Extreme Snake Oil

[Mart68]

From one of my favourite reviewers..

A-B Tech REN Ethernet Isolator – HiFi Knights

Ethernet cable that galvanically isolates signal and ground? Yes, and it works! See A-B Tech REN premiere review @HiFiKnights.com; author: Marek Dyba

hifiknights.com

It's a friggen Ethernet cable!

"So what does REN has to offer? If I had to limit the assessment to a single sentence I would say that it offers unparalleled tranquility, closely followed by an incredibly orderly fashion of presenting the music. Yes, I know it requires further explanation. The tranquility here is understood as a complete lack of nervousness in the sound, even the one I usually don’t realize is there until is gone – that is a feature of some, most often power-related audio products. The noise in the background is gone hence there is no distortion and everything falls into place. All the elements of the music are presented without rushing things, without shortcuts, detours, timing issues, or any other sort of distractions in a pure, steady fashion. The presentation is no longer about the sound but it’s rather all about the music and all its building elements, even the tiniest ones, that are presented with amazing clarity and transparency."

The great thing about this sort of writing is that you could use it for any hi-fi product subjective review - a cartridge, a speaker, an amplifier, it doesn't matter - it's completely interchangeable.

The editor wants 2000 words on some cable or whatever? No problem, just cut and paste. Done in ten minutes, the cheque's in the post.

 

[MattHooper]

From one of my favourite reviewers..

A-B Tech REN Ethernet Isolator – HiFi Knights

Ethernet cable that galvanically isolates signal and ground? Yes, and it works! See A-B Tech REN premiere review @HiFiKnights.com; author: Marek Dyba

hifiknights.com

It's a friggen Ethernet cable!

"So what does REN has to offer? If I had to limit the assessment to a single sentence I would say that it offers unparalleled tranquility, closely followed by an incredibly orderly fashion of presenting the music. Yes, I know it requires further explanation. The tranquility here is understood as a complete lack of nervousness in the sound, even the one I usually don’t realize is there until is gone – that is a feature of some, most often power-related audio products. The noise in the background is gone hence there is no distortion and everything falls into place. All the elements of the music are presented without rushing things, without shortcuts, detours, timing issues, or any other sort of distractions in a pure, steady fashion. The presentation is no longer about the sound but it’s rather all about the music and all its building elements, even the tiniest ones, that are presented with amazing clarity and transparency."

Good god I hate that type of writing in audio reviews. Haven’t clicked the link but I’m assuming it’s probably from a British writer?

 

[Somafunk]

Good god I hate that type of writing in audio reviews. Haven’t clicked the link but I’m assuming it’s probably from a British writer?

Polish apparently, I read the review and i‘m most impressed by the pelican case the cable is packaged in, and the bottle of fluid to apply to the aluminium block to stop it tarnishing, after reading the review a few times I’m still unsure as to what it does?, guess I’m not special enough to understand

 

[pjn]

Good god I hate that type of writing in audio reviews. Haven’t clicked the link but I’m assuming it’s probably from a British writer?

Poland!
"Still, for me, the most impressive feature of the A-B Tech REN is its ability to create the impression that I can hear more details etc"

Clearly - I can't find a price, but to get that sort of impression you undoubtedly need $$$

 

[Somafunk]

Clearly - I can't find a price,

€1100 to €1399

 

[Kremmen]

From one of my favourite reviewers..

A-B Tech REN Ethernet Isolator – HiFi Knights

Ethernet cable that galvanically isolates signal and ground? Yes, and it works! See A-B Tech REN premiere review @HiFiKnights.com; author: Marek Dyba

hifiknights.com

It's a friggen Ethernet cable!

"So what does REN has to offer? If I had to limit the assessment to a single sentence I would say that it offers unparalleled tranquility, closely followed by an incredibly orderly fashion of presenting the music. Yes, I know it requires further explanation. The tranquility here is understood as a complete lack of nervousness in the sound, even the one I usually don’t realize is there until is gone – that is a feature of some, most often power-related audio products. The noise in the background is gone hence there is no distortion and everything falls into place. All the elements of the music are presented without rushing things, without shortcuts, detours, timing issues, or any other sort of distractions in a pure, steady fashion. The presentation is no longer about the sound but it’s rather all about the music and all its building elements, even the tiniest ones, that are presented with amazing clarity and transparency."

Thank you for posting the review link.

One wonders after reading the utter tosh in this review (and more of this type of drivel elsewhere in the hi-fi press) if there is in fact a significant glut of failed fantasy authors across the globe with no other way to flex their creative muscles than to churn out this almost LSD-inspired nonsense. God help the suckers who wait on their every word.

 

[Palladium]

Please don't ask what is the point of adding "isolation" to an existing Ethernet connection, when Ethernet is already galvanically isolated at both ends by design.

 

[egellings]

Good god I hate that type of writing in audio reviews. Haven’t clicked the link but I’m assuming it’s probably from a British writer?

That sort of rhetoric may well work with people who have no science or engineering background. The description would seem plausible to them.

