wall wart’ transformer, but you can instead connect multiple QPoints (up to four) to a single QSource, a linear power supply that provides higher quality DC and does so far more quietly. The QSource also offers a pair of switchable, higher voltage DC outputs that can be used to drive network components like routers, switches or even a Roon Nucleus. Naturally, Nordost offers a choice of two different DC cables to run between the QSource and your QPoints (or QNet), with standard or Premium versions.

QPoint 被 Nordost 描述為「共振同步器」。它的形狀像一個直徑 5 吋的放大版冰上曲棍球圓盤，但依然夠薄，可以滑入大多數器材的底部。它從黑色的壓克力頂層表面發射出電磁場。外緣有一個會發出藍光或綠光以辨識模式的二極體、一個用於選擇該模式的開關，以及一個用於連接電源的 DC 插孔。每個 QPoint 都附帶一個「牆插式」變壓器，但你也可以將多個 QPoint（最多四個）連接到單一的 QSource 上，這是一款線性電源，能提供更高品質的直流電，而且運作起來安靜得多。QSource 還提供一對可切換的較高電壓 DC 輸出，可用於驅動網路設備，如路由器、交換器，甚至是 Roon Nucleus。當然，Nordost 提供了兩種不同的 DC 線材供你連接 QSource 和 QPoint（或 QNet），分為標準版或 Premium（旗艦）版。

 

排好 Q 的隊伍… Form an orderly Q…

 

That’s a lot of Q to absorb. One wonders whether the inspiration for Nordost’s Q naming scheme derives, not from science fiction flics, but instead from the Bond movies, where Q Branch was the MI6 research and development division charged with top secret field technologies. Audiophiles are always susceptible to a new gadget around the house, and if a fully tricked out Aston Martin DB5 is out of reach (Bond did famously escape once in a Citröen 2CV), why not something more down to earth and practical like a resonance device? So, with a tip of the hat to actor Ben Whishaw, I installed QPoints in my system to unpack their secrets.

有這麼多的「Q」需要消化。人們不禁會想，Nordost 的「Q」命名規則的靈感是否並非來自科幻電影，而是來自 007 龐德電影，在那裡，Q 部門（Q Branch）是軍情六處的研發部門，負責最高機密的實戰技術。發燒友總是容易被家裡的新酷炫小玩意所吸引，如果一輛全副武裝的Aston Martin DB5 遙不可及（龐德確實曾開著一輛 Citröen 2CV 成功逃脫過），何不試試像共振設備這樣更接地氣且實用的東西呢？因此，帶著對演員 Ben Whishaw（飾演 Q 先生）的敬意，我在我的系統中安裝了 QPoint，以解開它們的秘密。

 

Unlike the QBase, QKore and QWave, all of which target the system’s AC power, QPoints target the DC side of electronic devices. QPoints are placed under any item of audio electronics, from preamplifier or phono section to power amp, DAC or CD player, ideally placed as close as possible to the unit’s circuit boards. I hooked up three QPoints, one under my Audio Research Reference 6 Preamplifier, another under my ARC Reference Phono 3 and a third under the Wadax Studio Player. Nordost recommends placing the QPoint close to the component’s greatest concentration of DC components (in most cases this means circuit boards) but not too close to the AC input. The plexiglass tops and bottoms of my Audio Research products made finding the sweet spots easy. The Wadax is stuffed full of circuit boards, so I simply slipped the QPoint under the conveniently raised middle, a bit closer to the back of the unit (and away from the drawer mechanism) for maximum DC proximity. With other products, you can look on-line for clues as to where the DC components are located.

