Relaxed or Not Relaxed? That is The Question

here's the answer

In early November I posted a "re-do" story about the AFI Flat.Duo originally reviewed back in February. The "re-do" article included files comparing an excerpt from side one of the 4 LP one-sided reissue of the famous Reiner/CSO stereo recording of "Also Sprach Zarathustra" recorded in stereo in 1954 but not released in stereo until 1960 As LSC-1806.

After recording it I put it into the AFI Flat.Duo, set it to "Relax" mode and once it had been relaxed, I recorded it again. The cartridge was the Audio-Technica MC-2022 (single piece diamond cantilever/stylus) mounted on the SAT CF1-12 tonearm on the Wilson-Benesch Prime Meridian turntable. Phono preamp was the Luxman E-07 under review. At $7000 it's the least expensive link in the chain.

So which was which? The first file was the "relaxed" version and the second was "un-relaxed".

Comments please!

Comments

2025-12-01 07:32:24 PM

Come on wrote:

I heard what I already mentioned in the initial article (posted again below), which doesn’t speak for the relaxed version in my case.

I further just can tell what I did: I didn’t listen to it on YouTube via iPad. I extracted the audio (MP4) out of the video, converted it to lossless uncompressed AIF and played it with my DAC over the setup. Hires sample files might have been more useful in this case, but I heard what I heard and it didn’t take a forth and back, but I confirmed it with a forth and back later.

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„Just the first minute or so: second playback is more 3D already at the faint beginning and deeper reaching in bass. Following horns have more richness and 3D, following drum is more palpable, rich and with more reverb into the hall.“
2025-12-02 02:04:19 AM

Tim wrote:

Im glad this was the result! As I commented originally I much preferred the 1st file.

@Michael Fremer; as there appeaers to be differing opinions perhaps another comparison would be worthwhile?
- 2025-12-02 07:55:58 AM
  
  John Thompson wrote:
  
  "If 1 was the relaxed then Im gonna have to get me one!" Well are you Tim?
  - 2025-12-03 04:39:31 AM
    
    Tim wrote:
    
    Hi John, pleased to meet you. Thanks for taking an interest in my interest... ...
    
    To answer your heartfelt question: yes, I am looking at getting one.
    - 2025-12-03 07:43:03 AM
      
      asdffx wrote:
      
      I like 1st too
2025-12-02 04:13:14 AM

Tuckers wrote:

I liked the 2nd one. Instruments were richer, the bass had more depth and detail, soundstage was wider. I watch Youtube connected to my big system, so I had decent sound. The differences were small but I could easily hear them after a few switches back and forth.
2025-12-03 06:45:09 PM

Come on wrote:

Somehow it doesn’t seem to be a safe bet, as whatever Michael heard from the actual record, impressions of the samples have not only been different, but completely contrary. The ones heard a richer tonality from the first, the others heard exactly the same and more 3D and soundstage depth from the second. Strange.

Making practical use of whatever effect has its limitation in available time anyway, as even just a 1000 LP’s collection will take a working man about 1-2 years to relax (if he does nothing than relaxing records in his spare time). Another Covid wave with 2 years of home office would help.
2025-12-06 08:28:37 PM

Come on wrote:

Michael, as you’re the only one who heard the actual record comparison, will you also post what you heard?

In you first AFI feature, you wrote about less successful tempering experience and that you wanted to gather more experience with it. In the second feature you posted the files without further comment about your experience. In the third feature (quite a lot for one product), you solved the riddle but let us tell our experience with the files.

In case you don’t tell what you heard, I can certainly also guess what this means (especially as you personally also seem to have kept the ORB), but maybe you had success at the end.

I’d also be interested if there was any notable difference compared to the tempering programs of other flatterers, which at the end also „relax“ vinyl structure, so that the material changes its form?