Quantum Mechanical Filters?
Steve Eddy
Hello;
A company named Bybee Technologies, Inc. has been offering what they
refer to as Quantum Mechanical Filters to the audiophile community.
The following is a simple explanation as to how these filters work and
can be found on the Bybee Technologies web site at www.bybeetech.com:
BEGIN QUOTE
"Quantum Mechanical Filters
The Bybee Technologies Quantum mechanical Filter is one of the first
real world day-to-day applications from research into
superconductivity. Electrons travel through most electrical wire at 50
to 68% of the speed of light (VP or Velocity of Propagation). When
super-cooled and superconductive materials are used the electrons will
travel up to 99.99% VP. It has also been found that certain ceramics
when mixed with precise amounts of rare earth metals, (zirconium,
yttrium, neodymium, praesadoyium, and lanthanum oxides) become
extraordinarily conductive even at room temperatures. The ceramic
elements used within the Quantum Mechanical Filter will pass electrons
at 92% VP, over a 50% gain.
With the use of scanning tunneling electron microscopes that can show
electrons in motion, research was consummated as to how different each
electron can be. The Bybee Quantum Mechanical Filter that was
developed from this research is a device that creates a barrier and
literally sizes, cleans, aligns and stabilizes individual electrons
and throws out the bad/irregular electrons. The heavy and well damped
mass around the purification devices is to absorb these discarded
electrons. This device cleans the electrical current at the quantum,
individual electron, level. New technology such as that utilized by
the purifiers is virtually impossible to measure and quantify. It is
at least one generation ahead of the available technology for
measuring."
END QUOTE
I have questioned a number of the assertions made in the above
explanation, but have basically been politely patted on the head and
told that it's simply beyond my understanding. I've absolutely no
interest here with respect to audibility or lack thereof of these
devices. My only interest is in the claimed underlying physical
phenomena.
For example, electrons traveling down regular wire at 50-68 percent C.
As far as I've been able to determine, the Fermi velocity of free
electrons in copper wire is only about 1.3e6 meters/second, which is
but a very small fraction of C. But of course the use of the word
"traveling" implies directed motion, which would be the drift
velocity. However the drift velocity at voltages typically found in
audio systems is a literal snail's pace.
But what really captures my attention is the notion of "bad/irregular
electrons" and how these ceramic elements act as a seive, which passes
the good/regular electrons and dumps the bad/irregular electrons into
the mass surrounding the elements.
Utlimately I'm wanting to know if any of the physicists here can say
whether the description above in any way jibes with any physical
phenomenon either real or theoretical.
I was recently told by an associate of Bybee Technologies that he had
received EMail from some unnamed physicist (company founder, Jack
Bybee is said to be a theoretical physicist) who effectively confirmed
the explanation given above. To wit:
"Another physicist sent an email (ultimately to Jack Bybee) that
explained it better than Jack ever did, but backed up Jack's
assertions that even I couldn't make sense of.
The explanation went like this: '...They are using a doped ceramic
conductor that is near superconductivity at room temperature. This
would effectively create a frequency window inside of which electrons
would travel at over 90% the speed of light and outside of which
electrons would meet great resistance. Another way of looking at it is
that this is a filter without an inductor or capacitor...A Bybee
filter is like a fine screen in a water pipe as opposed to a common
filter which is like a valve....' He goes on, but this should be
enough to state the case. This is WHY Jack Bybee is so reluctant to
give 100% info. The other PHYSICIST, not engineer, damn near reverse
engineered the device from Jack's simple explanation. Jack Bybee has
always maintained virtually all the principles stated in this 'better'
explanation."
So I defer to the physicists in this newsgroup. I'm just a lowly
engineer with a third grade education who lives in a trailer park (and
the trailer's just a single-wide at that), incapable of understanding
the high-level physics occurring in these Quantum Mechanical Filters.