有別於 QBase、QKore 和 QWave 皆針對系統的交流電源，QPoint 則是針對電子設備的直流端。QPoint 可放置在任何音響電子器材的下方，從前級擴大機、唱頭放大器到後級擴大機、DAC 或 CD 唱盤，最理想的放置位置是盡可能靠近器材的電路板。我連接了三個 QPoint，一個放在我的 Audio Research Reference 6 前級擴大機下，另一個放在 ARC Reference Phono 3 下，第三個則放在 Wadax Studio Player 下。Nordost 建議將 QPoint 放置在靠近器材直流組件最集中的地方（在大多數情況下這意味著電路板），但不要太靠近交流電輸入端。我的 Audio Research 產品的壓克力頂板和底板讓尋找「甜蜜點」變得輕而易舉。Wadax 內部塞滿了電路板，所以我只需將 QPoint 滑入它方便凸起的中間位置，稍微靠近機器的後方（並遠離承盤機械結構），以達到最大的直流接近度。對於其他產品，你可以在網路上尋找有關直流組件位置的線索。

 

重點在哪裡？What’s the Point?

 

Nordost developed the QPoint after observing the spontaneous synchronization effects of resonating objects found in both nature and man-made objects. The best-known example is where two or more (even a room full of) metronomes are started out of synchronization, over time they will spontaneously synchronize. A room full of metronomes moving out of synch would (and on YouTube do), sound quite discordant. While you might not hear the electromechanical resonance of your circuit boards swaying out of synch in the same way, you can hear the smeared, muddy sound that their oscillations create. The point of the QPoint is to remove this electromechanical noise by bringing those fields into synchronization.

Nordost 是在觀察了自然界和人造物體中常見的共振物體自發性同步效應後，開發出了 QPoint。最著名的例子是，當兩個或更多（甚至滿滿一屋子）的節拍器在不同步的狀態下啟動時，隨著時間的推移，它們會自發性地同步。一屋子不同步擺動的節拍器聽起來會非常刺耳（在 YouTube 上的影片確實如此）。雖然你可能無法以同樣的方式「聽見」電路板的機電共振在不同步地搖擺，但你可以聽出它們的振盪所造成的模糊、混濁的聲音。QPoint 的重點就在於，藉由將這些磁場帶入同步狀態，來消除這種機電噪訊。

 

The real advance in the application of the Electromagnetic Field Stabiliser technology first seen in the QX boxes lies in the refinement of the field generated and the distributed nature of the QPoints, where individual field generators can be optimally positioned for each electronic component – rather than simply generating the biggest field possible and hoping it reaches where it needs to. Moving from an all-aluminium casework further improves matters, allowing the field produced by the QPoint to be weaker, more focused but also more effective. In practice it offers a 25cm/10” range, which is sufficient for most purposes.

首次見於 QX 盒子的電磁場穩定器（Electromagnetic Field Stabiliser）技術，在應用上的真正進步，在於所產生磁場的精煉以及 QPoint 的分散式特性，這使得獨立的磁場產生器能夠為每個電子組件進行最佳定位——而不是單純地產生一個盡可能大的磁場，然後祈求它能覆蓋到需要的地方。從全鋁機殼的轉變進一步改善了情況，使得 QPoint 產生的磁場可以更微弱、更聚焦，但也更有效。在實際應用中，它提供了 25 公分/10 吋的有效範圍，這足以滿足大多數需求。

 

The signal is emitted from the (upper) plexiglass side of the QPoint, which is, as noted above, placed immediately under the target component. Where the QPoint cannot be positioned under the component, Nordost supplies a felt pad so that it can be placed on top, plexiglass side down, the felt pad serving to protect the target unit’s top plate.

訊號是從 QPoint（朝上）的壓克力面發射出來的，如上所述，它會直接放置在目標器材的下方。如果無法將 QPoint 放置在器材下方，Nordost 提供了一塊羊毛氈墊，這樣它就可以放在器材頂部，壓克力面朝下，這塊毛氈墊的作用是保護目標器材的頂板。

 

 

Nordost experimented with various frequency combinations or ‘tunings’ of the electromagnetic field during development of the QPoint, finally narrowing it down to two that were significantly more effective than the others. The QPoint allows the user to switch between these two ‘modes’ indicated by the green or blue illumination. Once you’ve established a preference, Nordost recommends using the same mode across all QPoints in a single system.

