A Post in What’s Best Forum by Steve Williams (Site Founder, Site Owner)
Just when you feel you’ve been blown away, along comes the EMI Protector to blow me even more. How could this be possible.? Am I drinking the Kool Aid?
I think not !

I received the EMI Protector yesterday and TBH it looks just like the Grid Protector although it felt heavier. It comes with the standard size antenna and one
that is big enough for a room that must be the size of a foot ball field.Just like the Grid Protector, set up and installation is under 5 minutes. Unlike the Grid
Protector that uses a dedicated AC cable and a wall wart the EMI Protector only uses a wall wart. Both devices have 3 rear switches each having 0 ( off) and
1 and 2 for degrees of greatness.
I’m by all admission an audio hog who wants it all so just like the Grid Protector where I had all three in
the 1 position for 10 minutes before I quickly and permanently switched all 3 to position two. Hence
my report is based on both devices in position 2 for maximum effect. There really is no burn in time
even though I let it run for 2 days before posting this

What I’m prepared to say is that the EMI Protector in combination with the grid protector made a huge
leap upward for the better. Here 1 + 1 is not 2 but likely 3 or 4 These are devices that don’t add
anything. Rather it is what they remove that produces such an amazing sound.
Nothing is colored and nothing is accentuated. Instead the dynamics, timber and tone is as natural a
sound as one can ever imagine The clarity of what I hear be it human voice or instruments is so
natural that the sense of presence and an “ I am there” sensation is the first thing that comes to mind.
The attack and speed of drum stick on the skins was virtually explosive. The air around the
instruments and the vocals was so obvious that it was almost as if the notes were floating in front of
me as the decay was so real. Every parameter is improved with the result being ultimate natural flow.
It’s as if the EMI picks up where the Grid left off.

I have many demo disks which I have used for decades to highlight various things I search out. What
was also a WTF moment was the plucking of guitar strings. I’ve never experienced such separation
around the strings and a sense of realism. So also was the tone of the piano. To me piano is the most
difficult to get right and this was dead on. The keys when struck just floated into the air before
dissipating. Finally the feeling of air around everything that I experienced with the Grid Protector was
even better with the two combined .
And to prove I wasn’t drinking the Kool Aid the A-B-A test is instant by merely turning all 3 switches
from the 2 to the off position as the music is playing. Immediately everything is gone. I haven’t played
both separately to determine how much contribution is gleaned from each protector. My sense, albeit a hunch, and untested is that the EMI is the superior of
the two however the two together are “ off the grid” ( no pun intended)

My final revelation was the best of all. Ever since I’ve owned the Lamm ML3 amplifier
which has 6 very large transformers on each channel and in both home that this gear
has resided I’ve had a transformer buzz that I have heretofore been unable to tame
by whatever means tried. I’ve learned to accept it as my amplifiers sit between both
speakers. This plus the modification that Wilson audio does to the magnet in the
tweeter has made this buzz impossible to ameliorate. The buzz would always
become audible when i unmuted each channel of my preamp. Today when i unmuted
both channels it was suddenly another WTF moment as there was dead silence. I put
my ear up to the tweeter and midrange drivers and could just barely hear what
previously was quite noticeable. Turn the 3 EMI switches off and the buzz was again
easily audible. That to me was the defining moment. There was for my ears nothing
more to test

As I said, these protectors add nothing to the sound but rather it is all about what
they remove. These protectors are a must try in every system. The rewards are
indescribable except to coin a phrase …. everything sounds natural. PRAT also
comes to mind. The sense of reality and presence truly is as natural as I’ve ever
heard

Again this is not a tweak but rather an essential part of any audible system
Up next and soon to arrive is the Allocator to put the icing on the cake, or so I hope Stay tuned …….
Steve Williams
(What’s Best Forum 09/2024)