Hmm, it’s funny that you mention tourmaline. I was not going to raise this, but I a few months ago I accidentally discovered some effects of using agate, which is another piezo-electric material. I have some large paperweights made from the mineral and used them to keep cables in position – I have noticed some sonic differences (sometimes beneficial, sometimes deleterious, depending on the cable in question). Although I recognise that this might be stretching credulity for some, I am unable to dismiss my own ears. I am not talking about subtle effects: they can be much greater than, say, changing an interconnect for a different model.
So, I would be interested to hear more about your impressions of the tourmaline, please. With apologies to anyone who finds this ‚hard to swallow‘.