Nordost 在 QPoint 的開發過程中，對電磁場的各種頻率組合或「調音」進行了實驗，最終將範圍縮小到兩種明顯比其他組合更有效的頻率。QPoint 允許使用者在這兩種由綠光或藍光指示的「模式」之間切換。一旦你確定了偏好，Nordost 建議在單一系統中的所有 QPoint 上使用相同的模式。

 

切入正題… Getting to the Point…

 

I connected each of the installed QPoints to the QSource with QSource Premium DC Cables (the difference in price for the Premium cable – $390 as opposed to $345 for the standard one – makes the Premium cable a no-brainer). This set-up made comparisons easy. Rather than unplugging multiple devices (by pulling and plugging three cumbersome wall warts) for each comparison, with the QSource, I turned all three QPoints on or off with a single flip of the power switch feeding the linear supply. Convenience aside, the QSource provides a quieter, more effective and better sounding QPoint.

我使用 QSource Premium DC 電源線將每個安裝好的 QPoint 連接到 QSource（Premium 線材與標準線材的價差—— 465 美元對比 408 美元——讓選擇 Premium 線材成為理所當然的決定）。這樣的設置讓對比變得很容易。我不需要為了每次對比而拔插多個設備（拔下並插上三個笨重的牆插變壓器），有了 QSource，我只需撥動供電給線性電源的電源開關，就能一次開啟或關閉所有三個 QPoint。撇開便利性不談，QSource 能為 QPoint 帶來更安靜、更有效且更優異的聲音表現。

 

For some time before the QPoints arrived, I’d been listening to Bach’s Sonatas for Violin and Continuo (Harmonia Mundi HMM 902698) with Isabelle Faust on violin, Kristian Bezuidenhout on harpsichord and Kristin von der Goltz playing cello. My high hopes of a great sounding CD had initially been dashed, the sound being both a bit thick and at the same time edgy, as period performances can sometimes seem. It was the first disc that I loaded into the Wadax Studio Player after adding the QPoints to the system, and I was seriously surprised by the sonic and musical result. A photograph in the CD booklet showed the three musicians triangulated, with Faust standing to the left, von der Goltz seated to the right and Bezuidenhout seated behind and between the two string players. With the QPoints turned on, the imaging snapped into place — the violin and cello were no longer swimming, blended into an indefinite acoustic. With the QPoints in play, the three musicians were precisely located in space, while the violin in particular, took on a delicacy that was not present without the QPoints activated. Gone was the stridency that had previously be-devilled the performance, the music as a whole taking on a sense of clarity, shape and pattern that was missing before.

在 QPoint 送達之前的一段時間裡，我一直在聽巴哈的《小提琴與數字低音奏鳴曲》（Harmonia Mundi HMM 902698），由 Isabelle Faust 演奏小提琴，Kristian Bezuidenhout 演奏大鍵琴，Kristin von der Goltz 演奏大提琴。我對這張聽起來應該很棒的 CD 抱有很高的期望，但最初卻破滅了，聲音既有些渾厚，同時又帶點刺耳，古樂演奏有時似乎會呈現這種狀態。這是我將 QPoint 加入系統後，放入 Wadax Studio Player 的第一張唱片，而它在音響和音樂上帶來的結果讓我大吃一驚。CD 內頁的一張照片顯示三位音樂家呈三角形排列，Faust 站在左邊，von der Goltz 坐在右邊，Bezuidenhout 坐在兩位弦樂演奏者的後方中間。開啟 QPoint 後，結像瞬間到位——小提琴和大提琴不再游移不定、糊在一個模糊的聲學空間裡。在 QPoint 的作用下，三位音樂家在空間中的位置被精準地定位出來，特別是小提琴，展現出在未開啟 QPoint 時所沒有的精緻感。先前困擾這場演出的刺耳感消失了，音樂整體呈現出以前缺乏的清晰度、形體感與層次。

 

 

Sticking with three instruments, I switched genres, queuing up Ralph Towner’s Travel Guide (ECM 2310), a jazz trio composed entirely of guitars. That combination of three similar tonal palettes challenges the recording engineer to ensure that the individual instruments maintain their individual identity and tonal signature, rather than taking on each other’s timbre, and worse yet, timing. The live and vibrant sound immediately identifies this as a Manfred Eicher/ECM recording, devoid of acoustic damping, a production decision that leaves the three guitars to overlap and clash. But once you flip the switch on the QPoints, the three instruments snap into focus, with the three inner voices and their interlocking rhythmic pattern clearly delineated.

