Another guy on Youtube going to visit Danny down in texas....

[SIY]

I get my speaker cables at Home Depot. It's the stuff made for wiring RV's sound systems, 12 GA.

I have the same supplier. I get the 12 gauge meant to be used for powering outdoor lighting or sprinklers. At one time, I used their orange outdoor heavy duty extension cords with the ends cut off and started a rumor that these could challenge the most expensive speaker cables out there- but it had to be the orange ones!

 

[Ron Texas]

I have the same supplier. I get the 12 gauge meant to be used for powering outdoor lighting or sprinklers. At one time, I used their orange outdoor heavy duty extension cords with the ends cut off and started a rumor that these could challenge the most expensive speaker cables out there- but it had to be the orange ones!

I buy those orange cords and ruin them because I get careless with my hedge trimmer. Maybe I can repurpose what I have.

 

[RickS]

As a small addendum, Jay's posts about GR research are not as biased as some think, here is an example that should give Amir in particular satisfaction:

Lol, well at least initially Jay seems to be distancing himself from GR by pointing out Danny’s hypocrisy. However, he ends this video with an endorsement of LGK2s (with dual subwoofers!). Regardless in his reviews, Jay always seems very sincere (Danny too), but his recommendations seem only gated by whether he liked what he experienced.

While I applaud your plea to try to mediate with some more populist reviewers, am more inclined to give a nod to someone who shows more reasoned restraint.

 

[GM3]

Danny is back at it, he's called out all you haters who hate him because he's teaching people how they can hear differences in power cables and interconnects, etc. He's back to claiming you're all flat earthers who don't want to do the science because you want to stick to your beliefs, etc.!

Link to the 37 minutes of comedy

Some of the things he say aren't inherently false, ex; cables next to each other might affect the other, but, the extent is what is crucial, and whether or not it would be audible. And for someone who accuses others of not wanting to do science, I see him doing a lot of talking, but no science, aka experimentation, at all. Doubt it would have a significant effect (ex; running a very long speaker cable next to a very long power cable), but I'd be curious to see the extent! And yeah, obviously, his claims go further than that. Sparkling some truths in the lies in an attempt to fool the listener... Very evident, but somehow, manages to hoodwink quite a few people... Sad..

(Not to derail this, but there is a flagrant similarity to religion, where the religious, when trying to defend religion, will attack unbelievers by accusing them of what they are doing. Ex; having blind faith in science, claiming that science is a religion, claiming that their beliefs are scientific (ex; attack the big bang "something can't come from nothing", 3rd law of thermodynamics, etc.). Here, Danny is doing exactly that, accusing others of doing what he is doing.)

[edit] Btw, not implying anything, but for those who have been around long enough might remember that Danny did some work for Mark L. Schifter in the 'good old' av123.com days'and there was like an incredible similarity with religion also, as av123.com was extremely cult-like and had almost zealot-like followers. I was always extremely distrustful of Schifter as he really struck me as a sleazy car salesman type, and yeah the cult-like community was suspicious at best, but yeah... Snake-oil, cults, audio... Hard not to see similarities with religion!

 

[thegeton]

Danny is back at it, he's called out all you haters who hate him because he's teaching people how they can hear differences in power cables and interconnects, etc. He's back to claiming you're all flat earthers who don't want to do the science because you want to stick to your beliefs, etc.!

(Not to derail this, but there is a flagrant similarity to religion, where the religious, when trying to defend religion, will attack unbelievers by accusing them of what they are doing. Ex; having blind faith in science, claiming that science is a religion, claiming that their beliefs are scientific (ex; attack the big bang "something can't come from nothing", 3rd law of thermodynamics, etc.). Here, Danny is doing exactly that, accusing others of doing what he is doing.)

Link to the 37 minutes of comedy

I wouldn't waste my time worrying about what Danny has to say, he's not even very entertaining. Kind of like watching a Dukes of Hazzard episode:


[Opening scene: Exterior shot of GR-Research headquarters. The iconic Dukes of Hazzard theme song starts playing.]

Narrator: "In a small town known for its high-end audio, one man has made it his mission to sell the finest audiophile snake oil products. Meet Danny at GR-Research, the slick-talking, snake oil-peddling audio sales geek."

[Cut to Danny at GR-Research, wearing his flashy grin and surrounded by boxes, crates, and shelves of mysterious audio gadgets.]

