Demagnetizing CDs?!
Another nonsense CD audio accessory…or is it?
This is a very similar video to the one about the CD shaving tool but I’m certain it won’t get a fifth of the views due to the vagaries and whims of YouTube. See herding cats & platting fog to learn more.
Here’s the video - https://youtu.be/mH4v8b1tGSQ
The CD shaver video really wasn’t very good. It contained too much unstructured talking. I tried to curb that aspect here, but ultimately we’re just left talking about an inanimate plastic box with two buttons on it.
Behind the scenes info - after I reassembled the box I switched it on to take the shots for the thumbnail with the LEDs lit. After a couple of minutes I noticed smoke coming out of the case. I haven’t investigated the cause but I’m glad it only self destructed once it had served its purpose.
This device is now dead - no more demonstrations/tests/additional footage can be done with it. This video is complete. I’ve moved onto the next one.
In other news I was laid-up with illness for a few days this week. I was struck down with a shivery, aching, flu type thing. Of course I did daily plague tests and fortunately the results were negative. I’m only mentioning this here just in case I appear a bit under the weather in the video. I was attempting to hide a clammy sweat and a killer headache the whole time.
Anyway feeling better(ish) now - so I hope you get some entertainment from the video. I might talk more casually about these audio improver type devices with dubious-claims in a future patron-only update.
Oh and for those who haven’t seen it - I shot a section that was included in a Big Car video and you can see that video here: https://youtu.be/hv9MA2fNiCA I turn up at 22:30. Of course the whole video (and channel) is worth a watch if you’re in any way interested in automotive history.
Anyway - I hope things are good at your end, take care and many thanks for your support.
Comments (95)
I remember this crap. Do you know what pushes it into ABSOLUTE HILARITY? It was promoted mostly by the so-called "AUDIOPHILE" community! LOLROFPMP!
Ha ha, nice to debunk another quack product.. Looks like a giant wireless phone charger inside. It would be interesting to know if there's any AC across the coil while the green LED is fading (a proper degausser should start at a high level and diminish to zero over a few seconds)
I remember when these things first appeared not too many years after the CD itself arrived. Always skeptical I was delighted by your treatment of the topic. I always enjoy your videos and sense of humor, thought it was time to become a patreon after several years of watching you on YouTube.
Well that’s very kind of you to sign up - many thanks.
A fool and their money... (Not you...people who buy things like that thinking they actually do something beyond waste energy.)
Hi Mat. Do you have a way of comparing the eq’s rather than the volumes (I think that’s what you’re doing in Audacity. Perhaps I am misunderstanding) of the magnetized vs demagnetized versions? Something like a spectrogram comparison? I’d think if there was any difference, that’s where you’d find it (I still don’t think you’d find a difference 🤣)
Any difference would've shown up on the difference track (the track on the bottom). If, for example, there were more bass, the bottom track would've consisted of bass frequencies. But it was just zero, hence no difference.
I put this on the YT comment thread, but thought I'd repeat it here since people here are much smarter. :-) Your point about the lack of gizmosity in a CD player (or it's replacement, the streamyboxapp thingie) is spot-on, in my view. In turntable days you could make the music better just as you describe. Actual, tangible results. Better stylus, proper tone-arm balance, super rigid platform, precise speed control, etc, etc - all that stuff was real ... All gone. Now you just put the CD in and push play (if you are old-school and still own a disc player!). And with the "lossless" file formats, there is even less to complain about regarding "missing sound" in the digital representation of the audio.
How can you tell it's broken, if it never did anything in the first place? :-)
Off topic but someone tweeted the Al Green vid, in response to a certain PM being on radio tomorrow. So retweeted out of politeness 👀
Interesting - we’ll have to see if this one gets any traction as a result. I doubt what’s-her-face could generate enough interest to cause a bump in my viewing figures though.
Loving these quack devices, even though they're completely useless it's fun to see what idiots will spend their money on! You should send this device to Big Clive so he can do a proper breakdown of what the electronics inside are actually doing (not much I bet).
I’m not pals with Big Clive - we’ve never spoken to one another.
