Kemp Elektroniks SCHUMANN COMPOSER 6-Way Review – M & S

Kemp Elektroniks is known for offering high-end audio accessories and representing several renowned high-end audio brands in the Netherlands and throughout Europe.

For this review, Mono & Stereo returns to Kemp Elektroniks to explore the highly unique and intriguing world’s first full-range, six-way Schumann Composer.

SCHUMANN COMPOSER

Kemp Elektroniks is the world’s first Schumann resonance generator capable of reproducing the entire natural Schumann resonance spectrum.

The Schumann resonance is a natural electromagnetic phenomenon first studied in depth by German physicist Wilfried Otto Schumann in 1952. He found that the Earth’s atmosphere acts as a resonant cavity for very low-frequency electromagnetic waves generated by lightning. The fundamental frequency is 7.8 Hz, with higher harmonics at approximately 14, 21, 26, 33, and 39 Hz.

In contrast to these natural resonances, electromagnetic emissions from modern devices such as mobile phones are millions of times stronger. The Schumann frequencies are completely harmless and, interestingly and intriguingly, closely align with the brain’s own electromagnetic activity. Researchers have long speculated that these natural frequencies may play a subtle yet beneficial role in human well-being and perception.

Building on this understanding, Kemp Elektroniks developed the original Schumann Resonance Plug (SR-Plug), an oscillator tuned to 7.8 Hz that gently reinforces the Earth’s natural resonance indoors.

Widely adopted worldwide, it has become known for enhancing calm and focus during listening sessions. The new Schumann Composer expands on this concept, covering the full Schumann spectrum and offering independent intensity control for each frequency.

True to its name, the Schumann Composer invites listeners to shape their own Schumann balancing act, with each control precisely calibrated to reflect the natural harmonic balance of the Earth’s resonant frequencies.

With refined circuitry and an improved power supply, the Schumann Composer represents the next evolution in Kemp Elektroniks’ pursuit of harmonizing science, sound, and human experience.

The Music

As is the norm, here are a few albums that highlight the virtues of the Kemp Elektronik Schumann Composer.

In summary, the Schumann Composer is far from merely subtle; it brings music forward, inducing a purer, elevated musical experience with noticeably enhanced positive sonic shifts.

Michael Franks – Blue Pacific

Always in the privilege of setting and following his own “tune,” Blue Pacific follows one of my favorite Frank’s albums, Tiger In The Rain.

Equally unique but very different, the Warner Bros. protégé presented not just a collection of tracks, but a unified album that seamlessly flows from the opening “The Art Of Love” to the utopian “Crayon Sun.”

Tommy LiPuma, Al Schmitt, Dean Parks, John Guerin, John Patitucci, and Peter Erskine, supported by Walter Becker and Roger Nichols, bring a distinct Steely Dan-relatedness.

Blue Pacific was a reawakening for Franks, with a more pop-oriented sound that remains jazzy and soulful enough to be instantly recognizable.

It is hard for any music to capture the essence of “Ocean Way,” but this record embraces the theme with subtlety and soul, creating a unique aura and foundation.

It was intriguing how much the Kemp Elektronik Schumann Resonator added to the already relaxed narrative of the album, enhancing the laid-back flow with even more enticing interactive energy.

Double Image – Dawn

I always enjoy returning to one of my all-time ECM Records favorites—Double Image – Dawn.

This album is as mystical and intricate as its cover art suggests.

The Kemp Elektroniks Schumann Resonator extended and deepened its hypnotic narrative, elevating it to a higher plane of sonic experience – a calm, expansive aural bath that enhances spatial depth exactly where it matters most.

It is not about adding artificial low-end weight or perception, but about expanding the sense of space and dimension across the entire frequency spectrum.

In audio, it is always difficult to describe the precise effects in words, and as with everything, the Schumann Resonator must be experienced to be fully understood.

Still… What immediately struck me, however, was a stronger emotional response to the already vivid temperament, texture, and layers of the music – especially the opening track.

“Passage.” feels like a gateway to deeper immersion, revealing how profoundly such a beautifully composed and recorded work can reach into the listener’s inner core, and this is exactly where Kemp Elektroniks’ Schumann Resonator strikes with its potency.

