Synergistic Research Black Box
REFERENCE AUDIO – WITHAM ESSEX
BOB’s Review Series - No 53 – Synergistic Research Black Box
Introduction – I’m sure that many of you will have heard of Synergistic Research (SR), probably because of their well-regarded orange and purple mains fuses and some may already have those in your system. Many others however may be asking who Synergistic Research are and what do they do so I’ll start with a brief description of the company and the products they make, all of which are now available at Reference Audio. Then I’ll go on to try and describe the Black Box, what I think it does and what it could do for you.
They are an American company that specialise in a variety of ways to enhance an audio system and the listening room. Their portfolio includes mains treatment powecells, mains and interconnect leads, fuses, grounding devices, High Frequency Transducers (HFTs) and even cable lifters. You do need to have and keep an open mind when using and listening to some of their more esoteric devices because at first look it’s not easy to see just what they can do.
Technology – Basically It’s what it says on the tin, a little black box. It is not powered and doesn’t connect to any part of your audio system; it just sits on the floor on rather long and pointy spikes. Exactly what is inside the Black Box is pretty much an SR trade secret but if you pick it up you can feel it move inside, but please don’t shake it or drop it because you will almost certainly break it and at £1,995 that could prove expensive. SR describe it as an acoustic treatment device designed to solve your low frequency problems.
I was going to try and explain in my own words just what the Black Box is for and what it does but this extract from the SR website explains it better than I ever could. ‘Based on our award-winning and patented sympathetic resonance technology, the Black Box is an (all in one) Broad Spectrum Low-Frequency Resonator Array with UEF Tech that effectively eliminates bass nodes while expanding your room’s ability to accurately portray low-frequency information and spacial content. Working from the principle that all frequencies in the audible bandwidth are linked through harmonics, the Black Box balances low frequencies, mid-range, and high frequencies through a mathematically derived algorithm based on tuned sympathetic resonance. So when you get the phase correct at 20Hz for example, it clears up every multiple of 20Hz so, 40Hz, 80Hz, 160Hz and on’.Even if you don’t have a bass problem in your listening room you can benefit from the Black Box. With improved low-frequency definition in perfect phase alignment with all frequencies that make up your favourite music, you hear natural sounding bass in a holographic soundstage with mid's and high's that sound natural and transparent. And unlike large bass traps, the Black Box performs this feat in a small, aesthetically pleasing package.
System Components used in this Review:
Pre-Amp: Gryphon Essence with DAC Module Fitted
Power Amp: Gryphon Essence
Streamer: Innuos Statement
SUB: REL Carbon Limited
Cables: Jorma Cables Throughout
Equipment Stand: Gryphon StandArt
Performance – The first thing to do is to locate it in your listening room and SR’s guidance is a little confusing because it suggests a variety of placement options, some in front and some behind the mains speakers. They also suggest that adding more Black Boxes adds more treatment and therefore better acoustic performance, but they do also say not to add more than 3 in a room.
To find the best location means getting up and down a lot to move it around your room but also to remove it entirely so check and listen to any benefits it may bring. After much moving about I settled on it located just behind the main speakers and don’t worry about those dangerous looking spikes, they are not too sharp and because the Black Box isn’t heavy it is unlikely to damage precious flooring. But please test this first.
So did it add something worthwhile to the performance of my listening room? Well yes it did but not immediately. I needed to find the sweet spot and let it settle for a couple of days before it really started to perform. But when it did I found that it definitely helped by bringing more coherence to the music being played, especially at the lower frequencies where most listening rooms struggle. There are of course many other ways to treat room acoustics but most of those are not great looking, especially if your listening room is also used for other family purposes. Where the Black Box scores is by being domestically acceptable at around 240mm square and just 150mm high including the spikes and it weighs just 3.5kg.
Conclusion – After playing with the Black Box for some time, taking it in and out of my room and trying it in many different positions (and also trying it in the showroom) I still don’t know technically what it does, what’s inside the box nor how it does what it does but once it went back to the show room, I missed it. And that’s always a good sign that it was doing something positive. It’s definitely worth considering in any system. Not cheap at £2,000 so best to have a home demo first but most people who try it ending up buying so I guess it must be doing something good. And bizarrely the Black Box also comes in silver, but I’ve never see one!
Bob – Team Reference Audio – September 2022