Danny Richie, GR Research, doesn't recommend a speaker he can't sell an "upgrade" kit for

[DanielT]

..... political landscape

Policy. Right or wrong. That ... sometimes you do not have to think about it.Some things are right or wrong ... it's that simple.

Edit:
Back to the rather trivial world of HiFi in this context. Challenge Danny on a blind test. A seriously blind test performed with speaker cables, cable lifter or whatever it is he advocates has a big difference in the sound.

 

[Spkrdctr]

Are you familiar with the old Aphex Aural Exciter?

Good Gosh SIY, that almost sounds sexual!

 

[Spkrdctr]

Policy. Right or wrong. That ... sometimes you do not have to think about it.Some things are right or wrong ... it's that simple.

Edit:
Back to the rather trivial world of HiFi in this context. Challenge Danny on a blind test. A seriously blind test performed with speaker cables, cable lifter or whatever it is he advocates has a big difference in the sound.

The challenge has been offered before and there is no way any subjectivist will be part of a blind test. They know they will fail so they don't participate in a test. That way they can throw rocks at the flat earther objectivists. Been the same going on 60 years now. With the new measurements system (Klippel) the testing might start to win some people over, but in the end, the objectivists are outnumbered by at least 1000 to 1 in the USA. So, don't expect much. There are reasons for this, but it is not appropriate for this forum.

 

[SIY]

Good Gosh SIY, that almost sounds sexual!

And it's a plug-in.

 

[MinMan]

Legend has it that Danny spent 12 years at the Golden Ears Park, enriching his senses by drinking only pure spring water. Hence the name: Richie.

I'm shocked... shocked to learn that Mr. Richie is just trying to "make a buck" at a cost to gullible audiophools.

 

[ta240]

The sad thing really is that instead of just trying to be better, he is participating in the same us v. them mentality that plagues the US political landscape today and is staking his flag on an imaginary hill of make-believe.

Sadly, "us vs them" is a moneymaker no matter what the field. People spend money with those that they think are fighting the good fight for them, be it audio or politics. They don't have to actually help the people that are sending them money, they just have to make them think they are. Without strongly divided sides you can't have a group of followers that think you are spearheading their side and get excited about your 'product'. As you stated though; in that environment there isn't learning and there isn't improvement.

 

[ta240]

Good Gosh SIY, that almost sounds sexual!

Seriously, the first thing that flashed into my mind was the jail scene in "Top Secret".
"I've tried everything: the embassy, the German government, the consulate. I even talked to the U.N. ambassador. It's no use,....."

 

[DanielT]

And it's a plug-in.

Plug in play, the best play available.

 

[DanielT]

The challenge has been offered before and there is no way any subjectivist will be part of a blind test. They know they will fail so they don't participate in a test. That way they can throw rocks at the flat earther objectivists. Been the same going on 60 years now. With the new measurements system (Klippel) the testing might start to win some people over, but in the end, the objectivists are outnumbered by at least 1000 to 1 in the USA. So, don't expect much. There are reasons for this, but it is not appropriate for this forum.
.

Offer them $ ,optional , ....thousand, million against .. against $2. .... in a test.$2 you can buy some candy for that money.

 

[beagleman]

I myself know upgraded crossover parts make a difference. Some friends and family heard it too. Did one speaker at a time, one part at a time. oh no, blasphemy, we used our ears ; ) Not trying to convince you, that sounds impossible, but i know myself from experience.

I used Claritycap CSA, Miflex KPCU bypass caps, Mills resistors, Solen litz air core inductors

I was surprised to hear improvements with the bypass caps too.

Here it comes, placebo… Playing tricks on my mind, blah blah blah

All we can assume, is that your comparison "Could possibly" hold some water, but it is just as likely that bias, expectation, and a few other perception type things simply made you "think" you were hearing improvements, based on knowing you just made an expensive change, and was hoping to hear a difference.
We all listen differently when we are comparing or trying to actively hear if something made a difference.

If you are that positive you heard "For sure" actual differences/improved sound, you hold the power at any time now to demonstrate these differences literally to anyone, by reversing the changes to one speaker and without knowledge of which is playing, easily showing which is stock components and which are your "Brand" name components.

