QSA Tuning Gemstones, Pack of 5

They look like decorative stones, and the name sounds like marketing. We didn't take them seriously at first either. Then we spent more time with them, and they turned out to be a genuinely effective and underappreciated tweak.

Unassuming stones, with more effect than they look.

The Design

QSA applies its treatment to the gemstone material itself. QSA keeps the process to itself, so we judge the stones the way Stereo Times' Clement Perry judges QSA's products: by listening. You place a treated stone on or near a component, cable, fuse, or power strip, essentially anywhere in the system. They come in packs of five, in four colors: red, clear, blue, and black.

Our Experience

The gemstones add to the effect of other QSA products, and we use them to fine-tune a system that already has QSA fuses, adapters, and receptacles. They're also a low-cost way for a listener who's curious about QSA to hear what the brand does. Placement takes experiment: near transformers, near power supplies, and near digital-to-analog conversion stages each produce their own character, and a pack of five gives you enough stones to try several positions.

Where It Fits

Start with your source or DAC, then work outward to power supplies and cables. Move one stone at a time and listen after each change.

Press Recognition

The gemstones are one of QSA's newer formats, and reviews are on the way. We'll add them here as they're published.

Questions about placement, or how the gemstones work with your other QSA products? Give us a call. We've tried them in a number of positions.

Specifications

• Quantity: Pack of 5
• Colors: Red, clear, blue, black
• Treatment: QSA proprietary, applied to the gem material
• Placement: Any component, cable, fuse, or system surface