 

[SIY]

Polish apparently,

...must ...resist ....obvious ...joke

 

[ErVikingo]

Submitted without comment:

ADD PWR

ADD PWR Explained

 

[SIY]

Submitted without comment:

ADD PWR

ADD PWR Explained

It's already been done.

 

[Echolane]

Ok, I have for a few years now had Shunyata as the "King" of the snake oil sellers. They represent the worst of the worst. They have it all. Marketing material that is pure rubbish and techno nonsense by the bucket full. I always wish someone with deep pockets could sue them out of existence. Then I foolishly looked at some Audio rags, I mean mags yesterday and saw an ad for Synergistic Speaker Wire I think it was. $28,000 for an 8 foot length. I now have put them at the top tier with Shunyata as both companies need to be hounded out of business. They represent the worst of the audio world. I know I should not be surprised, but I still am at the overwhelming amount of rip off and scam artists that are dominant in the audio industry. Just thought I would mention it today.
Our "hobby" is dominated by low life's, criminals and scammers of the highest order. They are true professionals at their trade.

Well, darn that is a sobering point of view! Especially since I just paid around $1500 for three Shunyata power cords and one RCA interconnect. And I was planning to save up to buy more. They haven’t arrived yet. I bought from Music Dirext and they have a 60 day return policy. I hope that I’ll be able to report I hear an unmistakable improvement in SQ. I certainly hope so!

I am not about to read all 111 pages of snake oil comments. Will someone please direct me to some OBJECTIVE proof they Shunyata products DO or DON’T sound as advertised?

 

[MAB]

Well, darn that is a sobering point of view! Especially since I just paid around $1500 for three Shunyata power cords and one RCA interconnect. And I was planning to save up to buy more. They haven’t arrived yet. I bought from Music Dirext and they have a 60 day return policy. I hope that I’ll be able to report I hear an unmistakable improvement in SQ. I certainly hope so!

I am not about to read all 111 pages of snake oil comments. Will someone please direct me to some OBJECTIVE proof they Shunyata products DO or DON’T sound as advertised?

Great question.
Amir does review power cables, and other associated 'power' accessories. Search for power cables:

Master Audio Review Index

www.audiosciencereview.com

There exists no serious model on how a power cable will affect the sound. The tests show over and over that there is no audible or measurable difference.

CTRL tested a few other tweaks like expensive binding posts, capacitor and resistor upgrades, etc. to see what the measurable effect is:

Different Binding Posts - is it audible?

The influence of BP on the sound of loudspeakers has often been controversially discussed. It even goes so far that individual voices describe the influence of binding posts as immense and recommend only very high-quality BPs - That made me curious. The full mini series: Capacitor...

www.audiosciencereview.com

He does see tiny measured differences (as expected) and they are less than 0.1 dB at the outer edges of human hearing (also as expected). So nothing there either...

$1500 is so much to spend on cables, and they really are a rip-off. You could be spent on so many meaningful audio things, like a second sub, or a speaker upgrade. I am hoping you will treat yourself to a better upgrade.

 

[MAB]

It's a friggen Ethernet cable!

"So what does REN has to offer? If I had to limit the assessment to a single sentence I would say that it offers unparalleled tranquility, closely followed by an incredibly orderly fashion of presenting the music."

I'm so glad it got the order right. It's a sucks when a streamer randomizes the tracks on A Wizard, A True Star.

All the elements of the music are presented without rushing things, without shortcuts, detours, timing issues, or any other sort of distractions in a pure, steady fashion.

It's like a digital wow and flutter eliminator.

Thanks for sharing this. It reminds me how low the bar is for the audio-mentalists that sell this.

 

[Mart68]

Well, darn that is a sobering point of view! Especially since I just paid around $1500 for three Shunyata power cords and one RCA interconnect. And I was planning to save up to buy more. They haven’t arrived yet. I bought from Music Dirext and they have a 60 day return policy. I hope that I’ll be able to report I hear an unmistakable improvement in SQ. I certainly hope so!

I am not about to read all 111 pages of snake oil comments. Will someone please direct me to some OBJECTIVE proof they Shunyata products DO or DON’T sound as advertised?

you could ask Shunyata for objective proof that their cables do something, see how that goes.

 

[fpitas]

you could ask Shunyata for objective proof that their cables do something, see how that goes.

I laughed out loud.

 

[fpitas]

you could ask Shunyata for objective proof that their cables do something, see how that goes.

I'm sure their scientists have reams of irrefutable data, but unfortunately it's proprietary. The competition would steal their secrets in a heartbeat!

 

[DSJR]

you could ask Shunyata for objective proof that their cables do something, see how that goes.

In the meantime, buy a 1.2m set of Amazon basics RCA cables and get someone to do an A-B switch without you knowing which is which. Bloomin' good those Amazon Basics cables and they seem to screen well too despite the low cost!

 

[antcollinet]

I hope that I’ll be able to report I hear an unmistakable improvement in SQ. I certainly hope so!

Sorry to tell you , but f you do, it won't be in the signals reaching your ears, it will come from the wetware between them.

You should return the cables regardless of what you hear. They are doing nothing for the audio.

 

[fpitas]

The high-end cable manufacturers should publish "data" graphs with subjectives axes, for examples Unicornians Vs Time.