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Extreme Snake Oil

PlasticDoc

PlasticDoc

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fatoldgit said:
Not sure if this is snake oil yet...

Will tell you once I get them installed... but first I need to strengthen my flooring.

At only $US 456 per kilo they are a bargain.

I am told the Wife Acceptance Factor (WAF) is also very high so thats a plus.
Click to expand...

The concept of the Women's Acceptance Factor (WAF) may have been slightly misinterpreted...

I don't know why, but this speaker just reminded me of the (huge) wooden seaplane designed and built by Howard Hughes (the Hughes H-4 Hercules, aka the Spruce Goose)

H-4_Hercules_2.jpg


Thas plane, too, was only flown once...
 
Ken1951

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Spkrdctr

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Palladium said:
195MHz? Clearly those clueless analog EEs has no idea what science on conductors actually are when they made my 4650MHz Ryzen CPU right?

And these AMD guys are only asking $150 for it, despite needing hundreds of billions of dollars of the most sophisticated manufacturing equipment known to man, so these guys are complete charities versus cable peddlers.
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Referencing cables?
 
A

Alexander Gödde

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Ralph_Cramden said:

LampizatOr Pacific 2 DAC Review One of the best values for a high-performance DAC. Review By Dr. Matthew Clott Of Enjoy the Music.com

LampizatOr Pacific 2 DAC Review One of the best values for a high-performance DAC. Review By Dr. Matthew Clott Of Enjoy the Music.com
www.enjoythemusic.com
Click to expand...
For something even worse, from the same site:
https://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0424/LessLoss_BlackGround_For_Speakers_Review.htm

Sheer lunacy, including the auditioning "protocols". Especially funny is the suspected incompatibility with another tweako device from Synergistic Research. You really can't make this up!

LessLoss also offer this gem:
https://www.lessloss.com/blackbody-p-200.html
 
j_j

j_j

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ErVikingo

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I just ordered some balanced "Schiit" cables (and a Skoll to connect my dusty old TT to my system after years of pure digital joy). I love their description!:

PYST was the god of drinking in Norse mythology. He’d be much better-known if he wasn’t getting schiit-faced all the time. Or, well, not really. PYST stands for Put Your Schiit Together, a set of short cables that make stacking your DAC and amp easy.

Beyond Just Technology: SuperUltraHyperTechnology
PYST cables are made from only the finest 6-nines Unobtanium™ alloy, molecularly assembled in our Alternate Universe™ reality-distortion tesseract field , using a secret geometry reverse-engineered from crashed UFOs, painstakingly smuggled out of Area 51 by deep-cover operatives. Performance is further enhanced by the use of a QuantConnect™ quantum-entangled pair of transmission interfaces, held at absolute zero by our exclusive Stasis Field™ technology. The cables are then wrapped in NanoAeroCap™, a nanotechnology-enabled aerogel anti-capacitance insulation system, featuring Fractal Interleaved Geometry™ to create negative inductance for maximum audio transmission quality.

Or, er, well . . . again, no. These are nice, high-quality cables, with solid, reliable connectors. That’s it. Hope you like them!

PYST cables come in three flavors:
  1. RCA PYST. These are available in 6 inch, 1 meter, and 2 meter lengths. The 6 inch cables are great for stacking our smaller components. The 1 meter and 2 meter cables are more typical for larger systems. 1 meter is a bit over a yard, for us USAians.
  2. XLR PYST. These are available in 10 inch, 1 meter, and 2 meter lengths. The 10 inch cables are good for stacking our components with balanced outputs. Same dimensional disambiguation applies.
  3. USB PYST. This is the complete redefinition of USB cables. It actually, physically transports you* into an alternate universe where superbly-mastered, 24/192 music streams 24/7, free of charge to all listeners, for all genres. Supermodels in this alternate world are all deeply into high-end audio, and will beg to go out with you. Butterflies swirl in fantastic colors over clean-lined porcelain cityscapes, everyone is a millionaire, and flying cars run on air. It's a beautiful place to be!
*Or not. It may have been a hallucination. USB PYSTs are actually just nice, 1M long, USB A-B cables that have thicker than normal power conductors and silver-plated copper data lines, as well as a tough, braided outer jacket that may come in handy for sawing off your leg if you are ever trapped in a landslide. Not that you'll probably have a PYST USB on you.

In addition, to make things even more confusing, you can choose some PYST cables from different manufacturers. We have cunningly hidden who's making these cables by having them clearly labeled as "Straight Wire" or "Snake Oil." Both companies make really good cables.
  • Straight Wire has been around a long time, and is located in Florida. They make a wide range of cables beyond our PYST.
  • Snake Oil is a start-up from here in California. They also make the Mini-Links for our stuff, if you want something that really minimizes your desktop space.
As we said, both companies make great cables. Neither is the cheapest in the universe, and neither is the most expensive. If you're looking to save cash, there are plenty of other options out there.
 