Asian Roots – John Kaizan Neptune

Another contrast to the usual listening routine is John Kaizan Neptune, a true sonic voyager and sound alchemist.

Almost all of the instruments in TakéDaké were made by Neptune himself, including the shakuhachi bambass, bamboo drum set, conga–frame drum, and baliphone–marimba hybrids.

TakéDaké literally translates to strictly bamboo. The music, however, ventures even further into the exotic, blending esoteric compositions with African grooves and the Japanese five-tone folk scale, while drawing inspiration from Balinese, Javanese, Japanese, Korean, and Cambodian traditions.

This remarkably recorded album is a dynamic tonal tour de force, yet it carries an inner pulse that feels more meditative than energetic, despite its rhythmic vitality.

It was refreshingly fascinating to observe the Kemp Elektroniks Schumann Resonator quietly assert its non-subtle potency without imposing its character – a juxtaposition that revealed how fringe technology can enhance and enrich rather than dominate.

The result was music with greater focus, a more tangible three-dimensional projection, and a sense of grounded weight.

Not something and not on the level I would normally associate with this type of device, but the outcome was, simply put, a pleasantly startling revelation.

The Conclusion

For some audiophiles and music lovers, this product may seem to border on the esoteric and the exotic. Yet, for those willing to look beyond convention, it offers a truly unique way to elevate even an already well-balanced high-end audio system.

While there are already several Schumann resonators on the market, and I have tried many over the years, nothing compares to the full-spectrum performance of the Kemp Elektroniks Schumann Resonator.

From my experience, some devices based on Schumann resonance can provide a pleasant effect to a certain degree, but interestingly, they can also induce fatigue. In one instance, a particular unit had such an unpleasant impact that it even disrupted my sleep.

Of course, as with all things, sensitivity varies from person to person. This is precisely where the Kemp Elektroniks Schumann Resonator stands apart – offering six-way adjustability that allows for precise tuning and balance.

There is little doubt that modern life is increasingly saturated not only with noise but also with various forms of electrical, magnetic, and electromagnetic smog. This raises many questions, not just concerning health, but also about how such interference might subtly alter our perception of sound and music.

In short, we are distracted and affected by many factors, including RFI, mobile data, Wi-Fi signals, Bluetooth, environmental noise, and others.

When designing and building my reference room, I took deliberate measures to minimize such influences. I avoided LED lighting systems with linear power supplies and installed custom metal plates within the walls to reduce RFI. Additionally, I implemented star grounding in the floor and a massive external copper grounding rod system. Overall, I wanted to achieve a state of reduced distraction by exploring everything I could.

Having done this work for a long time, I always keep an open mind toward products and accessories that might enhance performance.

While many high-end audio accessories do little or even negatively affect system performance, the Kemp Elektroniks Schumann Composer 6-Way behaves differently. It touches the realms of harmonic density and deepens the perception of musical flow.

Our ears and brain decode music in a remarkably complex way, and numerous factors can influence this perception. Despite advances in neuroscience, much remains unknown. What is certain, however, is that music (and the quality of reproduction) exerts a profound influence on our inner state, resonating deeply with our emotional and physical essence.

What makes Kemp Elektroniks’ device different? First and foremost, it does not act against the music. Instead, it works in harmony with it – enriching rather than altering.

The result is a greater sense of spatial expansion, both vertically and horizontally, achieved through an augmented presence of acoustic nodes and focal anchors.

In a finely balanced system, the effects of such a device become apparent, indicating its meaningful contribution to the overall sonic experience.

Unlike many high-end accessories, the Kemp Elektroniks Schumann Composer 6-Way operates from within the very core of the music. It is non-distracting, non-invasive, and naturally calming – not by softening the sound, but by refining the sensory engagement in a far more interactive and immersive way than expected.

I spent considerable time with the Schumann Composer before writing this final assessment, ensuring that my impressions were not influenced by placebo or expectation bias.

Once experienced, it is difficult to return to listening without it.

Given the cost of some high-end components today, the Kemp Elektroniks Schumann Composer 6-Way stands out as an affordable way to improve musical immersion.