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Materials that absorb RF energy


jabbr

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There seems to be some controversy about what seems to me are RF absorbing blocks that Sonore is marketing as "Dark Matter". @barrows has indicated that he doesn't wish to discuss competing products, and so I'm posting this on a new thread. I have no specific knowledge of the specific "Dark Matter" product but want to point out that RF absorbing materials shouldn't be controversial in the least. Several companies sell RF absorbing materials in various formats e.g.:

 

https://www.lairdtech.com/product-categories/rfmicrowave-absorbers-dielectrics

inclusing resins that can be molded.

 

I have no doubt that @marce has seen materials like this used as well.

 

Everyone should understand that these materials absorb RF waves/photons that are directed at the material. The materials do not "pull" the RF waves, nor shape their path. My reading of the OP on the Sonore subforum does not indicate any claims which go beyond what should be considered RF absorption. 

 

?‍♂️

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we should distinguish intensive material properties from shapes that absorb, as well as the freq.s of interest...

 

there are a number of materials commercially available, including ferrite materials, rings embedded in a matrix, metametals, graphite particles in rubber,  carbonyl iron balls in epoxy, and lots more

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36 minutes ago, wgscott said:

Water.

Is that why GPUs are water cooled? ?‍♂️

 

Then again there are one or two applications for which we'd prefer the electronics stay dry ... for all we know the "Dark Matter (tm)" cube is water filled ?‍♂️

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32 minutes ago, wgscott said:

Water.

You beat me to it.  I was going to say Ralf had left off of his list, spruce trees after a gentle rain.  Those things with water droplets on them are like a ghz black hole absorber almost.  

And always keep in mind: Cognitive biases, like seeing optical illusions are a sign of a normally functioning brain. We all have them, it’s nothing to be ashamed about, but it is something that affects our objective evaluation of reality. 

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20 minutes ago, Ralf11 said:

Dark Matter, of course, cannot absorb RF energy to any appreciable degree.

You mean dark matter not "Dark Matter (tm)" ?

 

I'm certain the inside of my amplifier is very dark..

 

No reason to believe that "Dark Matter (tm)" isn't made of an epoxy that contains RF absorbing substance(s) and for which a datasheet could be provided which characterizes absorption by frequency (as the Laird website provides ... I've used their products and they are a real vendor, no voodoo).

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3 minutes ago, esldude said:

You beat me to it.  I was going to say Ralf had left off of his list, spruce trees after a gentle rain.  Those things with water droplets on them are like a ghz black hole absorber almost.  

 

Perhaps that's why you enjoy listening in a spruce glade? Do you also enjoy the acoustics?

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9 minutes ago, jabbr said:

You mean dark matter not "Dark Matter (tm)" ?

 

I'm certain the inside of my amplifier is very dark..

 

No reason to believe that "Dark Matter (tm)" isn't made of an epoxy that contains RF absorbing substance(s) and for which a datasheet could be provided which characterizes absorption by frequency (as the Laird website provides ... I've used their products and they are a real vendor, no voodoo).

 

no voodoo implied

 

- who owns a bandsaw?

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1 hour ago, jabbr said:

Dude ... you don't know what could happen ...

Yep, split the wrong thing open and he might unleash a singularity.  

And always keep in mind: Cognitive biases, like seeing optical illusions are a sign of a normally functioning brain. We all have them, it’s nothing to be ashamed about, but it is something that affects our objective evaluation of reality. 

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Considering commercial/industrial products, i have used this to good effect:

 

https://www.digikey.com/products/en?mpart=30410S&v=732

 

But I prefer not to use ferrite based absorbers around analog circuits.

SO/ROON/HQPe: DSD 512-Sonore opticalModuleDeluxe-Signature Rendu optical with Well Tempered Clock--DIY DSC-2 DAC with SC Pure Clock--DIY Purifi Amplifier-Focus Audio FS888 speakers-JL E 112 sub-Nordost Tyr USB, DIY EventHorizon AC cables, Iconoclast XLR & speaker cables, Synergistic Purple Fuses, Spacetime system clarifiers.  ISOAcoustics Oreas footers.                                                       

                                                                                           SONORE computer audio

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3 hours ago, barrows said:

Considering commercial/industrial products, i have used this to good effect:

 

https://www.digikey.com/products/en?mpart=30410S&v=732

 

But I prefer not to use ferrite based absorbers around analog circuits.

I use 3M AB5100S EMC absorber and Stillpoints cloth to line the cases of the Raspberry Pis and Beagle Bone Blacks that I use in my audio systems. You can stick the 3M absorber directly onto chips too.

System (i): Stack Audio Link > Denafrips Iris 12th/Ares 12th-1; Gyrodec/SME V/Hana SL/EAT E-Glo Petit/Magnum Dynalab FT101A) > PrimaLuna Evo 100 amp > Klipsch RP-600M/REL T5x subs

System (ii): Allo USB Signature > Bel Canto uLink+AQVOX psu > Chord Hugo > APPJ EL34 > Tandy LX5/REL Tzero v3 subs

System (iii) KEF LS50W/KEF R400b subs

System (iv) Technics 1210GR > Leak 230 > Tannoy Cheviot

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Seems to me that anything really good at RF absorption would be classified.

QNAP TS453Pro w/QLMS->Netgear Switch->Netgear RAX43 Router->Ethernet (50 ft)->Netgear switch->SBTouch ->SABAJ A10d->Linn Majik-IL (preamp)->Linn 2250->Linn Keilidh; Control Points: iPeng (iPad Air & iPhone); Also: Rega P3-24 w/ DV 10x5; OPPO 103; PC Playback: Foobar2000 & JRiver; Portable: iPhone 12 ProMax & Radio Paradise or NAS streaming; Sony NWZ ZX2 w/ PHA-3; SMSL IQ, Fiio Q5, iFi Nano iDSD BL; Garage: Edifier S1000DB Active Speakers  

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6 hours ago, Ralf11 said:

 

ferrite powder - surprised that Wurth is making it

Both Digi-Key and Mouser contain entire sections devoted to EMI absorbing products — easy to browse and read spec sheets... I’ve used “mu-metal” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu-metal

 

These applications are everywhere ... easy to tinker with different materials/foams/sheets etc.

 

There are also gazillions of RF & EMI meters (which are probably junk) but I keep picturing @fas42 walking around someone’s listening room like Ghostbusters and applying various putties in different spots ...

 

See “ferrite” has a bad connotation for you so I think it’s pretty brilliant to rename it “Dark Matter” ;) Just think of the continued potential for the audiophile cable industry!

 

@wgscott: I have a new business proposition: water cooled AC power cables — interested? 

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