Danny: "Howdy, folks! It's your friendly neighborhood audio guru, Danny! Now, I reckon y'all want the best sound experience money can buy, right? Well, step right up 'cause I've got just the thing!"

[Cut to a montage of Danny showcasing various ridiculous audio products with exaggerated claims.]

Danny (holding a fat gold-plated cable): "Now, folks, check out this here giant gold-plated cable. It's scientifically proven to transmit soundwaves smoother and purer than ever before! Your ears will thank you, and your bank account won't even notice!"

[Dramatic zoom in on Danny holding a bottle of "Acoustic Elixir" potion.]

Danny: "But wait, there's more! Feast your eyes on this magical potion! One sip, and your speakers will transform into audio unicorns, delivering heavenly melodies straight to your soul! Don't worry about that resulting headache, it goes away after a few days."

[Cuts to a close-up shot of an old, beat-up stereo system.]

Danny (with a mischievous smile): "Now, y'all might be wondering, what about them old dusty speakers? Fear not, my friends, 'cause I've got a solution! Introducing the 'Sonic Revitalizer'!" Brandishing a small shiny glass shaker bottle, "Just sprinkle a little of this magical powder, and voila! Your ancient speakers will sing like Pavarotti!"

[Cut to a scene of Danny driving a tricked-out audio-themed car, reminiscent of the iconic General Lee.]

Narrator: "With his trusty souped-up audio-mobile, Danny roams the land, spreading the gospel of audiophile snake oil products."

[Cut to a town hall meeting, with Danny at the podium, addressing a crowd of skeptical audiophiles.]

Danny (charismatically): "Folks, let me tell ya, the secret to audio nirvana lies within the truths inside these bottles and gadgets. Trust me, I've got decades of experience and a flashy grin to prove it!"

[Skeptical murmurs and eye-rolls from the crowd.]

[Cut to an explosive scene of Danny racing away from an angry mob in pursuit, waiving pitchforks and broken speaker stands.]

Narrator: "But as Danny pushes the extreme limits of absolute audio absurdity, the townsfolk of High-Fidelity have had enough."

[Cut to a final scene of Danny at GR-Research, surrounded by unsold bottles and gadgets.]

Danny (muttering to himself): "Well, maybe they just weren't ready for my groundbreaking audio innovations yet. Guess I'll have to find a new town to conquer!"

[As the Dukes of Hazzard theme song plays, the camera pans out, leaving Danny staring glumly at the ground, contemplating his next audio adventure.]

Narrator: "And so, Danny at GR-Research continues his quest for the ultimate audiophile snake oil, leaving a trail of skeptical audiophiles in his wake. Will he ever find the elusive elixir or widget that truly delivers on its promises? Only time will tell."

[The screen fades to black, and the episode comes to a close.]

 

[GM3]

Wow... What a *censored*... So much dishonesty and hypocrisy... DR explaining that null tests doesn't cancel out noise, as if he just demonstrated why null tests aren't valid... ffs... Hard to understand how 98% of the YT comments are praising him ... My god, this is so depressing. I hate dishonesty, and I think I've gotten an allergic reaction to Richie... What a dishonest scam artist. As I believe I said in another comment, no way he's that much of an absolute moron, it has to be dishonesty. I mean, how hard is the concept of null testing difficult to grasp? It's not hard at all... It's even been explained to him multiple times by now. Yet we're to believe he just doesn't get it? And all those YT comments... Well, to see the good side of things, at least it makes it easier to accept that we'll soon go extinct! (nature bats last)

from https://www.perplexity.ai

A null test is a way to accurately measure the differences, if any, between two pieces of similar audio equipment. It is a simple testing method that can help prove that two signals are more or less exactly equal. The null test sends the same audio signal through two paths, then electronically subtracts one signal from the other to obtain the difference between them. If the two signals are identical, the null test will result in silence. The null test is useful for testing audio equipment because it can reveal differences in sound quality between two pieces of equipment that may not be noticeable through listening alone. It is a must-know for pro audio engineers and enthusiasts. There are also DIY methods for building a null tester device

(from few pages back "the noise down ~140dB is not showing; which is pretty much the limit of the testing gear he was using; aka; not differences due to power cables, differences due to inherent noise of DAC, pre-amp, etc.", "The 96dB was actually a reference to the 16bit format "An 8-bit signal has an SNR of 48dB, 16-bit hits 96dB". So any noise -140dB is well past the audible range as you can imagine. [...] all noise is ~ -140dB, makes absolutely no difference as no human could identify a power cable from that noise.")...

