AudioQuest NRG-X3 Review (AC Power Cord)

[beagleman]

Idk why someone buys these cables besides to show off...

I know guys that will SWEAR this stuff makes some huge improvement, and that literally EVERYTHING matters as far as sound quality.

But on the flip side, they say they are totally immune to any biases but also have zero understanding of how human hearing works...really sad.

 

[odyo]

"The AudioQuest NRG-X3 delivered more music, made more sense of the music, managed to more fully convey the artists' intentions, and made me a happy guy."

omg

 

[noel_fs]

Because plenty of people who buy them don't!

As if those people would visit this site... I honestly respect the mission but personally im slightly dissapointed there isnt any interesting graphs to look at

 

[SuicideSquid]

Appreciated. I spend a lot of time in courts, civil and occasionally criminal. Figure of speech.

There is also statutory protection in the UK under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and 2014 and the Consumer Rights Act 2015 but, as you say, different jurisdictions, different rules.

We don't have punitive damages, thankfully. The Consumer Protection Regulations are technically criminal because they involve prosecution and payment of a fine.

I'm no expert, but it seems UK and EU consumers get a much better deal than in the USA.

I'm not an expert on US law but it definitely seems like the UK and EU have stronger consumer protection provisions than the US does. It's a double-edged sword though - protection from liability for private citizens from things like SLAPP lawsuits and slander and libel tend to be weaker in the UK and EU than the US.

Here in Canada we sit somewhere in the middle on both fronts, which I'm all right with.

 

[CedarX]

MQA were investigated for misleading and exaggerated advertising. Not guilty!

MQA Ltd

www.asa.org.uk

This is very telling: MQA said that the claims about their technology were statements about how listeners would perceive listening to a file created using MQA. I am absolutely convinced AudioQuest would claim the exact same thing about their power cable: it's all about perceived audio benefits. AmirQuest (pun intended ) is to demonstrate these things have no actual, measurable, audio benefits.
But one is free to perceive an audio system equipped with AudioQuest cables as more "satisfying" or more "elegant". Just don't claim it sounds better when it is just more expensive...

 

[aladar]

After the reviews of usb cables, signal cables, power cables, the next nomination is for speaker cables.
And the Oscar for the best waste of money goes to….
And of course, thank you Amir for your work

 

[Ajax]

There are plenty of companies that sell BS in audio and also other industries. That is why Amir's work is so important.

What greatly disturbs me is Stereophile's complicity. The media should be a form of watch dog IMO and help protect consumers, especially their customers who pay them for their reviews. Where is the new editor and John Atkinson in all this?

Not good.

 

[DWI]

This is very telling: MQA said that the claims about their technology were statements about how listeners would perceive listening to a file created using MQA. I am absolutely convinced AudioQuest would claim the exact same thing about their power cable: it's all about perceived audio benefits. AmirQuest (pun intended ) is to demonstrate these things have no actual, measurable, audio benefits.
But one is free to perceive an audio system equipped with AudioQuest cables as more "satisfying" or more "elegant". Just don't claim it sounds better when it is just more expensive...

Sorry, there is no connection with AQ. All it really says is that MQA compression does not reduce the perceived sound quality.

 

[amirm]

What greatly disturbs me is Stereophile's complicity. The media should be a form of watch dog IMO and help protect consumers, especially their customers who pay them for their reviews. Where is the new editor and John Atkinson in all this?

That review was missing measurements. Normal newspapers have an editorial board that attempts to protect the paper from liability of false reporting. Wish this was the case at audio magazines as well.

 

[voodooless]

Normal newspapers have an editorial board that attempts to protect the paper from liability of false reporting. Wish this was the case at audio magazines as well.

Newspaper just shroud the nonsense in opinion pieces, just like the audiophile press does. No difference at all!

 

[amirm]

Newspaper just shroud the nonsense in opinion pieces, just like the audiophile press does. No difference at all!

That would be an improvement over what we have now. As it is, they mark all of this as reviews.

 

[DWI]

omg

"The AudioQuest NRG-X3 delivered more music, made more sense of the music, managed to more fully convey the artists' intentions, and made me a happy guy."

It's a good quotation as is shows how audio marketing people try and anthropomorphise what is basically a piece of copper wire wrapped in plastic. It makes you relate to the product on a more human level.

It's very attractive unless you are an engineer who has a natural preference to numbers and formulae.

These people are not stupid and it isn't going to change, because few of the people who buy audio equipment are engineers.

 

[voodooless]

That would be an improvement over what we have now. As it is, they mark all of this as reviews.

A review is by definition an option piece.

 

[amirm]

A review is by definition an option piece.

Not in the public vernacular. Many take it as a proper analysis of whether the product performs.

 

[Eggs Ackley]

What greatly disturbs me is Stereophile's complicity. The media should be a form of watch dog IMO

Stereophile certainly isn't the Consumer Reports magazine of the audio world. The closest thing we have to that is right here at ASR.

 

[voodooless]

Not in the public vernacular. Many take it as a proper analysis of whether the product performs.

Find me one audio review that is not an opinion piece? Even in your reviews you vent your opinion about the product next to the objective measurements.

 

[morpheusX]

No amount of logic, science, testing, or even common sense will convince an audiophile that he can't ear his power cables, magical interconnects, power filters, etc, etc. They will just ignore it and embark in a philosophical discussion about everything they can throw at you.

"There's a sucker born every minute", so plenty of market for this kind of products ...

 

[DonR]

When the products you review also pay you to advertise there is a certain amount of conflict of interest in my book.

 

[amirm]

Find me one audio review that is not an opinion piece? Even in your reviews you vent your opinion about the product next to the objective measurements.

Addition of opinion doesn't make the whole piece an opinion. By that logic, the efficacy of any drug is an opinion post its research and interpretation. Let's move on.

 

[pseudoid]

Stereophile certainly isn't the Consumer Reports magazine of the audio world.

imo, this is a bad comparison: CR has always sucked with their audio/video reviews!