I feel so much better since I've been demagnitized...but only on my left side.
I enjoyed the video a lot, especially the bit about having to record rather than rip, and the dad joke at the end. Sorry to hear about the health, you did a good job hiding it in the video. I would recommend replacing the computer voice with a human (e.g. another Youtuber), it sounds a bit jarring. Also, I enjoyed the cameo in the Big Car video.
It was really a favour to a channel that I enjoy - plus I enjoyed talking about silly cars in a place where it seemed relevant.
You're lucky you ducked the plague - my second at-home test was positive, and I now have laryngitis and I'm miserable. Official lab test pending.
That sucks. Please take care. We don't know whether we did or not so far, I think I had it at the very beginning of it... Anyway get well soon and rest!
Aren't those magnets cute or what. We'll done Mat. It was nice. Please get better soon and take care. With the kids going back to kindergarten, it feels like a Russian roulette. I know the device is dead now but, did you try to pull up the cd, see if there was any force on it? I mean, I am sure it won't, because it is not magnetic... On a different note, I am kind of compulsively buying hi fi cd players on the cheap because of them dying. After the ordeal you went through changing that laser unit, I am not sure I can pull it off keeping my sanity.
Yes there’s zero pull - it’s just plastic and aluminium. As for the CD players - as well as the recently dead Denon player and the Sony SACD - just last week the CD laser in my MD/CD combo died as well. It seems everything is reaching that age. I used to think I’d die before my HIFi, but now I’m thinking I’ll end up being an old bloke who only has a Bluetooth speaker.
Now that it's dead you won't be able to do more tests, but I'm pretty damn sure putting 300$ damper cones under the machine before demagnetizing would have helped dramatically. Please take care Mat, we need you and your videos :)
You don't want to demagnetize a CD, YOU WANT to MAGNETIZE IT!
I don't think I'd have noticed you were ill if you hadn't mentioned it, you did a good job hiding it and projecting the animated, upbeat presenter personsa to the camera. Doing that under the filming lights with a splitting headache must have been painful. This video held my attention more than the CD shaving video - whether that's down to the editing or some other factor, I couldn't say. Thanks, as always, for the entertainment, I hope you feel better soon!
Glad to hear about the attention thing - that was the aspect of the CD shaver vid that I thought (with hindsight) really needed tightening up.
It's snake oil in every way Audiophiles weren't prepared and didn't understand how much different digital was compared to analog I've spoken to (and known) a few audiophiles, and can say that it's a complete placebo affect on them, and it's their pocketbooks that get emptied There were magazines available that hyped all of this junk up, and had a whole section in the back listing where to buy all of this stuff it was almost funny, but ultimately sad I had an engineering book from when I was in college that was specifically about digital audio hardware and production, and offered to loan it to all of them so they could see what was really going on, and see how it really worked. They all declined, saying, "my ears know the truth!" They couldn't face the fact that they'd been ripped off to the level that they had They didn't want to look dumb, and didn't want their other audiophile buddies find out that they had figured it out so sad so lost
What will not have helped either is that those audiophile magazines basically sold their advertising space to businesses and then promised high praises on one of their products in return. For instance demagnetisation of a CD. And, to be perfectly honest, if you really dive deep into how the CD player and the standards work, it will make your brain hurt!
Mat, i have some magic beans, i only sell them to a select lucky few. They de magnetised my head so they should work great on those pesky magnetic discs. You can have one if you get deperate!!!! :) :)
Did you replace the mojo tooth with a fresh one before you tested it? (if you bought the US-market version, it'll be a John the Conqueroo). They're like capacitors...they tend to go bad over time. It got really positive reviews when it was first released, as I recall. But that was before international export restrictions were imposed on products that used a black cat's bone. They had to source weaker components to keep it on the market.
Memory can be faulty, but my recollection of the song about Mme. LaVeau had it that she used a black cat tooth and a mojo bone, so either I'm getting my references mixed up or the process of CD degaussing uses a slightly different formulation than that used for Acadian witchcraft.
I wonder what would happen if you put some iron filings or paperclips or something on the platform.