Anyway, huge waste of time. But IMHO, the lesson to learn here is that Dannie Richie proves the quote true:

“Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.”​

― Mark Twain

There's even an argument to make here against arguing with an idiot whose paycheck depends on not understanding or admitting that he's wrong.

 

[FrankW]

Danny is back at it,...He's back to claiming you're all flat earthers who don't want to do the science because you want to stick to your beliefs, etc.!

Yeah, we see it here from his disciples too. Funny stuff
I doubt Danny will ever fall into the Mike Lavigne (sp) trap. That one lives in eternity.

 

[RickS]

Wow... What a *censored*... So much dishonesty and hypocrisy... DR explaining that null tests doesn't cancel out noise, as if he just demonstrated why null tests aren't valid... ffs... Hard to understand how 98% of the YT comments are praising him ... My god, this is so depressing. I hate dishonesty, and I think I've gotten an allergic reaction to Richie... What a dishonest scam artist. As I believe I said in another comment, no way he's that much of an absolute moron, it has to be dishonesty. I mean, how hard is the concept of null testing difficult to grasp? It's not hard at all... It's even been explained to him multiple times by now. Yet we're to believe he just doesn't get it? And all those YT comments... Well, to see the good side of things, at least it makes it easier to accept that we'll soon go extinct! (nature bats last)



(from few pages back "the noise down ~140dB is not showing; which is pretty much the limit of the testing gear he was using; aka; not differences due to power cables, differences due to inherent noise of DAC, pre-amp, etc.", "The 96dB was actually a reference to the 16bit format "An 8-bit signal has an SNR of 48dB, 16-bit hits 96dB". So any noise -140dB is well past the audible range as you can imagine. [...] all noise is ~ -140dB, makes absolutely no difference as no human could identify a power cable from that noise.")...

Anyway, huge waste of time. But IMHO, the lesson to learn here is that Dannie Richie proves the quote true:

“Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.”​

― Mark Twain

There's even an argument to make here against arguing with an idiot whose paycheck depends on not understanding or admitting that he's wrong.

This is a thinly veiled attempt at a hachet job. Danny’s hachet is rather dull though and the veil becomes readily transparent.

ASR fact checking his BS must be really hurting his business. There is not any new content and this video is mainly repeating his misguided beliefs. His twisted flat earth thing really shows he does not understand how scientific fact displaced belief in the past.

 

[pickyAudiophile]

I'm surprised he picked that one up after such a long time. - The later the more worrisome from a psychological perspective.
Posting that tit for tat inspired footage might have helped him to get over that act of indignity perceived earlier.

 

[RickS]

I believe you misunderstand his purpose.

Let's say Danny participated in a scientific test, and showed in the video just exactly how to balance the outputs, how to set up a fast-acting switch controlled by a 3rd party instead of switching cables, and used a modern amplifier that was beyond criticism. What would be the outcome? I think we all know that; the outcome would not be in his favor. Not only that, but general searchers and his acolytes would find out the truth, and stop supporting him. So his business would not prosper from it.

But if he just goes through the motions of a scientific test, using protocols and methods that anyone can replicate at home, then he's assured that anyone mimicking him will come to the same exact conclusions that he just did. Therefore, his status among both his acolytes and the general searchers will be enhanced, and his business will prosper.

This guy is definitely not stupid. He is very clever. He's playing a game, and playing it very well.

Jim

No, his purpose is clear to me. If his spew works on the weak minded, we can only show them the science. Anything else is stooping to his level.

He may be slick but not very clever in my opinion.

 

[pickyAudiophile]

I'm surprised he picked that one up after such a long time. - The later the more worrisome from a psychological perspective.
Posting that tit for tat inspired footage might have helped him to get over that act of indignity perceived earlier.

"All of that is total BS." There we have it. It's about measuring what the world clearly hears when taking measurements.

 

[GM3]

"clever, etc." A good scam artist is how I'd put it.

"All of that is total BS." There we have it. It's about measuring what the world clearly hears when taking measurements.View attachment 288993

Yeah he's totally dishonest. Fact is that when he tried to rebuke Amir and others, his technical explanations were incorrect; they truly made 0 sense, easy to see anyone minimally technologically literate. He's even being petulant, throwing jabs, making fun of, all the while pretending like he's acting like the mature individual who isn't throwing jabs, like he's the one who's based on science, etc. It's really pathetic, and sad...