M

mocenigo

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egellings said:
Maybe a DAC that expensive gets bought for the same reason that a Herme's $10,000 handbag does.
Click to expand...

In most cases, yes. Sometimes there are products that break the envelope and significantly improve on the SotA, like the Mola Mola Tambaqui or, more recently, the Ideon Absolute DAC. So, the price can be justified by the research and, at least initially, the exclusivity, for once related to measurable quality. But progress in DACs is so fast that such levels of SQ can often be achieved shortly afterwards at more humane prices.
 
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M

Mart68

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Alexander Gödde said:
For something even worse, from the same site:
https://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0424/LessLoss_BlackGround_For_Speakers_Review.htm

Sheer lunacy, including the auditioning "protocols". Especially funny is the suspected incompatibility with another tweako device from Synergistic Research. You really can't make this up!
Click to expand...
That's a classic.

I especially like the part where one snake-oil vendor rubbishes another one's product.

Not by saying it does nothing - don't want to put that idea in the punters' minds - but instead:

''...in every case I found it to 'sexify' the sonic results, ultimately leading to a less life-like sonic and a more 'hi-fi' type sonic.''
 
IPunchCholla

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Mart68 said:
That's a classic.

I especially like the part where one snake-oil vendor rubbishes another one's product.

Not by saying it does nothing - don't want to put that idea in the punters' minds - but instead:

''...in every case I found it to 'sexify' the sonic results, ultimately leading to a less life-like sonic and a more 'hi-fi' type sonic.''
Click to expand...
I wonder if there is a sexify plugin? That sounds awesome.

Also, what weird shade to throw. “Their product makes things sound too sexy.”

Now I need an “I’m too sexy to be hi-fi” shirt.
 
Great Sun Jester

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GM3

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https://nordost.com/faqs-break-in.php
How long do my cables have to break in?
Normally, we recommend at least 168 hours. However, our Reference level cables require at least 336 hours.

What is the best way to break in my cables?
The best way to break in your cables is to have them burned in on the Nordost VIDAR machine by an Authorized Dealer. Most dealers will do this for a small charge and many offer this service when you buy your cables from them. This is another reason to buy your cable from an Authorized Nordost Dealer.

Can I have my cables burned in at the Nordost factory?
No, we don’t offer this service at our factory due to the volume of work and the logistics involved.

What happens during break in?
Considerable changes occur in the cable during the break in process. Any gases that were trapped between the insulation and the conductors during manufacturing are dissipated. Additionally, the insulation material charges up. The diode effects of the conductor will be more pronounced after 168 hours of break in. During this time the cable takes on a direction.

How long does break in last?
If the cable has not been used for more than one month, it will benefit from being broken in on the VIDAR. It is a good idea to bring your cables back to your local dealer every year and have them broken in again.

Why is the VIDAR better for breaking in cables?
The VIDAR is designed to put a very wide band signal of varying amplitude through the cables connected to it. In the normal course of use, cables such as tone arm and analog interconnects never get a high level of signal. This means it can take a long time for them to break in fully. The VIDAR speeds up this process by the combination of frequencies it puts through the cable. The results from the VIDAR will always be better than any other break- in method used.

Cables such as tonearms and analog interconnects are normally never exposed to high signal levels, so it takes an extra long time for them to break in. When a cable is connected to the VIDAR it is subjected to a wide band signal of varying amplitude. The combination of frequencies put through the cable speed up the break in process. Results from the VIDAR will always be better than any other break in method used.
Click to expand...

I don't even ... :facepalm:
 
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stoo23

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I find it VERY interesting that;
This is another reason to buy your cable from an Authorized Nordost Dealer.
Click to expand...
Hmmm OK,.....
Can I have my cables burned in at the Nordost factory?
No, we don’t offer this service at our factory due to the volume of work and the logistics involved.
Click to expand...
Really !!??, OK, but it's fine to hand-off this 'logistically involved' and Obviously Seriously Time consuming task to your Dealers !!
What a total pack of,.... (Insert appropriate expletive) ;):)

I would have loved to have had the contract to build all those ridiculous 'Burn-In' devices,... LOL
 
stoo23

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I wonder how many Years must transpire before you can send your 'Burned Out' cables back for a refund,... or should you perhaps argue that they Shouldn't be selling them but merely 'Leasing them' to you,... OH !!,.. Ooops what have I suggested ???, that could earn these Robber Barons even More money LOL
 
F

FrantzM

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Hi

Such cable break in machines have been around for a while .. There was one from Hagerman called the Frybay, Another from Blue Horizon and various CD with signals to burn your cables... Yep

But the most interesting example would be this company in the UK: MCRU, who offers a service to burn in your cables .. They use various wares to do so :rolleyes: ... but the Nordost is their main device, or so it seems :
MCRU CABLE BURNING SERVICE (click here)
:eek:

Will wonder ever cease?

Peace.
 
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