同樣是三件樂器，我換了個音樂類型，播放了 Ralph Towner 的《Travel Guide》（ECM 2310），這是一個完全由吉他組成的爵士三重奏。三種相似音色組合的挑戰在於，錄音師必須確保每件樂器都保持其獨立的特性和音色標誌，而不是染上彼此的音色，更糟的是，影響了時間相位（timing）。那種生動活潑的聲音，立刻讓人認出這是 Manfred Eicher/ECM 的錄音，沒有聲音阻尼，這種製作決定讓三把吉他相互交疊與碰撞。但是，一旦你打開 QPoint 的開關，這三把樂器立刻聚焦，三個內聲部及其相互交錯的節奏模式被清晰地勾勒出來。

 

If the QPoints could restore that much order with just three instruments, how much better (or worse) would they fare with an orchestra’s worth of instruments? Instead of jumping straight into something much more complex, I turned to the Second Movement of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony. The allegretto is dominated by the strings, building from basses and celli to embrace the violas and violins. I started out with the recently released Kirill Petrenko/ Berlin Philharmonic performance, Disc 2 of a 4-disc, hybrid CD/SACD box set (BPHR 200353) issued on the orchestra’s superb house label. The intensity of the music increases as layer upon layer of sorrowful string sound is laid down. With the QPoints activated, not only is it easier to hear and separate the individual contribution of each string section, but there’s also a far greater sense of musical momentum. That momentum takes on an irresistible quality, as if each musical strand or instrumental element is more closely bound – or yes, one could say “synchronised” – creating the powerful sense of musical purpose that makes this music so compelling: far more compelling with the QPoint’s resonance synchronization.

如果 QPoint 光靠三件樂器就能恢復這麼多的秩序，那麼面對整個管弦樂團編制的樂器時，它們的表現會更好（還是更糟）呢？與其直接跳入複雜得多的編制，我轉而播放貝多芬《第七號交響曲》的第二樂章。這個稍快板（allegretto）由弦樂主導，從低音提琴和大提琴逐漸鋪陳，延伸至中提琴和小提琴。我從最近發行的 Kirill Petrenko/柏林愛樂樂團的演出開始聽起，這是該樂團出色的自家廠牌發行的一套 4 碟混合 CD/SACD 盒裝套裝（BPHR 200353）中的第 2 張碟。隨著一層又一層充滿哀傷的弦樂聲鋪疊而上，音樂的張力不斷增強。在啟動 QPoint 後，不僅更容易聽見並分離出每個弦樂聲部的各自貢獻，而且還產生了一種強大得多的音樂推進力。這種推進力呈現出一種無法抗拒的特質，彷彿每一條音樂紋理或器樂元素都被更緊密地結合在一起——或者可以說被「同步」了——創造出使這段音樂如此扣人心弦的強大音樂目標感：有了 QPoint 的共振同步技術，它變得更加引人入勝。

 

There was a similar effect on vocal recordings. Randy Newman’s voice on ‘Mama Told Me Not To Come’ (12 Songs – Audio Fidelity AFZ 070) snaps into focus and moves closer to center stage within a more clearly defined acoustic. Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch’s voices, as they duet on ‘I’ll Fly Away’ (O Brother, Where Art Thou – Lost Highway 088 170-069-2 DG02) tighten up and become less diffuse, with not only better separation, but a much better sense of the physical, tonal and musical relationship between them. The QPoints place the voices musically front and centre in these recordings – just where they should be.