" I noticed smoke coming out of the case. I haven’t investigated the cause but I’m glad it only self destructed once it had served its purpose." Perhaps some sort of Jungian bit of synchronicity... you did after all. make that wonderful video about the Mission: Impossible recorder some years back. "This device is now dead - no more demonstrations/tests/additional footage can be done with it." So, in other words, the device works exactly as well as it did before it blew up! (Cue Cleese riffing from the "Parrot Sketch" - "This tat is no more! It has expired and gone to meet it's maker!"
First thing I thought when you cracked the box... "blimey, that's a lot of copper!" I can only assume the manufacturer had actual faith in the product to shell out for the tons of the valuable metal it would have taken to mass produce this nothing-device. I don't recall, but have you ever done a video on those "CD Repair" fluids that could supposedly fix a scratch on the play surface? Come to think of it, that would be a pretty short video and no lovely tech-reveal at the end.... or QI-worthy pun!
Wouldn't a CD repair fluid have some benefit? Although digital, CDs have a certain amount of error correction that works round minor damage. It's just about possible that polishing the surface and other small repairs would have an effect.
Where's my green marker...
You're the best Matt. Thank you for the entertaining videos. Hope you feel better soon.
Watching this from the heart ward of the LGI, having had the first part of the surgery they cancelled the other week! I was hoping for a BT Hotspot, but no, I've had to pay out for their extortionate "Hospedia" Wi-Fi, if I want to stream stuff. I don't have much to say regarding this video, but thanks for keeping me entertained with rewatching your content through the hours of this intravenous drip I've had to endure this week! And best wishes with your current health issues, of course!
Fantastic video for a hilariously useless piece of tosh. I do wonder who would have parted with $$$ for this thing? Perhaps the copper has some scrap value! Hope you feel Better soon too, Mat.
I was surprised that the device actually contained as much circuitry as it did! I thought it would just be enough to power the LED and some weights… Anyway, great entertaining video! Your hid the flu or whatever plague you had effectively, in actuality you had a healthier “glow” to you than usual… —Wait-a-minute—!
Thanks for the shout out! Hope you feel better soon.
I've had that same type of lurgy three times since the first lockdown. I also get the Tex Ritters, though. Last time, I nearly ended up with Richard Widmarks on my Cary Grants.
Stay safe!
If ever you run out of snake oil devices to test you could get a Valve CD player (I saw those before I could afford any CD player myself) or one of the Philips ones with the oversampling disabled which supposedly makes them sound better than operating in the method Philips put a lot of effort into achieving p.s. If you want a real CD eraser try using a Microwave Oven (but not one that you want to use again). I have actually seen a Tesla coil erase a CD turning it into a transparent polycarbonate disc.
Wow! 11000 € for what looks like the simplest CD player you can possibly build. Plus a top loader for maximum inconvenience. But who would want to stack other devices on top of this gem anyway… (Edit: I'm looking at the Rega Isis Valve)
I still bi-wired my speakers.. All right, to two different setups (one analogue and one digital). But still.. Saves me from buying a pre amp. So well worth it. But not exactly what biwiring is meant to do 😂
The creativity of hi-fi esoterics is infinite. Have you ever heard of the NESPA #1 CD Finalizer? In summary, the mode of action was explained as follows: regular flashes of light with the same spectrum as the sun vaporise the smallest imperfections on the CD. With, of course, every conceivable positive effect on the sound quality. This product was actually sold. And touted by dubious magazines. No, I didn't make that up.
Wow! It is creative, got to hand them that!
Please send this one over to Big Clive. I'd love to know what it's actually doing (if anything). I bet he could work it out even though it's let the magic smoke out already.
I wonder if iron filings would show any magnetization present on a CD?
Hmm, that gizmo that Mat has to look at the magnetic info on reel to reel tape you mean? That’s quite ingenious..
Brilliant, love these things, what was that? About $8 worth of componentry selling for $399 and getting a 'gold' award from 'Audio and Hi-Fi Bumbersquat Monthly'. Reminds me of a mate of mine who used build these electronics devices in a garage in Sussex that would 'replicate' the molecules of any plant for homeopathic remedies. And they couldn't make them fast enough!
