Blue Jeans Cable Isolation Transformer Review

[Sal1950]

Better than silver soldered? No. World's Best can provide good components for the same price and don't push BS that Blue Jeans has gotten into of late. Basically you can no longer trust them. They'll sell you stuff like this broken design to accommodate sensibilities of audiophiles that aren't based upon reality.

Amen, I used to be happy to recommend them as a retailer that wasn't out to
fleece the unknowing consumer. But slowly they've turned, step by step, inch by inch,
into just another snake-oil peddler. It just makes me sad.

 

[JSmith]

Apparrently it's;

The Blue Jeans Cable Isolation Transformer is manufactured for us in California, and is in the form of a small box with two RCA jacks to allow cables to be plugged in from the source and the sub.

Subwoofer Cables from Blue Jeans Cable

JSmith

 

[ocinn]

Blue Jeans cables sell by date has come due. I no longer recommend them for anything. There are better choices and they deserve to disappear.

World's Best can provide good components for the same price and don't push BS that Blue Jeans has gotten into of late. Basically you can no longer trust them. They'll sell you stuff like this broken design to accommodate sensibilities of audiophiles that aren't based upon reality.

This is sarcasm, right? I own cables from both WBC and BJC in multiple formats, and condemn BJC for this broken product, but the above take is ridiculous and completely false.

BJC are made in America by hand, have multiple cable choices for each format, and DO NOT spew "audiophile" garbage for advertising like WBC (post 13, and post 78). BJC makes no subjective claims apart from technical performance, things that are scientifically proven and relevant (noise rejection, capacitance, connector interface).

WBC speaker cables are over TWICE the cost of blue jeans, not offered in locking bananas (dealbreaker as standard bananas are not remotely a secure connection), and are not ultrasonically welded like BJC. Amir has shown many times that issues with termination, connector/binding post interface, etc... has resulted in very clear hits in performance. Not sure why you'd pay 2x more for a technically inferior product in every which way... Also, anyone who has worked in motorsports, aerospace, or literally any critical electronics field, knows that soldering has zero place outside of on circuit boards. Everything is either crimped or welded.

BJC XLRs are essentially the same price as WBC, and they are made in America by hand. Multiple cable options.

BJC RCAs used to be cheaper, but even at the price they are now, unless you are buying bulk, you are getting a hugely superior connector, far nicer build quality, and multiple cable choices for different needs. Not to mention for phono and similar applications, WBC canare is simply not suitable at 57pf/ft...

between this and the Iconoclast Cable

They are just the contracted assembler for Iconoclast. The page on their site dedicated to it is completely hidden and non-accessible. And they make zero subjective claims, and just point you to read Galen Gareis' papers for more info. Do you know who does promote snake oil rhetoric? Y'alls fave: World's Best Cables, as seen above.

 

[Trell]

As for audio cables I like the German manufacturer Cordial that have excellent cables at very good prices. I buy them from thomann.de that also sells locally in USA.

 

[Sal1950]

Iconoclasthis is sarcasm, right? I own cables from both WBC and BJC in multiple formats, and condemn BJC for this broken product, but the above take is ridiculous and completely false.

I can't speak for @Blumlein 88, but personally I quit recommending BJC when they introduced Iconoclast.
IMO priorly a great anti snake-oil supplier of no nonsense cables they turned their back on integrity to make a
few extra bucks.. This iso box has just highlighted their downfall.
Actions must have consequences.

 

[Sal1950]

I just sent this letter to the sales dept.

"[email protected]
As a longtime supporter and endorser of BJC products I thought (and hoped)
someone there might be interested in this product review. Also the reaction by a
large number of the objective HiFi community to what we feel is a turn to the
Dark Side of audio marketing. Personally I no longer recommend BJC do to this
change in approach. There are others who haven't turned to snake-oil to make money.
Call Me Disappointed,
Sal
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ans-cable-isolation-transformer-review.46611/"

 

[Sokel]

As for audio cables I like the German manufacturer Cordial that have excellent cables at very good prices. I buy them from thomann.de that also sells locally in USA.

If I was you I would stay light years away from such junk.
I once opened one (RCA to XLR) that my nephew got to connect instrument.

Connection was with a 2 - conductor plus shield cable.
Both red and white conductors went from RCA hot pin to XLR 2 pin.
Shield went from RCA ground to XRL 1 and 3 pin by splitting it right before the connection and it was already weird to touch,copper was black-ish and like plastic.

I never saw such a thing before.

 

[Trell]

If I was you I would stay light years away from such junk.
I once opened one (RCA to XLR) that my nephew got to connect instrument.

Connection was with a 2 - conductor plus shield cable.
Both red and white conductors went from RCA hot pin to XLR 2 pin.
Shield went from RCA ground to XRL 1 and 3 pin by splitting it right before the connection and it was already weird to touch,copper was black-ish and like plastic.

