The entire content is excerpted from Hong,RueiFong (2024). Audio Art magazine No. 425, p. 112
In the past, I've heard of numerous audio accessories that purportedly enhance sound quality, but among them, Chronos stands out as the most enigmatic, in my opinion. Formerly, simply plugging this USB flash drive into the audio system would yield an optimized audio experience. Now, with the latest generation of the Chronos Optimizer, its mystique has deepened. It is said that this time, there's no need to insert it into a USB port to be powered up anymore; just placing it in the same indoor space as the listener with an audio system works its magic. Of course, users still have the option to power it, and such a method can "expedite" the process of optimizing the audio system with Chronos Optimizer.
Regarding the actual effects of Chronos Optimizer, when I initially listened to the first-generation Chronos Optimizer through the stereo system at the office two years ago, I didn't discern significant differences. However, after a few days, undergoing educational training at the editor-in-chief's home through his own stereo system, the noticeable disparities in sound quality were profound. The primary distinctions lay in the transparency of sound, the layering of the sound stage, and the expression of the atmospheric quality in instrument performances.
Now, given the opportunity to listen to this latest generation of Chronos Optimizer, I first attempted to perceive it at home, resulting in minimal variance. Yet, when using familiar headphones at the office, I could discern differences once again. The direction of improvement I perceived this time is slightly different; I detected a warmer tonality.
When listening to cello performances, the tones appeared more robust, the form fuller, the woody essence of bowing more pronounced, and the texture of the strings more dense. Transitioning to classical guitar performances, the tones moved towards richness combined with moisture. I am uncertain whether the designers adjusted any tonal directions between these two generations, but my listening experience this time with headphones indeed differs from the improvement direction I heard in the stereo system at the editor-in-chief's home two years ago.When transitioning to the realm of pop music, I discerned that when using Chronos Optimizer, a slightly warm tonal quality emanates from the headphone. I perceive no heightened resolution; instead, there is a subtle inclination towards emphasizing the energy in the midrange to the bass. For instance, while listening to Yang Nai Wen's album "Flow," the sense of solidity in the percussion of the bass drum and the corporeal presence of electronic low frequencies both possess a more ample weight compared to when not using Chronos Optimizer.