Triphasers. If you haven't heard about them before (they've been reviewed in Bound For Sound, and I have been told some are in the hands of folks at TAS), they might not catch your fancy. After all, what are they, a tweak or a component?
Well, if you take them at face value, the instinctive reply would be "Tweak!" But, with what I have personally experienced in my system, I sometimes find myself thinking about them as if they are a Component of equal stature as my speakers, amp, and digital front end. Why? Because they made a Qualitative change in music playback unlike anything else I had auditioned, as well as a Quantitative improvements not unlike those I have seen in upgrades and effective tweaks. Of course, the changes they bring about could not occur if the rest of the system was not up to its task, so I want to be cautious and not sound like I'm shoveling something. Also, the usual disclaimer: I make no claims what they will do in any given system, and am only reporting on my personal experiences.

Three big questions would naturally be (a) WHO makes Triphasers, (b) HOW exactly do they work, and (c) WHAT precisely do they do?

WHO is easy: Tritium Electronics, Wisconsin USA ([414] 475-0007). For the most part a business dealing with repair, rebuilding, and modification of stereo equipment. Through continuous attempts to improve his own systems, the designer came up with the theory behind Triphasers.

HOW is open to speculation: there is as yet no patent, and the designer does not want his hard labor filling someone else's cash register. As a result, he will not discuss theory or particulars, other than offering some general idea of what they do. One quote I received was that they "change the spectral density of complex waveforms." That one went way over my head. Asked to explain things during a subsequent conversation, he mentioned that different frequencies become skewed relative to others as they travel down a cable. Such an event reputedly leads to distortions that are not inherent to the recording itself, and Triphasers are somehow capable of modifying or correcting for the skew effect.

Might be helpful to mention physical particulars. Things are constantly evolving, so anyone who is interested in the product would be better served by calling Tritium to ask what exact products are available at what cost. Two basic types that have been for sale have (in general) been units that go between amp and speakers, and units that function between line level equipment. The pair I have are the former, and take the form of two 4" x 2" x 2" metal boxes, each with a pair of five way binding posts at both ends. Speaker cables get hooked to one end, and a jumper of some sort gets placed at the opposite end. As I understand it, there is no directionality; break in time is a matter of days (for initial major break in); and the jumper can be used between the box and the amp, or between the box and the speaker. No cords, buttons, switches, or lights. The line level devices can essentially go wherever a cable goes, and consist of some form of box or enclosure with captive cables sprouting from both ends, or RCA connectors in their place. A bit of uncertainty on my part relates to two issues: first, Triphasers are available in differing 'strengths,' with stronger units reportedly doing more of what the lesser units do. I have had no occasion to compare units of differing strength. Second, the manufacturer states that the effects of multiple sets of Triphasers in a system are additive. I have a set of line level Triphasers on order, and will have to wait until they are paid for somewhere down the road before I can see if 'more equals better,' and if so, how much better. To at least provide some idea of a price point, I will note that the first pair I bought cost $495, and the second $899. I have been told that less expensive products are in the works, as are more expensive models. At the time I made my purchase, a 30 day money-back trial period was available, as was an option to later trade a set of Triphasers towards a more advanced model.

WHAT do they do to the music: to my ear, in my system, the most noticeable things have to do with naturalness, space, clarity, and intangibles. By 'Naturalness,' I mean that I feel more like I am listening to music, not the reproduction of recorded music. For me this is more of a subjective thing that I feel, rather than some objective thing I can break down into precise variables. 'Space' covers two basic themes--there is an increase in soundstage width and depth, and there seems to be more space or air around individual players or instruments. 'Clarity,' is the best term I can conjure up for another apparent change--they're cliches that have been used ad nauseum, but 'The Veil Has Been Lifted' or 'The Dirty Window That Has Been Cleaned' seem to fit. The intangibles basically represent the way I emotionally react to the music. More goosebumps.

In a nutshell, the mysterious boxes have added a lot to my musical enjoyent, far beyond the price paid, and more so than changes in cables, cords, PLCs, dedicated lines, isolation platforms, and footers. In some ways more than upgrades in major components. Cant's say what other folks might end up thinking about the product, but I thought it was worth mentioning just the same.

can produce magical clarity and rightness of tone

long burn in time required

you park this baby in your system and let it play for hundred of hours. the info sheet included with the boxes
suggests 500 hours ! easiest is put a tuner in your system and let it go nonstop for three weeks. kinda extreme, but that's how to get it to do its' thing. the payoff is an unearthly purity. the notes can take on solidity and believablity you aren't used hearing. patience will be rewarded. we need to get a lot more input from users to get some idea what this thing is fundamentally all about.