I never saw such a thing before.

The cables from Cordial that I own of various price classes are just fine. All of them have XLR or TRS jacks, though.

One of budget XLR is reviewed here by @VintageFlanker and there was no negative comment about the quality, quite the opposite.

Battle Of Budget XLR Cables

Battle Of Budget XLR Cables Hey folks, I planned to post this for a while, but been a bit busy elsewhere these last few weeks... Here is a quick comparison between entry-level XLR cables, along with basic measurements to find out if some of them may bring any influence in the audible (or at...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Sokel]

The cables from Cordial that I own of various price classes are just fine. All of them have XLR or TRS jacks, though.

One of budget XLR is reviewed here by @VintageFlanker and there was no negative comment about the quality, quite the opposite.

Battle Of Budget XLR Cables

Battle Of Budget XLR Cables Hey folks, I planned to post this for a while, but been a bit busy elsewhere these last few weeks... Here is a quick comparison between entry-level XLR cables, along with basic measurements to find out if some of them may bring any influence in the audible (or at...

www.audiosciencereview.com

I must have it somewhere in a drawer,if I find it I'll take pics.
If it works for you,it works,no objection about it.

There's no cable I have not measured before I connect to my stuff,I have heard horror stories to just trust them.

 

[Swtoby]

I can't speak for @Blumlein 88, but personally I quit recommending BJC when they introduced Iconoclast.
IMO priorly a great anti snake-oil supplier of no nonsense cables they turned their back on integrity to make a
few extra bucks.. This iso box has just highlighted their downfall.
Actions must have consequences.

What's wrong with tapping into another segment of the market? I seem to recall comments here about Schiit doing the same, but in reverse with the Heresy. Making an amp enthusiasts who post here would buy. You know, good measurements and all.

 

[Swtoby]

I just sent this letter to the sales dept.

"[email protected]
As a longtime supporter and endorser of BJC products I thought (and hoped)
someone there might be interested in this product review. Also the reaction by a
large number of the objective HiFi community to what we feel is a turn to the
Dark Side of audio marketing. Personally I no longer recommend BJC do to this
change in approach. There are others who haven't turned to snake-oil to make money.
Call Me Disappointed,
Sal
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ans-cable-isolation-transformer-review.46611/"

So despite BJC making reasonable cables for years, and continuing to do so, this tanks the whole enterprise for you? Gotcha. What do you recommend instead?

 

[pablolie]

Weird, I wouldn't have thought Blue Jeans would go for a product like this.

 

[Doodski]

What's wrong with tapping into another segment of the market? I seem to recall comments here about Schiit doing the same, but in reverse with the Heresy. Making an amp enthusiasts who post here would buy. You know, good measurements and all.

Huh? The Schiit Magni Heresy is a great headphone amp.

 

[Swtoby]

Huh? The Schiit Magni Heresy is a great headphone amp.

Exactly. That's the point. Before, Schiit had a bad rap around here. Then comes Heresy. An amp with great measurements that appeals to the segment of the market that posts here at ASR. But that's ok. Just not the reverse apparently in the case of BJC.

 

[Trell]

Exactly. That's the point. Before, Schiit had a bad rap around here. Then comes Heresy. An amp with great measurements that appeals to the segment of the market that posts here at ASR. But that's ok. Just not the reverse apparently in the case of BJC.

Regression in quality (perceived or not) is seldom appreciated.

 

[Doodski]

Just not the reverse apparently in the case of BJC.

Are you a bleeding heart for BJC? Because they dug this one all by themselves and that Belden mumbo jumbo cable that they've been selling to peeps.

 

[Swtoby]

Regression in quality is seldom appreciated.

Sure. You don't like this one product. OK. I agree it looks like a dud. But BJC has been a mainstay for those that want a good cable at reasonable cost. They still appear to offer those options. So I think the comments seemingly going scorched earth on BJC over this transformer seem extreme.

 

[Swtoby]

Are you a bleeding heart for BJC? Because they dug this one all by themselves and that Belden mumbo jumbo cable that they've been selling to peeps.

I'm aware of the reputation. Some of the comments here just look like hypocrisy. What exactly is wrong with them tapping into that segment of the market?

 

[Doodski]

I'm aware of the reputation. Some of the comments here just look like hypocrisy. What exactly is wrong with them tapping into that segment of the market?

It's snake oil rubbish.

 

[Trell]

Sure. You don't like this one product. OK. I agree it looks like a dud. But BJC has been a mainstay for those that want a good cable at reasonable cost. They still appear to offer those options. So I think the comments seemingly going scorched earth on BJC over this transformer seem extreme.

My comment about reduction in quality is not appreciated was more of the general type. Denon had a hiccup when replacing DAC IC from AKM with much inferior ones in their AVRs. Not appreciated here on ASR, to put it mildly.