Are Vortex HiFi BOB filters comparable to other filters?

We are receiving more and more inquiries regarding our BOB line filters, whether they are comparable with other, building biological line filters. In forums in particular, the claim is made that David Stetzer® filters are comparable to Vortex HiFi filters. We only refer to the medical examinations and findings about the nervous system that are based on Stetzer® filters. So that we can refer at all, we use the same measurement concept for our BOB filters as the measurements in the examinations. This is the measurement concept from David Stetzer and Prof. Dr. Martin Graham of the GS units. We also measure with the measuring device that was also used in the medical examinations, the Microsurge Meter from Stetzer®.

To get straight to the point - building biology filters should solve building biology problems and filters for the hi-fi area should produce maximum enjoyment. A filter for HiFi is a much more complex task that requires many years of experience and a great deal of knowledge about HiFi technology, people, listening to music and sound. At least that's how it is at the level at which we work. There are of course some technical overlaps with building biology techniques, but these are only minor.

stetzer® filter and Vortex HiFi BOB filter.

In our opinion, Stetzer® filters are good parallel filters in the area for which they are manufactured. This is impressively demonstrated in practice by the medical examinations by Magda Havas, which were carried out on the basis of these filters.

The result of using the filters were numerous improvements in wellbeing, including the reduction of noises in the ears, i.e. an improvement in hearing ability in a stressful environment.

This basically also qualifies the Stetzer® filter for improving rooms in which music is heard.

If, however, it is claimed in forums that the Stetzer® filters are just like Vortex HiFi filters, without having seriously checked this, then this is brazen misinformation! This misinformation is typical of erroneous, manipulative as well as most of all anonymous Sources on the internet. Every participant in forums is anonymous, can write what he wants without being held accountable. If he disagrees tomorrow, or if he has other interests, he will go into the forum with a different name. He never has to fear losing face - so he never has to apologize for what he wrote.

In the real world, verifiable facts count - this includes the sound!

Vortex HiFi has four technically and sonically very different filters in program (see test Audiophile Online). We show these sometimes drastic differences in practice in every workshop. Which of the four different Vortex HiFi BOB filters should the Stetzer® filter be comparable to and, above all, in what respect? The techniques used and, above all, the sound of all filters are very different (see test Audiophile Online)! A product cannot be compared to four different products ?!

Extremely different bandwidth!

According to the manufacturer, the Stetzer® filter has a bandwidth (filter effect) of 4.000 Hz to 150.000 Hz. In reality, the bandwidth of the Vortex HiFi BOB filter is only achieved by the Distance to the source of interference determined, because the cable inductance and the reflections at the interfaces (luster terminals and mains “through sockets”) of the power line rather than the parasitic effects of the Vortex HiFi BOB filters themselves limit the filtering.

Therefore the central statement is and 1st rule in our Operating instructions for the BOB filtersto suppress interference where the interferer sits - i.e. the GS values ​​are highest. For the reason to have the shortest detectable line between the interferer and the filter. The general recommendation to use filters on all PCs, laptops, LED lamps and other power supply units - as can often be read in the instructions for the Stetzer filter, is nonsense. Some power supplies - also in light sources) have their own filter and do not emit any interference to the network. We therefore recommend that you only look for the power sockets which are loaded via specific measurements. Because the goal should be to achieve the desired goal of interference suppression with as few filters as possible.

Depending on the BOB filter, we use high-end capacitors with a peak speed of 500 V / µsec over 13.000 V / µsec to over 50.000 V / µsec. Large building biology filters, like those in the Stetzer® filter, have a speed of approx. 30 V / µsec. Vortex HiFi BOB filters are up to 1000 times faster. What is comparable there? Do you want to compare a scooter with a supersonic airplane here? The comparison is absurd. The graphic below shows the filter effect of the second smallest BOB filter (13.000 V / µsec) in the range up to 1.000.000 Hz. Here there is no change in the filter effect up to the low frequency measurement limit commonly used in building biology (see measurement graphic 1 - red bar) to recognize. As mentioned, the Stetzer filters are specified by the manufacturer up to 150.000 Hz (see blue bar in measurement graphic 1 - Dirty Power Band).

