Black Box Carbon

Music, Headed Your Way

Over a decade ago, we introduced a transformative broad spectrum low-frequency resonator array called the Black Box that eliminates bass nodes and room modes while expanding your room’s ability to accurately portray low-frequency information and spatial content. Working from the principle that all frequencies in the audible bandwidth are linked through harmonics, the original Black Box balances low frequencies, mid-range, and high frequencies through a mathematically derived algorithm based on tuned sympathetic resonance. So when you get the phase correct at 20Hz for example, it clears up every multiple of 20Hz so, 40Hz, 80Hz, 160Hz and on. The immediately noticeable result of placing one or more Black Boxes in your room is first and foremost the removal of congestion, allowing for the music to travel and sound freer, while tightening and improving bass definition and performance, as well as improved detail retrieval to project more accurate image outlines across the frequency spectrum.

The time has come for us to progress ahead, this time with the Black Box Carbon. Featuring significant improvements in mechanical resonance control of the chassis and resonator itself, placing a Black Box Carbon in your room will audibly deliver greater resolution, tighter, more textural bass, and a more natural presentation than ever before. Even better, the Black Box Carbon is now optimized for stacking and works well with additional Black Boxes for a more profound impact. Simply said, with the Black Box Carbon, congestion is eliminated, allowing for nothing but pure music to be headed your way.

 

 

Black Box Series Awards

                                               

 

 

 

Updated Chassis & Resonator Array

Resonance, Controlled

The Black Box Carbon exhibits a new pinnacle of mechanical resonance control. We approached a redesign of the internal resonator arrays hand-in-hand with improvements to the chassis. Our research and exploration, inherited from chassis designs of our current components like the Voodoo music server / streamer and PowerCell 14 line conditioner, encouraged us to continue experimenting with the combination of carbon fiber and aluminum. In its final design, the more rigid chassis is effective at dissipating mechanical vibration and retaining purity of the sound waves that interact and are projected by the internal resonators. Based on those improvements, tuning refinements were made to the internal resonator design and UEF technology material construction. The result is both positive and significant, eliminating any ringing that may have previously hindered additional performance, while working even more effectively with room resonances and harmonic resonant frequencies.

 

 

 

Bronze Contact Inserts

Performance, Stacked

Per the suggestion of one of our partners, we started listening to Black Boxes stacked on each other, and we witnessed greater, more positive impact. To continue along our leadership in resonance control, we designed metal contact inserts after listening to about a dozen different contact point materials. We found using bronze helped achieve the perfect balance of increased resolution and liquidity and the most realistic sonic representation.

Not only can you stack Black Box Carbons, but we encourage you to stack an original Black Box on top of the Black Box Carbon. Both products compliment each other sonically, and if you already have one or more Black Box in your room, you’ll find you may not need to replace them with two Black Box Carbons to make a stack - a Black Box Carbon on the bottom and an original Black Box on top is nearly as effective!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Box Carbon

Placement Guide

Use the arrows to see our suggestions for placing Black Boxes in your room.	Start with one Black Box near the front wall between your speakers.
Add either a Black Box or Black Box Carbon stacked on the first in front center.	Add a Black Box Carbon or two behind the listening chair near the rear wall.
Stack a Black Box or Black Box Carbon behind the listening chair near the rear wall.	Add a Black Box Carbon close to the rear left and/or right corners.

Stack Black Boxes or Black Box Carbons on the ones in the rear left or right corners.

 

Like any acoustic treatments, these recommendations are only starting points, and we encourage customers to be creative in their placement experimentations.

 

 

Black Box

Demo Video

 

 

REVIEW & AWARDS

Synergistic Research Black Box - Read More

"There is no other room acoustic enhancement device that I know of that can transform your listening room in the way that the SR Black Box can deliver." - Mike Girardi

 

Synergistic Research – HFTs, Black Box, and Atmosphere XL4 - Read More

"After our initial testing of placement, an insanely easy A/B test.  We listened with the box resting near the edge of our rug, put the box outside into the patio, listened again, and put it back in after listening.  While the Black Box seems like it’s advertised as a bass tuning and improvement device — it’s more than that.  It seems to build upon what the HFTs were doing and takes it up another notch. " - Steve J

 

Impressions: In which Dr. David invites Synergistic Research to visit, and gets GOB SMACKED! - Read More

"It is therefore no surprise that I give the Synergistic Research line of products covered in this review my very highest recommendation…enthusiastically! This is the real deal, amigos! " - David W. Robinson

 

 

Synergistic Research Black Box resonator - Read More

"It becomes clear why the fine-tuning of placement matters almost the moment you put the Black Box in the room. Ignoring the bass for a moment, careful tuning snaps the soundstage into sharp focus, adding significantly to the air around instruments within that stage. We can’t ignore bass for too long as that ‘snapping’ into focus has a significant impact on soundstage solidity. Instruments that were seemingly ‘floating’ around the stage are now so ‘planted’ in 3D space, you’ll feel like watering the musicians. This is helped by a distinct sense of improved midrange clarity and even high-frequency extension.

And it’s now that we get to that bass; the Black Box excels at defining the shape and texture of bass notes, whether they are bowed, plucked, struck or electronically derived. Bass notes don’t just ‘start’ and ‘stop’ with greater precision; the physical ‘thereness’ of bass sounds are so precise you will be more able to recognise the difference between both instruments (like a Fender Jazz and Fender Precision bass) and the different style of otherwise very similar players. And, as ever, it’s outstanding at portraying musical intent; letting the musical presentation of the audio equipment do what it does best." - Alan Sircom