This review page is supported in part by the sponsors whose ad banners are displayed below
When everything (including me) is operating on a certain level (note that I didn't say, normally), the RR-77 and the EarthSafe (when dialed in properly) do work. What I do hear (when I am in alignment), is a more organic quality to voices and instruments, one that reveals the body of the performing vessel and articulates the projection of tones more naturally. On complex music, I am better able to follow the longer arcs of the musical phrases delivered by various instruments and voices. Insight to the recording venue is also improved.


Blind Bill the Babe Magnet® concurred with my report and went on to describe feeling the physical effects of the RR-77 at the base of his skull. However, when his seeing-eye buddy Pete is exposed to these devices, he immediately tumbles into a meditative state. He can barely focus on the music and has to turn the device off, so profoundly does it impact his ability to stay connected with the goings on. Pete reported that he tends to notice the effect physically on the top of his head. Me? I feel it in my chest and get a bit energized before I settle in.
Moving on: Next on the list was to tie a KingRex power supply unit to the RR-77. You can pick up the former for a mere $170 from the good guys at AudioMagus. According to some preliminary reports on the 'net, this combo was supposed to be da bomb. I hauled everything over to Jeff's to audition the EarthSafe device and the RR-77 with and without the KR PSU.


Once up and running, Jeff quickly let me know that the KR-powered RR-77 was "too much". He found it overpowering, distracting and not so pleasant after a few minutes. I had to agree, mumbling something like, "one toke over the line". In the end, neither of us would choose to use the KR'd RR-77 over the long term. But I can understand that (and why) some people would get off on the combo. Its impact certainly took me by surprise and I've had a bit of experience with various outboard power supplies and - um, other brain/mood-altering... methodologies. Though I haven't tried the KR PSU with some other in-house devices that I already know to benefit from a replacement of the stock wall wart, I hope to hang on to it long enough to do some experiments. The KR PSU is obviously well-built and clearly capable of taking things to another level.
As to the efficacy of the EarthSafe device: When properly calibrated, it was on par with the RR-77 stock version. The only downside is making sure it's correctly calibrated for your intended use (they set mine up before shipment). Jeff appreciated it for the
dial that allows you to adjust the output from about 2 - 20Hz. As I moved that dial, he described the physical effect of higher frequencies as moving the typical RR-77 sensation from the back of his head towards his brow. As he moved it and I listened, I experienced something akin to motion sickness. Personally I'd stick with the 7.83Hz setting. But hey, that's just me.

Just for fun, we deployed dual RR-77s but neither of us experienced a discernible impact on the sound. Ditto for adding the EarthCalm device (the one I first spoke of) or running it solo. The EarthCalm device did, however, have a significant physical impact on Jeff, which he described basically as giving him vertigo after about thirty minutes. Before that (as discussed during our debrief), we both noticed that our conversation became more upbeat, animated and much less linear than is normally the case - up to that point. But hey, that's just us.

A few words of caution from the Audiophile Safety Administration
If you thought keeping yourself grounded and not extinguishing tube fireworks with water were all you had to worry about as a certified oddiophool, you may want to think again. Please bear in mind though that the following cautionary notes are not meant to alarm anyone. They simply reflect rule #2 in the game of life: "Always use common sense." If, however, you, like me, think you may be deficient in that realm, then refer to rule #1 of the game of life: "Always have a responsible adult supervise your activities." Hence my frequent visits to Jeff's place.


Over the last month following our evaluations, he and I have had several lengthy and wide-ranging conversations about these devices and our longer-term physical and mental reactions to them. We concur that the RR-77 and EarthSafe devices do tend to induce a relaxed state. Indeed - and the more I read, the more I learn. One person quipped that the reason SR generators don't come with any kind of warning is because you can only travel so far before the power cord snaps out of the wall socket.


I googled a bit and found a site selling isochronic tones in various portable formats that does present a warning: DISCLAIMER: DO NOT USE ANY OF THESE TONES WHILE DRIVING OR OPERATING HEAVY MACHINERY. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY SIDE EFFECTS CAUSED BY THE USE OF THESE TONES. THEY ARE INTENDED FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY AND YOU ARE ASSUMING THE RISK IF YOU CHOOSE TO LISTEN TO THEM.


Another site focused on entrainment, touts the sleeping aid effect as follows in the sampling listed below:
  • Relax into Sleep - 43 min, pulsed tone, 1-12 Hz. A classic sleep program - starts at 12 Hertz and ramps to delta frequencies, while reducing stimulation levels. Use as a sleep trainer.
  • Pleasant Dreams Sleepy Head - 37 min, dual binaural beats, 2.5-10 Hz. Experience how quickly and easily you can drift off to sleep with the power of dual binaural beats. Feel free to remove the headphones and goggles when you become very drowsy.
  • Knockout! - 42 min, dual binaural beats, 1-14 Hz. A powerful sleep trainer. Use when an effect stronger than S02 is needed.
  • Mr. Sandman - 34 min, dual binaural beats, 3-11 Hz. Dual binaural beats make this sleep trainer powerful and effective. Begins in alpha and ramps to delta. You can remove the glasses and headphones when you become very sleepy.
  • DeepSleep - 37 min, dual monaural beats, .50-8.50 Hz. A sleep session using dual monaural beats. Good night.

Good night, indeed. As you can see, the frequency range for all these 'trainers' includes the Schumann Resonance frequency. 'Nuff said?

That they can, especially in the bedroom, make one drowsy is a commonly stated reaction. That they can help to make the listening experience more involving and the music sound more natural is another commonly stated reaction. Whether over the long haul they are healthy for me or you will probably depend on many things including our health, state of mind, susceptibility and/or sensitivity to such external influences; which devices, tweaks and method of deployment you choose; and our length of exposure. All that is not to suggest that the SR effect does not have any redeeming qualities outside of helping you to sleep or getting aligned with your tunes. But that topic is a whole nuther ball of wax.


Without going into details, I will say that Jeff and I strongly agree that it's important to us (based on our experiences) to not leave them running 24/7/365. While neither of us are medical doctors, we would suggest that if you leave your device running for more than a few hours at a time and begin to feel out of sorts (slightly ill, irritable, anxious, depressed), you may want to consider reducing your exposure.


All that said, we remain appreciative about the contributions of the SR when synching it to our listening session, and suffer no negative effects of which we are aware from that narrow use. As with many things in life, balance is paramount. And, it's important to stay conscious of the balancing process, which operates to reduce the gap between what is desired and what exists. Don't let the former blind you to the latter.
As I said in article on listening biases back in 2002, if you aren't noticing or accepting what's happening in the present but are responding based on your thoughts or feelings about what ought to be, then you are apt to collide with what is really going on. When the tweak bug bites, don't go overboard in any single direction. Have fun and practice safe - um, audio out there!