A building biological filter usually consists of a simple capacitor and a protective resistor. Vortex HiFi BOB filters consist of up to 5, sometimes super high-end capacitors, which have been put together in terms of sound. Just like this is done in high-end hi-fi devices when tuning the sound. In addition, we have the following advantages over building biology filters, but also other HiFi filters:

• HF-optimized arrangement of the components
• HF - compensation of the components based on a "capacitor" patent from Norbert Maurer
• Sound-optimized arrangement of the components
• Sound-optimized, vibration-optimized mechanical structure
• Sound-optimized wiring
• Sound-optimized solder
• Information about the fields emitted by the filter for interference suppression
• Informing of the fields emitted by the filter for stress relief
• Use of semi-precious stones and precious stones (depending on the filter) to improve the sound

Criticism of the microsurge meter from Stetzer in connection with BOB filters is unjustified

We use the Microsurge Meter from Stetzer to determine at which sockets the Vortex HiFi BOB filters bring the maximum benefit. A few building biologists criticize the measuring device for not having enough broadband to carry out meaningful measurements (compare the blue bar “Dirty Power” with the green TCO 1-band bar in measurement graph2). We don't think so! One can very well achieve optimal results with the measurements of a microsurge meter in connection with the Vortex HiFi BOB filters.

In order to understand the criticism of the building biologists of the microsurge meter, it is important to understand that there are standards such as the TCO standard, in which a band of 2 - 400 kHz is provided (see measurement graphic green bar - TCO2 band). A building biologist must be able to measure this. Innovative building biologists use spectrum analyzers up to approx. 1MHz for LF measurements, as you can see above (see measurement graphic 1: red bar).

From a practical point of view, the fundamental waves of the switched-mode power supplies, which are essentially responsible for the network disturbances listed here, go up to approx. 150 kHz (measurement graphic1 the blue bar “Dirty Power”)! The harmonics of these fundamental waves then go up to 1MHz and further (see measurement graphic 1: red bar). The upper measurement shows a switched-mode power supply with a base frequency of around 80.000 Hz. The power supply unit generates harmonics of 160.000 Hz, 240.000 Hz, 320.000, 400.000 Hz, etc. If the microsurge meter now shows us a high level of interference in the range of up to 150.000 Hz, we will filter. Since our BOB filters, in contrast to the Stetzer filters, also have filters for the area above 150.000 Hz, the microsurge meter is a sufficient indicator for us. The disturbances above 150.000 usually have their cause in the range up to 150.000 kHz, so that the microsurge meter is sufficiently accurate to make a decision whether to filter or not.

If you want a more detailed analysis, a measurement by a building biologist is of course necessary. In terms of sound, however, we have 100% agreement between the measurement with the microsurge meter and the best place for the BOB filter. That is our goal!

Some building biologists criticize the Stetzer® filter does not remove any distortion from the mains.

Parallel filters, such as the Stetzer® filter or the VORTEX HiFi - BOB filter, cannot filter close to the 50Hz base frequency, as this would lead to gigantic reactive currents. Therefore, the bandwidth was limited down to the frequencies that have by far the strongest influences on human biology, precisely those above approx. 4.000 Hz Body rises.

The criticism on the subject of network distortion is all the more incomprehensible. Harmonics of the 50 Hz basic frequency K2 - K10 have no additional influence on the biology compared to the basic wave. We are not aware of any research that proves this. The harmonic distortion is in an uncritical range and it is very small, especially compared to the 50 Hz fundamental wave. A filtering is so biologically unnecessary and sensible, because the devices that can filter out the distortion (active power conditioner) produce interference frequencies in the range that are critical for hearing (biology) - even in the millivolt range.

So don't let yourself be dumbfounded by anonymous omniscient in forums. You can try out Vortex HiFi products in peace at a good HiFi dealer and form a real opinion in real life. In our opinion, music is too important to listen to anonymous “nonsense”.