ATHENA Polyphaser MS-1 Speaker System Magnetic Interface

This listing is an estate sale for the widow of a fellow audiophile that has passed away. It was purchased used in 2009 and is completely passive requiring no power source. Other items will be listed as the listings are prepared when time permits.

The POLYPHASER was developed and manufactured by ATHENA Audio, San Francisco, California in the early 1980s. This product was designed by Mr. BRUCE BRISSON the founder of MIT cable. Similar to the modules that are hardwired to the Music Interface Technologies (MIT) (and Transparent Audio) cables the ATHENA Polyphaser MS-1 Speaker System Magnetic Interface is inserted between your power amplifier and speakers with your speaker cables of choice. This technology was later adopted to a dedicated cable system as manufactured by MIT (and later Transparent Audio).

As described in Bruce Brisson’s patent -- "Audio signal cable with passive network" -- US Patent 6,658,119 -- it is a network for altering the audio output of a system which comprises at least one series RC or RLC circuit coupled between the positive and ground conductor of a cable that is suitable for connecting an electrical musical instrument, or similar source, to an amplifier or other load. The components of the RC or RLC circuit are selected by determining the frequency at which the positive conductor's natural phase angle is 45°. Each of the RC or RLC circuits is selected to have a phase angle of -45° at a frequency equal to or different from the frequency at which the positive conductor has a phase angle of 45° depending upon the audio effect desired.

Essentially, the ATHENA Polyphaser is an engineered interface component that is purposefully designed to efficiently transport energy, with a predetermined bandwidth, from one component to another. My personal experience with my own line-level Polyphaser was surprising and my music system is all the better for it. You remove the Polyphaser after living with it for a couple of weeks, and it’s though you changed a major component with the end result not being good. It is a shame that ATHENA line of products did not take off -- they are that good. My guess is that the retail prices were over the top and the advertising did not communicate what these devices were capable of in an effective way.