So please, be gentle with me. :)
se
me...@cars3.uchicago.edu
Mati Meron | "When you argue with a fool,
me...@cars.uchicago.edu | chances are he is doing just the same"
Jim Carr
st...@q-audio.com (Steve Eddy) writes:
>
>" .... The Bybee Quantum Mechanical Filter that was
>developed from this research is a device that creates a barrier and
>literally sizes, cleans, aligns and stabilizes individual electrons
>and throws out the bad/irregular electrons."
This is a truly wonderful sentence. A keeper.
>"The heavy and well damped
>mass around the purification devices is to absorb these discarded
>electrons. ..."
Had me worried for a while whether they would let them go back
to the power company.
>But what really captures my attention is the notion of "bad/irregular
>electrons" and how these ceramic elements act as a seive, which passes
>the good/regular electrons and dumps the bad/irregular electrons into
>the mass surrounding the elements.
Hey, it got mine, too!
>Utlimately I'm wanting to know if any of the physicists here can say
>whether the description above in any way jibes with any physical
>phenomenon either real or theoretical.
I'll let Uncle Al provide a more appropriate response than I
could ever hope to compose.
>The explanation went like this: '...They are using a doped ceramic
>conductor that is near superconductivity at room temperature. This
>would effectively create a frequency window inside of which electrons
>would travel at over 90% the speed of light and outside of which
>electrons would meet great resistance. Another way of looking at it is
>that this is a filter without an inductor or capacitor...
Why didn't they say that, I wonder?
--
James A. Carr <j...@scri.fsu.edu> | Commercial e-mail is _NOT_
http://www.scri.fsu.edu/~jac/ | desired to this or any address
Supercomputer Computations Res. Inst. | that resolves to my account
Florida State, Tallahassee FL 32306 | for any reason at any time.
Gregory L. Hansen
Steve Eddy <st...@q-audio.com> wrote:
>With the use of scanning tunneling electron microscopes that can show
>electrons in motion, research was consummated as to how different each
>electron can be. The Bybee Quantum Mechanical Filter that was
>developed from this research is a device that creates a barrier and
>literally sizes, cleans, aligns and stabilizes individual electrons
>and throws out the bad/irregular electrons. The heavy and well damped
>mass around the purification devices is to absorb these discarded
>electrons. This device cleans the electrical current at the quantum,
>individual electron, level. New technology such as that utilized by
>the purifiers is virtually impossible to measure and quantify. It is
>at least one generation ahead of the available technology for
>measuring."
"...virtually impossible to measure and quantify."? Then why buy it? If
it's virtually impossible to measure and quantify, it sure isn't
going to make your music sound any better!
>I have questioned a number of the assertions made in the above
>explanation, but have basically been politely patted on the head and
>told that it's simply beyond my understanding. I've absolutely no
Heheh! I wonder why.
>For example, electrons traveling down regular wire at 50-68 percent C.
>As far as I've been able to determine, the Fermi velocity of free
>electrons in copper wire is only about 1.3e6 meters/second, which is
>but a very small fraction of C. But of course the use of the word
>"traveling" implies directed motion, which would be the drift
>velocity. However the drift velocity at voltages typically found in
>audio systems is a literal snail's pace.
And the drift velocity, or speed of average bulk motion, is very much
smaller. But the speed sounds right for signal propagation. It's like
filling up a tube with golf balls. Then you push one more golf ball itno
one end, and a golf ball pops out the other. The signal moved much faster
than the golf balls did.
But I don't see how signal speed makes a difference in the audio world, as
long as you're not getting echoes or a noticeable frequency-dependent lag.
>But what really captures my attention is the notion of "bad/irregular
>electrons" and how these ceramic elements act as a seive, which passes
>the good/regular electrons and dumps the bad/irregular electrons into
>the mass surrounding the elements.
Any "good" electrons that are passed, whatever "good" means, will be
thoroughly randomized again by scattering processes within a millimeter
past the filter. I forget what the mean free path of an electron in
copper is, but it's pretty short. Any ordering the filter does will not
survive to reach the speaker magnets.