對人聲錄音也有類似的效果。Randy Newman 在〈Mama Told Me Not To Come〉（《12 Songs》 – Audio Fidelity AFZ 070）中的聲音變得聚焦，並在一個定義更清晰的空間中移向了舞台中央。Alison Krauss 和 Gillian Welch 在二重唱〈I’ll Fly Away〉（《O Brother, Where Art Thou》 – Lost Highway 088 170-069-2 DG02）時，兩人的聲音變得緊實、不再那麼發散，不僅分離度更好，而且兩者之間在實體、音色和音樂上的關係也有了更好的感受。QPoint 將這些錄音中的人聲在音樂性上置於舞台正中央——這正是它們該在的位置。

 

Piano sound was improved across the board. Andras Schiff’s performance of Beethoven’s Appassionata Sonata (ECM 1947) sounded cleaner and more focused, with more dynamic micro detail and better harmonics. And it wasn’t just Schiff. Olafsson, Pollini, Hewitt, and Pires each in turn achieved a sense of more concentrated energy and purpose in their playing and performance. The piano tone on every CD or LP seemed to have more density, while subtle differences in note weight and attack were articulated much more distinctly with the QPoints engaged.

鋼琴的聲音也得到了全面的提升。Andras Schiff 演奏的貝多芬《熱情奏鳴曲》（ECM 1947）聽起來更乾淨、更聚焦，具有更多的微動態細節和更好的泛音表現。而且不只是 Schiff。Olafsson、Pollini、Hewitt 和 Pires 每個人在他們的彈奏和表演中，都同樣展現出一種更為集中的能量感與意圖。每張 CD 或 LP 上的鋼琴音色似乎都更具密度，而在開啟 QPoint 後，音符重量與起音（attack）上的微妙差異也被更清晰地勾勒出來。

 

兩種觀點... Two Points of view…

 

As already mentioned, Nordost provides a choice of two different fields that can be generated by the QPoints. The company recommends that you at least start with all the QPoints in your system switched to the same setting, so that’s exactly what I did, settling down to establish the difference or a preference between the two. The difference itself varied in scale from one recording to another. In some cases, the difference seemed dramatic and in others barely noticeable, but despite that I quickly established what worked best with my assembly of components.

如前所述，Nordost 提供了兩種不同的磁場供 QPoint 產生以作選擇。該公司建議，你至少一開始要將系統中所有的 QPoint 切換到相同的設定，所以我照做了，靜下心來確認這兩者之間的差異或偏好。差異本身的幅度因錄音而異。在某些情況下，差異似乎很戲劇化，而在另一些情況下則幾乎難以察覺，但儘管如此，我很快就確定了什麼最適合我的器材組合。

 

I’ll use the first cut of Chris Isaacs’ San Francisco Days on both CD (Reprise 9 45116-2). and LP (9362-45116-1) as an example, with the QPoints switched off, then on and set to green and then to blue. The differences between off, green and blue were consistent regardless of format. The recording has a big, reverberant, studio sound. The LP version has some extra depth to the soundstage compared to the CD, which is somewhat flat. Engage the QPoints and the soundstage changes significantly with both formats. With the green light, the soundstage became significantly wider and deeper, with the reverb sound as noticeable as before. But with the blue light setting, the stage depth is even greater, and more significantly, the slight sluggishness of the reverberant sound is replaced by a greater sense of rhythmic drive.

我將以 Chris Isaacs 的《San Francisco Days》CD 版（Reprise 9 45116-2）和 LP 黑膠版（9362-45116-1）的第一首曲目為例，並在關閉 QPoint、接著開啟並設定為綠燈、然後再設定為藍燈的情況下進行測試。無論哪種格式，關閉、綠燈和藍燈之間的差異都是一致的。這份錄音具有龐大、殘響豐富的錄音室聲響。與略顯平面的 CD 相比，LP 版本的音場深度更深一些。啟動 QPoint 後，兩種格式的音場都發生了顯著的變化。在綠燈模式下，音場變得明顯更寬、更深，殘響依然如前一樣明顯。但在藍燈設定下，舞台深度甚至更深，更重要的是，殘響聲音中那種輕微的拖沓感被更強的節奏驅動力所取代。

 

I performed a similar comparison with CD and vinyl versions of Joni Mitchell’s Blue. My HQCD version of Blue (Reprise WPCR 18240), played naked of any resonance synchronization presented a slightly jumbled soundstage, with Joni’s voice floating free, a bit off-centre. The green light setting pulled her closer to centre-stage. As with the Chris Isaacs disc, the blue light setting added focus but also tightened up the rhythmic flow. Once again, the LP version (the Bernie Grundman master from the Reprise Albums box set) exhibited the same traits as the CD when subjected to the two setting comparisons.