And now, reading the comments, he's basically given up on defending the technical side. And he's making bland statements about how "everyone" and "the entire industry" knows cables make a difference, about how "it's been demonstrated 1000 times", "your system isn't revolving enough", "come to my place I'll show you", "easy to hear, everyone hears it, you will too", etc., and he just ignores everyone who asks for links for proof or the such. He basically ignores any question/comment, he just repeats the same nonsense over and over again like a parrot. But hey, honestly, what else can he do? Everybody knows he's wrong and/or lying, himself being the 1st.

 

[Spkrdctr]

I think most of us would agree that (at most) their test shows Danny can hear slight differences when test conditions are favorable. Change the conditions to more valid ones and test more subjects and then share those results.

I am sorry I am so late to the party on this thread. I can bet you $100,000 that Danny can't hear the difference between 16 gauge speaker wire and any 10 or 12 gauge wire. These tests have been done. No one has EVER in the history of audio been able to pass a blind test on these items. Rick you are being far too generous to Danny. I see a lot of people who know better alluding to snake oil and voodoo theories giving them some credence by saying that so and so "might" hear a difference when the correct answer is no one over the last 50 years has ever been able to do this. I am not slamming you Rick at all, but I figured this would be another good time to stomp out the fact that many on ASR "semi-believe" that some ( a little bit) of snake oil and voodoo claims possibly have merit. I am reiterating that they do not. No caps, no wires, no interconnects, no good amps, and no stones sitting on equipment is passable in a blind test. Nothing Nada, except speakers.

 

[RickS]

I am sorry I am so late to the party on this thread. I can bet you $100,000 that Danny can't hear the difference between 16 gauge speaker wire and any 10 or 12 gauge wire. These tests have been done. No one has EVER in the history of audio been able to pass a blind test on these items. Rick you are being far too generous to Danny. I see a lot of people who know better alluding to snake oil and voodoo theories giving them some credence by saying that so and so "might" hear a difference when the correct answer is no one over the last 50 years has ever been able to do this. I am not slamming you Rick at all, but I figured this would be another good time to stomp out the fact that many on ASR "semi-believe" that some ( a little bit) of snake oil and voodoo claims possibly have merit. I am reiterating that they do not. No caps, no wires, no interconnects, no good amps, and no stones sitting on equipment is passable in a blind test. Nothing Nada, except speakers.

Thanks, could see how my statement might be construed to be some sort of compromise position but the context was the cable test that he had done at the time. “Favorable conditions” was just my way of saying the test protocol was skewed to help him pick his preferred cable.

Agree Danny should not be given any berth to lend credibility to such a flawed test.

 

[SimpleTheater]

… no stones sitting on equipment is passable in a blind test.

What about fine jewels?

 

[amirm]

I forget which video it was but a youtuber recently showed how at certain angles Danny could have seen which speaker wire was being used. He showed a frozen shot of it.

 

[Spkrdctr]

I forget which video it was but a youtuber recently showed how at certain angles Danny could have seen which speaker wire was being used. He showed a frozen shot of it.

Most reviewers do not even know how to do an "at home" blind test. It is fairly easy and simple to do. I believe you even have a post on how to do an easy at home test. Yet none of them do them. They are into making content and getting paid. It has nothing to do with actually caring about the quality of the free stuff they get to test. Plus getting to keep the free equipment for an over the top review. The on line (YouTube) review space is 95% charlatans and people who don't want to get a real job and just spew out rubbish for other weak minds to read and believe. So much crazy snake oil in audio!

 

[Cbdb2]

The on line (YouTube) review space is 95% charlatans and people who don't want to get a real job and just spew out rubbish for other weak minds to read and believe. So much crazy snake oil in audio!

Not only audio. There's probably more BS on the internet than truth these days. Welcome to the misinformation age.

 

[GXAlan]

The on line (YouTube) review space is 95% charlatans and people who don't want to get a real job and just spew out rubbish for other weak minds to read and believe. So much crazy snake oil in audio!

Take a look at the WiiM Ultra. I am sure it has great measurements, but with how much the influencers have been hyping up the Ultra, it is sobering to read a user review about the ergonomics.

https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/1ejwibb/few_words_about_wiim_ultra

“Screen is very low quality - has low resolution and crappy colours. From far away it’s not so bad, but up close I wouldn’t stand it. Touchscreen is not very responsive and when sliding fingers you can feel plenty of friction.”

I don’t feel as if the influencers have mentioned this weakness to the level of disappointment described here.