--
"We aim to please. So you aim, too, please."
Bryan Reed
>
>A company named Bybee Technologies, Inc. has been offering what they
>refer to as Quantum Mechanical Filters to the audiophile community.
>The following is a simple explanation as to how these filters work and
>can be found on the Bybee Technologies web site at www.bybeetech.com:
>
The audiophile community will buy anything, won't they?
This was a very amusing post. I saved it for future laughs. Thanks!
>BEGIN QUOTE
>
>"Quantum Mechanical Filters
>
>The Bybee Technologies Quantum mechanical Filter is one of the first
>real world day-to-day applications from research into
>superconductivity. Electrons travel through most electrical wire at 50
>to 68% of the speed of light (VP or Velocity of Propagation).
Already falling behind on the Accuracy Scale, eh?
>With the use of scanning tunneling electron microscopes that can show
>electrons in motion, research was consummated as to how different each
>electron can be.
Laughed out loud on that one! And following up with this was almost
unfair:
> The Bybee Quantum Mechanical Filter that was
>developed from this research is a device that creates a barrier and
>literally sizes, cleans, aligns and stabilizes individual electrons
>and throws out the bad/irregular electrons.
. . .
>New technology such as that utilized by
>the purifiers is virtually impossible to measure and quantify. It is
>at least one generation ahead of the available technology for
>measuring."
>
In other words, they have no evidence that it works, and want to
discourage anyone from actually testing it.
>END QUOTE
>
>The explanation went like this: '...They are using a doped ceramic
>conductor that is near superconductivity at room temperature.
Oh, yeah. One of those. I have some of that stuff in my kitchen.
Have fun,
Bryan
Ken Muldrew
>"...virtually impossible to measure and quantify."? Then why buy it? If
>it's virtually impossible to measure and quantify, it sure isn't
>going to make your music sound any better!
Heh, you haven't had much experience with audiophiles, have you? They
don't have to measure or quantify it; they can *hear* it!
Ken Muldrew
kmul...@acs.ucalgary.ca
mARK bLOORE
>sizes, cleans, aligns and stabilizes individual electrons
>and throws out the bad/irregular electrons
that is absolutely hilarious! sounds just like the machine that
sorts peas for the supermarket. the bad/irregular pea go for soup;
do the bad electrons go for industrial power?
--
mARK bLOORE (ma...@pobox.SPAMSBANE.com)
remove the .SPAMSBANE from my address when replying
Jim Deutch
>
>that is absolutely hilarious! sounds just like the machine that
>sorts peas for the supermarket. the bad/irregular pea go for soup;
>do the bad electrons go for industrial power?
Nope: they make 'em sit in the corner and they shake their fingers at 'em,
sternly saying "bad electron! BAD electron!"
Then _we_ have to support the government-funded welfare programs for
traumatized electrons.
Jim Deutch
Gregory L. Hansen
>
>A company named Bybee Technologies, Inc. has been offering what they
>refer to as Quantum Mechanical Filters to the audiophile community.
>The following is a simple explanation as to how these filters work and
>can be found on the Bybee Technologies web site at www.bybeetech.com:
I visited their web page and read some of their marketing. It seems the
goal of their equipment is to reduce noise coming in on the power lines.
They have power filters and special power cords. I don't know what makes
the power cords special, I'd have just used coaxial cable. But power
filtering is a worthy practice. In the lab we have a power strip with
"clean" power, for devices that are sensitive to noise. And it's true
that inductive elements can introduce their own noise -- I know
transformers hum, and they must also vibrate at their natural frequency
and harmonics. Once inside the electronic device, I presume the 60Hz
signal is effectively controlled by most devices while some unfortunate
noise frequencies will be treated as part of the audio signal.
But as far as I can tell, their explanations involving speeds of
propagation, and throwing out oddly shaped electrons, is still a steaming
pile of dog crap.