我對 Joni Mitchell 的《Blue》的 CD 和黑膠版本進行了類似的對比。我的 HQCD 版本《Blue》（Reprise WPCR 18240），在沒有任何共振同步處理的情況下播放時，呈現出略微混亂的音場，Joni 的聲音自由漂浮，有點偏離中心。綠燈設定將她拉得更靠近舞台中央。與 Chris Isaacs 的唱片一樣，藍燈設定增加了聚焦度，但也讓節奏的流動感更加緊湊。同樣地，LP 版本（來自 Reprise Albums 盒裝套裝的 Bernie Grundman 母帶重製版）在進行兩種設定的對比時，展現出與 CD 相同的特徵。

 

In my experience, and to my ear, the blue diode setting sounded best in every comparison I tried and in all locations within the system. Once you’ve established a general preference, Nordost suggest finer tuning of the selected field for each individual component, but for me, blue is the colour. Your experience, with different electronics, may vary. But what you won’t be wanting to do is switch settings to match different recordings. While turning the QPoints off and on can be achieved with the single switch (assuming use of the Source), swapping between color settings is more cumbersome and requires sliding each QPoint out of position to access a recessed switch.

根據我的經驗和聽感，在我嘗試的每一項對比以及系統內的所有位置中，藍色二極體的設定聽起來都是最好的。一旦你確立了大方向的偏好，Nordost 建議為每個獨立的器材進一步微調所選的磁場，但對我來說，藍色就是最棒的。你的體驗可能會因為不同的電子器材而有所不同。但你不會想為了搭配不同的錄音而頻繁切換設定。雖然開啟和關閉 QPoint 可以透過單一開關來完成（前提是有使用 QSource），但切換顏色設定就比較麻煩了，需要將每個 QPoint 從原來的位置滑出才能按到隱藏式的凹陷開關。

 

最終的結論... The end Point…

 

As I’ve already mentioned, when I first received the QPoints for review, I was a bit skeptical. They don’t just bring the worst connotations of the word ‘tweak’ to mind, just try explaining why you have silver hockey pucks scattered around your components to a non-audio friend! Too many of the ‘tweaky’ things I’ve tried over the years have failed to deliver a lasting benefit for me to be blasé about such things.

正如我已經提過的，當我第一次收到 QPoint 進行評測時，我有點懷疑。它們不僅讓人聯想到「調音小道具（tweak）」這個字眼最糟糕的含意，而且試著向一位不玩音響的朋友解釋為什麼你的器材周圍散落著銀色的冰上曲棍球圓盤，你就知道了！這些年來我嘗試過太多「小道具」類型的東西，它們都未能為我帶來持久的效益，以至於我對這類事物無法不感到冷漠以對。

 

But even so, any hesitation regarding the QPoints was almost immediately overcome. Unlike sticking ‘coins’ to the wall, not only was it simplicity itself to conduct ABACA comparisons, where the results were consistent and always postive, they were substantial enough to eliminate expectation bias. While the difference with and without QPoints was always there, it wasn’t always musically transformative – although it often was. I will be the first to admit that I cannot explain the science behind resonance synchronization. But one thing that is for sure is that I can demonstrate what it does and, in terms of my audio system, it does it splendidly.

但即便如此，對 QPoint 的任何猶豫幾乎立刻就被排除了。與將「硬幣」黏在牆上不同，進行 ABACA 交叉比對不僅簡單明瞭，而且結果始終如一且總是正面的，它們帶來的提升幅度足以消除任何的預期心理偏差（expectation bias）。雖然有沒有 QPoint 的差異一直都在，但它並不總能在音樂性上帶來脫胎換骨的改變——儘管這種情況經常發生。我會第一個承認我無法解釋共振同步背後的科學原理。但可以肯定的是，我可以展示它能做什麼，而且就我的音響系統而言，它做得極為出色。