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HOW DOES STATMAT WORK?
Sound
studios go to great lengths to ensure that the music they record is
of the best possible quality before storing it on a compact disc.
When you buy a CD, therefore, you should be fairly confident that it
contains a reasonable digital recording. However, when you play the
CD on your hi-fi system at home, you may find the sound far from
ideal. There are several factors which may compromise the quality of
sound reproduction. One of the most significant problems is the
occurrence of low-voltage, electrostatic fields as the disc is being
played. The STATMAT electrostatic control system deals with this
problem and, in doing so, removes a major cause of imperfect sound
reproduction.
During play, a CD revolves at a very high speed in a closed and dry
environment. At the same time, the drive motors and digital
circuitry generate a lot of heat. These factors combined precipitate
a gradual build-up of electrostatic fields. The static does not
cover the CD evenly, but rather appears in the shape of low-voltage
hot spots randomly spread over the disc's surface. The fields
rapidly increase and intensify as the CD is played.
The digital circuitry inside a CD player reads the information
captured on the disc via a laser beam. The information is stored in
digital form as binary (effectively, a series of zeros and ones). It
interprets these numbers and converts them into an analogue signal,
which is then sent to the loudspeakers. When static builds up on the
CD, it can interfere with the interpretation of the digital
information. This means that, when the digital-to-analogue
conversion takes place, an impaired signal is produced.
Essentially, therefore, the signal is suffering from distortion.
Electrostatic build-up introduces continuous electrical vibration,
resulting in phase changes. If strong enough, this vibration can
cause the phase to shift 45o, 90o or even higher and could make the
absolute phase appear inverted.
These phase anomalies can affect the timing of the music, with
disastrous consequences on the quality of the reproduction. The
timing of notes is crucial to the experience of music. To our ear,
timing represents texture, dynamics and distance. It is the
signature which musicians put on their music and which allows us to
recognise a piece as being performed by them. During playback,
certain knowledge of a piece of music leads to expectation of what
comes next. If it is slightly out of time, our musical experience is
compromised. An accurate, phase- coherent signal is therefore
essential for musical enjoyment and appreciation of the performance.
STATMAT, developed by QR Design, eliminates static induced signal
phase distortion by dispersing the low-voltage hot spots while a CD
is being played. It is placed on the CD and works during play-time.
The disc itself does not need to be treated beforehand although, of
course, it does need to be clean. STATMAT is made of biaxially-oriented
polypropylene film. This type of plastic is more resistant to
abrasion and wear than standard, extruded polypropylene. As it is
pre-strained, it should not stretch during use. The film is coated
on both sides with an aqueous dispersion of polyvinylidene chloride
copolymer - which itself has anti-static properties - and specially
formulated, conductive inks.
The inks are positioned on the top and bottom of the film in two
specific patterns, which are the key to STATMAT's functionality. The
two patterns work together to disperse the electrostatic fields
across the CD's surface. Low-voltage surges are evened out and hot
spots eliminated. As a result, the digital circuitry is able to
interpret the binary information more accurately and translate this
into a clearer, phase coherent signal. The polypropylene material
brings with it an additional benefit: STATMAT weighs a mere 3mg.
This means that - unlike some competitive products - its mass will
not have any significant effect on the sound. While some damping of
the disc inevitably occurs during playback, this is secondary to the
conductive processes which are taking place.
In conclusion, by controlling electrostatic fields, STATMAT
minimises signal distortion by ensuring phase coherence. This brings
with it a host of benefits, just some of which are listed below.
STATMAT
BENEFITS:
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Cleaner,
crisper sound
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Greater
resolution and separation
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Wider,
deeper soundstage
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Enhanced
power and dynamics
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Improved
sense of timing and rhythm
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Clearer
intonation and voice inflections
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Clearer
ambience of recording venue
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Simply
more natural, more musical
STATMAT can
be used with: Most CD players and transports, midi and mini systems
and other packaged systems and portables.
STATMAT cannot be used with: Some multi-play CD players. Most in-car
CD players. Most vertical CD players.
SPECIFICATIONS ORIGINAL STATMAT & MkII VERSION:
SPECIFICATIONS NEW MkII CDi VERSION:
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