That’s more on the copper alone.. And some packaging, plastic.. maybe 25-30 ukp?
Just as well I didn’t have a spare 300 quid . Clean cloth and some IPA though makes my gear sound better. Thanks again Sir Moan of Techshire.
I would be interested to know if anyone of around my age used to look forward to What hi fi for example and soak it up. I mean when I was 20 yrs plus around 1990. I used to waffle on the absolute musts such as bi wiring to anybody that would listen! Or having an earth spike in your garden,
I don't think the people who made these types of devices understood digital technology. Great video as always.
Unless laser light somehow refracts differently with a chamfered edge or demagnetisation, but I highly doubt it..
I really like the choice of music as well Mat! Very nice touch..
Love the dive into these useless audiophile devices. Shame the almighty algorithm doesn't agree :)
Well, of course you didn’t see a difference! You just shoved that highly magnetic CD in the CD player. So now you magnetised the inside of the player! So in comes a nice demagnetised CD and it gets re-magnetised by the player! Yeah, I know.. I still don’t like the eternal joking about audiophiles in the comments though. As if all of them are idiots. In this case (and in the previous one), eh, perhaps a tiny bit far fetched.. My first thought was: perhaps driving over the CD might be more effective at changing the sound..
Now if only someone could put the CD demagnetizer components into the CD shaver, they could make their CDs sound twice as good and save money having to buy one device rather than two.
You don’t really understand commerce do you? 😂
I'm sure there are people who will swear up and down that they can tell the difference. Some people just feel the need to elevate themselves by any means they can even if it is to claim a belief in nonsense.
Well, don’t you do that here as well?
You may not be able to see the attraction, Mat but I find it quite repulsive. Hope you are better now. :-)
Well, clearly the three magnets you put on the CD overnight demagnetized it already. That is why there was no change in the audio. The advantage of this device is that you don't need three magnets, only one device. Additionally, if you check the manual, you will see that it can be used to demagnetize your optical cables too! The instructions state that you simply coil the cable on top of the device and hold the erase button for thirty minutes. 🤪 Thank you for another great video!
I've never heard about CDs magnetising but I think that this device does just nothing, it's only a placebo effect. Audio on a CD is a digital stream so it plays only 16bit/44kHz PCM or nothing. It's not like a vinyl record, cassette tape, VHS tape or a laserdisc on which quality of audio and video changes according to condition of the media and the device that plays it back
Well, not really. With a nasty scratch, you might get incomplete or corrupted data through your speakers. Some CD players filter those out, but wow, pops and clicks on vinyl sound NICE compared to errors in digital readback with audio...
What another lovely video on another fantastic piece of snake oil!
Imagine being someone who thinks: "Oh, no! Magnetic fields in the metal in the paint on the CD are interfering with the laser light bouncing off the pits on the other side, because we all know that magnets can bend light! AND I CAN HEAR THE AUDIO CONSEQUENCES!! "Won't anyone help me fix this problem who isn't a therapist?"
"But, if magnetism affected light, then we'd be able to see magnetic fields." "YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T??!?!?"
Yet Another Excellent Video, good sir. Nothing like reviewing a device that costs a lot... but has absolutely no value whatsoever. I Love snake-oil stuff. Hope you're feeling better!
Another satisfying debunk; bravo. The device is a piece of crap. At least the HD VMD player had a more valuable use in this video than what it was designed for in the long run. A couple little things I happened to notice that made me smile: 1. the device (which one is it - Alexa, Echo?) you used to ask about aluminum magnetization used the American pronunciation first and the English version after you said it, nice; 2. Mini Mat's shirt has a Walkman on it - so cute. I genuinely hope you're feeling better now. I'm currently suffering from a bad cold and at-home test negative. Psst: I also noticed your shirt changed during the vid. Sorry. EDIT: we shall not speak of this again.
Okay, with tongue firmly in cheek, the shirt thing raises an important question for YouTube Pedants: When should The Talent (Our Mat) change his shirt in a video and when should he use the same one throughout? I'll post my views on the community page which seems more appropriate.
