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Extreme Snake Oil

Oh god, This thread is intense.
Here's my contribution, a "passive power conditioner" (HB Cable Design PowerSlave) that you can purchase for the low, low price of 16.5k USD.
"• Extreme build quality
• Unlimited dynamics
• High resolution with decay and micro detail
• Creates a new standard in magic sound staging"
Link
parts1_1__06555.jpg
 
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Does this device use AC or DC? I’d be very skeptical of a device of this caliber that used AC.
 
Kal Rubinson said:
Synesthesia
Click to expand...
Yeah! Anastesia... wasn't she the Russian centerfold who caused quite an uproar of heightened sensation(s)?
No one quite knew why or how her nekkid-ness triggered the sense of either her soothing-voice, or her fragrant-aroma.:)
Just like an audiophool who may be dopamine-farming by purchasing expensive snake-oil.
 
Has anybody been to the Walkeraudio.com website? I have never such a collection of nonsense in my life. I think they are going out of business and I wonder if it's due to litigation. PT Barnum had it right. Talisman Magnetic optimizer? Black diamond room treatment crystals. You can't make that stuff up. Personally I like the Precision Motor Controller where you can switch from 33 to 45 rpm records. I would love to buy one to take it apart. More Bass! More Detail!
 
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Entropy said:
Oh god, This thread is intense.
Here's my contribution, a "passive power conditioner" (HB Cable Design PowerSlave) that you can purchase for the low, low price of 16.5k USD.
"• Extreme build quality
• Unlimited dynamics
• High resolution with decay and micro detail
• Creates a new standard in magic sound staging"
Link View attachment 284249
Click to expand...
Its not even a conditioner its just a power bar. They call it power distribution. There are no electronic components just conductors and connectors. Not even surge protection.
 
Entropy said:
Oh god, This thread is intense.
Here's my contribution, a "passive power conditioner" (HB Cable Design PowerSlave) that you can purchase for the low, low price of 16.5k USD.
"• Extreme build quality
• Unlimited dynamics
• High resolution with decay and micro detail
• Creates a new standard in magic sound staging"
Click to expand...
What on Earth? I kept going back to make sense of that parts-breakdown photo.
Close look reveals that those are NOT solid copper bus bars (duh!) more like copper-foil wrapped coax (huh?).
Ooh, La La!
 
Do you think Walker believed his stuff was real? James Randi said that many of the dowsers, ESPers, etc., believed in what they said and were shocked when they couldn't win his famous prize.
 
I was wondering that myself...I think if you are going to have some sophistication in science/audio/electronics you would have to know that it is all nonsense. His claims were all physics defying, and most of his stuff would have been better suited to a crystal shop in Berkeley. I am guessing it must have been hugely lucrative though, they are making things for a few dollars and selling them for hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
 
Capitol C said:
Do you think Walker believed his stuff was real? James Randi said that many of the dowsers, ESPers, etc., believed in what they said and were shocked when they couldn't win his famous prize.
Click to expand...
Did anyone ever end up winning that prize?
 
As far as I know, no. I met Randi when I invited him to give a talk--a physics colloquium, of all things. He was a remarkable man, and having a chance to talk with him in my lab, and at dinner after his talk, was a high point for me. You can see my testimonial to him here:

Lecture Testimonials

James Randi Educational Foundation
archive.randi.org archive.randi.org
 
I've been in this hobby for 28 years. Must have tried 10+ brands of speaker cables from the cheap $2 ones to $100+ ones over the years.

I have always been indifferent and was honest to myself enough to say that I could never pass a blind test with any of the speaker cables I have used.

I agreed with the sentiment that premium speaker cables costing thousands of dollars were snake oil. I still do.

BUT I must say that after buying 2 pairs of GEARIT 10 AWG speaker cables and swapping them with existing pairs of Straight Wire B-Flats and World Best Cable (forget the make but it's an entry level model) I could immediately hear a significant improvement. I would say 20-30% better details, bass and overall SQ. I wasn't even trying to hear a difference. I just happened to buy the first pair on a whim for a new budget system set-up and thought they looked thick, well made and reasonably priced. 10 AWG was a major factor for me as I didn't have any 10 AWG cables before. Price is about USD50 per pair. And boy was I surprised with the new better SQ.

My theory is that the gauge thickness of the speaker cables make the most difference. As long as the other components are all reasonably well made. Best $50 improvement to my sound system in all these 28 years.

IMG_5795.jpgIMG_5796.jpg
 
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