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Extreme Snake Oil

A fantastic site, new to me : https://pt.audio/
I learned that the ZYX brand has beaten my record price for a cartridge, their latest model (several come out each year) is close to $17,000.
Otherwise, a photo where they dare to show a stock power cord. Incredible !
17 grand for a device (phono cartridge) that wears out in a year or two? Not for this chicken, bedawk!
 
Look what I have. This is not your mediocre snake oil, but true real, unfiltered serpent lard:
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I can claim that when I rubbed usb, optical and speaker cables with this lard - my wet and soapy girlfriend immediately came running from the bath to the wonderful sounds of music.
 
Look what I have. This is not your mediocre snake oil, but true real, unfiltered serpent lard:
View attachment 421415
I can claim that when I rubbed usb, optical and speaker cables with this lard - my wet and soapy girlfriend immediately came running from the bath to the wonderful sounds of music.

No need to grease your cables. You can get some pre-lubed. Here's a real snake-oil cable... ;)

"With the Duelund Silver Silk in Oil cables, the purest silver conductors are carefully encased within a cocoon of oil, ensuring optimal signal integrity and minimal interference. The result is an audio cable that delivers a truly transparent and immersive soundstage, where every nuance of the music comes to life." :cool:
 

I have to say that is certainly reminiscent of one of the more annoying trends in high-end audio. “ we’ll stick a single visible tube on anything we want and they’ll think it sounds more analogue and warm!”
 
No need to grease your cables. You can get some pre-lubed. Here's a real snake-oil cable... ;)

"With the Duelund Silver Silk in Oil cables, the purest silver conductors are carefully encased within a cocoon of oil, ensuring optimal signal integrity and minimal interference. The result is an audio cable that delivers a truly transparent and immersive soundstage, where every nuance of the music comes to life." :cool:
optimal signal integrity,

Must be the "integrity" this vendor is missing then i Guess;)
 
optimal signal integrity,

Must be the "integrity" this vendor is missing then i Guess;)
Of course! How could this 'integrity' be in two places at the same time?
 
I have to say that is certainly reminiscent of one of the more annoying trends in high-end audio. “ we’ll stick a single visible tube on anything we want and they’ll think it sounds more analogue and warm!”
Usually done by garage modder/tinkerers . You could have your Squeezebox transporter ( excellent performance streamer for it's time ) destroyed by some modder and have tooobs sticking out of it :)

6 lunatic website...

https://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/modwright3/transporter.html

Or lampizator has a horrible contraption built on a suqeezebox duet .
 
"New from Duelund, replacing the version 0.5 is the version 1.0, the flat annealed pure 99.999% silver ribbon has a sheath of silk and oil with a high affinity for moisture. This means the cable does not see any static charges, creating a completely undisturbed sonic image, completely devoid of plastic artifacts. Amazing for hook-up wiring, making your own interconnects and loudspeaker cables." 27£ for 0,5m
 
Usually done by garage modder/tinkerers . You could have your Squeezebox transporter ( excellent performance streamer for it's time ) destroyed by some modder and have tooobs sticking out of it :)
I still rock three Transporters which I "round robin" to ensure even wear.

Used as a digital transport (lower case) they are still fantastic sounding which I put down to the "do no harm/lightweight" design:

- DAC doesnt upsample or molest the signal in any way (44.1 in, 44.1 out)
- Lightweight custom software around the DAC that isnt Windows or Android based (as so many are today)

And to show how good the internal software is on it, the "latest" version is rev 87 from 2010... so while the Lyrion server software has changed dramatically over the last 14 years, the Transporters internal software chugs along not needing to be changed.

And extremely rare in any DAC/streamer is the digital loopback option so you can plug in your external DSP device of choice. Means your DSP needs can grow/change as needed and not get stuck with some poor/outdated software.

Only downsides as a transport is it is limited to 96k rate (but who needs more than that)

As a traditional DAC it's maybe not competitive today via it's analogue outputs when measured against the 120db+ SINAD DACs of today (but still has more than enough headroom to be transparent .. from memory Stereophile measured a SINAD of 110db)


But of course, the Transporter is nothing without the always developing Lyrion server software which supports way more "stuff" than most (all?) other streamers.

I paid a total of $US 3000 for my cache of Tranny's ("knobbed" original and two "no-knobs).... all brand new .... the best ROI ever on any device purchase I have made.

Peter
 
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Usually done by garage modder/tinkerers . You could have your Squeezebox transporter ( excellent performance streamer for it's time ) destroyed by some modder and have tooobs sticking out of it :)

6 lunatic website...

https://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/modwright3/transporter.html

Or lampizator has a horrible contraption built on a suqeezebox duet .

I hate that web site. The navigation is terrible, and if you do find a product you're interested in, the review will be several pages of word salad, that leaves you none the wiser about anything, by the end of it. :facepalm:
 
Usually done by garage modder/tinkerers . You could have your Squeezebox transporter ( excellent performance streamer for it's time ) destroyed by some modder and have tooobs sticking out of it :)

6 lunatic website...

https://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/modwright3/transporter.html

Or lampizator has a horrible contraption built on a suqeezebox duet .

And worst of all, I actually fell for it once.

A long time ago I bought a peach tree integrated amplifier, which has one of those visible tubes in the front. Of course it didn’t seem to perform differently than any other solid-state amp. I smacked my forehead, learned a lesson and moved on.
 
And worst of all, I actually fell for it once.

A long time ago I bought a peach tree integrated amplifier, which has one of those visible tubes in the front. Of course it didn’t seem to perform differently than any other solid-state amp. I smacked my forehead, learned a lesson and moved on.
At least those don't seem horribly overpriced. Similarly to those Vincent hybrid amps, one of which (SV-226MK) has served me very well for 20 years until I sold it last year. Really beefy hybrid tube/transistor integrated amp, well designed, well made, sounding great, and powerful (2x200W @4 Ohm). Never let me down, well worth its price, 750 EUR in 2004. Far from snake oil.

Sold it for 350 lately, which helped a lot for upgrading to modern Hypex. So long, old friend! :cool:
 
Finally thanks to the fantastic 'tracking angle', I found a new product, the fabulous $20,000 Gryphon Black Diamond DLC cartridge, based on Ortofon Diamond ($9,000).
But obviously extremely "revisited".
 
And worst of all, I actually fell for it once.

A long time ago I bought a peach tree integrated amplifier, which has one of those visible tubes in the front. Of course it didn’t seem to perform differently than any other solid-state amp. I smacked my forehead, learned a lesson and moved on.
Even mainstream brands like Luxman have dabbled in the genre :) late 80's saw a bunch of these from Luxman .

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I thought this thread would be a good place to post this Email I got from Upscale Audio. Going with all Advertisement is good Advertisement another shout out to ASR. Maybe people are starting to ask them uncomfortable questions?

View attachment 424050
Reading their email was almost as painful as getting hit by a car... :facepalm:
 
I thought this thread would be a good place to post this Email I got from Upscale Audio. Going with all Advertisement is good Advertisement another shout out to ASR. Maybe people are starting to ask them uncomfortable questions?

View attachment 424050
Some of these absurd statements would fill your Audiophool Bingo Card. I'd say it's unbelievable, but unfortunately it's an every day bunch o'garbage.
 
I hate that web site. The navigation is terrible, and if you do find a product you're interested in, the review will be several pages of word salad, that leaves you none the wiser about anything, by the end of it. :facepalm:
and ads, so many ads that it is hard to tell what is the article
 
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