I liked the CD pun, Mat.
I was a young adult in the era when CDs were new...I don't remember this...but probably because it was in the same category as a CD rewinder...
Have you ever considered using magnet field detecting film on one of these things? I'd be curious if the magnetic field on any of these demagnetizers is actually moving around or anything. It'd probably make for some pretty video either way.
No, but it’s dead now so no more tests can be done unfortunately.
Very interesting, it amazes me that these existed let alone were purchased in numbers. It would be interesting to see the circuit board torn down by someone like Big Clive (other are available). I enjoyed your segment in the Big Car video and I thought I'd mention that the new Canon Selphy CP1500 is supposed to be shipping in this country on the 27th. I think I'm going to order one as I've been impressed with the Selphy range in your videos but haven't tried one for myself yet.
If you want to print proper nice glossy photos at home then you really can’t beat the Selphy printers. They also don’t mind sitting unused for months at a time - the next photo you print will come out looking as good as the last one.
FWIW I loved the shaver video, and it didn't feel unstructured at all! :) Can't wait to watch this one, and hope you're feeling better!
BTW this is really a can of worms. One snake oil-like remedy that I remember was a special (super expensive of course) green felt pen that you would apply to the edge of the CD and this would (like the shaving) somehow stop the laser beams from reflecting inside the disc. Another CD-related audio "enhancement" application was a small mat that you would interleave with the CDs in a small stack (one CD, one mat, one CD, one mat etc) which would also "ground" the CDs and in doing so remove static electricity. There was also (in the early to mid 80's) a chap in the UK (IIRC) that marketed various more general audio "improvement products, suchas small pieces of aluminium foil that you would put around the pickup cables on your turntable, small clamps that you would put on the kitchen drain pipes (!) and other similar things (the markup on the foil strips must have been phenomenal because they were not cheap, not that any of these products ever are) etc etc etc.
I thought you were supposed colour in the whole of the laser side of those discs with the magic marker. Is that what I was doing wrong on all my discs? :-)
Mat thanks for the video. Can I sponsor getting your little player fixed by "Mend It Mark" because he has changed laser assemblies before. It might even appear in one of his videos! It shouldn't cost too much to post each way. Best wishes.
The player only cost me £30 to start with. Its value is way less than the postage, labour and a new laser.
I'd like to see a compass next to or on the demagnetiser, to see if it has any effect at all. Wonder if it could be used as a Qi charger, but I wouldn't put a phone I care about anywhere near it.
Due to the release of the magic smoke -it is now somehow even less functional than before and as a result unwilling to do any more public appearances or demonstrations.
Nice touch to use a digital optical output to stay in the audio space. It might not yet have been converted to an analog signal. It's obviously the analog amplifier in vicinity of the CD that would be most effected by its magnetism. /s
Oh ye of little faith. I seem to remember you could, or can, buy bracelets with magnets in that cured everything. I worship at the alter of Magnetism.
I think the company who used to sell those magnetic bracelets was Melaleuca. I recall they also sold magnetic pillows. They never explained what exactly they did, only that they improved overall health.
Hahaha, again another piece of entertainment :-D But I'm still impressed that that big coil couldn't erase the cassette tape...
First thought “but CDs arnt magnetic…” thanks Matt!
All voodoo if you ask me.....
Demagnetizing? That's easy. Problem solved. That's totally a 20th century problem. What I need? Deghostifying. I have too many ghosts in my CDs. Whenever I want to listen to some music, my living room gets good and haunted! It's scaring off all my guests, and the neighbors are complaining that there's too much astral ooze on the street after I've had a good rockin' session.
I’m not surprised with all those long-gone performers trapped in reflective discs. You need discbusters.
If people fell for this in any capacity, I have just invented a headpiece that you wear a few minutes every month and it demagnetises your ears. Using this £299 device will improve your audio receptors and everything will sound better. I'm also working on similar goggles.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA*gasp*HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Can't wait for the audiophile salt and/or the accusations of toxicity in the comments section when this video goes public. Hope you're over that lurgy! At least it wasn't the coof.