You said you heard "Differences" and "Improvements". Could you elaborate WHAT was actually different or improved?
IN more technical terms.

Do you still hear these differences?

 

[beagleman]

And eyes. This isn't difficult.



Uh huh.

And eyes and brain, and ego and post purchase rationalization and the feeling of just "fixing" something and having that rush of a job well done.....

it goes on and on.

 

[DMill]

I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but it might be possible that Danny has made modifications to crossovers on some speakers based on HIS measurements that do look better. This has nothing to do with cheesy parts or tube connectors but simply better design. It is what makes him so very frustrating when he sells snake oil when I see something like the GR Encore speaker, which is actually not a bad design.

 

[Palladium]

I'm totally not detecting any conflict of interests of a advertising statement from a guy whose income also depends on selling said statement.

 

[Sal1950]

You said you heard "Differences" and "Improvements". Could you elaborate WHAT was actually different or improved?

There's always the situation of just listening very intently for differences after making component changes and hearing more detail, etc. It's not that the changes really made the DUT more revealing, but that the listener is hearing things now that he wasn't focusing so hard on before. It's next to impossible not to be hearing deeper into any recording under these circumstances, that's why it's so important to do blind A-B tests.

 

[TrevC]

If the original caps were reversible electrolytics then it's likely they would have deteriorated over time, but the rest? Nah.

 

[Penelinfi]

There's always the situation of just listening very intently for differences after making component changes and hearing more detail, etc. It's not that the changes really made the DUT more revealing, but that the listener is hearing things now that he wasn't focusing so hard on before. It's next to impossible not to be hearing deeper into any recording under these circumstances, that's why it's so important to do blind A-B tests.

I've actually been caught out "listening to X speaker" and then discovered my speaker selector was on Y speaker. Vastly different speakers too.
Admittedly the music was also different from last session.

 

[I know (almost) nothing]

So, I am relatively new to the sport of hifi. I found myself getting sucked into a lot of the Danny videos and have been indoctrinated that every sandcast resistor, electrolytic cap and iron core inductor need to be banished from proper hi-fi society.

Forgetting about Danny's tweaks to the design of the crossover, my question is if each of those items are replaced with a higher quality (more expensive) item of the same value, is it supposed to make the sound better (different) or just make the system last longer?

 

[Doodski]

Forgetting about Danny's tweaks to the design of the crossover, my question is if each of those items are replaced with a higher quality (more expensive) item of the same value, is it supposed to make the sound better (different) or just make the system last longer?

It's supposed to make the sound better. In crossover applications it is wasted money and hardware. If electrolytic capacitors are replaced with a polyester or mylar wound type then the longevity might be better dependent on the selection of the parts.

 

[NTK]

So, I am relatively new to the sport of hifi. I found myself getting sucked into a lot of the Danny videos and have been indoctrinated that every sandcast resistor, electrolytic cap and iron core inductor need to be banished from proper hi-fi society.

Forgetting about Danny's tweaks to the design of the crossover, my question is if each of those items are replaced with a higher quality (more expensive) item of the same value, is it supposed to make the sound better (different) or just make the system last longer?

Check out this thread and the links to the full mini-series in post #1.

Capacitor upgrade in crossover - You CAN'T handle the TRUTH! - Part 3

So, after the topic capacitor upgrade has already been discussed by me in two parts, there is no reason to talk about it anymore - or is there? The full mini series: Capacitor upgrade in crossover - Is it audible? Capacitor upgrade - part two Capacitor upgrade - part three...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[I know (almost) nothing]

Check out this thread and the links to the full mini-series in post #1.

Capacitor upgrade in crossover - You CAN'T handle the TRUTH! - Part 3

So, after the topic capacitor upgrade has already been discussed by me in two parts, there is no reason to talk about it anymore - or is there? The full mini series: Capacitor upgrade in crossover - Is it audible? Capacitor upgrade - part two Capacitor upgrade - part three...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Damn! that's one hell of a read. Thank you. Answered all my questions (even if I just skipped to the conclusions in Bold)